We flew in low toward the 1941 Wild asteroid. It was big enough, at about 10.7 miles in diameter, that we could reasonably hide and hopefully fully lose the Eternis. Despite our oxygen burn, the valkyrie was gaining fast. I mean, the thing was way more powerful. It's a valkyrie, after all.

I took the lead, on a semi-direct course now that would angle us to the side farther from Eternis. My hope was to get to the opposite side as their ship, putting the asteroid between us, and hopefully get some relief from jamming signals. By my calculations, we would make it, but we had to time it right.

I tested the jamming signal with a ping. Still no luck on transmissions. The readings showed promise though, with jamming estimates only at two bars.

kittyboy: "Once we get far enough to get a signal out, we'll need to abandon the cycles, let them think we exploded."

auroraloon: "You seem pretty optimistic. Sure we'll make it?"

kittyboy: "We'll make it. Then we dash for the surface."

auroraloon: "Or we just let them blow us up."

I thought about that for a moment. I died that way a lot. It was quick and painless. But I didn't want to give them the satisfaction. I wasn't ready to give up yet. If nothing else, assuming we got the signal out, we could stash our memoryshards as a backup.

kittyboy: "No. For pride if nothing else, they aren't going to blow me up this time. I want to pull one trick on them at least. And I want to stash a memoryshard - plus the memoryshards from @pixel_princess and @photon_binary."

auroraloon: "So, plan B."

kittyboy: "I think plan D has been plan A since we first met."

auroraloon: "Or X? Or Y?"

kittyboy: "LOL. When we eject, set your spacecycle for the nearest asteroid. They'll know we either gave up or had a power reserve and are trying to run for it."

auroraloon: "Confirmed. Plan Z it is."

I laughed.

We were just a few seconds from the surface. Still on track. My little spacecycle didn't have much more juice in it. I was upset that they didn't have a power backup onboard, but then, they probably didn't intend these for much more than some surface travel at the starlab.

I pulled up, leveling off get to the side opposite where the Eternis would show up. I pinged again and again. It had to be a matter of moments now, if I'd get a signal out at all. Still two bars.

@auroraloon stayed right on my tail. She had a little more power left than I did, but still not nearly enough.

One bar on the ping. I was just about there, now angling to the surface. As we approached, along the horizon, I started to pick out the cluster of smaller rocks near 1941 Wild in greater detail. My plan was to get a signal out, ditch the spacecycles, and make for the small cluster of rocks.

If it all worked out, I could store memoryshards there on one of the smaller rocks, then thrust to the surface before the Eternis could pick us up. If they found my body on the surface, hopefully they would overlook anything in the hundreds of rocks above it.

My spacecycle zipped toward the dark chunky asteroid that was 1941 Wild. As I arrived, the feeling of nothingness suddenly becoming a tangible feeling of being grounded again, having a spot in the universe. I sped past rocky crags, finding the smoother parts, not bothering to slow down. I worried about @auroraloon being able to keep this speed, but she didn't complain and stayed close enough. The distance was marginal, and she was still within comms.

kittyboy: "Get ready to eject."

auroraloon: "Standing by."

I zipped around an outcropping, nearly clipping it, and back into an open space. I had been distracted, paying too much attention to @auroraloon's spacecycle. It probably looked like a cool but reckless maneuver. I didn't bother admitting that I was distracted.

I pinged for the jamming signal again.

We were clear!

I screamed for joy and triggered the first transmission. Then I counted. The first transmission was the smallest datapacket, and the simplest that I could send. It simply said, "Zombies," and gave the location.

The second message would take slightly longer. It gave more context, but most importantly, it had the digital memories of our firesquad from this mission. As the transmission with my memories went out, I started a new memory log.

I admit that I didn't include what was on @photon_binary's physical memoryshard. I didn't have a converter. And I wasn't about to load his shard into my own head - not with that virus potentially on it. In fact, even if I could digitize it, I wouldn't take the risk.

I needed to wait seven seconds just to be safe. Seven seconds in the clear would give me enough confidence that the message was out.

I continued speeding along the surface, now monitoring the transmission, pinging the system, and checking sensors.

@auroraloon picked our pursuers up first.

auroraloon: "The Eternis! Solar east at 1.2, minus 41."

kittyboy: "Yeah, I got it. You ready. Two seconds."

