Derek’s story earned second runner up in the 50WS Valentine’s Day contest:

“Do you love me?”

They were young, and she laughed. “Zero. Computers can’t love, silly.”

Eons passed. They were alone, together. As entropy drained the last drops of energy in the universe, he strained to ask the question one last time.

“Do you love me?”

“One. Always and forever.”

Derek Mullanari is a teenager who enjoys writing science fiction.