The tiny ship hurtled toward the sun. Inside, five figures stood silhouetted against a glowing containment field. The ship began to shake. Tools rattled. Lights flickered. Rivets strained and popped. One of the figures raised a scarred arm and spoke.
“It ends with us, my friends,” it said.
The tiny ship became an orange-hot ball. The ball became a fiery yellow stream. The stream collapsed into a white-hot core and plunged into the sun.
Time passed. The universe was silent. The Sacrifice of the Five was marked.
After a time, the universe resumed. Heaven turned its eye. Life moved forward. On the other side of the sun, a white-hot core burst free and sailed unnoticed toward a marbled blue planet. On the surface of the planet one of the younglings slouched on a swing, kicked at the dirt, and wished for something – anything – to happen.
