Lunar Visit

Posted on 18 Apr 2021 @ 3:02pm by Commander Kristiana Petrova & Lieutenant Callisi Veera

1,859 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Home
Location: Shuttle

Pheasant had been hunted, prepared and eaten, a quiet evening enjoyed, a night spent in the Petrov homestead, and come the morning it came time to leave again. So the two ladies left the homestead - Kristiana making sure the force field was up behind them - and made their way to the shuttle. Kris seemed in good spirits, coming home and her father's message seeming to have done her good. Some shooty boom boom violence upon waterfowl didn't hurt either, but she wouldn't readily admit that herself.

"So, where we off to?" Kris asked Callisi as she powered up the shuttle. "Back to the ship? Or do you want to drop by the moon first?"

Callisi gave a smirk, "Well, it's too early for the petting zoo. I think the children appreciated my presence there." she joked, "But, I'd love to see Earth's Moon. As grand and splendid as the planet is, you'll understand that my people hold moons in high regard."

"Moon it is. We hold it in quite high regard as well, though probably not near as much as you," Kris offered, starting the shuttle up off the ground and into the air. "It's always been a source of mystery and folk tales. Plenty of legends and myths surrounding our moon and her cycle. Her gravitational pull causes tidal motion in all bodies of water on earth in cycles taking a bit over twelve hours. Together with the Earth's axial tilt caused by a planetoid called Theia impacting proto-earth knocking it off its axis and in turn causing the seasons, that makes for an interesting and rather variable climate on Earth."

"Fun fact, the matter that was knocked off Earth when Theia impacted and remnants of Theia collected under their own small gravity well and formed the moon. Also fun fact, the moon is very slowly drifting away from Earth at a rate of a few inches a year, if I recall correctly," Kris smiled, glancing over. She knew the Ts'usugi were a curious people who valued knowledge, and hoped Callisi found these bits of knowledge interesting.

When she looked over, she'd see Callisi looking back, consuming every word as though it were a fine feast. "Intriguing. So if Theia never impacted the Earth as it were forming, you'd be denied the Moon." she mused, "And spiraling away, you say. Perhaps it feels it has more pressing business elsewhere? Some other planet to accompany." she teased, "It's a pity your moon is dead. We've encountered many dead moons in the name of imperial expansion. If a world or a moon can't support life, we mark it for resources. If it can, and no one has claimed it yet, then it just got claimed." she smirked.

"If the world belongs to someone else, though, modern Ts'usugi leave it be. But enough about that..." the cyclopean rabbitess turned her glance skyward, to the distant moon in the sky. "It's lovely that you can see it even during the day. A constant companion."

"Be denied the moon, the tides and the seasons. Our climate would be a lot simpler without the ocean currents or a simpler model thereof," Kris mused, most of her attention on piloting the shuttle now. "Constant companion, yeah. She was the focus for much of the early space race, first man-made object in space, first animal in space, first human in space, first moon landing, first long duration space station - the only one we Russians lost to the Americans was the moon landing, everything else we were first."

"Sputnik was the first satellite, two dogs named Tzygan and Dezik the first animals in space, Laika the dog the first animal in orbit, Yuri Gagarin the first human in orbit, the first long duration space station was Mir, Russian for 'peace'. First man on the moon though was Neil Armstrong, an American. Truth be told? There's more than a little national pride in all the Russian firsts, but landing a man on the moon back in the 1960s? That was a real achievement and I'm kind of envious it was the Americans that pulled it off," Kris smiled as she spoke, proud of being Russian but more than that, proud of being Human. Such small achievements that every space faring race had pulled off as well in their own respective histories, but each and every single one of those firsts for each and every single one of those races, a monumental achievement. One step closer to reaching the very stars each and every one of their ancestors had dreamed of.

"And the Emperor lifted his hands to the stars, and beheld there were three moons above. He said that these three were for us, as the world at our feet was ill deserving of custodians such as we. To the heavens, he bellowed, and I will meet you there." Callisi recited, with a smirk, "It's a legend, about why we don't live on Ts'usu."

"I find it very similar to your race with the other, nation, I suppose? Prefecture? America. The race you and them had to establish a dominant posture in space. We were told that Ts'usu was not for us, and so we made to the heavens and the moons. Your people did a fantastic job of establishing early dominance and posture. It was charitable of your people to allow America at least one victory." she offered.

