Sequel

"Sequel" by Ben Smith is a science fiction tale crafted in the early 1950s that examines the loneliness, sorrow, and hope for a new start found within the vastness of space. The story centers on Jubil Marken, stranded in the emptiness after a revolt on his ship, the "Mercury II," as he thinks about the decisions that shaped his life and the resulting fallout. Marked by a sense of solitude, Jubil wrestles with the pain of loss and unfulfillment, recalling his days at the Academy and measuring his path against that of his more successful peers. Abandoned by his crew, he faces his likely end aboard a cold asteroid. Yet, amidst his reflections on his crew's actions and the fate of his friends, Kane and Schoenbirk, he discovers a strange quiet. As his previous vessel, the "Mercury II" breaks into pieces around him, Jubil meets his mortality head-on, discovering a form of redemption through an act of selflessness, echoing the greatness of his lost friends.