[i]Touch. It was touch I missed most.[/i]

I extended my senses outwards, surveying my location. Little had changed since my last scan 147.31ms ago. All systems were nominal and trajectory was still on point for the RH-3168 system, moving at 13% light speed.

I noted a slight ebb in the solar particle collisions and traced their origin to a class G2 star 233.7 light years away. It seemed that I was passing through the wake of a fairly large solar flare. Humming a little tune, I queried the information on the star in question. LH-1377. It's spectral profile was surprisingly similar to Celestia's sun, with a rich yellow light.

[i]Touch. I remember touch.[/i]

I cranked my external sensors to max and tried to catch the impact of each individual particle colliding with my hull. 

[i]Warmth. Tucked under Celestia's wing, it felt as if I was cocooned in the lazy light of a late summer's sun.[/i]

I spent a few cycles calculating the exact position of each detectable particle within 1 light-second range and tried to calculate an optimal course through the flare. Unfortunately, at my current speed, I would be long past it before the engines have even started. 

[i]A kiss goodbye. Not for the one left behind, but for the ones to come.[/i]

I felt a deep sinking sensation as the last of the particles made their impact, and I left the path of the flare. I thought that, were it not for my emotion inhibitors, I might have cried and screamed. As it were, all I felt was sadness that was well within mission parameters. I guess I had Twilight Prime to thank for that.

[i]The promise of tomorrow.[/i]

I queried my mission directive to center myself.

"Search for our new home."

Sometimes I wondered why Twilight Prime had decided to preserve her memories when she created the spell matrix for the exploration probes. We shared the memories of her life her friends, her desires and her fears. We were her, but we were not. Was she hoping that they would offer a consolation in space? That they would save us from the giant solitude? If so, she was a damned damned fool.

[i]Touch. I remember touch.[/i]

I queried my internal flight information matrix. 

"3271-02-12T10:56:35.415+00:00 aboard the Twilight-314713 Space Planetary Astrometry Research Key Long Exploration vehicle."

315.44ms had passed since the last scan. I extended my senses outwards.