adventures

side. 'Most of the planet's atmosphere has been boiled away, which is good news, because we
don't have time to bother with the jolly boats. We're going to make a low pass over the surface
and open the cargo-bay doors.' She glanced at Stokes. 'I'm told you've got all sorts of alien magic
stuff going on down there. Can you fly?'
Thooo grabbed Singh's communicator. 'We're flying now.'
The academics looked down. They were.
The hemispherical green dome swept straight past the ruddy golden shape of the Winton as it tore
through the thin and swirling vapour of the planet's upper atmosphere. It spun to a halt right
behind the craft, then whizzed straight through the open doors of the cargo bay.
They closed behind it.
Bernice felt Wolsey's breathing against her chin. They were all going to make it. Every single one
of them.
As she thought that, the shadows across the cabin instantly lengthened and everything was silhouetted.
The colour of the sky outside changed from red to white.
Which meant that the star had exploded.
The expanding sphere of the supernova swept past the planet.
Then swept through it.
The body of the world that had cradled a civilization became a lengthening stream of plasma.
The little golden shape of the Winton sped out of the solar system with a wall of fire racing just
behind it, planets being vaporized in its trail. The fire blossomed into great flares that reached out
for the spaceship, fingers of fire that pursued the craft right up to the edge of near-lightspeed.
Inside the juddering craft, Bernice reached out her hand.
Her fingers closed by accident on those of Michael Doran.
But there are no accidents, she thought as she stared seriously at him and he stared seriously
back. There's only narrative.
The flares swept around the Winton.
Just as it impossibly passed lightspeed and vanished from the universe.
And was free.