The Contagion of Nostalgia

In a future where city lights and autonomous drones have choked the radiance from the night, mankind is preparing for its greatest exodus. Degory is just one of thousands waiting in the luxurious plains of the Midwest, his spot on a gargantuan shuttle paid for with a small fortune. He is a man who appreciates the "third artistry" of nature-the stars-even as he prepares to leave Earth behind forever.

But as the clock ticks toward departure, a chance encounter at a camp bar brings a ghost from his past: Phelia, a woman he hasn't spoken to since high school. Through a haze of champagne and bittersweet memories, they reconnect, confronting the versions of themselves they once were and the uncertain future they are about to share.

"The Contagion of Nostalgia" is a lyrical, philosophical exploration of what it means to be human at the edge of the universe. It is a story about the dreams we abandon, the connections we fail to make, and the enduring power of a shared past in a world that is rapidly moving on.