The stars were beautiful, they shone so brightly. He had never seen them with such clarity. Their sheer beauty almost made him forget that they were shining at him thru a huge gash in the hull.

A teddy bear, a notebook, bits and pieces of lost lives drifted slowly into his view, floating weightless on their way into the darkness.

The stars suddenly gave way to the bright disc far below. Three minutes this time… the rate of spinning was increasing.

He tried the radio again and found nothing but static, just like the thirty times before. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all. He had started on this voyage feeling lonely, he was now about to finish it really alone.

The disk came back into his view. Thought he could barely feel it he knew what was left of the ship was spinning faster… and getting closer to its end.

He was too tired for fear now… perhaps his air was beginning to run out. He wondered what would happen next. Would he just fall asleep and never wake up? Would he still be awake as they burned out against the atmosphere? Would he be strapped to his chair as it all happened? Or would the wreck around him break apart?

He had thought about how lucky he had been, the only one all suited up just before the meteor hit. Now, as the shiny disk became bigger with each turn, he wondered if the others were the lucky ones.

The hull began to rattle… it was time. He closed his eyes, and thought about the gentle breeze he loved so much back home.

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The little girl made a silent cheerful wish. She couldn’t believe how lucky she had been to turn up just in time to catch the shooting star. A sudden gentle breeze played with her hair, it made her smile.