Solitary Intrusion

Daily I wander the corridors. Listlessly meandering from kitchen to bedroom to living area. Not another living soul. Only the hum of the electronics to break up each silent night and empty day. Five years. Five years of soul crushing loneliness. Five years playing solitary solitaire.

My meals are synthesized by a machine from a well stocked pantry. Unfortunately, it doesn’t talk: It merely produces what I request. At least it’s a decent cook. After all, I got to program the menu since I volunteered for this. Sitting at the table built for ten, I stare at nine empty chairs. As I sip my morning coffee I picture you sitting there. Your form dances in the wisps of steam. Your wavy brown hair curling over your shoulders, your hazel eyes flashing with suppressed mirth. “Soon my dear. We’ll be together again. I swear it.” They promised if I could survive the five years we could be together again.

Occasionally I look out a window. Praying for the mere sight of another soul. Just a sign of life in the never changing vista. It was one year, thirty-five days into my lonely five year sentence . Four hundred days of solitary. Even the music I programmed is getting old. I now know the words, every single verse, of over five hundred songs. Then came the noise.

Throwing back my blanket I clambered from my bed. The bed I wish you occupied with me. What is that? A repeated metallic ping. I opened the door and, following the sound, headed up the corridor. As I got nearer the sound resolved into knocking. An insistent knock. What the hell? Nobody should be here. Maybe they sent someone to check? Nah. Impossible. Hope the food synthesizer isn’t malfunctioning. That would suck.

Bypassing the kitchen I was relieved to find the noise wasn’t originating from there. Clang… Clang… Clang… I continued on. Stopping by a window I looked out. Nothing. Just like always. Empty. Devoid of all life. So who’s banging?

Determined to get to the bottom of the anomaly I headed for the exit. My feverish mind envisioned all kinds of horrors. Anything could be out there… Clang… Clang …. STOP! Just stop. Please.

The noise ceased. I froze. Thirty seconds.. then thirty more. Nothing. Not a sound. NO! Please, don’t go! I didn’t mean it. I swear. I rushed to the door. The one door I swore never to open. If I open that door this all comes to a screeching halt. I’ll never get to see you again. Never hold you in my arms.

Clang… My head jerked up. I placed my ear to the door. Clang! Someone’s out there. What the hell? I pressed my face to the window. There! It’s… it’s you. I don’t know how. It’s impossible. But… there you are. Beckoning to me. Your lovely hair flowing in waves. That small come hither grin. How? I don’t know, but I have to get to you before it’s too late. I have to.

Feverishly, of their own accord, my hands scrabble on the panel. There’s a pneumatic hiss. The airlock opens. In space, nobody could hear me scream.