The Empty – Entry 5

“You came back,” Anthony said in disbelief. His throat tighten as the emotions ignited inside him. It had been a year since his visit to the edge. Jasmin wasn’t scheduled to return until next Fall. They had spoken over hololink two days earlier and she hadn’t mentioned a trip home. She looked perfect, maybe a little older, her hair was short now and red, that natural red she had always covered up. Jasmin didn’t speak, her knees felt like they would buckle. She looked around, confused. She was back at campus, in the lawn south of the library. The entire sky was blue, the Empty was no where in sight. “Jasmin,” Anthony asked, snapping her gaze back on him. She took several breaths and managed to whisper, “Toner?”

They rushed to embrace. She pressed her cheek to his chest, clutching his back. His arms surrounded her as he kissed her forehead. Time felt like it had stopped. Neither let go. Jasmin looked up into Anthony’s eyes. “I love you! I’ve always loved you. I wish I had told you before you died!” Anthony laughed, “I love you too, Jazz! And I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.” Her eyes widened. She pulled back, placing her hands on his arms, “It’s ok, I know this is just…” A rock hit the ground a meter away and tumbled towards their feet. She glanced at it just as it came to rest, recognizing the black shine and thin silvery veins running through it. Hadn’t she thrown this rock into The Empty? She blinked.

Jasmin was in bed. Her chest still felt warm from Anthony’s embrace. Dog was sitting in the doorway, ears pulled back, the tip of his tail wagging slightly. Her eyes filled with tears.

The Empty – Entry 4

Toner… Anthony… he’s the reason I keep this ridiculous journal. Sentimental nonsense, I know. But since the 8th advance the whole world has gone senseless, why rock the boat.

It was the first day of the semester, my final year and his first year. I saw him from across the campus field. He was busy reviewing notes on his holo. His path was a collisions course, so I just stood there until he nearly walked in to me. His holo display warped around my face. The photons gave a slight tingling as they bounced off my cheeks. He gasped. In fairness I suppose a cute girl is the last thing one would expect to have erupt from the “The Political History of the North American Super Nation”. He took the cue pretty well. We had coffee that evening.

Toner had a full scholarship for journalism. School was really just a formality for him, something his parents wanted him to do. He didn’t mind; his first short story was published when he was 8. He already had 3 books on the top 50 list and he was regularly featured in several syndicated monthly publications. He could have gone anywhere and done anything. Instead he sipped lattes with me at Ariah’s Cafe every afternoon that year. That’s how I ended up journaling. He gave a convincing argument for why I should. And by “convincing argument” I mean those forest-in-the-fall hued eyes had a way of making you say yes just by looking at them. I tried not to look at them often.

Immediately after graduation SphereSafe Logistics recruited me for their Special Robotics division and sent me to the edge of the Empty. Toner came to visit befor his 2nd year started. We played it safe as usual. Coy. Dodging the overtones. It was a safe harmony. I never saw him in person after that trip. The 7th advance made sure of that. We never reached a crescendo.

– Jasmin Tzotsof, 8th advance survivor

The Empty – Entry 3

5 minutes. I feel the heat wave they’ve told us about, which they immediately follow with, “if you feel it, run! You’re in the path of the advance!” Their description is wrong. It’s not so much a wave as a pulsation, like the atoms in and around me are briefly igniting, then… not. It’s weird standing this close to the event horizon, not freezing, not even the slightest bit cold. Before the Empty swallows you into its frozen entropic vortex, it microwaves you on the warm setting. How quaint.

I bet Stephen Hawking would have loved to experience this… of course not until he had finished with the “I told you so’s”. The geniuses at CERN3 knew better, but 100bn GeV had already been reached… why not 117bn GeV? What could go wrong? Smooth move McFly, you hit 88mph! 20th century historians can appreciate that. Anyway, Hawking was actually pretty close on this one… only the expansion was much slower, with no gravity, and geosynchronously linked… minor details.

Funny. I figured my last minutes would be filled with epiphany, documenting the wonders of the Empty at the moment of advance… but here I am ranting, again.

2 Minutes.

If I’m going to postpone the inevitable, now’s the time. Dog is out of range. I moved my belongings yesterday. My house is a goner for sure, but the farm will survive (this time). Ugh! Mortality. You can’t live with it. See what I did there?

1 minute.

300 meters.

Shit!

Run!

The Empty – Entry 2

I threw a rock at it today. Growing up we were taught to fear The Empty. Over time my fear turned to caution then to curiosity. I guess that’s why I moved to the edge when I came of age… that and the great real estate prices.

It was memorizing to watch. There’s no gravity in The Empty. No up or down. I’d call it “space” but everyone who’s had a science class in primary school knows its consuming space as well. The moment my rock entered the event horizon its course was set and its cohesion failed. By the time it was out of sight the rock was a fuzy dust orb on its way to… wherever.

I was shivering. Too close, too long. “This is how people fall in,” I heard Mrs. Archen’s voice in my head. She should have listened to herself. I went home. Dog licked the frost from my shoes.

Two more cycles until the next advance. It’s probably not safe here anymore… but is it anywhere? They say the inner regions have destabilized, governments are failing, food riots and anarchy are the norm. What did they expect? You can’t fit a world’s population into a few cities and expect order. Here on the edge it’s at least quiet… and I have all the strawberries I can eat… at least until tomorrow night.

God, I hate this part.

The Empty – Entry 1

I opened the back door to let the dog out. It was closer tonight. The Empty. There used to be trees as far as you could see. Mr. Archen’s house is gone now. He left with the front of it. I felt the pull. The Empty isn’t cold like people used to say. It just takes the heat from whatever is near it. It takes everything eventually.