Robson crested the dark hill. In the light of the Ads he could see a few dark figures mulling around. “Is this the place?” He asked.
“Hush!” A nearby silhouette hissed… A woman. “Yes.”
Robson extended a hand. “Hi, I’m-“
“No names!” She quickly interrupted. “Anonymous!”
Robson nodded. He reached into his satchel and withdrew a small pocket-scope, then looked around at the other figures gathered around the base of a giant Ad Antenna. Like him, they moved with no set direction… They simply lingered.
More shadows began cresting the hill. Like Robson, a few were clearly new and would try introducing themselves or asking questions… Horrifyingly, one even brought a cell with him. He was promptly sent back into the city.
The rest seemed better prepared, and they pulled out pocket-scopes, binoculars, or analog cameras, and stood around nervously. Indeed, Robson felt his heart beat faster with every new person that joined them on the hill’s summit… Were they a Stargazer, or a cop? The question remained unanswered as each additional newcomer inevitably melded into the growing group before yet another would soon crest the hill and cause a renewed wave of anxiety to wash over him.
Every once in a while, out of habit, he felt his eyes automatically drifting upward…
Ads filled the sky. They were bright and colorful and garish and awful.
I’m Lovin’ It!
Now in Theaters: Failsafe!
Rent this constellation for only $950,000 a week!
He’d then realize his pupils were constricting as they filled with light and he’d quickly redirect them downward.
More shadows joined them. More time passed. Their presence and intent was growing more obvious by the second.
Growing anxiety.
Then finally one of the people around the Ad Antenna hooted like an owl… The signal.
Hands gripped their magnifying scopes tighter, ready to point them upward. Hearts began beating faster. Breaths caught in throats.
The crowd heard a few loud clicks before a soft bass ‘whomp’ emanated out from the Antenna. The smell of ozone soon followed.
And then the Ads disappeared.
And the universe materialized.
Where once there’d been bright billboards covering nearly every square arc-second of orbital space, there was now infinity.
The fields of stars.
The Milky Way.
Planets.
Meteorites burning up in the atmosphere.
Robson heard gasps from those around him… Some had never seen the real night sky.
…He hadn’t.
It was magnificent… Massive…
Humbling…
He pointed his scope upward and hesitantly stared through it. A star that had appeared dim and unimpressive with his naked eye appeared bright and magnificent through his scope. Surrounding the glimmering stellar mote of light were dozens of other stars that had hitherto been invisible.
Complete. Awe.
He moved the scope around, drinking in the scenes… A cluster of tiny stars… A star that twinkled with every color imaginable… The rings of Saturn…
The images began to blur, and he realized his eyes were filling with tears. He wiped them away before continuing to gaze at the universe.
He lost himself to the night sky, briefly forgetting he was a physical being until he felt someone grab his shoulder and bring him back down to Earth. For a moment he felt his adrenaline spike. The cops!
But the person gently grasping his shoulder was covered head to toe in black clothing and was offering him, Robson, a tiny slip of paper.
“Take it.” The person whispered. “The time and place for the Stargazers. New code number is 2700”.
“Thanks.” Robson whispered, placing the paper in his pocket.
He returned to the stars… Fields of points of light… A swirling galaxy… Jovian moons.
He wanted to stay there all night, but became all too conscious of the passage of time. Every second brought the cops that much closer to the hillside, and being so costly, an Ad Outage took the highest priority. A solved murder often carried no monetary awards, but every square arc-second brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars a night.
He pointed his scope toward a star of no particular note and stared fondly at it.
“That one will forever be my star.” He said to himself.
He sent out feelings of love toward the star.
He wished it all the best of luck.
He then brought the scope back down, pocketed it, and began running the five miles toward his parked car. Many of the other Stargazers had already left.
“So?” He heard a familiar voice ask as he jogged toward the wastes. “What did you think?”
He turned… It was the woman from before, the one who’d warned him not to give his name.
“Breathtaking.” He gasped.
Even in the darkness he could see her smile. “Hope to see you at the next one!”
The pair vaulted over an old wooden fence and continued running.
“Oh don’t worry… I think you will!”