The Lighthouse at the End of the Universe

At the end of the known universe is an asteroid field and sitting atop the largest, most outer asteroid is a lighthouse where a lonely man named Humbletree lives. He’s an old relic with eyes like spilled sunken treasure and a face that looks as if all the anchors in the universe are hanging from it.

Every day, Humbletree rocks in his hover-chair in the room at the top of the lighthouse looking out the big window that shows all the stars and galaxies close enough to see, and he smokes his pipe as the red beam above cuts sharp circles in the vacuum outside; warning starships away from the danger nearby.

But this day he sees something flash in the distance like a diamond turning in the sun. This flash becomes brighter, larger. It moves as if someone is steering it. Humbletree stops rocking, stops smoking and watches. Soon he sees that it’s a starship! He can see round portholes and long blue flames trailing behind it. There are lights on top, they are flashing wildly…the pilot wants to come aboard!

Humbletree’s old heart fills with fire! Oh, it would be so good to talk to someone again after all these years! he thinks, gets up and takes the elevator down to the dusty docking bay below where cobwebs hang from the ceiling like seaweed.

Humbletree hurries out of the elevator, into the control room, opens the outer airlock and watches in youthful joy as the small ship slides in and parks. It’s a sleek, beautiful ship with skin like a million melted nickels. He’s never seen one like it before. He closes the outer airlock, pressurizes the bay, goes in without thinking. A pirate could be inside the ship for godsake! Instead, out from the ship steps a tall man with dark hair. He’s wearing high black leather boots, a tunic and breeches made of spun gold. There are colorful medals on his chest. Is he a soldier? A prince? A king?

Welcome, young man of space! Humbletree says through a toothless smile. Please come in to my home and visit with me awhile! I will make you hot tea while you tell me of your adventures! The tall man shakes his head, his many medals tinkle like bells. I can’t stay, old man, he says curtly. My navi-computer is down and I'm lost. I need directions home. You being a lighthouse keeper can surely aid me. In fact, I believe it is your honor-bound duty under the galactic convention.

Of course, sir. But please, sir, make an old man’s dreams come true? Humbletree pleads. I receive so few visitors way out here at the end of the universe. If you could just– I’m sorry. I must be off, the man interrupts. Can you direct me to Polaris? Humbletree nods eagerly. Oooooh! You come from Polaris? A very beautiful world of forest and ocean, yes indeed. I visited there once, before I assumed my duties here. I was much younger than you at the time but–

Please, old man! Will you stop chattering and help me?Humbletree sees that the man does not want to talk, does not even want to tell him his name; this saddens him. He would like to know many things…What new kinds of planets have been added to the Galactica? What new life forms? Have there been recent galactic wars? Who were the victors and who were the losers? What new kinds of toys do children play with? What new food is the current rage? What are they wearing on Calista, the city planet? Are the women still as beautiful as he remembered?

No. Humbletree will get no answers to those or any other questions from this man. So he closes his eyes, raises his shaky hand and points the way with a finger resembling a broken twig. The man in gold jumps back into his ship without a thank you, waits for Humbletree to go into the other room and open the airlock. Humbletree does as is expected of him. He watches the soldier, prince, king, whatever he is, fly away in his shining ship.

After closing the airlock, Humbletree goes back up to his room at the top of the lighthouse, sits in his hover-chair, lights his pipe and quietly looks through that big window. There is an area nearby without stars. It’s nothing but deep, eternal blackness. Suddenly he sees a quick blinding explosion near the edge of it. The explosion is smeared and fades quickly as if a child has pressed and smeared the back of a firefly. It’s the same place he had sent the man in gold.

Humbletree is sad to have done that to such a regal man but if the man had only stayed and talked awhile, he would have returned that kindness, directing him home. And if the man in gold had known anything about lighthouses he would’ve known that a white beam warned travelers of asteroid fields, a yellow beam warned travelers of radiation storms and red beams, of course, warned travelers of black holes.