As the Stars of Heaven
by Marshall J. Moore Even after five years on Gloam, Gilbert found himself missing the stars. Like many such longings, it came upon him at unexpected times, in the small and private moments. Glancing out the viewport while he waited for the fabricator to finish with his evening meal, or walking through the dim streets of the Shimmering and looking up, forgetting for a moment where he was. Like any pastor worthy of the title, Gilbert had a verse prepared for such moments. “The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light,” he murmured to himself, peering through the translucent dome of the hyperlift at the opaque canopy beyond. “The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” There was a jolt beneath his feet as the hyperlift detached from its moorings, sending an anticipatory thrill through him as his stomach rose towards his throat. No matter how many times he made the descent, that brief half-second of freefall never failed to conju...
