We were leaving the one who had taken us and so many like us on the journeys of our lifetimes behind where she would finally be retired. She was ending, but I was starting. I didn’t know exactly where the arrow I’d pointed would land.
For now, there were no signs of Evander. Perhaps I’d accidently saved the universe.
I didn’t know.
But I was looking forward to finding out.
Artemis
It was quiet, and I was glad for the lack of noise. Not that I’d minded, all of those years. It wasn’t clear when I’d become aware of them all. It was like one day they were all there. The girl who had taken me and then lost her memory but found a new life inside of my walls. Then her daughter got lost and found until she knew herself. When had that little girl become a woman? How had that happened so fast? She had a best friend who drove herself mad trying to be enough until she realized she was more than that already. Her sister-in-law saved everyone but never stopped doubting herself until her loves let her feel okay for the first time. Then the beautiful doctor who had to dig deep for her strength but then became a force of nature.
And finally the lost girl. The last one. She hadn’t quite fit in until she discovered that all you needed for happiness was your own people to understand you, and then the rest of the universe didn’t matter.
There had been so many explosions. So much commotion. I was glad to take all of it.
But now it was time to sleep.
The first girl was back. She walked into where they were going to let me rest. This was her place, her station. I could feel her everywhere here. She placed her hand on my hull.
“Thank you.”
She was more than welcome. They all were.
Goodnight.