The Galaxies Beyond: A Space Opera Short Story

 NOTE: The following story takes place in the same universe as my books Next Star Over and Next Star Over: Into the Past. That said, I did my best to structure this story un a way where it can be read without needing to read either book. This is just a fun little exercise to show people that you can do a lot with just a few hundred words. Don’t take it too seriously.

THE GALAXIES BEYOND

Henry N. Silva

Year 9007 A.V.

The Star-Drifter and the Wiseone look to the wormhole ahead…

The large void of darkness, with its barely-visible rim, remains still in the vacuum of space, as the pair of visitors eye it carefully from the cockpit of their starship. For a second, the Star-Drifter squints, barely able to make out the faint reflection of her burgundy uniform, as well as the blueish, grayish coat of her companion, another young woman, much like herself…

“I don’t understand,” the Drifter says out loud.

The Wiseone looks over, “What is there not to understand?”

“Finding out the secrets of the universe is what you people do. Us Drifters are just work-for-hire temps, really. Why bring me along?”

“We have been friends for a long time, have we not?” The Wiseone grins, “I had figured you would be curious enough to want to see this.”

The Drifter laughs, “I guess I am, yeah.” She looks back towards the wormhole, “Where do you think it goes?”

“To a galaxy beyond, one would assume.”

“And what’d you think we’ll find there? If we go someday, I mean.”

“Perhaps other Drifters and Wiseones.”

The red-clad woman laughs once more, “Be serious!”

“Who says I am not?” The Wiseone elaborates, “There is reason to believe that others of our kinds became lost in faraway galaxies long ago. The unknown may not be so strange.”

In that very moment, as if somehow on cue, an exotic-looking starship suddenly emerges from the wormhole, making its way towards the Drifter and Wiseone. Soon enough, they are able to make out the details of the visiting ship’s cockpit. There they see a pair of young men, with uniforms not too dissimilar from that of their own…

The unknown may not be so strange…

Related: Fiction Repository

A Bunch of Random Top 5 Lists

 DISCLAIMER: The following is subject to change as my opinions continue to evolve.

I’ve been doing so many Top 5 lists lately that I figured it made sense to just do a repository for all of them… Sometimes I feel like I’m turning into John Cusack’s character from High Fidelity…

Anyway, here you go:

1950s FILMS

1.Rear Window

2.Twelve Angry Men

3.On the Waterfront

4.Peter Pan

5.Cinderella

1960s FILMS

1.Psycho

2.The Birds

3.Mary Poppins

4.On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

5.2001: A Space Odyssey

1970s FILMS

1.Star Wars

2.Alien

3.The Godfather

4.The Godfather Part II

5.Jaws

MORE 1970s FILMS

1.Mad Max

2.Network

3.Apocalypse Now

4.Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

5.American Grafitti

1980s FILMS

1.Aliens

2.The Shining (either version)

3.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

4.National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

5.Back to the Future

MORE 1980s FILMS

1.Die Hard

2.Raiders of the Lost Ark

3.Scarface

4.Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

5.The Princess Bride

Honorable Mention - Moonstruck

1990s FILMS

1.Office Space

2.Pulp Fiction

3.True Lies

4.My Cousin Vinny

5.The Fifth Element

MORE 1990s FILMS

1.Goodfellas

2.Toy Story 2

3.The Fugitive

4.Jurassic Park

5.Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

2000s FILMS

1.School of Rock

2.The Departed

3.Casino Royale

4.No Country for Old Men

5.The Bourne Identity

MORE 2000s FILMS

1.Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

2.Batman Begins

3.Spider-Man

4.Minority Report

5.Serenity

2010s FILMS

1.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

2.Knives Out

3.Game Night

4.Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Score-Only Version

5.The Martian

MORE 2010s FILMS

1.Mad Max: Fury Road (either version)

