It had been some months now since he had travelled to night. He remembered when night travelled to him but that had been a different era and a different planet. Now, it was time for him to renew so he took the journey to the dark side of the planet.
Before the dreaming set in, in that vague moment between wakefulness and sleep, he remembered when fate changed. He recalled himself then, neither too old nor too young. Then he could never have contemplated how two unrelated stories would bring him to this place. He thought he read one story in the newspaper and perhaps the other he heard on the radio. Neither seemed meaningful at the time. Now, oh now, they were the only reason he, and the others, were here.
They had discovered the answer even as the old planet had begun to die. Not a great answer, of course, but just enough, at least for him. He wondered if the two groups of scientists had ever met each other or knew what the other was doing. He doubted it. He half smiled to himself for he remembered the first story was something about finding the aging gene in earthworms. And the other had got a little attention, about a planet an impossible 26 light years away.
They left earth even as the polar ice caps were melting and with a few earthworms. The ancient physicist was right, the speed of light was an absolute – but even great distances can be travelled with limitless time. Tomorrow he would celebrate his 469th birthday in this alien world.
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And here is Cliff’s fabulous contribution to my story
georgiegirl
At least the news is useful for our imaginations!!! You never know this might actually come true. Great microstory!!
Pilgrim
The two news stories I actually did hear this week. The downside on the worms story (and it also applies to mice) is that you need to reduce your calorie intace by 25%. So you can live long and thin.
RandomAlex
Hi Pilgrim
Short short stories like this are generally called flash fiction, and lots of ‘zines pick up the good ones. For example, check out AntiSF
Pilgrim
RandomAlex, many thanks I had though flash fiction was even shorter but I see Wikipedia says it can be 200-500 words (and I always trust wikipedia). So very happy to go with flashfiction as the tag. And still like to see more of it on RB!
kathleen
Hello Pilgrim… I have to admit that this is the 1st story I have read here so far… I am pretty visual and find it extremely difficult to read and digest large amounts of text on-screen. I write poetry and sometimes read that but if it’s too long the window closes indiscriminantly. I liked your little story, almost like a reading a page lost from the rest of the novel… a snippet in the time line of a life… /
It’s funny and coincidental that your writing about aliens there was a discussion that we had here about some ideas being brought to the attention of more than one bubbler at a time etc. see here. I was thinking of placing a couple of words up in the journal today about UFOs, I’ve been seeing them quite regularly again lately and was wondering if anyone else was having these little experiences… strange world we live in… :-) /
can’t wait to see more of these, I have guilt that I don’t participate in the written stuff so much here because I have a great passion for literature and verse, my eyes just go all funny is all… flashfiction… hmm who’d have thought!
Cliff Vestergaard
I have done Cover art for you story Pilgram.
Cliff Vestergaard
can we attach the image I did to your story ?
Pilgrim
Will do.
Cliff Vestergaard
Cool look at cover art ! awsome !
kathleen
hee the cover is bigger than the story! cool collaboration boys.
Damian
Hey Pilgrim, nice work on the flash fiction, I enjoyed the story. I’ve been trying to get around as much of the writing as I can, but it’s a bit random at the moment.