There were intelligences still clinging to the last vestiges of matter. It’s hard to say what form these beings took, or if they even had a physical form at all.
They did, however, live on a terrestrial planet. It was cold, and growing colder by the year as less and less energy from its dimming Sun managed to crawl to the planet’s surface.
And now it was even colder, because nearly every being on the planet gathered on the night-side of the planet. All attention was directed upward at a tiny red glimmer in the heavens.
“Look up at it… The last star!” A voice rang out. “Proxima Zeta.”
The beings marveled at the tiny mote… It was so faint that, were the night sky not completely inky black, it would be easily missed… And yet because the universe had grown so empty and cold, the tiny shimmer was as dazzling as a ruby.
“Millions of years ago, it used to be far closer… So close in fact that some residents on our planet had the choice to colonize its worlds.”
A young being staring up at the star tried imagining what that must’ve been like.
“As you know we’ve been communicating regularly, yet that’s soon to come to an end. As the universe expands at a rate exceeding the speed of light, we’ll soon be left completely alone in the universe. No matter what signal we fire at them, no matter how powerful, it’ll be impossible for it to travel fast enough to reach that far-distant star.”
The young being felt a sense of isolation and loneliness. The other beings nearby interpreted this psychic disturbance, and moved closer to provide comfort.
“Let us not forget those earlier, simpler times. In those days, there were dozens of stars in the night sky… Some accounts even list hundreds!”
The young being tried to imagine a sky filled with a multitude of tiny red dots, but the prospect of so many stars seemed ridiculous.
“Indeed, ancient records even report the existence of a galaxy; a structure of thousands of stars all bound around one another with gravity. It’s said that our ancestors arrived on this planet during the era of galaxies.”
Fantasy. Couldn’t be real.
“Then over the years as the universe expanded, the number of stars dwindled and dwindled… Until ours was alone…Alone, but for Proxima Zeta.”
The beings all watched the small light twinkle. It seemed as if the star was struggling to remain within site of their planet, as it began to flicker and waver… Then suddenly, with no fanfare, the light disappeared. The beings comforted one another for a time before slowly making their way back home.
The young being, however, kept its gaze focused skyward.
Another being perceived this pause. “What’s troubling you?”
“Is that it? Are we really alone?”
“Well there are others out there who are still alive… Very likely there are still hundreds of civilizations… But we’ll never see them again. I suppose in that regard we are alone.”
The young being felt crestfallen beneath a psychic weight.
“But don’t worry! You still have a planet filled with loved ones.” Though even the elder didn’t sound entirely convinced.
The young being half-heartedly agreed. “Yeah… I suppose I do.”