She looked at the man with the torn shirt and dirty jeans. “We can offer you quarters, food and work if you desire.”
He paused, looking into her eyes, then beyond them. “Can I stay here?”
She looked past him, the landscape destroyed. She saw the fires in the distance, smoke crawling up the scorched sky and thick air. There was no movement in the valley or in the distance. The wind, present yet quiet and sinister moved the blood soaked dust.
She looked down, and then at him. “There’s no one here.”
“None that you can see.”
She paused, sulfur burning her nose, ash falling from the sky.
“You can have anything you need if you come with us. Our ship can provide you with food, safety and company. “
She waited.
He said softly. “I am not alone.”
Perplexed she stood and asked “Who else is there?”
He looked at it and back at her. He didn’t respond.
“What will you eat?” she asked, looking up with genuine concern.
“I’ll find food.”
“Where will you sleep?”
“I’ll find a place.”
“And what if you don’t? You’ll die out here.”
He paused again and began to walk away.
“It’ll find me.”
She watched him grow smaller, at the heat waves and fire that dotted the horizon.
She could hear him speaking with growing inflections and looking up. He would then nod and continue walking. He picked up three rocks and began to juggle. The scorched landscape, brown and dusty and burnt laid out before him as his shadow grew longer.

“Captain, orders?”
“Break orbit and return to Earth.”
She sat in her chair.
“We’re going to leave him here?” The rest of the crew looked at her and waited.
She answered with a nod and they were gone.