Far and beyond

The end of the road

As Monsa was gathering here gear in the storage bay, she couldn't hope to contain her excitement. She was on the verge of the "discovery of the century". She just made love with the man she wanted to spend her life with. She had a night she will remember always. Her life was what she once dreamed of being. And still, she felt afraid. She felt unsure in what action she should take. And she could not understand why. She closed her eyes. She took a deep breath in, and out. She whispered quietly so only she could hear "You got this. This is your moment. No one will be able to take this away from you". She regained her determination. She turned and walked to the hypertrain station. She met Steph along the way and hugged him firmly. 

- I love you. - she said. - I love you more than you can know.

- I love you too. - he replied. It was not unlike Monsa to have a sudden outburst of emotions, but this time it was different.  - Also more than you will ever know.

The couple held hands as they walked to the hypertrain. They entered and sat together. Michael was also on the train, he was sitting a few seats away and didn't seem like he's in a friendly mood. After a bit more than 4 hours, most of them spent sleeping, Steph and Monsa were near Nebograd. The city in the sky. Literally. Its name comes from the fact that it's altitude of 2249 meters above sea level puts it around a whole 1000 meters higher than any other settlement on Nova Nadez. And it's proximity to endless, icy, barren, wasteland that is the uninhabitable zone means it is a cruel place to live in. The height and cold also means that it is a place that is most frequently covered in some kind of clouds or fogs, which bring their own humidity. People do not wish to live here. People have to live here. The pour souls that came on the shuttles looking for a better life than the one they had on the dying earth. The once lush planet is slowly turning into a mixture of salty seas and dry deserts. They were funneled straight into the grinder. The mines are always hungry for fresh meat. Desperate, starving, uneducated. No matter what the situation. No matter how advanced the machines and the robots and the technology may be. There is no replacement for the sweat of the eyebrows and the strength of the backs. With children to feed and families to support, what else were they to do? 

When the train stopped for Steph and Mike to get off, Monsa once again hugged him firmly. She felt the warmth of his body. She felt the strength of his chest. She felt the firmness of his arms. She felt safe. She felt like nothing could harm her while she's with him. She met him when he was just a young boy, just turning 18. She watched him grow into a man. She had seen him struggle. She knew how he looked when he was beat down, when he was pushed into the mud, when he was with his back to the wall, but she had never seen him broken. She had never seen him too frightened to tell her that he loved her. She never knew how that he was even capable of something like that. Until now. And the fact that he was scared shitless made her scared shitless. She once again gathered strength to tell him she loves him. He could not say the same, but she could feel his heart racing as their bodies drifted apart. 

- Remember! Little red riding hood! Take the long way around! No shortcuts! I LOVE YOU! - Steph shouted as the door was closing. 

Monsa felt a little more calm now. She was reassured in what she already knew. She had his heart, and that was all she needed.