ParkerA Story by JoeThe last moments of a ship operator as the ship begins its quick descent into a crash landingAt a quarter to two in the morning, as the crew slept, Parker watched as the numbers on the dial decreased from 630,954,578. It had started at noon the previous day and it was now at 129,501,016…015…014. It was dropping too fast, even if they were making a programmed landing, which they weren’t. The crew slept in the invulnerable sleep chamber filled with sleep gas. There was a sudden alarm and the light above the dial began to pulse. The dial read 129,501,008. This was going top be the end for him and he knew it. 94,006,519 Parker opened the bottle of Old Earth wine he had been saving for his deathbed. The only indication that the ship was moving to fast was the slight ripple in the glass as he poured. 14,956,051 Parker didn’t worry about his death; he knew it wouldn’t hurt. He knew that the crew in the sleep chamber would not even feel the impact; they were safe. He raised his glass and began to sing the old song he’d learned: “Lying in a field of daisies Not a care in the world and lazy…” 5,086,100 “Watching those sheep jump over the fence Those made him think of dreaming. Who would’ve guessed Not he or the rest That those sheep were the death of Parker.” He added his own name because it was tradition to add the name of the deceased in the death song. 720,594 Parker poured himself another glass and tried to think of something else to say: a poem, song, anything. In that moment he experienced something he never had before. 340,480 Thoughts upon thoughts flowed into his mind and knowledge unknown to the world was his. 150,620 He suddenly knew every language in the universe, including ones that were only dreamed of before. 42,808 Every dance ever danced, every song ever sung, every play ever performed. It was the most beautiful experience ever. 420 Parker suddenly remembered that the ship recorder was on. He stood up… 105 cleared his throat… 23 and said it all in one word… 0 © 2010 JoeReviews
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Added on April 23, 2010Last Updated on April 23, 2010 AuthorJoeDes Moines, IAAboutI am a Christian-raised Agnostic who loves to read and write, particularly the science fiction and horror genres. My main philosophy on life is this: There is no predestined point in our lives, so we.. more..Writing
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