by Matt Snee
“Jupiter,” Captain breathed. A Death Dream, as they called it. What did that mean? What future lurked there? He could hardly believe his fate. While at first he had felt cursed when he had been drawn into this, now he felt enormously lucky—lucky he knew the truth about the solar system, lucky he was privy to such adventures, lucky to know Jennifer and now Plerrxx. He realized the nature of his former life was just a sort of waiting, though pleasant as he could calmly work on his novels and enjoy his time with his mother, but now his very life was thrills and responsibility.
What a journey, he thought.
“We'll be off in minutes,” Plerrxx told them. “Get ready to strap in for lift-off.” He headed to the cockpit, leaving Captain and Jennifer alone.
“You alright?” asked Captain.
“I said I was okay,” she told him.
“I know, but …”
She sighed. “It isn't easy.”
“I know it's not.”
“Life is just one terrible thing after another,” she complained.
“That's not true,” he argued.
“Oh no?” she asked. “Then what is it then?”
“I don't know,” he admitted.
“I rest my case,” she said.
“No. There's more to it. There's joy too.”
“Sometimes. I haven't felt joy for a long time.”
“I know you haven't. But you will. Besides, it's not our joy we're fighting for.” He was sure of this.
“That's true … but I wish …”
“It was someone else?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I'm here with you.”
“I know you are, Lewis. I appreciate you haven't given up on me yet.”
“I never will,” he said honestly.
She smiled at him. This time there was less pain in her expression. “Thank you. I mean it.”
A heavy silence descended. Then Captain decided to break it as best as he could.
“Do you remember your promise?”
“What promise?” she asked.
“About the ice cream? The one you made me on Mars?”
She laughed. He had made her promise that once this was over they would have ice cream together on Earth. “Yes, I remember.”
“I'm holding you to it.”
“I know you will. I'm glad. I think it's going to take longer than we originally thought.”
“That's fine,” said Captain. “I'm not hungry at the moment.”
Jennifer laughed again. “Neither am I.”
* * *
They climbed into the cockpit and strapped in. Plerrxx pressed buttons on the control console as he went through his lift-off preparation. “Isn't space travel great?” he joked.
Captain smiled but said nothing. He could already feel the pit in his stomach waiting for the G forces they would endure launching from the asteroid. He supposed Plerrxx was right and laughed at the Mmrowwr's joke finally.
“What is it?” Jennifer asked him.
“Nothing. Well, I guess something. I'm in a damn space-hopper for God's sake.”
“Yes, you are. And you're headed to the moon of Ganymede, of Jupiter.”
“Space is my oyster,” Captain told her. He was feeling giddy.
“It sure is,” she giggled.
“Just about ready,” said Plerrxx. “You too strapped in? Jennifer? Captain?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
“Well then, we're off,” said Plerrxx. He pulled back on the space-hopper joystick, and the ship crouched down on its back legs, ready to jump back into the far reaches of space.
Captain smiled. He was not afraid. “Here we go,” he said.
About the Authors
Matthew Snee was born in Nebraska, raised in Delaware, and now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his three dogs. Formerly of the Brooklyn-based art-pop band Mixel Pixel, he now lives out his days trying to break the universe with literary pulp fiction.
Gregg Chirlin grew up in Delaware, studied in San Francisco, and currently resides in central France with his wife and two children. In addition to odd jobs ranging from pizza delivery boy to dental insurance clerk and concert candy-hawker, he briefly labored as a web developer in Silicon Valley just before the bubble burst, and has been mainly teaching English as a foreign language since. He enjoys cooking, wine, and the French countryside.
Coming Soon!
To Brave the Crumbling Sky
Book Two:
The Oldest War
http://www.matthewsnee.com
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