Void

It was snowing the first time. The alabaster flakes drifting and swirling down on the light breeze as we huddled outside our house to wave her goodbye. There was no sadness that day, no tears as she climbed into the back of the silver BMW, only a parting smile and a slight wave.

The grief came later.

Now two years on and still no word. My parents have given up hope that my sister or any of the crew of The Valori are still alive. And now they cry for fear of the loss of their other child.

The sky was clear and the sun shining bright when they came to collect me for the search party. I took it as a good omen as I walked out to the waiting car, her picture in my breast pocket, where it had been for the last two years of my life.

So now here I am sitting in the cockpit of The Albatross waiting for the countdown that will send me and the rest of the crew careening into the great void of space in search of The Valori.

"Matt are you ok? You've just been sitting there starring at that photo for a while now."

I look up to see Rose sitting there with a look of concern on her face. "Yeah I'm ok Rose, just thinking of the reason I'm here."

"May I see?"

"Sure I don't see why not" I glance down once more at her before handing the photo over. It had been taken the day she'd passed her pilots exam. Her jet black hair was waving in the wind, her hazel eyes shining with joy and an angels smile on her face.

"She's beautiful, who is she?"

"My sister, Valerie. She was pilot of the Valori."

As she hands back the photo I look around the cramped burnished steel shell that would protect us from the vast emptiness of the void even as it projected us ever deeper.

I didn't really take much of it in as I entered, not that there was much of note. Only the pilots and navigators chairs up front and the engineers behind. At the rear of the cockpit was a door leading to the rest of the ship.

She wasn't much The Albatross, but then she didn't need to be. Being only a scouting and repair vessel she was only equipped with a rudimentary med bay of all harsh white lights and panelled floors, a five person bunk room and basic mess.

"Okay people we've been given the green light. We'll be off in thirty seconds."

I tuck her picture back into my pocket. And check my straps once more, the reinforced leather supple yet firm and secure.

No sooner than my arms fall back to the armrests do I feel her come to life. The tremors slowly building, the hum of the engines gradually rising to a full throated roar.

I feel like I'm slowly being sucked into my seat, the pressure squeezing down on my temples, my vision darkening at the edges, sound fading.

Suddenly the juddering stops and the engine returns to the gentle humming purr that signals we have left the planet behind with only the vast emptiness of space ahead.

Finding the Valori will be like finding a needle in a haystack, even if she hasn't wandered off course in the time communications have been down. We all knew this when we signed up. We all new that we may never find her, that we like the rescue ships before us might not return.

But I made a promise to my parents. I promised that I would come back and that I'd bring Val with me. And I intend to keep that promise.