Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis)'s Arc

Chapter 1 of 4

Betelgeuse stood in the kitchen and stared at the long road ahead. He wanted to reach the other stars of Orion. He would start with Rigel, the brightest one, because that was the practical place to begin. He had been trying for so long he had stopped counting. Shaula set a thick book down on the counter. "Found this," she said. "You should look." Her voice was flat. She did not explain. Betelgeuse opened the star atlas. His finger moved across the page and stopped. There, in small clear letters, was his own name. A red supergiant in Orion. Named after him. Antares stepped closer and tapped the page. "That's you," he said. "Up there. Burning." He spoke plainly, with quiet respect. Betelgeuse crossed the room to the glowing globe on its stand. The swirling red light pulsed inside the glass. He looked up at the lit constellation display on the wall. One bright point blinked back at him. It was him. It had always been him. He set the atlas down slowly. The plan had changed. He was not only trying to reach the stars of Orion. He was one of them already, and the others needed to know he was coming.