IT WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST TIME I DIED. Of course, I am not counting the passing of what some might call my soul, the climatic end of my life’s spark. That flame extinguished when my Ellie was taken from me. I had died in a more ‘physical’ sense three times already. 

“Technologically, these humans are centuries behind every species known in the galaxy except in one area.”

Slowly he pried his eyelids apart, anticipating the sight of his office after an unexpected power outage. But it had gone black outside, too. Like an actor in a stage play, the president found himself under a powerful spotlight. A sensation he was no longer alone froze him in place and the hushed sound of steady breaths confirmed his fear.