I THOUGHT I SAID
By Brent Rankin
It’s amazing that Mankind has learned to travel faster than light. Or so they claimed when I signed on for this project. Sit back and the craft will do the work for you.
“Communicate with us as to what’s going on.”
Physics. Someone should have read the book.
I was catapulted off the surface of the moon in 2022, hitting a g-rate of Mach 40. So fast, in Earth’s gravity, I would have become soup. In space, so fast I could see no stars. The little spots of light were past me before I could become aware.
.”Let us know what you are feeling.” 2120.
I read the tachometer (that’s what THEY called it). 85% up to the speed of light.
“Are you there?”
“Yeah, where else?” 2257.
“How…do you feel?”
Hitting 90% the speed of light, it becomes…quiet. Peaceful.
“We…are…losing…your…image…on…radar…”
My Response: “Can you hear me?”
Their Reply: “Yes.. (nothing).
No motion, no movement, no sound. No colors. 97% the speed of light.
Goddamn scientists. They’ve read a book…yeah. If I travel forward at X velocity, and send a message back at –X velocity. Well, X-X = ?
100% speed of light and I’m still traveling. Radio waves travel the speed of light in a
vacuum. I’m going this way, sending messages back that way…
Back and…forth…
Fuc….
- - -
"It's what writers do."