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

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.Mad Max

3.Alien

4.Network

5.Jaws

MORE 1970s FILMS

1.Apocalypse Now

2.The Godfather

3.Young Frankenstein

4.The Godfather Part II

5.Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

1980s FILMS

1.Aliens

2.The Shining

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.National Lampoon’s Vacation

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.Wall-E

MORE 2000s FILMS

1.The Bourne Identity

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

3.Batman Begins

4.Spider-Man

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.Solo: A Star Wars Story

MORE 2010s FILMS

1.The Martian

2.Guardians of the Galaxy

3.Mad Max: Fury Road

4.Inception

5.Toy Story 3

Honorable Mention - Midnight in Paris

2020s FILMS

1.Dune: Part Two

2.Dune

3.The Batman

4.Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

5.Avatar: The Way of Water

MORE 2020s FILMS

1.The Suicide Squad

3.Oppenheimer

3.Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

4.Top Gun: Maverick

5.John Wick: Chapter 4

ALL-TIME FILMS

1.Star Wars (any version)

2.Office Space

3.Aliens (any version)

4.School of Rock

5.Dune: Part Two

MORE ALL-TIME FILMS

1.Dune (2021)

2.The Batman

3.Pulp Fiction

4.True Lies

5.The Shining

SPACE FILMS

1.Star Wars (any version)

2.Aliens (any version)

3.Dune: Part Two

4.Dune (2021)

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

MORE SPACE FILMS

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

2.Alien

3.Solo: A Star Wars Story

4.The Martian

5.Guardians of the Galaxy

SUPERHERO FILMS

1.The Batman

2.Batman Begins

3.Guardians of the Galaxy

4.Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

5.Thor: Ragnarok

Honorable Mention - Avengers: Infinity War

NON-SPACE SUPERHERO FILMS

1.The Batman

2.Batman Begins

3.Captain America: The Winter Soldier

4.Spider-Man

5.The Avengers

Honorable Mention - Black Panther

FILM FRANCHISES

1.Star Wars

2.Dune

3.Batman

4.Mission: Impossible

5.MCU Infinity Saga

SEQUELS IN GENERAL

1.Aliens

2.Dune: Part Two

3.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

4.Toy Story 2

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

Honorable Mention - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (any version)

2ND INSTALLMENTS

1.Aliens

2.Dune: Part Two

3.Toy Story 2

4.Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Score-Only Version (for the sequel trilogy)

5.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (for the original trilogy)

Honorable Mention - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

3RD INSTALLMENTS

1.The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2.Toy Story 3

3.Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

4.Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

5.War for the Planet of the Apes

4TH INSTALLMENTS

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

2.Mad Max: Fury Road

3.Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

4.Wonder Woman (in terms of the DCEU)

5.John Wick: Chapter 4

Honorable Mention - Live Free or Die Hard

5TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

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

3.Fast Five

4.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

5.Captain America: The First Avenger (in terms of MCU Phase 1)

Honorable Mention - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

6TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Mission: Impossible - Fallout

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

3.Black Panther (in terms of MCU Phase 3)

4.Fast & Furious 6

5.Ant-Man (in terms of MCU Phase 2)

Honorable Mention - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

7TH INSTALLMENTS

1.Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

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

3.Shazam! (in terms of the DCEU)

4.Furious 7

5.Star Wars: The Force Awakens

1960s ALBUMS

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

2.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

4.Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

5.The Beatles - The White Album

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 IV

1980s ALBUMS

1.Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction

2.Metallica - Ride the Lightning

3.Metallica - Master of Puppets

4.Metallica - Kill ‘Em All

5.Metallica - And Justice for All

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 - Hybrid Theory

4.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

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.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Return of the Dream Canteen

3.Royal Blood - Typhoons

4.Slash - 4

5.Metallica - 72 Seasons

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.Oasis - Definitely Maybe

2.Metallica - Kill ‘Em All

3.Kiss - Kiss

4.Nirvana - Bleach

5.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.The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

4.Metallica - Ride the Lightning

5.Alice in Chains - Dirt

Honorable Mention: Linkin Park - Meteora

GRUNGE ALBUMS

1.Pearl Jam - Ten

2.Soundgarden - Superunknown

3.Alice in Chains - Dirt

4.Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

5.Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

MORE GRUNGE ALBUMS

1.Nirvana - Nevermind

2.Nirvana - In Utero

3.Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

4.Stone Temple Pilots - Core

5.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”

Honorable Mention: Adele - “Skyfall”

2020s SONGS

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

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Black Summer”

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

4.Jack White - “Love is Selfish”

5.Silversun Pickups - “Alone on a Hill”

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”

GUITARISTS

1.John Frusciante

2.Buckethead

3.Jimi Hendrix

4.Zakk Wylde

5.Tom Morello

BASSISTS

1.Cliff Burton

2.Flea

3.Billy Gould

4.Mike Inez

5.Gene Simmons

DRUMMERS

1.Dave Grohl

2.John Bonham

3.Neil Peart

4.Taylor Hawkins

5.Brain

SINGERS

1.Chris Cornell

2.Mike Patton

3.Layne Staley

4.Chester Bennington

5.Corey Taylor

MCU CHARACTERS

1.Captain America/ Steve Rogers

2.Iron Man/ Tony Stark

3.Gamora

4.Black Panther/ T’Challa

5.Ant-Man/ Scott Lang

DCEU CHARACTERS

1.Harley Quinn/ Harleen Quinzel

2.Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince

3.Batman/ Bruce Wayne

4.Shazam/ Billy Batson

5.Aquaman/ Arthur Curry

STAR WARS CHARACTERS

1.Han Solo

2.Darth Vader

3.R2-D2

4.Qui-Gon Jinn

5.Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi

STAR WARS LIGHTSABERS

1.Rey’s yellow saber

2.Obi-Wan’s from The Phantom Menace

3.Qui-Gon’s from The Phantom Menace

4.Kylo’s

5.The “legacy” saber

Honorable Mention: The Darksaber

HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS

1.Luna Lovegood

2.Neville Longbottom

3.Fred & George Weasley

4.Sirius Black

5.Albus Dumbledore

Honorable Mention: Rubeus Hagrid

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE CHARACTERS

1.Ilsa Faust

2.Grace

3.The White Widow

4.Benji Dunn

5.Luther Stickell

ALIEN(S) CHARACTERS

1.Ripley

2.Hicks

3.Newt

4.Bishop

5.Hudson

MIDDLE-EARTH CHARACTERS

1.Samwise Gamgee

2.Bilbo Baggins

3.Gollum/ Sméagol

4.Aragorn

5.Gandalf

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CHARACTERS

1.Jack Sparrow

2.Hector Barbossa

3.Elizabeth Swann

4.Joshamee Gibbs

5.Davey Jones

GAME OF THRONES CHARACTERS

1.Jon Snow

2.Tyrion Lannister

3.Ned Stark

4.Arya Stark

5.Daenerys Targaryen

X-MAS FILMS

1.National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

2.Die Hard

3.Feast of the Seven Fishes

4.Arthur Christmas

5.Home Alone

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 Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

2.The Martian

3.Foundation

4.Lord of the Flies

5.The Outsiders

...Peace!

Related: List Repository