Alecron 1572

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. After that night, all I can hear are the screams of my comrades as they disappeared into that desolate void. They had been sucked out like boba through a straw but through merciless fate I had been left on this deserted island of a spacecraft. At first, I enjoyed the quiet I found myself in, as if it were my own world. Those presumed dead were mourned, all 279 of them. I couldn't imagine them still alive floating around in the vastness of space. It was hard to accept that I wasn't out there with them. Who am I to be the only survivor of Alecron 1572?

I can still remember the blaring of sirens like a thousand car alarms going off at once. Flashes of blue and white surrounded me as I made my way down to the emergency air lock. Everyone ran for safety but by the time I had made it into the sealed tight container of a room it was too late. I could see their terrified faces being pulled away by the invisible hands of space one by one. They all looked right into my eyes as they flew away, their screams resonated deep within me. Some of them clinged to the safety rails that lined the hallways of the ship, but they were no match for the immense strength of space. If the void wanted them, it was going to have them. I heard the exit chamber doors shut tight, but it was still hours before I could bring myself back on two feet to confront the aftermath of this mass extermination.

As I built up the courage to press the switch to open the chamber, the first thing I noticed was the absence of bodies, warm or cold. It was as if the ship had been deep cleaned and someone had taken it too far. Next, I realized it was immeasurably silent, like I had gone deaf. No sounds of relief or despair from my fellow alecronians. I wandered the immense spacecraft for weeks and couldn't find a single soul spared from the merciless hands of space. They had been plucked out of existence like ripe grapes from a vine. Fate had favored me that night by placing my nightly work station the closest to the emergency air lock, but I would have rather been sucked out out like the rest of them. Now I inhabited my own personal hell.

Alecron 1572 is an immense spacecraft that was built to carry on the few survivors of the Earth Planet to continue the human existence. We were never meant to leave this ship, we were meant to live and die here and so were our children and our children's children. The only way to open the emergency exit chambers was through a series of codes that a select few alecronians had access to. This was common knowledge, but the select few were never made known and neither was the reason for them having such devastating power. The power to wipe out the population of an entire spacecraft in seconds. Maybe they were still here, hiding amongst the metal pylons or relaxing in a now vacant luxury suite that used to belong to one of the upper alecronians. I didn't want to be alone anymore, but I also didn't want to run into them. What if they decided to finish the job? Maybe that's exactly what I wanted.

Today I had dug amongst the rubble to find the first face that I'd seen since the incident. He was pale and limp as I pulled him from the debris, his eyes gray and glazed like glass. He was clothed in his alecronian jumper uniform the same as me, except his was crimson. This indicated he was of delinquent status, some sort of trouble-maker. That didn't matter now, he was still one of my former comrades. His identification badge was broken in half but I could make out the name "Jerem" accompanied by an image of his once grinning face. "Don't fret, Jerem. You'll receive a proper burial! If I can find somewhere to bury you." I proclaimed to the deceased Jerem, finally going mad. The one place that came to mind was the Alecron Community Garden. It was at the center of the Alecron and the only area on the ship with actual dirt. It was meant for growing produce to feed the alecronians but almost all it's bountiful harvest had been sucked into space along with its consumers. Certainly it could serve as a final resting place for poor Jerem, couldn't it? Usually the deceased were deposited into space, but I didn't want it to have him. It had already taken everyone else, but even in death I felt Jerem belonged on Alecron 1572 with me. "Come on, now!" I told Jerem as I slung him over my shoulder. "Let’s go get you taken care of." Jerem was heavier than a sack of rocks as I carried him to the Community Gardens, and I kept having to stop and rest on my journey there. There was very little rations left in my leather pack and I felt guilty for feeling relieved that Jerem wouldn't ask for a share of my stale bread. I almost gave him a piece just to alleviate that guilt.

The entrance to the garden is the most elaborate structure on the Alecron. Two marble pillars towered high above with a metal sign affixed between them that read ALECRON COMMUNITY GARDENS. In memory of Joshua Hammond. Unlike Jerem, I had known Joshua very well. He was the first alecronian to pass away on the Alecron, but I'll save his tragic story for another day. This day is about Jerem. The cold steel of the floor became soft grass as I escorted Jerem between the marble pillars. Above us was the vast expanse of space seperated by an impenetrable quartz glass ceiling. Below that were rows and rows of dirt plots that filled the gardens, awaiting seeds to be planted in them. There was one particular mound of dirt that appealed to me in the back corner of the gardens and I knew immediately that this would be Jerem's plot. I gingerly laid Jerem against the steel wall close by and went on to search for a shovel. Hopefully all the shovels didn't get sucked out, too! Poor Jerem would be waiting for days if I had to dig with my hands. I didn't want to see him rot away. Luckily, the garden shed had been sealed tight and bolted down. It had exactly one shovel at my disposal and I quickly made work of Jerem's resting place. I dug as deep as I could until I hit the metal that laid underneath followed by a loud clank! It was done, but now it was time to say goodbye to Jerem. Possibly the last human face I'd ever see. I laid him down in the gravel, arms crossed and eyes shut. Getting down on my knees I decided to offer him some last words. "Here lies Jerem. Though I did not know him in life, I'm thankful to grant him peace in his death. May the watchful spirits of this great galaxy guide him into a splendid afterlife far away from the despair and hopelessness that is now Alecron 1572 and into the warm embrace of his fellow alecronians who perished this same fate. If the spirits are merciful, I shall greet them soon as well."

I could feel the warmth of tears streaming down my cheeks as I remembered those I had lost. Family, friends, and even those I had just casually greeted in the corridors were greatly missed in this moment. I remained there knelt next to Jerem with my eyes shut, ruminating on days gone by. Clap clap clap. The sound of applause broke the silence, and I felt my heart drop. Was it from fear, or excitement? I opened my eyes and checked to make sure it wasn't Jerem clapping. He had remained still and quiet. The clapping was coming from behind me, but who could be? I was afraid to check. "Well, hello," a strange voice said, "it's nice to finally meet you."