I’m a little embarrassed to say that the pre-packaged protein mash and vegetable sticks that made up my first space meal tasted better than numerous things I had cooked myself back on Earth. And from the sideways glances my mother gave me from across the table every time she took a bite, I think she was thinking the same thing.

During the first hour of our shuttle’s flight, I’m not entirely sure if I took a single breath. I have no memory of movement or how much time had passed before I was asked to sit down . However, the image of that familiar, small, white orb that hangs over our heads becoming something massive and unrecognizable is still burned into my dreams.

The day of my father’s funeral was a surreal experience. What began as the worst day of my life, ended as possibly one of the greatest.

With trembling hands and a racing heart, Ptolemy slowly raised the rifle. He opened his mouth to speak, but as he inhaled the fear in his body took over. Air quickly filled his lungs, his stomach dropped, and his mouth dried.