Flicker

It had been 240,003 years since humans had transferred life on Earth to Mars. 240,000 years since the sun exploded and left other planets in the dust- the only ones left were Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 220,020 years since most of the stars had blinked out, leaving only red dwarf planets (which was...Like... 8 billion years before humans planned), and 13 years since Melon was born.

Melon was named after a long-lost fruit that was left behind on earth all those years ago- it was their parents' idea of being 'creative' and 'unique'.

However, they believed their friend, Lobster, had a more unique name. Then again, he chose it himself. His biological name was Star- a common name for those who lived on Mars (And, yes, humans had populated other planets as well). A lobster was something red and living- something with claws that could tear someone's hand up. Lobsters were cool.

Lobster also looked more unique. Despite his transition from female to male, he still wore more feminine clothing- perhaps to tell the Medians (or, as they used to be called, transphobics) that he didn't care about gender roles. He had dark skin and dark green eyes, with black hair dreaded with beads despite being only medium length. He had a tank top on at the moment- blue and green swirled together to create a strange pattern and short dark blue shorts. He had a thing for blue and green- he always talks about he wishes he could see the ocean. Melon sometimes wishes they could give that to him. Other additional things were small artificial crab claws around his neck and fake fishes that hung from his ears. He really loved the sea, for something he had never seen

Melon felt bland in appearance. They had pale skin with blue eyes, and their hair was a messy dirty blonde. They wore a casual white t-shirt and a black skirt, their fake golden earrings matching her fake golden necklace and bracelets. They always wondered if they looked too girly for a nonbinary person- but they honestly couldn't care less. They liked their clothes, even if they made them feel bland.

At the moment, Lobster was talking, his hands moving, as Melon listened quietly, not really paying too much attention to what he was actually saying.

"...Of course, it's *obvious* the light's going to run out eventually. Electricity can only go so far, and when I peeked in and saw the generator, it was fit to burst. Our lights are dying, Melon, and I wish I could *do* something. But no, fourteen-year-old Lobster has to work at a Burger Queen until he's 16, and even then he can only work at stupid jobs like Wallie Mart!" Lobster pouted, pulling his legs up to his chest, "It's not *fair*"

Melon tilted their head a bit dreamily, "Well, what would you do if you did get the job...? How would you, a single person, figure out what's up with it...?"

Lobster hesitated, "Well...Ah..I don't know...! But it's better than just sitting here watching our fake sun flicker in and out...!" as if on cue, their fake sun above them turned off, leaving the planet in complete darkness of the dome that surrounded it.

The dome that surrounded the planet kept the air clean and the fake sun, stars, and moon up. If a visitor from the other planets came, they came through a little pocket in the dome that did a bunch of mechanical things. Melon didn't really know- they just knew that the dome surrounded the entire planet other than those pockets, and those were locked up unless you had a spaceship, and that was a whole process.

Now, they stood in darkness, waiting. 1 minute... 5 minutes... 10 minutes... the two had huddled closer, scared that it might not come back on...

...20 minutes..Finally, it flickered on again

"See?" Lobster said, looking worried, "That was one of the longest ones..."

"Mmmhm" was all Melon said. They were panicking, slightly, but they stayed calm on the outside. If they freaked out, Lobster would, too.

"What're we going to do, Melon?" Lobster grabbed Melon's hands, who blinked, surprised. They were not used to affection from him, "Our world is dying... And I..." he winced as the sun flickered again. It was normal for the sun to flicker, but after that long break, it was hard to not flinch.

"You...?" Melon prompted, blinking with her dreamy blue eyes. She always looked like that- far away and dreamy. Her mother said she acted a lot like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter...Melon didn't really see it, but she didn't go against it. Luna was cool.

Lobster let go of Melon's hands, shaking his head, "I haven't done something I've wanted to do for a long time"

"Which is?"

"...It's nothing"

There was silence. Melon shrugged, looking up at the flickering sun, "How long do you think we have left, hmm?"

"...A week...if we're lucky"

"And if we're not?"

"Then a day."

"A day. Huh." she tilted her head, looking at Lobster, "Then why not do the thing you've always wanted to do, if this might be your last chance...?"

"...Because I'm scared" Lobster whispered.

"Scared of what?"

"...If they'll say no"

Melon thought for a moment, processing this, "...Oh. You want to ask someone out" they said bluntly.

"Yeah..."

"...Well just tell them. It's better to know before the world ends, right?"

Lobster merely hummed in response, looking up. Melon shrugged, going back to doodling in the soil. They stayed like that for a while- Melon didn't talk much unless prodded, and Lobster didn't know what to say. The light continued to flicker on and off. today was bad...It wasn't actually that unlikely the lights would be off tomorrow.

At dawn, they said their goodbyes, and they left, saying they'd see each other tomorrow...

However, tomorrow was when alarms went off.

"...Code Gen, This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. please go to the Pockets for launch. I repeat, this is *not* a drill"

Melon awoke groggily to the alarm, getting rushed out of bed and to the busy streets, already getting separated from her family. In false drills for Code Gen, which was Code Generator (meaning the generator was going to shut down and the lights would go out), it had been orderly- but now no one was there to keep the lines steady...Everyone wanted out before the sun died again.

Melon was panicked in the middle of the crowd until a hand grabbed hers and pulled her out of the worst part.

"Lobster..." Melon murmured gratefully, as he pulled them to the side. He knew they hated crowds.

"Are you ok...?"

"You should go...If we wait here for the crowd to pass, we won't make it...So...You should go without me-"

"No," Lobster said firmly, "Either both of us make it or both of us don't, if that's the case. Ok?"

Melon hesitated, "But..."

"Look- if...If we don't make it...I want you to know that-" his voice was drowned by the alarms and crowd, and Melon felt dizzy. Lobster had to hold them in place to keep them from curling up on the ground.

The lights were going crazy. The world was swirling. The noise had died down though...

"They're all done passing- come on, let's go..."

"Lobs, I can't..."

"You can.. come on..." he was tugging her, dragging her along the dusty road. the crowd was ahead of them only by a few feet, but it was still loud...Still swirly...And they were getting further away due to their slowness...

"Mel, we won't make it," Lobster said after what felt like hours of noise and swirls. He sounded like he was crying "The pocket's doors are closing... Unless you can run..."

"Leave me" Melon croaked, their body turning heavier to the point where Lobster tripped and fell trying to help her up

"I can't..." Lobster said, apparently unable to get up. He was a weak guy, after all. Carrying Melon must have been hard on him.

"Why not?"

the clank of the doors only a yard in front of them turned off the noise. they were left with only the dying light.

"Because I love you, Mel"

before her response could come, the lights turned off, and their world turned to complete darkness.