20080503

The Astronaut's Curse

by Nathalie Boisard-Beudin

It was full of stars. The dreams, illusions, aspirations and delusions seemed so puny compared to this. The uplift brought by a full blown galaxy swimming alongside your vessel. Which might - or might not - return to Earth, one day. But no amount of gravity, of pause, of recognition, would ever still the vision of that universe playing in your head. It was full of stars.

6S

Nathalie Boisard-Beudin, whose full catalog is here, is French but currently lives in Rome, Italy. Most of her writing is done in English, her second – and working – language. She works as in-house lawyer for the European Space Agency and has published micro-stories in the multi national anthology Wonderful World of Worders.