Passing in the night

The silence is deafening. Not a hum of an engine, creak of a pipe, or whisper breaks the eerie quiet. Lights dim slowly, monotonously, and then brighten as the little remaining power tries in vain to illuminate the straight corridors and empty rooms. A pipe swings lazily from the ceiling. The air is stagnant, frozen in a timeless slumber, waiting to be awakened. There is total silence.

A lifeless ship, spinning slowly through the vastness of space. But not alone.

A glimmer against the silky darkness is the only sign. A reflection against metal. A glowing blue ember as this new visitor approaches. Soon, the glimmer grows; a light shines upon the outer edge of the derelict, illuminating a scarred and battered shell. Paint once adorned this hulk, but has long since been sheared off by dust and rocks. A word, written along the side, can no longer be read.

The visitor edges closer and closer, slower and slower. It passes across the bow of the derelict, its huge bright eye searching, light long since forgotten caressing the cold metal. The tiny visitor lazily spirals around the nameless metal corpse. It pauses for a moment as the eye of light finds a window. The visitor peers in, but sees nothing but dust. Reluctantly, it shifts its attention away. It stops again here and there with an infinite curiosity.

The visitor moves closer, drawn towards the derelict. The two wanderers come together with an exquisite patience. The visitor continues spinning, circling, the eye of light piercing the secret corners of rust and ashes. For an aeon, the two ships stay like this, spinning around together. The visitor inches closer and closer.

Until finally they meet, metal brushing metal in an intimate kiss.

With a gasp of movement, the wanderer jerks away. The dark hulk follows it for a moment then releases its hold, gravity’s desire losing to the emptiness of space. The small ship passes its glowing eye one last time over the derelict then turns away. Thrusters fire and within moments it has gone.

The ship is once again left alone, turning end over end in a directionless expanse of nothingness.