
In the beginning, the universe was small, hot, and dense. And lonely. The only life that evolved to intelligence, in a desperate bid to communicate and achieve immortality, made a monumental decision.
“Murphy was an optimist.” Randy smiled to himself as he fingered the faded words on the wall. The room was spartan, with only the essential bed and toilet. It wasn’t much larger than a prison cell, but he would miss it. The crowded walls were covered with hand-drawn peace signs, scribbled cartoons, and depictions of marijuana plants. Hours of Randy’s idle time reflected in the...
Robert stood in front of the docking shuttle. In a few minutes, he knew, it would lift off and take him to the orbiting asteroid dubbed New Life by the three hundred colonists. He had said his good-byes earlier. Now, he was alone. He had taken his one chance and here he was. In a moment of panic, he decided that he had made the wrong decision, then laughed at himself. He...