Star - Light

Bizzy woke up like she did every morning for the past twenty-two years. She put on a robe to cover her body, went out to the kitchen, and made a coffee. She had set it up the night before like she always did. It was ready for her when she was ready to start her day.

Pouring a cup and splashing in a bit of vanilla creamer, she stood in front of the great window in the living room. Her apartment is on the forty-sixth floor of her building. The top level. She had gotten the apartment higher than any surrounding apartments available twenty-two years ago today. She had the entire top level of the building. Had to go to the leasing office last night to sign the new lease. This time for three years. "Paperwork sucks!"

She said out loud as she grabbed her coffee and went into the other room. Okay, so the building narrowed as it went up to the top floor so her apartment was literally the top of the building. She even had access to a small rooftop that she would use from time to time. Inside, the apartment was three rooms. Kitchen, bedroom, and living room. Off her bedroom was her bathroom, and this apartment had an added feature: running water in the shower. The manager left it active if she promised not to use it all that often. Water is included in the lease, and it is expensive.

She did her best and never had a complaint.

It was mid-morning. She could hardly see the buildings across the street as she looked out at the area. The scientists believe that the planet is going through some sort of shift or something soon, meaning the star will shine on their planet for the first time in recorded history. She hated science in school—that's why she went into the military, and after leaving the service, she found a home in security. But Bizzy knew the real story. There is this huge rock or whatever that's on a head-on collision with Mornaro, the planet that has blotted out light from the star since the beginning of time. They say the collision will be visible simply by looking up when it hits the planet, which is three to four times larger than Arnon, her home planet.

The last report has it at 2 in the afternoon tomorrow. Some of those science nerds believe it will knock the planet out of orbit and it will collide with Arnon. Others, more realistic, she hopes, think it will kick up a lot of dust and debris but slow the speed of the planet in its orbit by as much as 6%. And in time, we would have a day and a night like never before.

The day will be bright and only the night will be dark and normal.

Bizzy said out loud, "I don't know if I could get used to that."

She turned and went to get ready for work.

She poured another cup and got dressed.

Walking through the streets toward the precinct, she looked at the people she passed. Oblivious to what was in store in their very near future. News or, more precisely, propaganda is what you're going to tell the people tonight. Being one of the leading investigators, she is quite a way up in the information food chain within the precinct. She reads stuff. She hears stuff. She knows stuff. Who is she gonna tell? Everyone's eyes on this planet were well-adjusted for darkness. Bizzy couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like when the planet is bathed with light. Would she still be able to do her job? Her eyes were more attuned to the darkness than most of the planet's population. When she looked at something, she saw it as if for the first time. No preconceptions, her thoughts did not convolute what she was looking at. She saw no shadows.