2.Arrival

3.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

4.Inception

5.Toy Story 3

Honorable Mention - Midnight in Paris

2020s FILMS

1.Dune

2.Dune: Part Two

3.Alien: Romulus

4.The Batman

5.Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

MORE 2020s FILMS

1.The Suicide Squad

2.Inside Out 2

3.Oppenheimer

4.Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

5.Avatar: The Way of Water

Honorable Mention - Top Gun: Maverick

ALL-TIME FILMS

1.Star Wars (any version)

2.Office Space

3.Alien (either version)

4.Aliens (any version)

5.School of Rock

MORE ALL-TIME FILMS

1.Dune (2021)

2.Dune: Part Two

3.Pulp Fiction

4.The Shining (either version)

5.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

EVEN MORE ALL-TIME FILMS

1.Knives Out

2.Game Night

3.Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Score-Only Version

4.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (any version)

5.National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

STILL MORE ALL-TIME FILMS

1.Back to the Future

2.Die Hard

3.Raiders of the Lost Ark

4.The Martian

5.Mad Max: Fury Road (either version)

SPACE FILMS

1.Star Wars (any version)

2.Alien (either version)

3.Aliens (any version)

4.Dune (2021)

5.Dune: Part Two

MORE SPACE FILMS

1.Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Score-Only Version

2.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (any version)

3.The Martian

4.Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (theatrical version)

5.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Honorable Mention - Alien: Romulus

SUPERHERO FILMS

1.The Batman

2.Batman Begins

3.Spider-Man

4.Guardians of the Galaxy

5.Captain America: The Winter Soldier

FILM FRANCHISES

1.Star Wars

2.Alien(s)

3.Dune

4.Mad Max

5.Indiana Jones

Honorable Mention - Mission: Impossible

FILM TRILOGIES

1.Original Star Wars Trilogy

2.Toy Story 1-3

3.Indiana Jones 1-3

4.The Lord of the Rings

5.Mad Max 1-3

Honorable Mention: Bourne 1-3

SEQUELS IN GENERAL

1.Aliens (any version)

2.Dune: Part Two

3.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

4.Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Score-Only Version

5.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (any version)

Honorable Mention - National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

2ND INSTALLMENTS

1.Aliens (any version)

2.Dune: Part Two

3.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (any version)

4.Toy Story 2

5.Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Honorable Mention - The Suicide Squad

3RD INSTALLMENTS

1.National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

2.The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (either version)

3.Toy Story 3

4.Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (theatrical version)

5.Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Honorable Mention - Avengers: Infinity War

4TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Mad Max: Fury Road (either version)

2.Guardians of the Galaxy (in terms of MCU Phase 2)

3.Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

4.Wonder Woman (in terms of the DCEU)

5.Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

5TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

2.Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

3.Thor: Ragnarok (in terms of MCU Phase 3)

4.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

5.X-Men: First Class

Honorable Mention - Captain America: The First Avenger (in terms of MCU Phase 1)

6TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Mission: Impossible - Fallout

2.The Avengers (in terms of MCU Phase 1)

3.Alien: Covenant

4.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

5.Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

7TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Alien: Romulus

2.Star Wars: The Force Awakens

3.Avengers: Infinity War (in terms of MCU Phase 3)

4.X-Men: Days of Future Past

5.Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

1960s ALBUMS

1.Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? (US version)

2.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

4.The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (US version)

