Make a Wish

They’d flown from Earth like dandelion seeds, scattered to the winds. Now it was all turned to shit. The ship was dying. He could hear it in every creak and groan, every lurch and shudder. Too long. It had been too many years in the cold. Even the hardiest seed would die if it floated too long without finding fertile ground.

The others were asleep. He’d made sure of that. He had their passwords. He punched in the code.

Emergency. Evacuate.

On the viewscreen, the coldsleep tubes burst from the vessel’s skin, flying out in all directions.

Like dandelion seeds.