by Josi Russell
Ethan remembered the dark night in the cave, when he had longed to see these bright creatures. He thought of the surprises that the survey craft crash had brought into his life and wondered what else lay ahead.
Every family was facing that question. Once enough ships were fitted with the new drives, Earth would be moments away. The universe would be moments away. They could return to Earth if they wanted. And some would go. But Minea was changing, for the better, and Ethan and Aria wanted to be part of that, to raise their children in the bright blue cottage that had come to be their home.
Ethan’s eyes lingered on the Vala. They were interdependent. It was the humans’ grit that had freed the Vala and the Vala chips that had made the universe accessible to humans.
Ethan thought about that. He wasn’t as bothered by using the chips as he had been before. In fact, he thought, perhaps traveling on tears was a good reminder for humanity that all progress comes with a cost.
Rigel’s small hand reached beyond the butterflies, toward the bright circle of Lucidus, hanging in the sky. The bells began to chime, and Ethan slipped an arm around Aria. They stood now, at the brink of space, and it lay before them like a river. Perhaps someday soon they’d take an outing to Lucidus. Perhaps someday they’d go beyond.
About the Author
Josi Russell ’s science fiction novels explore familiar human relationships in unfamiliar contexts. She currently teaches creative writing and fiction courses as an associate professor of English for Utah State University Eastern. She lives in the alien landscape of the high desert American Southwest with her family and a giant tortoise named Caesar. Josi is captivated by the fields of linguistics, mathematics, and medicine, by the vast unknown beyond our atmosphere, and by the whole adventure of being human.
Connect with the Author:
website: josirussellwriting.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorjosirussell
twitter.com/josi_russell
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