After the ship stopped shaking, the angry flashes of warning lights discontinued, a few people could be heard sobbing or whispering prayers. With all the sharp banking maneuvers and acceleration, it was no surprise the passengers were a little jumpy. Len just looked out the window, a few trails of smoke from the unexpected meteor shower still visible in the glow of the setting sun. He smiled, thinking:
My first brush with death outside the Martian Gladiator Pits. If this is what life is like outside the Sun system...
He was still a long way from the colonies, but the excitement burned in him. He'd heard there were no walled cities there. No war between the highborn and the low. Many lost their lives out in the void, but they died for what they wanted to die for; carving out a piece of existence all their own. He watched the dark side of the Earth fade from view. I'm never going home.
Nice bit of sci-fi flash to start the day."Many lost their lives out in the void, but they died for what they wanted.*
Well crafted, bracing. *
Sci-fi is hard to write as flash because there's a temptation to add all sorts of technical details. But you did it. Good piece.
*
Thanks for all the kind words!
This makes me want to read more, which is a good thing, right?
It's definitely a good thing Emily! I enjoy world-building and going on about details, these short pieces are a way for me to practice being concise. I think this could serve as the opening to a longer story though.