The Star Goes Out

The bulb of the star dimmed. Ben let out a long, tired breath from his perch. He turned to see that Eric, the junior night watch, had missed the whole thing. The boy was hunched over an old refurbished tablet, gritty and worn from generations of use. It took Eric a few seconds to shake himself out of the world of lush lands and strange beasts,. He looked at the hole in the ceiling where the domed star bulb had been glowing a few minutes before. Oh, Ben, really? The star went out. It's a hazard. I know, but can it wait? The story's just getting good.