Work Text:
TO: m.teller@tellernet
FROM:jd@eerienet
SUBJECT: Do you remember our last night on Earth?
Marshall-
Do you remember our last night on Earth?
I thought my father was going to burst a blood vessel when you asked him if I could stay out late with you and our friends. I know he’s a bit overprotective sometimes, but he means well. I guess we just didn’t care about that, to us, he was just in the way of our night out. I still don’t know how you convinced him and despite what Dash tells me, I’m not convinced there was no voodoo weirdness involved.
Mel drove us all in her truck. The one that her father was making her leave behind. I think it’s illegal for people to ride in the flat bed but we didn’t care, me and Dash. You and Simon sat inside the cab with her. We felt the wind in our hair and had a small argument about if man heels would ever come back into fashion. He won, so I grabbed a handful of leaves off a low hanging branch and put them in his hair. He then did the same to me and we laughed. There’s not much laughing going on these days though. It’s difficult to keep up morale every day that we don’t find something. We’re all wondering if we should just go home, but no one wants to be the one to suggest it.
Do you remember going to the Black Pool restaurant? Mel and I didn’t really want to, but you convinced us it would be fun. And it was. It was their last night open and they gave us far more food then we paid for. I remember the slightly salty taste of the fried rice, and the looks that you all gave Mel when she started putting Jalapenos on her plate. I don’t know if it’s just because we’ve been in space for so long now and I’m sick to death of ration bars but I’m pretty sure the Mongolian Lamb we had that night was the best I’d ever eaten.
We got fortune cookies, of course. We were all pensive to open them, except Mel. Hers was double printed and unreadable, like always. She told me recently that destiny is a worthless concept and people would do much better to make their own path. Well, she said it a little differently but the gist is the same. Dash’s was blank, naturally. Simons informed him that he should be wary of wolves (sage advice), yours said something about protecting those around you.
Truth told, at the time I thought that the cookie was a few weeks out of date. We already knew you were a protector. By then, you’d already made up your mind. You’d given your place on the private ship to Dash, and you’d be going with Simon and Harley on the government ship. At the time, I thought you were brave. I didn’t know if I’d be able to go a whole year without seeing my family for a second time. But I suppose to you, Simon was family. So it didn’t matter. Anyway, then Dash would be able to get off the planet for certain. I don’t know what else I could ever have expected from you.
When we finally finished dinner, you had Mel take Simon home. I think he wanted to hang out with us, but you wanted him to get more sleep before tomorrow. You really grew into being a big brother, you know that? I can’ts see thirteen year old Mars doing something like that. Leaving his family for a year just because Simon was scared. But sixteen year old Marshall? That I saw coming.
I also think it took guts to talk to your parents about Dash. Not because I was worried they’d kick you out (your parents are more observant than you give them credit for) but rather, I was worried that Dash might kick your teeth in for calling him your boyfriend. He told me in confidence since we’ve left that he actually liked it. He says it made him feel ‘permanent’.
Remember when we drove past Syndi and her friends? They were having a bonfire, and she was a little drunk? She called out to us when we drove by and we all called back. You really lucked out with big sisters, Mars. I know I said this before but she’s the only reason that we were all able to get this mission off the ground. I guess she was tired of watching her parents be torn to shreds. I think we all were and perhaps more selfishly, we all missed you.
We made it to the outskirts of town, where reality was a little hazy and we just sat together in the back of Mel’s truck looking at those particular stars for the last time. For the last time, we pointed out constellations. For just that moment, just the four of us (and Devon) suddenly, the universe didn’t seem big and vast. It seemed like it was right there in front of us.
I wonder, if we’d known it would be the last night we had with you, would we have done something else? It’s a stupid question, I think I heard that line in a movie. If we’d known, we’d have done something about it. But that’s not what it’s asking. It’s asking if we would have said something else. Maybe I would have made sure that you knew I loved you. Love you still. You were and are one of my closest friends. I used to think, after you rescued me, that I’d never go another day without telling everyone I love them. I didn’t tell you that night for some reason. Maybe I was concerned about stepping on Dash’s toes.
Remember swimming in the lake in your underwear? It was hardly a lake by then though. It’s probably all gone by now. But it was still the size of a small swimming pool them. I forgot to take my fortune out of my bra before we got into the water and the ink ran a bit. Dash refused to take part until you splashed him. Mel started synchronised swimming with Devon.
She’s so beautiful.
You know, I said before that I didn’t know I could stand to be away from my family for another year. I just happened to see the date as I was switching to another tab. We’ve been in space for nine months now. Me, Dash, Mel and Syndi. Which means you’ve been in space for a two years. At least I’m hooked up to eerienet and I can video my family. You’re still hooked up to tellernet. I’d be shocked if you could get any signal that deep.
They were angry with me for leaving. Or maybe it was because we stole this ship from the Chisels. I can’t say for sure but it might be a mix of both. I think about them all the time, at least this time I can message them. My sister reports regularly that New Eerie on New Earth is just odd as Old Eerie on Old Earth. So when you get back, you can get right back into your investigating.
If we’ve been out here for nine months than Marsha (your baby sister I was telling you about) must be almost seven months. You’ll love her when you meet her. She looks just like you, and your parents tell her about you all the time. She’s still young enough to not remember this lack of you. The rest of us could only be so lucky.
Dash must think I’m out of my mind, you know? He keeps asking me why I keep that faded, crumpled, stained fortune under my pillow.
‘You will find what you are looking for’
Hope you get this.
J.D