The Final Expedition

Day One Hundred and Ninety-Eight

Aki gazed out of the small window in the floor of Zvezda, watching the slowly rotating surface of the Earth below us.

“I wonder if anyone down there even remembers we’re here.” She mused, glancing across at me. I had been editing the footage from my camcorder, which had been a little eerie, watching video of both Flynn and Karpov from just a few weeks previously.

“Assuming there’s anyone left alive by now.” I replied grimly. “Maybe Flynn was right. Maybe we really are the last of humanity.” Aki gently pushed herself away from the window and over towards me.

“That’s not like you, Max.” She said.

“I know.” I admitted. “Sorry, I guess everything’s starting to take its toll. Six months now stuck in this tin can with the blackened planet below us a constant reminder of our hopeless situation.”

“Not hopeless.” Aki replied. “There’s always hope. You said yourself that you believed humanity would survive, remember?”

“I know.” I sighed. “I guess I’m just feeling a little low. Flynn going crazy and then Karpov too, you know? Not to mention that one of us is condemned to die on the station when the others leave. I’m starting to feel like Flynn when he said it’s like we’re locked up on death row, the days ticking away and blurring together. Hell, I don’t even know what day it is. Tuesday maybe?”

“I thought it was Thursday.” Aki replied, furrowing her brow.

“It’s Friday.” Morrison interrupted confidently as he pulled himself into the module.

“It is?” I replied.

“Sure.” He grinned. “Haven’t you got that Friday feeling?”

“Not so much.” I admitted.

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” He smiled. “How about we all get together and watch a movie tonight, eh? Something funny to lift our spirits?”

“That actually sounds pretty good.” Aki replied. I nodded my agreement.

“No chick flicks though. I’m pulling rank on that one!” Morrison told her. She laughed and despite my dour mood, I laughed too. I had to hand it to him, he seemed to be doing his best to raise morale in our darkest days.