Barren Cartography

An open volume of astronomical cartography lay flat upon the timber desk, displaying a panoramic plate of the lunar surface. I traversed the dark grain and approached the binding, planting the wooden haft of my scythe against the wood. Across the printed page stretched vast plains of airless basalt and petrified craters, devoid of atmosphere, growth, or vital agitation. I extended a gauntleted hand, resting my fingertip squarely upon the rigid rim of a frozen chasm. It offered neither warmth nor kinetic disturbance, preserved in enduring stasis. I remained beside the parchment, studying a domain that has never surrendered to the chaos of life.