Proxima Rising by Brandon Q Morris

Author:Brandon Q Morris [Morris, Brandon Q]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783947283569
Publisher: Hard-SF.com
Published: 2019-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

December 25, 18

Christmas! I had previously asked Adam and Eve if we should take a break because of the holiday, but both of them were against it. They said they were too old for such festivities, and the reason for the holiday is part of something that was too far away. Nevertheless, I insisted we have a common meal in the evening.

During the past few days, Adam has slipped into his sleeping bag after the tent was set up and we’d had our hastily prepared meals. Twice I just happened to see his face contort as he was masturbating. This is adolescence. I cannot even remember how I felt at that age. Maybe I do not want to remember. However, an endless journey with parents and siblings would definitely not have been high on my wish list.

On this special day, though, we all sit around a campfire. I had started collecting and drying leaves the day before yesterday, and now they are feeding the fire. At first, I wondered if we should do this to the plants, but then I thought of the poisoned paths. Dying must be an everyday event for these leafy plants, and a root system should be able to handle it if I selectively strip an area of three by three meters. Where would their consciousness be located, if they have one?

Now the fire crackles, smelling like burning reeds. Even though it is not darker than usual, the flames are reflected in the eyes of Adam and Eve, as they sit cross-legged, leaning forward. I never managed to sit like that for long when I was still a human. Adam’s eyes look so moist one might think he is crying.

“And now?” I ask.

“Now what?” Adam says. He seems to be annoyed because I disrupted the silence.

“Christmas. December 25th. That used to be a good occasion for looking back into the past,” I answer.

“There is no past, only the future.”

“So what happened in the last few months doesn’t count, Adam?”

“I don’t know why it should. It was all just a prelude.” Adam is breathing faster. Eve places a hand on his shoulder and he calms down again.

“Adam, I need you here... You, too, Eve,” I assure them.

The young man gives me an angry look. “For the mission, yes, I know,” he says, bitterly.

I want to reply, ‘No,’ but I do not manage to say it. I know he is basically right.

“We have been traveling so long,” Adam explains. “We were made for this planet, but it is so obvious we don’t belong here. We are visitors, though we have to stay forever. Considering this, what role does the past play?”

I cannot argue with Adam’s sentiment. I could say that I did not choose to go on this journey, either, but it will not help him. I trust he is going to find his place.

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