Moonday
Page 28
Back on the Moon
Date: Monday 24th October 2157 – 08:50 CET
Location: Alpha 12 – Moon Base
The air was pure and full of oxygen, perhaps too much oxygen Maria thought as she inhaled deeply. She took on of the small gravel path in the main garden and walked slowly along the shadowy path. She smiled and smelled the fresh clean odours of the plants. The leaves were green and autumnal brown but healthy. A branch growing out of control stroked her face and arms gently as she walked by. She enjoyed the cool touch of the leaves. It had been almost six days since they were just the three of them. Just three people to exhale carbon dioxide. Her plants probably needed more.
Soon she came to the closed moonflowers, they’d planted Dervla’s tree nearby. She stood before the flowers and looked over to Charlie’s drones, still there, where he’d last parked them. She missed Charlie. She missed his permanent presence. She missed that she couldn’t call him, and that he’d show up minutes later worried that he’d not got there quick enough. Where was her Oberon? Was he safe? She hoped he was all right. She took her necklace in her hands and looked down at her feet. Was he waiting for her? Peter would have found him and told him that she wasn’t coming, that it wasn’t her fault that her heart wasn’t strong enough to travel.
She heard one of the birds calling and it distracted her from her depressing thoughts and she wondered if it was cold enough in the garden, it didn’t feel cold enough, even though the autumn weather program had started at the beginning of October. She was thinking of Beatriz. It was a perfect Spanish autumn. It wasn’t too cold for people, but it was cold enough for the plants to start changing for the next season. Yet she shuddered.
She went to find Beatriz, who was sitting in Peter’s office. It remained and would always remain Peter’s office. Beatriz was trying to have a conversation with Meichun. Maria couldn’t understand what they were talking about. Beatriz reacted slowly to acknowledging Maria’s presence. The elapsed time felt just a little too long for it to be a comfortable pause before Beatriz put her glasses on her nose and looked at Maria.
Beatriz said dreamily, “I’m waiting for shooting stars.”
Maria sounded patient and caring, “We don’t have them on the Moon, there’s no atmosphere.” Maria knew what to do, “Have you taken your medication?”
Beatriz seemed confused. She smiled broadly and carefree, “Have you seen my glasses?”
Maria went to the infirmary and fetched Beatriz’s medication. She put the medicine button on Beatriz’s arm, Beatriz didn’t stop her. She trusted Maria and just let it happen.
Maria gently pressed the button. After a few seconds, the drug began to take effect in Beatriz’s brain. Her gaze intensified, and her eyes focused on Maria, and she smiled slightly embarrassed. She thanked Maria and explained, “It hurts less if I don’t take the medication regularly.”
Maria sat down, and they sat there silent for a while until Beatriz looking sad said, “I miss the others.”
Maria nodded, and her expression betrayed the extent that she agreed.
Beatriz sighed, “We’ll have to get used to it. It’s our choice to stay in our luxurious prison.”
Maria suggested, “Let’s go see Liam.”
They went together to see Liam, who was looking at his monitors in the communication area. Astro was sitting next to him, waiting for someone to play with him. Beatriz and Maria walked up and stood behind Liam. The atmosphere seemed too calm, so calm that it was oppressive, and Maria didn’t like it.
Liam noticed them behind him and said, “It’s five days and they haven’t been in touch.” He looked at her, “To be honest, I didn’t expect them to, but I’m disappointed anyway. I’d like to know what it is that prevents communication.” He was thoughtful. “I guess we’ll never know, will we?”
Beatriz smiled compassionately, “Let’s continue as normal. Peter would want that.” She didn’t have a good feeling because she realised she was talking about him as if he were already dead. With a lighter, forced tone Beatriz said, “The Annual Closure is coming up in three weeks. We need to prepare for it.”
***