"Master Andrea, the ship has just passed Jupiter's orbit."

"Understood."

"Congratulations. Master, you are recorded as the first civilian in human hertory to cross Jupiter's orbit."

"Thank you. There's a fair chance I'll also be the last."

Inside the rather small iron coffin of a spacecraft, Andrea Crouch absentmindedly responded to the report from her support robot, Emotion. Her eyes were fixed on the tablet in her hands. After completing her daily routine of exercise and meals, indulging in her hobby of reading was her preferred way to pass the time.

"Emotion, could you bring up New Wave by Ashura Unagi next?"

"Again? My memory is filled with literary works from all eras and regions. Surely you don't need to keep rereading such classics."

"A masterpiece is always worth revisiting. Ashura Unagi's works, as well as Terry 8's Lost Ed, never fail to evoke fresh emotions, no matter how many times I read them."

Prisoner Number 279502.

That was Andrea's ultimate designation. After being deemed a detrimental influence on humanity, she was swiftly convicted in a highly one-sided trial. It wasn’t long before Andrea was imprisoned in a personal jail built in space. Nearly three years had passed since then, and Earth… had apparently perished.

The reason remained unknown. Andrea wasn’t granted access to information about Earth, nor did she feel compelled to find out. She was enjoying her life in her isolated spaceship, accompanied only by Emotion, far more than he ever did on Earth.

"So, Emotion?"

"Yes?"

"How much food, water, and oxygen do we have left?"

"I'm sorry to report that, based on your current consumption rates, food and water will last for approximately forty more days. Should I adjust your intake to extend your survival?"

"No need. What about oxygen?"

"The circulation system is functioning normally. Assuming no accidents, it should last more than forty days."

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Got it."

Andrea yawned. The last time she saw Earth, its colours were fading. The vibrant hues she'd observed during her ascent into space were gradually being overtaken by reds and browns. The explanation of Earth's destruction seemed all too plausible given that transformation.

The collapse of human civilization coincided with the nullification of Andrea's sentence. No longer a prisoner number, she had reclaimed her name and was now on a one-way journey through space—a journey that would last until her death.

"Still, I suppose I've been lucky to make it this far without any accidents," Andrea remarked.

"For what it's worth, the dignity-preservation feature is still operational," Emotion replied.

"Good to know. I'll count on you when the food runs out."

No destination. No set timeline. The spaceship was, in essence, the same prison she'd lived in before. Whether she'd run out of oxygen, collide with an asteroid, or crash into a star's gravitational pull, her fate was left entirely to chance. It was a gamble with her life, but it seemed likely she would starve to death. She silently thanked Emotion for her efforts to ensure her end would be as painless as possible.

"Alright, Emotion. I feel like listening to some metal today—something melodic."

"Understood, Master Andrea."

As the resonant beat of the drums filled the cabin, Andrea idly activated the external camera for the first time in a long while.

"...What is that?"

Her words trailed off as she stared at the monitor in disbelief.

"Emotion?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not aware of any structure being present in the vicinity, yet there's one on the monitor. Care to explain?"

Moreover, it seemed the ship was headed straight for it. The structure was massive. Its full scale was indiscernible from the distance, but it appeared to be the size of a small planet. Its numerous glowing points resembled the illuminated nightside of Earth as seen from space. Andrea felt a wave of unexpected nostalgia wash over her.

"What are you talking about? The sensors show no anomalies," Emotion replied.

"So, this is just a hallucination? What I'm seeing on the monitor is nothing more than an illusion conjured by my mind?"

A hallucination created by her subconscious, yearning for a place to return to. The sense of longing was all too familiar. Emotion’s circuits emitted a rare mechanical hum as she processed this unexpected development. Andrea braced herself for the inevitable mental health warning from her.

But instead…

"This is surprising. The main camera is indeed capturing a massive structure. It’s either masking itself from the sensors, or the sensors are malfunctioning."

Emotion's electronic voice betrayed a hint of confusion. The faint whirring from her internal systems suggested she was working hard to process this new reality. Andrea set aside the tablet in her hands and scratched her head.

"So, does this make me the first civilian to encounter this too, Emotion?"

Her hair, which she hadn't cut since her imprisonment, had grown down to her waist. She absentmindedly gathered it into a bundle as she muttered to herself.

"Please, no scenarios involving live dissection or egg implantation," Andrea sighed.

"You're watching too many classic sci-fi movies, Master Andrea," Emotion replied, her tone dulled by the strain of her ongoing calculations.