Together In Space

End of mission

Cassini's pov

Today's the day.
Today's the day I plunge into Saturn's atmosphere and end my mission.
I've left something for Huygens to remember me by. I wonder when he'll find it.
It's been a great journey. Huygens has made it one trillion times better. And I am not exaggerating.
I've planned my next four hours accordingly. I'll do my last flyby of Titan, give Huygens his final gift, and there I go into Saturn.
Wow.

Huygen's pov

I was a weeping mess this morning. But now I have no tears left to cry. I'm now looking for the positives- celebrating Cassini. My first and only friend. He was the one I talked to. The one I confided in.
The one I loved.
The one I lost.
The one I will remember long after our galaxy is gone. Long after the Sun dies out. Long after we collide with Andromeda. Long after we're so close to the center of the galaxy we are swallowed by the black hole.
Long after I'm gone.
But that's all too far away.
Too far.
Three hours to go. I've never felt such pain.
I'm really going to miss him.
Really going to miss him.
Oh, here he is! One last Titan orbit.
Last.
He swoops down to me.
"Hey buddy- I have a gift for you."
"You do?"
He hands me a little cube of Ice.
"From Enceladus."
"No way! Really?" I beam. He did this for me?
"Yes, I knew you'd love to analyze it. There's so many actions I cant perform, so many things I can't do that you can."
"Think of your discoveries as my gift to you."
That's so sweet, I'm gonna cry again. They just HAD to give me emotions, right?
"Oh, Buddy... Don't cry. Great things await you."
"I'll send you as much as I can from the atmosphere."
"Th-thanks C-cass..." he hold me in a tight embrace. Hug.
"Goodbye, Huygens, I love you to Saturn and back."
And all of a sudden, I know what he means by that.

Cassini's pov

I miss him. I miss everything. Seeing Saturn in the full, Saturn eclipsing the sun, even the pale blue dot.
Oh man. Five minutes. I'm in full close orbit.
I've flown between the rings. Surprisingly, I came out unharmed.
I can feel the tug of gravity begin to pull me in. This is it.
I'm gaining speed now. I'm fighting to keep my antenna pointed at Huygens & Earth to relay data. It sure is getting warm here.
The friction and heat and speed are gradually making items fall off me. There goes my beautiful magnetometer- where Huygens first saw his precious reflection.
My hypersleep drive- where the catastrophe occurred.
My satellite disk- I can no longer retrieve data. I can no longer talk to Huygens.
Forty seconds until impact. I feel sick. But I must not. Bravery. Courage. Sacrifice. That's what this mission is all about.
Thirty seconds. I can't see anything. And there goes my antenna.
I'm shaking so violently from the speed I can feel myself falling apart. Ouch.
I'm going to vaporize and combust in twenty seconds. I may be screaming- I can't hear.
My outside has already wore off. I have no protection now.
Ten seconds.
I can feel the toxic atmosphere Saturn envelope around me. I can feel my entire body begin to wear off. I can feel the pressure building.
And then in happens.
The explosion.
I see myself in a million pieces as my MCU power source wears off. Im dazed- I should fully die in five seconds.
I've had such a great time studying the beauty of the as giant and its moons from my orbits. I've completed my job.
And Saturn, you look even more beautiful from up close.

| END OF PART I |