273/365 --Playlist Story-- inspired by "Complication With Optimistic Outcome" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from The Social Network soundtrack

A calculation was off. It might have been the atomic clock miscalibrated by a fraction of a fraction of a second, or a few extra protons from the interstellar debris attached to the hull of the ship like barnacles, a quantum error in the navigational computer, or a misaligned gravitational sensor. Perhaps even it was sabotage. The detail of the fault was irrelevant.

The ship dipped a micron too close to the singularity and was captured. The mission was to fly as tight as possible to create a time-dilated slingshot trajectory out of the galaxy and towards Andromeda and establish an information seed point. A light bridge was to be built to convey information back and forth in order to enrich each galaxy with the life in the other. The mission would succeed without the ship.

The ship stretched and began to be eaten by a velvet, darkling black as visible light shifted through a rapid rainbow to senseless radio waves. The metal and plastic screeched as it warped, suctioned, and convulsed, but the sounds were so slow they were quiet to all ears. The small crew couldn't feel the pain conveyed by electrons too slow to reach across organic nerve fibers and inorganic conductive carbon nano-wire to deliver their signals.

Two of the crew reached towards each other instinctively, fingers almost touching, millimeters apart. They were friends, deeply so. Born on the ship during its long voyage, raised and trained together, they were virtually inseparable. They shared in whispers, thoughts, and actions. The ran the corridors during artificial night, laughing. The sat together for hours watching the stars, hands entwined. They cried together when the cruelties of their world carried crushing weight.

And just before the dark closed in entirely, they touched one last time. They could not feel it or see it, but in the instant before their atoms tore apart they knew they were embraced.
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I didn't really pay attention to the song title until after I came up with the idea of the story, so its rather amazing how well the music itself fits the title.