5.Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

1970s ALBUMS

1.Kiss - Hotter than Hell

2.Kiss - Rock and Roll Over

3.Ace Frehley - Ace Frehley

4.Kiss - Dressed to Kill

5.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

1980s ALBUMS

1.Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction

2.Metallica - Ride the Lightning

3.Metallica - Master of Puppets

4.Kiss - Creatures of the Night

5.Michael Jackson - Thriller

1990s ALBUMS

1.Faith No More - Angel Dust

2.Pearl Jam - Ten

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

4.Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

5.White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000

2000s ALBUMS

1.The White Stripes - Elephant

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way

3.Linkin Park - Meteora

4.Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

5.The White Stripes - De Stijl

2010s ALBUMS

1.Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Getaway

3.Metallica - Hardwired… to Self-Destruct

4.Jack White - Blunderbuss

5.Adele - 21

2020s ALBUMS

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love

2.Linkin Park - From Zero

3.Jack White - No Name

4.Royal Blood - Typhoons

5.Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight

ALL-TIME ALBUMS

1.Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction

2.Faith No More - Angel Dust

3.Pearl Jam - Ten

4.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

5.Kiss - Hotter than Hell

MORE ALL-TIME ALBUMS

1.The White Stripes - Elephant

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way

3.Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

4.White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000

5.Soundgarden - Superunknown

DEBUT ALBUMS

1.Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction

2.Pearl Jam - Ten

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Van Halen - Van Halen

5.Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

MORE DEBUT ALBUMS

1.Stone Temple Pilots - Core

2.Oasis - Definitely Maybe

3.Metallica - Kill ‘Em All

4.Kiss - Kiss

5.Nirvana - Bleach

Honorable Mention: Weezer - The Blue Album

DOUBLE CD’S

1.The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

3.Pink Floyd - The Wall

4.The Beatles - The White Album

5.Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Honorable Mention: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love & Return of the Dream Canteen

SOPHOMORE ALBUMS

1.Kiss - Hotter than Hell

2.Oasis - What’s the Story (Morning Glory)?

3.Alice in Chains - Dirt

4.Nirvana - Nevermind

5.Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

MORE SOPHOMORE ALBUMS

1.Linkin Park - Meteora

2.The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

3.Metallica - Ride the Lightning

4.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

5.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Honorable Mention: The White Stripes - De Stijl

GRUNGE ALBUMS

1.Pearl Jam - Ten

2.Soundgarden - Superunknown

3.Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

4.Alice in Chains - Dirt

5.Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

MORE GRUNGE ALBUMS

1.Nirvana - Nevermind

2.The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

3.Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

4.Stone Temple Pilots - Core

5.Nirvana - In Utero

Honorable Mention: Alice in Chains - Unplugged

1960s SONGS

1.The Rolling Stones - “Gimme Shelter”

2.The Beatles - “Yesterday”

3.Led Zeppelin - “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”

4.Peter, Paul & Mary - “Blowin’ in the Wind”

5.The Animals - “House of the Rising Sun”

1970s SONGS

1.The Beatles - “Let It Be (Single Version)”

2.Heart - “Crazy on You”

3.Queen - “Killer Queen”

4.Kiss - “I Stole Your Love”

5.The Police - “Message in a Bottle”

1980s SONGS

1.Kiss - “Tears Are Falling”

2.Guns N’ Roses - “Rocket Queen”

3.Motley Crue - “Home Sweet Home”

4.U2 - “New Year’s Day (Video Version)”

5.The Smiths - “How Soon Is Now?”

1990s SONGS

1.Guns N’ Roses - “November Rain”

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Scar Tissue”

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”

4.Nirvana - “Come As You Are”

5.Pantera - “Cemetery Gates”

2000s SONGS

1.Weezer - “Island in the Sun”

2.Tool - “The Pot”

3.Silversun Pickups - “Panic Switch”

4.Alice in Chains - “Your Decision”

5.John Frusciante - “Away & Anywhere”

2010s SONGS

1.Adele - “He Won’t Go”

2.Metallica - “Hardwired”

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Dark Necessities”

4.Foo Fighters - “Dear Rosemary”

5.Slash - “Standing in the Sun”

2020s SONGS

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “The Shape I’m Takin’”

2.The Smashing Pumpkins - “Cyr”

3.Dua Lipa - “Levitating”

4.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Black Summer”

5.The Orwells - “Friendly Fire (Alternate Version)”

ALL-TIME SONGS

1.Guns N’ Roses - “November Rain (2022 Version)”

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Scar Tissue”

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”

4.Nirvana - “Come As You Are”

5.Pantera - “Cemetery Gates”

