The Lunar Soil
Never before had a woman looked down from the lunar soil to the Earth and felt such pity and melancholy. Ali had been told of times when men and woman had stood joyously where she now sat bathing in nostalgia. They had been able to view mother Earth at her most beautiful. Deep greens and vibrant ceruleans had been washed across her landscape, and her essence spoke of liveliness and vigor. Yet now she lay dying, a sepia wasteland of dirt and decay. Grey splotches occasionally broke the monotonous brown of her skin, and murky, juniper waters pumped through her veins. Mother Earth had experienced a hideous rebirth, and thus had been christened a new name, the Barren.
“Barren she is,” whispered the young woman. “Yet barren she is not.” She thought of her brother. Blade of grass in her mouth, she began to quietly reflect. The lunar grass always tasted too clean, too artificial. She recalled the times of her youth where she and her brother would chew upon the treats of the earthen pastures. They housed a savory taste, telling of a natural growth. She wondered if grass had yet begun to grow again upon The Barren, and if so, was her brother still there to see it.
Sometimes she looked closely at the scorched soils of her childhood home and wondered if any of the small dots she saw could be Kyle. At other times, she simply assumed that he must be as dead as the still seas of basil that once licked the shores of their homeland.
Her family had been one of the elite. She remembered being herded upon the Titan, Kyle letting go of her hand at the security gate. She had legally become an adult a few days prior, yet she felt more like a child than ever while boarding the ominous spaceship. She had called Kyle brave for staying to help contain the outbreak. He had told her that it was only temporary. He had told her that she was the brave one for leaving the only home humanity had ever known. Yet now she could not help but have her doubts. The wealthy had thrived upon the lunar soil, ruling as Gods from above. They had the cleanest waters that science could create, and the sweetest meat that genetics could engineer. Meanwhile, information on the status of the Barren came through less and less in passing months. The latest official news had come over a month ago. Spoken in hushed mumbles, her father had explained the terrifying truth to the rest of the Council. The borders on the Barren had been breached. Special Forces were to be sent in to fix the barriers and remove all threats.
The blaring of an assembly alarm startled the young woman out of her musings. With the intensity of a stampede, all of the citizens swiftly made their way to the nearest broadcast point. It was an interesting sight. Hordes of women in luxury fabrics were running as if they were in tracksuits. Well-dressed men in designer shoes galloped on the cobblestone streets, scuffing their loafers drastically. Ali walked slowly, knowing that this could be the moment where she would find out that her brother was dead. If the breach had been near Florida, Kyle’s squad could have easily been affected by now. Her blood ran cold as her father appeared on the screen. His face wore years of stress in its wrinkles; his greying hair whispered hints of his age. The handsome, friendly man that raised her was nowhere to be found. His lips were pressed into a thin line, He had grown cold in his rise to power, and it showed in his emotionless, grey eyes. Ali feared the worst.
“Good evening everyone. As you all know, I am senator Krieger, head of the Council. Normally I have one of the other senators make announcements, but it is my duty as your leader to inform you of decisions that I personally have been the deciding factor on. As many of you have heard, there was a breach about a month ago. The breach has been patched. However, it has been determined that many similar breaches are likely in the future. The truth is, we no longer have the resources necessary to keep the settlements on the Barren safe from breaches. Since there is simply nothing more we can do, we have decided that the best course of action is to detach ourselves from the Barren and cease all communications.”
The crowds rumbled. Ali could sense a feeling of disgust amongst the citizens, yet disgust was not enough to create rebellion. Empathy for those on the Barren had died out years ago. She sometimes wondered if anybody even remembered the loved ones they had left behind. Had the luxuries of lunar life taken away more than their humility?
“Communications will officially cease one month from today on November 17. Thank you for your time and cooperation.”
Before her brain had time to comprehend what was just said, her feet were already leading her to the courthouse. The senators were already lounging in the stone atrium, their consciences wrongfully clear. Dark liquor was flowing freely, and Ali’s father was chuckling alongside a barrage of other older men and women. They all wore a similar scent, cigar smoke and expensive whiskey. Their laughter never reached their eyes.
“Excuse me,” said Ali quietly. The festivities ceased as all eyes locked themselves to the young woman. Smoke billowed out of several men's noses. “I would like to speak to my dad.”
With a flick of the elder Krieger’s hand, the false merrymaking resumed. He walked swiftly to the courthouse doors, beckoning Ali to follow.
“Father-“ she began.
“My decision is final, Alexandra.”
“I’m not trying to change your mind…”
“Proceed then.”
“I have a request.”
“Ask.”
“I would like to return to The Barren before next month and retrieve Kyle.”
Her father’s face did not give away any emotion. He sipped from his glass slowly, contemplating his answer.
“The Barren is a dangerous place.”
“I know, father. I was there during the Outbreak. It was only a decade ago. I was an adult already. Have you already forgotten that terrifying day?”
He sipped from his glass once more.
“Very well,” he said. “You shall leave tomorrow from the courthouse. I will assign a member of the Lunar Corps to escort you on the Barren. You have three weeks to find your brother and return to base. A ship will return to the main port and stay there for twenty-four hours. If you do not arrive within that time, the ship will leave without you.”
With a final sip, her father set his glass down on a nearby table. His footsteps echoed down the courthouse steps as he strutted back to the atrium. Ali stared, in both awe and disgust.