Joshua leaned back in his hoverchair, watching the holovision set with bated breath.  A war veteran,a strong vrusk by the name of Clusstao had just ended the fifth sathar war by using the new electrostunner invented by Wartech.  No one knew much, but there rumors floating around that using the new stunner, scientists kept a sathar paralyzed and studied an alive specimen, and with the help of the brand new computer with updated AI, discovered every fact about the species, and Clusstao(with the help of the scientists)was about to explain everything.  Joshua's eyes widened as the ripped vrusk stepped on the stage displayed on the HV.  He clicked his mandibles, stepped to the microphone and began to speak.  "Ladies, gentlemen, and otherwise,you are all about to hear hear how our final war with the sathar has ended."  The crowed cheered for one whole minute, remaining just as loud the whole time.  He continued.  "As you may know, I-" Joshua sat upright.  The Pan-Galactic were airing a public HoloVision message!  Joshua mumbled curses under his breath as the message began.  "Greetings, citizens of the frontier!  We are sorry to interrupt your program, but breaking news has been announced.  A huge gamma-ray burst is headed for our galaxy.  It's readings have exceeded measure on the Trook Power Scale.  All citizens are urged to stay inside and find cover.  I repeat, all citizens are urged to stay inside and find cover," the serious voice commanded.  Joshua smirked.  It was just another false alarm, the sixth one this month.  The screen snapped back to the auditorium.  He could see a few people exiting the auditorium, probably heading home.  The public announcement was probably broadcasted into the auditorioum as well.  Most of the audience, however, didn't move, determined to hear about the discovery.  He watched for twenty minutes, waiting for Clusstao to stop talking about his war story and tell everyone the secrets of the sathar.  Suddenly, Joshua heard a loud booming noise so loud, it shook his small house.  On the Holovision, everyone looked for the source
of the noise.  Apparently, he wasn't the only person who heard it.  Joshua felt sick when the horrible truth dawned on him.  The gamma ray was real this time. Everyone at the auditorium screamed and ran out.  Clusstao froze in shock.  As Joshua ran to his window, he saw the chaos happening on the streets.  He didn't know what it was like everywhere else, but on Port Loren, it was complete chaos.  He could see mothers hugging their children, people swearing and running around naked.  Joshua ran back into his living room, searching hopelessly for cover.  He finally turned around, shocked by the bright light consuming everything.  Then it was dark.

Minx'las searched the rubble for any signs of life.  There was none, of course.  He played with his antannae, something he often did when he was thinking.  He sighed and walked further.  After five minutes of searching, he sat down to rest.  He must have been the only survivor.  He drooped his head.  The frontier civilazation was dead, and it's only hope was a vrusk old enought to be at the Port Loren assisted living center.  He scanned the area for something, ANYTHING.  And that's when he saw it.  The movement.  Some of the rubble moved!  The vrusk hurried to the area where he saw the movement and felt for survivors.  He froze.  He had just felt a hand.  A human hand by the way it was shaped.  The vrusk grabbed the appendage and pulled.

Joshua slowly opened his eyes.  There was an old vrusk looking at him and treating his wounds.   "What..." Joshua began, before the the vrusk shushed him.
"Rest," the vrusk whispered.  "I will explain everything.  That gamma ray wiped out the galaxy.  You're the only living being I've seen for a while.  I found you in the remains of what seemed to be your house."  Joshua nodded.  It was all coming back to him.  He sat up, and the vrusk pushed him back down.  The vrusk then shoved something into Joshua's mouth, and it was dark again.

When Joshua woke up, the vrusk was standing there, holding a medkit and motioning for him to follow.  Joshua ran up to the vrusk.  "Where are we going?" He asked.  "The spaceport.  Chances are there will be a ship that is still in working order.  We can go to the other planets and see what they're situation is.  The vrusk replied.  "By the way," he added, "My name's Minx'las."  "Joshua,"  Joshua said, shaking Minx'las' hand.