X-MAS FILMS

1.National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

2.Die Hard

3.Feast of the Seven Fishes

4.Arthur Christmas

5.Home Alone

Honorable Mention: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

X-MAS SONGS

1.John Lennon - “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

2.Paul McCartney - “Wonderful Christmastime”

3.Wham! - “Last Christmas”

4.Chuck Berry - “Run Run Rudolph”

5.Trans-Siberian Orchestra - “Christmas Eve/Saravejo 12/24”

Honorable Mention: Band Aid - “Do They Know It’s Christmas? (1984 Version)”

RAIN SONGS

1.Guns N’ Roses - “November Rain (2022 Version)”

2.Prince - “Purple Rain”

3.Blind Melon - “No Rain”

4.Clearance Clearwater Revival - “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”

5.Eurythmics - “Here Comes the Rain Again”

Honorable Mention: Peter Criss - “I Can’t Stop the Rain”

CLOSING TRACKS

1.Oasis - “Champagne Supernova”

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Death of a Martian”

3.Guns N’ Roses - “Rocket Queen”

4.Led Zeppelin - “When the Levee Breaks”

5.Metallica - “The Call of Ktulu”

OTHER CLOSING TRACKS

1.The Smashing Pumpkins - “Farewell & Goodnight”

2.Linkin Park - “Pushing Me Away”

3.Kiss - “Black Diamond”

4.Black Sabbath - “Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots”

5.Soundgarden - “New Damage”

OPENING TRACKS

1.Soundgarden - “Let Me Drown”

2.Pearl Jam - “Once”

3.The Smashing Pumpkins - “Cherub Rock”

4.Pantera - “Cowboys from Hell”

5.Kiss - “I Stole Your Love”

OTHER OPENING TRACKS

1.Stone Temple Pilots - “Dead & Bloated”

2.Metallica - “Battery”

3.Linkin Park - “Papercut”

4.Aerosmith - “Back in the Saddle”

5.White Zombie - “Electric Head Part I (The Agony)”

BOOKS

1.The Martian

2.Foundation

3.Lord of the Flies

4.The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger*

5.The Outsiders

*Haven’t read the rest of the series (yet)

SHORT STORIES

1.“The Minority Report”  by Philip K. Dick

2.“The Egg” by Andy Weir

3.“The Golden Man” by Philip K. Dick

4.“The Last of the Masters” by Philip K. Dick

5.“The Father-thing” by Philip K. Dick

PANCAKES

1.Apple

2.Chocolate chip

3.Blueberry

4.Banana

5.Normal/ Buttermilk

Honorable Mention: Oreo

SALADS

1.Caesar

2.Greek

3.Caprese

4.Potato

5.Chicken (w/ almonds and raisins)

Honorable Mentions: Egg, tuna, mac

STEAKS

1.Bone-in ribeye (or t-bone)

2.Sirloin

3.New York strip

4.Skirt

5.Fillet mignon

SANDWICHES

1.Peanut butter and honey

2.Peanut butter and jelly

3.Tuna

4.Ham and cheese

5.Bifana (look it up)

EGGS

1.Scrambled

2.Over-easy

3.Poached

4.Over-hard

5.Hard-boiled

FISH

1.Tuna

2.Salmon

3.Sardines

4.Cod

5.Haddock

Honorable Mention: Halibut

HOT DOG TOPPINGS

1.Mustard

2.Relish

3.Raw onions

4.Onion sauce

5.Ketchup

HAMBURGER TOPPINGS

1.Mayonnaise mixed with ketchup

2.Raw onions

3.Mustard

4.Pickles

5.(Muenster) Cheese

Honorable Mention: Tomatoes (or ketchup)

ICE CREAM

1.Oreo

2.Cookie dough

3.Brownie

4.Pistachio

5.Strawberry

Honorable Mention: Coffee

CARTOON SHOWS

1.South Park

2.Avatar: The Last Airbender

3.Spongebob Squarepants

4.Star Wars: The Clone Wars

5.Rick and Morty

...Peace!

Related: List Repository