Phano, May 2025
“Firestarter” is a poignant science fiction story about grief, guilt, and redemption set in Earth’s orbit. The narrator, Nick, works as a “firestarter”—a satellite technician whose job is to attach decay flares to defunct satellites and send them burning back into Earth’s atmosphere. This is considered the lowest-tier work among orbital technicians, a far cry from the more prestigious positions Nick once held.
The story opens with Nick training Cole, a young, inexperienced graduate who dreams of joining the Orbital Corps. During their first satellite operation, Cole nearly kills himself by approaching too fast, crashing into the satellite. Nick’s visceral reaction reveals deep trauma—she’s haunted by the memory of watching her partner Lex die in a similar accident.
Through flashbacks, we learn that Nick and Lex were once ambitious satellite modification technicians. Lex had abandoned dreams of marine biology to escape Earth’s deteriorating conditions, and Nick followed her, afraid of losing her. They developed a dangerous habit of “playing chicken”—brake-burning at the last possible moment before landing on satellites, leaving scorch marks on their surfaces. The thrill was intoxicating until Lex misjudged her approach. She collided with a satellite, her body spiraling down toward Earth while Nick froze in shock and horror, unable to attempt a rescue.
Since Lex’s death, Nick has been relegated to firestarter duty, whether as punishment or self-imposed penance. She works alone, until Cole—a reminder of everything she’s lost and failed to prevent.
As Nick and Cole complete their second satellite decommissioning, a critical problem emerges: Cole’s oxygen tank was damaged during his earlier collision and has been leaking throughout their shift. By the time the warning appears, he’s nearly out of air and too far from base to survive the return journey.
This time, Nick doesn’t freeze. In a moment of decisive action that contrasts sharply with her paralysis during Lex’s accident, she swaps her functional oxygen tank for Cole’s damaged one, giving him enough air to reach safety. She sends him ahead with encouragement and a glowing recommendation for his career, concealing the deadly exchange she’s made.
Alone in orbit with minutes of oxygen remaining, Nick experiences a moment of clarity. She doesn’t want to die gasping in the void. She wants to be “down there, where home was, when we were together and everything was still possible.” In the story’s final, devastating lines, Nick aims herself toward Earth, fires her burners to full power, and dives after Lex—finally doing what she always knew she should have done, even if it’s years too late.
The story masterfully explores themes of survivor’s guilt, the weight of frozen moments, and the human need for redemption. Nick’s final act is both suicide and sacrifice, a way to save Cole while finally joining Lex, transforming her paralyzing guilt into decisive, life-saving action.
Dan Peacock is a sci-fi and fantasy writer from the UK. His short stories have been published in F&SF, Cast of Wonders, and Little Blue Marble, among others. You can find links to all his published stories at danpeacockwriter.com. He lives with his long-suffering partner and daughter, along with a second-hand cat that doesn’t work properly.