[ WP ] Stars have brilliant deaths , large explosions given a beautiful name . Men are granted nothing so glorious .

`` It'll be any day now'' Marie said to herself looking at the numbers on her monitor, trying her best to muster up courage. 
 
 She was one of many, and she had known no other life than the one deep below the surface. Five hundred years ago a scientific inquiry had found that the sun was expanding faster than expected, the mining operations were ordered to be wrapped up the grand colonizing ship was loaded with the resources. Everyone on Earth was given the choice to board and head into space to find a new home, around a chosen white dwarf star affectionately named'hope'. 
 
 Surprisingly, not everyone went, in fact 1/10th of people stayed, afraid of the danger of leaving. Unfortunately the epitaph of this little branch of humanity was that the fear of possible danger is greater than the fear of even certain death. 
 
 Marie liked to think she would have gone, but there was no room for courage anymore, no requirements for action even. Just the simple life of eating food created by the solar energy above and waiting... just waiting. 
 
 But today was different. 
 
 Lately, Marie had been studying the numbers from above and it seemed that the sun would have an enormously catastrophic event any day. One which, she was sure, would wipe out the last vestiges of the husk of Earth. 
 
 But she was going to go out on her feet. Grabbing the key card provided to research personnel she headed to the elevator. Marie thought perhaps she would tell someone, but they might try to stop her. 
 
 *ding* The elevator door opened to the topside control room. The ride seemed faster than usual this time. 
 
 She had never been outside. Never even looked. Windows were n't allowed, the radiation was too persistently strong from the lack of atmosphere. There was however a door that was never touched. The protective suit did n't fit her well, but they were never built anymore anyway. Like a sentry, the door stood, watching her moves, waiting for her. Marie walked forward, held up her card... 
 
 `` No, it's too much.'' She could n't do it, what was the point? Why not live a little longer? 
 
 `` I want to see it in person.'' Marie said with determination, speaking to her arm, willing it to move towards the key reader. Finally it did and she heard the soft ding of the door opening. 
 
 She walked forward out onto the scorched landscape and looked up. It was n't very bright, in fact it seemed comforting. 
 
 *This is why I have to do it. * She thought to herself. 
 
 *When it happens it will be a horrific, terrifying... this way... * She took a deep breath, and took off her helmet. 
 
 She felt truly proud for perhaps the first time in her life looking at that star which had spawned humanity, standing on the Earth that everyone else had left. It only hurt a moment, she was knocked unconscious before the real damage occurred, but if anyone else in that refuge could have mustered the courage to venture upwards they would have seen her standing, until two days later, boots melted to the spot looking up at the sky. 
 
 To all those below however her disappearance was just a few inquisitive `` Where's Marie gone off to?'' The next phase of the star's death however was Earth shattering in a very literal sense. After that, the sun continued to slowly die, observed by no one. 
 
 The colony ship headed to hope was empty of life owing to a machine malfunction. The universe no longer observed itself with wonder. 
 
 Man was gone.
