Love and Oblivion on Vargon VI

It was true the world was ending, yes, but this wasn’t particularly news to me. As far as I was concerned, the world had been ending ever since Margaux had dumped me, a sentiment that had lost me my friends, my job, and what little dignity I had left.

I discovered that Vargon VI was actually preparing to implode upon itself when I tried to order pizza. I called up Zucko’s and asked for delivery.

“Man, what are you talking about? Delivery? Pizza? Are you joking?”

I was confused. “I’m sorry, this is Zucko’s, isn’t it?”

“Ain’t no more pizzas, man!”

“It’s only 1800 hours, you guys shouldn’t be closed for another—"

“Ain’t no more pizzas tonight, ain’t no more pizzas ever! Turn on the news! We’re clearing out!”

With this, the man on the other line abruptly hung up on me. No more pizzas? Tonight… or ever? I was unaware their business was failing. I sighed. Zucko’s really did have the best pizza in the district; with them out of business, I’d have to settle for Cheap and Fresh. Cheap and Fresh promised two things and only delivered on the first part—I’ve had fresher pizza off my floor.

I called them up and received no answer. As I hung up the phone, no longer just confused but now seriously hungry, I heard the sirens. I crawled across the debris that littered my apartment and peaked out my window. I used to leave the blinds open, welcoming the light of the three suns that shone through at any given moment. I also used to clean my apartment and cook for myself. But this was all in the age before the life-altering bomb that was Margaux.

Outside: chaos. From my view on the 467th story, I could witness at least four planetcar accidents. Police speeders were attempting to respond, but the accidents sprawled across multiple levels.

I flipped on the holoprojector and discovered the news in full: the planet was set to implode, without warning, at any point within the next few hours. Those rich enough to do so were all urged to get off planet. Because of the capriciousness of the planet’s demise, aid from neighboring planets was not coming.

Briefly, I contemplated the idea that my own inner turmoil had somehow manifested itself inside the planet’s core and doomed everyone. I abandoned the notion, but not as soon as I would like to admit. There is nothing so dramatic as a romantic’s broken heart.

With the confirmation of incoming oblivion, I had but one course of action: I had to find Margaux. I was convinced that the literal end of the world would make her realize that she still loved me. All the things that didn’t work in our relationship wouldn’t matter: there’d be no time for any petty arguments, conflicts of where or how we wanted to live, or discussions about children. There’d be no future to complicate anything—there’d be no future at all.

It being midday on a Wednesday, and me being the pathetic creature I was, I was far too drunk to drive. I hailed a taxi and asked for a ride into the 31st District.

The driver was an Urgulian. His seven eyes all blinked a negative. “I’m going as far as the 27th, but that’s it. I’m just on my way home to my wife and kids.”

“I’ll give you fifty extra credits.”

He scoffed. “Yeah? And what am I gonna do with those when the world ends?” His skin softened, changing from a dark green to a lighter shade of blue. “I can take you as far as I’m going. I doubt anyone else on the road will offer you that much, considering.”

The Urgulian had a point. I accepted his offer and hopped in his cab. As he drove through the sky lanes well above the speed limit, I did my best not to vomit from motion sickness.

“What do you need to get to the 31st District for?” he asked.

“I’ve gotta see Margaux before the end of the world.”

His skin turned a dark red. “She’s your lady?”

“Yeah,” I lied.

His brows furrowed. “Well. Okay. Well. I’ll take you, then.”

“Really?”

“It’s the right thing to do.”

When we got to Margaux’s building, I threw the Urgulian my wallet. He laughed but I shrugged. “Just in case they’re wrong.” He saluted me as he sped away.

I went to enter Margaux’s building but was forced to remember my least favorite thing about this place: the landing pad was made of Hartiglax crystals. Hartiglax crystals were rare, they were expensive, and they were transparent. As I glanced down, I saw not the comfort of the ground but the massive five hundred floor drop to the undercity below. Without warning, I vomited profusely.

At this exact moment, Margaux walked out onto the landing pad.

Right behind her came a tall, handsome Rhindian. As Margaux watched me wretch in confusion, the Rhindian grabbed her elbow. “Let’s go sweetheart, we don’t know how much time we have.”

Margaux said not a word, just stared at me as he led her to a large ship on the other end of the landing pad. I tried to call out to her, but all I could do was vomit more. I watched as Margaux’s expression shifted from confusion, to disgust, to concern. I began stumbling toward them but slipped in my own puke.

The shuttle doors closed behind them and they took off, venturing far away from Vargon VI and its imminent destruction.

The first of the explosions began just then. Bursts of molten electogorbs 700 miles tall sprung forth from the planet’s surface. Their electric blue color was dazzling. I basked in their beauty and laughed. My friends and family had called me dramatic, and yet, here I was, sitting in a pool of my own vomit at Margaux’s doorstep, watching her leave with another man—the end of the damn world.