My apartment was dark and dusty and filled with boxes reminiscent of a city skyline. I double checked all the locks in the house and went over to the kitchen table to sift through the stacks of farewell cards one more time. They were from friends and family either begging me to stay or wishing me good luck on my journey. I looked around my apartment one last time with old memories playing out in my head. I walked out of my apartment feeling like I had packed my life away.
The day seemed grayer than usual, but I didn’t mind, the ash in the atmosphere reflected the pain in my heart and it felt right for the moment.
Michelle was at the bottom of the steps waiting for me in her winter coat with her hands stuffed inside her jacket pockets. She looked over at me and her lips started to tremble. Tears formed in her eyes as I walked down the stairs. They fell down her cheeks as I reached for her hand.
“Please don’t cry,” I whispered. “My shining star. Everything will be alright. We will be together again, one day.”
The car ride was quiet and sad. I didn’t want our last moments together to be depressing, but I couldn’t think of anything to say and everything seemed irrelevant or trivial at the moment. I decided to turn on the radio. It was tuned to an Earth Defense Initiative broadcast. The voice on the radio was methodical and mechanical.
“…executed today for sedition. Enlistment group one seventeen is scheduled for departure today. Everyone is encouraged to say their goodbyes to their enlistees from their home. Enlistees that arrive at the departure gate must proceed immediately to registration. Training for manufacturing technicians will begin next Friday. Everyone is encouraged to arrive early. Construction on the new global defense turrets have already begun and your assistance is…”
Michelle turned the radio off as the car rolled to a stop. Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen. I reached over to stroke her cheek.
“We can’t stop here,” I said. “We’ll slow traffic.” She looked down into her lap and said nothing. I heard a harsh tap on the window beside me. I looked over and saw an EDI officer standing outside my window.
“Exit your vehicle and proceed on foot to the departure gate,” He said in a stern voice and continued on to the next vehicle repeating his order.
My mind had wondered off. We were a few miles away from the departure gate, but traffic had stopped in front of us. I realized why Michelle was crying. The traffic jam was caused by family members at the departure gate saying goodbye to their enlistees and not wanting to leave. A twenty minute car ride was reduced to five minutes.
We got out and walked to the front of the car and fell into each other’s arms. I dug my face into her hair and took in a deep breath. I savored her smell and tried to lock that memory away somewhere deep and safe inside. I ran my hands across her skin and kissed her passionately and locked those memories away. I stared at her face and into her eyes and begged that image to stay with me forever. I knew I had to say something, but I didn’t know what.
“I need you to know that we will meet again one day. I need you to be here so I can dream of our life together, so the stars don’t all look the same.” I kissed her and hugged her one last time. I forced myself to walk away.
As I walked I stared up at the colossal ship looming in the distance that would take me away from my life, Michelle and Earth.
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"A very accomplished, spirited novel of depth and intelligence.” – SFBook.com
“A lucky find, a diamond in the rough and great fun to read.” – Speculative Book Review
“Tony Evans has mastered the transportation of the mind into another reality.” – Tome Tender