After walking for a while, Joshua stopped as soon as he heard the crying.  It was the voice of a little girl.  As he turned his head, he saw her.  It was a yazirian girl, sitting next to two other yazirians who must have been her parents.  They were laying down, covered in scratches, whispering to her while she cried.  The yazirians smiled and held something out to her.  She blubbered and took it.  Her parents closed their eyes, and took their last breath.  He couldn't stand it anymore.  Joshua walked over to her.  "Sorry about your parents."
"Mommy said I should never talk to strangers."
"And why is that?"
"They could be space pirates."
"Well, times are different now.  I think the space pirates are gone now."
"They are?"
"I'm pretty sure."  The yazirian girl looked at him, unsure whether or not to believe him.  Finally, she looked up at him and took his hand.  "I'm Krinna."  He smiled back.  "Joshua," he replied.  Minx'las
walked up to them.  "I think these bodies need a proper burial," he said, staring at the girl's parents. 

The trio walked away from the blazing fire cremating Krinna's parents.  It was a yazirian sign of respect to burn a body.  It told the world the dead person's soul was still burning with passion.  Minx'las pointed to a large, ramshackled building.  "That's where we get our ship," he declared.  Joshua nodded.  Krinna's expression didn't change.  Krinna sat in a corner and watched Minx'las dig through the rubble, looking for a starship.  Just as she stood up, Joshua yelled from the other end of the building.
"I found something!"  Krinna had decided not to ask what was going on.  She once tried asking when she was traveling with her parents, but she could never
understand the big words they used.  She had decided to just follow along.  Minx'las turned around and headed to Joshua's location.  Krinna slowly followed.
Joshua was standing next to a regular-sized, beat up starship.  "It should still work," he exclaimed.  Minx'las looked up at the ship.  "Are you sure you want to leave now?"
"I don't have much to do here."
"Well then," he said, climbing in, "Let's get started." Joshua looked around the ship.  Inside, it looked just fine compared to it's ravaged shell.  Joshua turned to Minx'las.  "Well then," he sighed, "Get this baby off the ground."
"I can't fly a starship!"
"You can't?"
"I thought you could!"
"Great, just great."  Joshua smacked his forehead.   Why didn't he think of that?  Without a pilot, they were stuck here!  "I think I can help you with that," a voice gurgled from the pilot's chair.
Krinna shrieked while joshua examined the cockpit.  When he examined the pilot's chair, there was a drooping dralasite sitting on it.  "Hello," it gurgled.
Joshua examined it.  "What are you doing here?"
"Laying down, what does it look like I'm doing?"
"All life was about to be destroyed and you were laying down in your ship?!"
"This isn't my ship."
"You stole someone's ship?
"Yep."
"That's what you were doing during the apocolypse?"
"I'm a bit crazy."
"I can tell."
"No, I mean it.  There's something wrong with my nerves.  I go into fits of insanity at random times."
"And you're a pilot?"
"Yep."  Now that she was calmed down, Krinna spoke up.  "Josh and Minx said we need a pilot.  Can you help us?"
The dralasite, now composed and standing straight, nodded.  Joshua and Minx'las exchanged nervous glances.  "Well, we do need a pilot, even if it IS insane," Minx'las stated.
"Fine, you're in," Joshua mumbled. 
"Great!  Where are you headed?"
"The closest planet."
"Okey-dokey," said the dralasite.
"I'm Joshua, this is Minx'las and that is Krinna."
"The name's Lux.  Nice to meet you."
"The feeling is mutual," Joshua lied.  Lux flicked some switches and the engines began to roar.  Joshua looked at Minx'las.  "Why do you think we survived, Minx'las?"
"Well, Joshua, a gamma-ray like that could easily destroy any of us, if we didn't have cover."
"Lot's of people with cover probably didn't survive."
"I think it was luck.  We were protected in the right places at the right time."
"Hmmm.  What do you plan to do if we find any survivors?"
"We'll establish a planet for all the survivors, bring them there, and begin to reboot the frontier."
"Glimmer."
"What?"
"That's what we'll call the ship."
"Why glimmer?"
"A glimmer of hope."
"I like it.  The U.S.S Glimmer."  Joshua looked at the ragtag crew before him.  It wasn't much, but it was good enough.  Joshua layed down, closed his eyes, and waited.