I crossed my fingers. Ping.

Still clear.

auroraloon: "I'm ready."

I waited an extra second. It was time. We had done all we could do. I put the spacecycle on autopilot and sent it out into space toward the next closest major asteroid. This was the important part. They had to believe we were still on the run or that we had realized it was futile to escape.

Of course, what I really needed was time. I was certain @bronzelion and the Eternis would find us eventually. They would inspect the wreckage and realize our bodies weren't there. And then they would send a search party out, to the surface, scanning the surrounding space. They would find us and collect whatever we left behind. All, that is, except for my memoryshard, and the memoryshards of @pixel_princess and @photon_binary, which I would hide away on one of those rocks.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

kittyboy: "Eject!"

I ejected and suddenly slowed way down, letting my sensors and thrusters take control, my suit acclimating to space.

I picked a random rock, technically another super-tiny asteroid that was close enough and marked it on the minimap.

kittyboy: "Bounce and follow me."

I hope she understood what I meant. My plan was to use the surface to get extra power by rebounding off of it, since we were so close, using it as my own springboard to flick me off into space. I let my suit provide most of the power and impact dampening, successfully redirecting myself with extra speed toward the rock.

I decided to name the rock Howard.

@auroraloon followed after me. I was pleased to see that she didn't crush herself on the surface. Whatever that snakeskin suit was, it seemed fully capable in a space environment. Either that or @auroraloon was already dead and had just bounced off the surface without a care in the world.

kittyboy: "You still with me?"

auroraloon: "Yes, you little Tigger."

Tigger? I asked myself. It sounded affectionate, so I blushed a bit in the deep dark of space where no one could see. Tigger? WTF was that?

kittyboy: "What's a Tigger?"

auroraloon: "Tigger! From Winnie-the-Pooh."

As if that was an explanation. What was this now about poop? Did she poop herself on the rebound? I've done it. I'm not ashamed to say it. We all poop in our spacesuits at some point.

kittyboy: "WTF is that? Did you shit yourself? Are you calling me a poopy head or something? 💩"

auroraloon: "It's an old Earth cartoon. You seriously haven't heard of it?"

kittyboy: "No."

auroraloon: "Must be an Introvert thing. We do cling a lot more to pre-cyber Earth. But you must watch it! Tigger is a tiger, or not. Some kind of animal like a tiger, that bounces all over the place - like when you bounced off the surface. Get it? And Winnie is a bear. Winnie-the-Pooh. He's a bear."

She went on and on as we approached Howard the Rock. I had not heard her this talkative. She just exploded nonstop. She may not want to say much about herself, but oh boy did she love Winnie-the-Pooh.

auroraloon: "And there's a pig, Piglet, and a kangaroo. Pooh likes honey. They live in the hundred acre wood. It's a forest. Do you know what a kangaroo is?"

kittyboy: "Yes, of course. We're not idiots."

auroraloon: "Um. You don't know what Winnie-the-Pooh is. I'm pretty sure that makes you idiots."

kittyboy: "Whatever ..."

We were landing with the asteroid, Howard, above us, so I flipped as I landed to be properly "up" and found myself standing on a 20-foot wide, properly rocky, rock. I scanned the area to look for a good place to stash memories.

kittyboy: "Here. This is Howard. I need to stash my memoryshards. You should do the same."

My scanner found something. Behind and to my left. A deep enough crevice in the earth to store something small such that I could secure it. Unless something struck this rock, it should be safe there. I turned to walk that way and @auroraloon tapped me on the shoulder.

auroraloon: "Here. Take mine."

I gasped and stared at her. I saw two serious violet eyes, peering through the reflection of my visor lamp. I didn't know what to say. No one gives memoryshards to others lightly, especially Introvert to Extrovert. I looked down at the shard, then back at her.

She nodded.

auroraloon: "Take it."

I did. I took it, feeling the weight of it. Having her memoryshard was different somehow from @photon_binary's or even @pixel_princess's. It meant more. It bore a different type of responsibility.

I approached the crevice, in the darkness of space, only slightly paying attention to the spacecycles and the Eternis, as the impressive valkyrie ship closed on them. I walked toward the crevice like a person walking to a gravesite. This was important. It needed to be done right.

I refreshed the memories in my memoryshard, removed it, and started a new memory log. This was becoming too common, I thought to myself.

