The starship exploded, bursting heat into the void of space. A vacuum of cruel conformity; thousands of passengers deleted from existence. Consciousness lost, adrift amidst the cosmic ocean.

—

“I miss you.”

The message vibrated softly between the seats.

A shoulder shrug followed by a noisy armrest.

The passenger leaned forward to grab his tablet.

A look of wonder pondered his face. Memories inflexed emotion as he reminisced the last time they touched. A kiss to her forehead, planted before leaving his planet.

He never believed he would find someone worth looking forward to.

For him, life had been a mistress of its own; consumed by the discovery of his trade. A man of science; obsessed with observation. His mathematics and theories had brought him to the brink of discovery. The fabric of space-time, the envelope of life as we perceive it, was within his computations.

The passenger smiled; warmth filling his gut.

“How did I get so lucky? How is it that someone so beautiful would miss ME?”

He thought to himself, as his hand moved towards his breast pocket. An involuntary movement of assurance as the passenger patted the hard disk drive in his coat.

He would show the woman he loved how absolutely perfect and profound everything was. His computations would prove to her, and the universe entire, that love was part of a divine plan.

The passenger smiled as the cabin cracked; pulling his insides out into space.