"Charitable?" Kris chuckled. "No. Back in those days they had their affairs in order, more or less. The Americans I mean. We Russians did not, Russia was not a happy place to live in back then. They had a phrase for the world political situation at the time, 'cold war'. Russia and America were not friends, and the space race was a constant race of one-upmanship. America thrived while Russia fell behind and into relative poverty, at least for the latter half of the twentieth century. It was an interesting but volatile time," she mused, approaching the moon by now. "Here we are, I'm heading to set her down at space port Von Braun. Did you pack a Ts'usugi fitting space suit? We could visit the moonlanding site then, the original lander is still there, considered a historical monument."

Callisi gave a nod, "I did, just on the chance." then she was silent for a moment, "The history of your world is written in blood. A seemingly universal notion. I've only seen two people that could say they avoided such. On your end of the cosmos, the Vulcans. On my side, the Dalacari. Though I imagine along both their lines if you look back far enough you'd see the last violent act they'd ever tolerate." she mused before excusing herself to go through her packed bag to fish out a folded and air-sealed package and a thermos of sorts attached to it.

"It's just a softsuit, but it'll do."

"Will do just fine, long as your boots are good. Lunar dust is very abrasive," Kris mused, even as she landed the shuttle in the large starport of Von Braun lunar waystation. Once powered down she stood up, looking relaxed. Pleased. "Where do you want to go first? Moon landing site on the Sea of Tranquility or grab a bite at the waystation and see the shops?"

"Good boots, good gloves. They're the parts most likely to touch." she commented, "And, as a moon dweller, I'd like to start with her in her pristine beauty before buying a ... oh what would it be... a hat with little moons on springs? Or a 'I went to the Moon and all I got was this T-Shirt'?" she giggled. "Humanity is amazing, but you are in love with the concept of the souvenir." she gave a soft smile.

"The landing site, if you please."

"Oh if you think we're getting out of here without matching moon-on-a-spring hats you've got another thing coming," Kris grinned, heading over to a locker to start putting on a Federation standard softsuit for herself. "Landing site first it is."

Callisi gave a smirk, rolling her eye slightly at the joke as she finished donning the softsuit. Plenty of ear room, plenty of foot room, and enough room for her tail. The final act of the suit's instruction was to take that thermos-looking thing and hook it to a nozzle inside the suit's interior, and drain the contents. The suit went from wrinkly to smooth as the contents filled out the internal lining of the suit and when all was said and done Callisi seemed pleased. Sealing the suit's internal nozzle, then sealing the suit proper. "All set. We'll be shopping in no time, getting you something that at least looks like a proper set of ears." she teased with a smirk.

"And something to eat. Last time I was here they had a mean bacon pancake," Kris replied, sealing up her own suit, following a very similar procedure of sucking out all the air inside after it was sealed. "Alright, let's head out."

The walk to the landing site was not particularly short, but not too long either. The Federation had built Von Braun at a respectful distance from that sacred site without making it too remote. After a fifteen minute ish walk / hop in the reduced gravity they approached the scene. It was fenced off, but there it was - the original lander, many centuries old now. The old American flag, now completely white from exposure to the sun. The Lunar Rover. Even the footprints in the moondust. It was all there.

Callisi was quiet, almost reverant, when they approached the site. This was where Humanity took their first steps into a larger world so to say. This is where humanity became more. The footprints of those initial brave souls, immortalized forever. The archaic lander, the pinnacle of advancement at its time...

"Two people. One born on their world, looking to their moon in wonder. Another born on their moon looking up at their world in waiting." she started, almost in some poetic sense. "I appreciate the irony of it all. Your moon is beautiful, but like I said before, it's unfortunate that it's a dead moon." a pause, "Also unfortunate that each piece of dust is a tiny razor blade. I'd want to feel the moon beneath my actual feet, except for the lack of atmosphere and my desire to not bleed to death." she giggled softly.

"Alright, let's go get something to eat. And, yes, those silly hats."

"You know - standing here, looking at that lander, those footprints," Kris paused a moment before continuing. "Russian, American, it doesn't really matter. That day so long ago, we became one people - though it took us a long time yet to realize," she offered, glancing over at Callisi. "Yeah, let's get something to eat," as she started to head back to the waystation.

Callisi returned, following Kris, "A testimony to the power of cooperation." she cited as she fell in line behind.

"No that came later. A lot later. Russia and America remained antagonistic for a long time to come yet," Kris mused.

 

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