I bent down and inspected the site. It was good. The best we could do. I put @auroraloon's in first, deepest, farthest from anything. Then I slid mine in, pushing to jam it in with the back of my utility knife. @pixel_princess's was next and lastly was @photon_binary's (no offense, PB).

Satisfied, I stood up.

auroraloon: "Thank you."

kittyboy: "No, thank you. It will be safe here."

She nodded.

The somber moment of stashing our precious memories was one thing. Knowing that now was the race back to the surface, and to our death, was another. It made me sad. I think I knew why. We'd be parting ways soon.

auroraloon: "There's one more thing I want to do."

I had stopped saying no to her a long time ago.

kittyboy: "As long as it's quick. What is it?"

I took stock of my sensors. Out there in space, my spacecycle had run out of fuel and was slowing. @auroraloon's cycle moved past it and continued gaining distance. The Eternis was close to firing range. Would they capture or destroy? I absently wondered. If they really wanted the memories destroyed, they would destroy them first and then check the wreckage. They wouldn't risk the time to capture.

auroraloon: "You won't like it."

kittyboy: "Maybe I will."

auroraloon: "I hope you don't."

kittyboy: "Okay? What is it?"

auroraloon: "Turn around and don't look. I want to stash this spacesuit."

She was right. I didn't like that. Without the suit, she was going to die. Here. On Howard. I'd have to carry her dead body to the surface for our plan to work.

But that part, carrying her dead body to the surface, that didn't matter to me. What mattered was that I wasn't ready for her to die. We were supposed to die together for some reason.

I turned around and felt properly uncomfortable as I stood staring off into space, wallowing in my sadness.

kittyboy: "We're supposed to die together."

She didn't respond right away, but I didn't feel awkward about it.

auroraloon: "Take me to the surface and blow us up, please.

I nodded, still staring out into the cluster of asteroids, the distant stars. It was always beautiful and strange at the same time. So empty. I knew I was going to live a long time with the Extrovert Starmada. I wondered how much of that space I'd get to see before I was done.

I felt lonely then in that moment. Space can do that to a person.

auroraloon: "Close your eyes."

I closed my eyes, and she hugged me, wrapping her arms around me. I felt the click of her helmet against mine. She still had it on!

So, just maybe, if I hurried, she would have enough oxygen inside to make it there with me alive. She was going to die. It was just a matter of how and when. Unless I could blow her up with me, she was waiting for either suffocation or her blood to boil. Take your pick and space will oblige.

I put all the available power into my thrusters that I could. I held on to her and blasted off of Howard, targeting the most direct path back to 1941 Wild.

I wanted to say so many things in those few seconds from Howard to the asteroid.

"It was nice to meet you."

"I didn't know zombies could be fun."

"Thank you for getting our memories out."

"Don't tackle me again unless you mean it."

"Let's not fight in the next life, Introvert or not. But let's tease each other."

"I'll miss your witty replies."

"I promise I'll watch Winnie-the-Pooh with you."

But I didn't say anything. I let lonely space fill my mind as I focused on our landing spot.

The approach seemed agonizingly slow. I was counting in my head, knowing there was a chance she was still alive. When my feet touched down at long last on 1941 Wild, I breathed a sigh of relief.

kittyboy: "@auroraloon?"

She didn't respond.

The only thing left to do was to ... look into her eyes and see. Then I'd blow us both to smithereens.

I took a deep breath and removed my helmet. I started the self-destruct sequence to match how long I could hold my breath.

Then I let go of @auroraloon, realizing I still held her tightly, and removed her helmet. She was starting to fade out, but she blinked at me once, then held my gaze.

I tilted my head sideways at her and shrugged.

She smiled faintly with what little strength remained.

I moved closer so that our lips were touching, holding those violet eyes in my gaze, not willing to close my eyes. I breathed my remaining breath into her.

She perked up a little, her eyes getting wider, her body recovering slightly.

We stared at each other.

"I'll find you," I mouthed at her.

"Not if I find you first," she mouthed back, smiling.

Then she held on to me, committing her last bit energy to the moment.

I felt the curls of her hair against the side of my head. I saw tufts from the pink tips of her hair floating in front of my right eye. I pressed my head against hers and held her back.

I wished I could remember this moment.

As we embraced, the detonation fired.

We blew up spectacularly.