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Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Strange Sci-fi Tales #22 - Seeking Secrets Without (Condsidering) Consequences [#103]

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            I sought the secrets of the universe, I cared little for what that would entail. The greatest mystery of them all was hidden on an empty planet on the far side of the galaxy. A small little rock that contained only decayed temples of a long-dead civilization. It was a long journey to that ball of dirt and sacrifices had to be made to reach it. I considered it an occupational hazard. My colleagues didn’t share the sentiment, but that’s why none of them made it.
            I shed no tears when we lost Steven to that loose cargo. Besides, it was Jamie’s fault, and the crew should have taken up their grievances with him. It was an unfortunate accident, but it was nothing more than that. My colleagues later spouted it set a dangerous precedent, but it was completely unrelated to what happened after.
            I was also unfazed by Robert’s death. It was an asteroid field, and the possibility of causalities should always be at the forefront of the mind. Regardless, if he were never out of position in the first place, he wouldn’t have died. Two deaths so close to the start of the journey may be considered worthy of concern, but I will always affirm it was a coincidence.
            When Mary died, however, I can understand the concern. Her death was no one’s fault and could not have been prevented easily. I will admit that there is something dark and insidious about that stretch of space. I’m glad whatever killed her didn’t follow us.
            Jamie’s death was tragic, but it was born from resentment that had been bred throughout the journey. While most of my colleagues blamed me for Steven’s untimely demise, there were a few who accused Jamie. They were vehement in their belief he was to blame, to the point they believed he killed Steven purposefully. I’m not sure what frustrated me more about the situation. The fact that my colleagues started to kill each other, or the fact we had to leave behind the few people who didn’t blame me for everything that went wrong.
            I never wished ill on my colleagues, even if they continued to be soft-hearted and foolish. However, I didn’t take much time to mourn them either. Not Jonathon after the electrical malfunction, not Amy after the oxygen shortage and nor even Fredrick when we crashed.
            I sought the secret of the universe, the secrets were within my grasp. Certainly, I was stranded, my colleagues had all perished, were left behind, or had fled. I may have been hopelessly stranded on a backwater planet in the middle of nowhere, but my goal was within my reach. I would know the greatest secret of the universe, although it seems I’ll have to take it to my grave.

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Regardless of whether or not a problem is your fault, sometimes you find yourself taking responsibility for the consequences. If you push onward without regards for these consequences then the end result will be your fault.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
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