Star Crossed by Eddie D. Moore

David graduated near the top of his class. Because of a mild case of dyslexia, he was forced to study longer and harder than the majority of his classmates in every course, but his struggles only served to heighten his sense of accomplishment as he walked across the stage and received his B.S. degree. The overwhelming wave of loneliness that unexpectedly hit him as he returned to his seat left him shaking inside.

Families cheered and shouted as their loved one’s name was called, but the silence that filled the stadium when he heard his own highlighted how alone David truly was in the world. Oh, a few people tried to fill the lull with some sporadic clapping, and he was appreciative of the gesture, but the gloom that surrounded him just wouldn’t go away. While the other graduates were celebrating that night, he listened to the air conditioner complete cycle after cycle and stared at the ceiling.

The next morning, David decided that since he no longer needed to spend his nights studying that it was time for a real personal relationship, but he didn’t want to waste time through trial and error searching for that special someone. Besides, there were over 15 billion people on planet Earth, what would be the odds of finding your soulmate via random chance. So, David decided to let the AI everyone called Cupid find her for him.

Cupid’s success record was phenomenally high, and billions of people allowed the AI to collect their private information in the hopes of finding that special someone. Cupid was able to find most people a 90% match which came with the designation of ‘compatible.’ About one in a hundred thousand people received a match greater than 99% which was categorized as ‘soulmates.’ Cupid has been playing matchmaker for over twenty years, and not a single relationship classified as soulmates has failed.

Three days after uploading all the required personal information into Cupid’s database, David received an email that his matches were ready to review. When he opened the link, he stared at the screen dumbfounded for several seconds. Could Cupid actually have found his soulmate?

The more David read about Stacy the more he fell in love with her. She recently graduated college with a major in bioengineering and a minor in psychology. They both shared the same tastes in music, and they even shared an affinity for the corny comedies produced over a hundred years ago. On top of everything else, Stacy was beautiful.

David sat mesmerized as he watched the introductory video that Stacy had made after uploading her information into Cupid’s database. A timestamp indicated that she uploaded the video six months ago. David replayed the video and couldn’t help but smile as Stacy tilted her head to make sure the video was recording.

“Well, hello there. Just kidding. This is just a recording, but if this had been a real video conversation, I’m sure we’d both be enjoying ourselves immensely. Anyone can find a close match through Cupid, but I’m here for a soulmate. I’m not going to settle for anything less, and if Cupid doesn’t find mine soon, I’m moving on with my life.”

“Moving on? What does that mean?” David said softly to himself.

After a little research, David discovered that Stacy had waited three months for Cupid to find her soulmate before giving up. She had purchased a ticket to Proxima XI and was currently in cryogenic sleep aboard the colony ship Explorer V2. David’s soulmate would be asleep for the next sixty-five years and wake up on a new planet.

David’s loneliness returned magnified a dozen times over. What’s the odds of finding your soulmate just to discover that you lost them three months ago? Wouldn’t it have been better to have not known and lived his life in ignorance? David wiped away a tear with the back of his hand and stared at it as a thought struck him. I could go to her.

A frantic search revealed that another colony ship was leaving in a matter of days. David paid for his college with what he got from his parents’ insurance policies when they died. There was just enough left from his inheritance to book passage on the next colony ship. If it wasn’t for the education discount he received for having a degree, he wouldn’t have been able to afford the ticket.

David recorded a quick video message for Stacy to see when she woke up.

“Hello, Stacy. My name is David, and I’m your soulmate. Well, that’s what Cupid says anyway. I wanted to let you know that I’m boarding the next colony ship and that I’ll be right behind you. If all goes well, I’ll only be a few months behind you. I look forward to meeting you.”

The shuttle hop to the colony ship was exciting. It was hard to believe that graduation was just last week and now he was about to travel the stars following his soulmate to a new planet. Who knew that life could be so exciting?

The shuttle docked with the colony ship without incident, and the passengers were led directly to the cryo-bay. As instructed, each colonist found their assigned cryo-unit and laid down inside it. David’s heart pounded with excitement. He was about to close his eyes, fall asleep, and in what would feel like moments, he would open them again to see his soulmate on Proxima XI. The glass door closed, and David’s eyelids grew heavy as the first stage of the cryogenic process was initiated.

“I’d like to introduce myself before everyone loses consciousness. I’ll be your captain for this voyage. Rest assured that this ship is equipped with the latest technology and is without a doubt the safest spaceship man has ever designed. Don’t worry and I’ll see you on Proxima IX.

A sudden feeling of panic caused David’s arm to twitch and his heart rate increased. The cryo-unit adjusted the gas mixture he was breathing, and just before the drugs pulled him under he thought, what star system did he say?

—

When Eddie D. Moore isn’t playing with his grandchildren, he is driving and visiting strange new worlds via audiobooks, or he is lost in his imagination writing his own tales. Pick up a copy of Poe-ish Tales Forevermore today! You’ll be glad you did if you can sleep tonight. (mybook.to/Forevermore)