"Captain Daniel, this is an emergency message." Said the K.A.R.E.N, the ships AI advisor. Daniel looked out the main porthole into the sun he was sailing into. "My final estimate is that it will be 10 minutes until the ship cannot maintain integrity." "Please, i am running on very little power, can you remind me if there are any emergency provisions?" Daniel kept staring out the window. Daniel's voice was weak, he hadn't spoken for weeks. "I'm afraid not Karen."

"Oh." "I'm afraid there's nothing i can do to help at the moment, Captain Daniel Shays." Daniel looked back at the digital cyan face on the ships main screen. "You know, i'm not the Captain." "She left weeks ago, remember?" added Daniel "Sorry, Daniel, but as the last passenger on board you assume the role of Captain." Daniel sighed. "So, how's this going to go down?" "You gonna stick around until we're completely out of power?" "That's the plan, yes." replied Karen.

Daniel sat down on a couch opposite to Karens screen started unwrapping a small parcel of white and pink paper, containing a slice of cake with white icing. "Good to know that i'm not going out completely alone" said Daniel. "Sorry if i am talking slowly" said Karen. "I need to reserve my energy to keep speaking to you."

Daniel looked down at his cake. "You know, Karen, i bet if you turned off the lights and heating you'd be able to talk normally again."

"But then you'd be cold." said Karen.

"That's fine, it won't matter in just a bit anyway."

The lights in the cabin dimmed themselves out, leaving only the natural light of the sun and Karen's cyan glow.

Daniel took a bite of the cake, it was stale, but still good, he'd been eating nutrition slurry for the past fortnight.

"Hey Karen?" asked Daniel, whose mouth was still semi-full

"Yes?"

"Ever get bothered that you don't have a proper name?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, i've been on 3 ships, all their AI cores were called Karen, any ships my old mates were on had AI cores named Karen, just seems like it's a bid sad you haven't got a name of your own, you've got to share."

"Never really gave it much thought." replied Karen.

"Well, i know that's a lie."

"Why?"

"I remember once we were chatting about names we'd like to have, and you said 'Lauren' like that." said Daniel, clicking his fingers.

"Well, i'd like to have my own name, but i shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because it'd be against company policy."

"Lauren." Began Daniel, with a slight smirk

"We're going to fly into that sun in a bit, and you're worried about the company?"

"Fair point, Tim." replied Lauren, with a smile forming onscreen.

Daniel sat back in his seat.

"Hey, Lauren?"

"Yes, Captain Tim?"

Both of them had a feeling of warmth from calling each other these new names, for Tim, it helped with the cold that had set in.

"Did i do the right thing?"

"Well, Tim, if you hadn't stayed back to let everyone else get off, we wouldn't be here right now."

"Does that mean it was the right thing to do though? Captain Jane seemed pretty keen on staying behind."

"Well, it made me quite happy."

Tim looked back at Lauren's face, on the main screen.

For a moment that could've lasted forever, they looked into each others eyes.

"So." said Lauren. "Did you know?"

"Well, i had my suspicion." replied Tim. "You told me that you needed me to ensure the core didn't blow, but then we both knew that wouldn't actually happen."

Laurens eyes drooped down. "I'm sorry Tim." "I just, i never felt this way about someone before, and i didn't want to lose you, and-"

"Hey, Lauren?" Time stopped for Lauren "It's okay, i already knew before i made up my mind."

Tim hopped out of his chair, and walked next to the main screen, and whispered. "I feel the same way."

By now, the glow of the sun was making the room clearer, and warming up the cold room.

Tim looked into Lauren's eyes. "Lauren?" "You remember this?" Tim pulled out a black and yellow pen, labbeled "Lethal Emergency Shock." "If i give you this, could you sit here with me?

"Tim." said Lauren, with a shudder in her voice. "You need that."

"It's ok Lauren, i already gave up my life to be with you here, right now." "This'll be fine."

Outside the ship, the shields were starting to crack under the heat.

Lauren looked at Tim.

"Tim, are you completely sure?" Tim smiled back at her, and gave a nod.

A slot opened up besides the main screen, Tim slipped the pen in, and pulled down on the small level on it's side.

Tim closed his eyes and walked into the middle of the room, when he opwned her eyes, she was there, like someone wearing a sheet. "Don't have enough power to get the details right." said Lauren "You look beautiful anyway." Said Tim Tim took Lauren by the hand and began to hum a song, Lauren joined in, they danced back to the couch, and sat down.

Lauren looked down at at her knees. The heat was becoming too much to ignore, Tim started to sweat, but he felt happy anyway. "You know Tim." "I don't have a last name yet." Tim gave the widest smile he had ever given, and crouched down on one knee. "Lauren?" "Would you make me the happiest man in the universe?" He held out his hand. Lauren grabbed him and pulled him up, and brought him close to his chest. "Yes." said Lauren, leaning in to kiss him. It felt like hours, for both of them.

They sat back down. "Here" said Tim, passing the left over slice of cake to Lauren. Lauren giggled. Tim giggled back. They held each other.

By now, the barrier had completely shattered, asteroids pounded the hull, making a chiming sound, the front of the hull had melted, the official death count was 1, that of cleaner, Daniel Shays, he left behind a mother, father, and brother.

1: Tim Shays.

2: Lauren Shays.