To The Moon

The car stood perfectly still. Outside, the crickets chirped, but inside the cabin, the silence of the vacuum took over. Earth was a memory in the rearview mirror.

Frankie watched Red. She was staring out the windshield at the dark canopy of the oak tree. Her eyes reflected stars that weren’t there.

-Where to first, Red? Frankie asked.

She grinned and pointed a slender finger at the dashboard, tracing a map in the dust.

-How about we start with a visit to the Moon, Captain? she said. I'm rather keen to see how the ol' satellite fares under the glow of our craft's lights.

-Natural first stop, Frankie agreed. Let's see if we can find the American flag still planted there.

He leaned forward, squinting through the dirty glass. Red gasped softly. She pointed toward a patch of moonlight hitting the hood.

-There it is, Frankie! she cried out. Right smack dab in the middle of Tranquility Base. Looks like Old Glory is still standing tall after all these centuries.

Frankie nodded slowly.

-Reminds me of the Ozymandias poem, he said.

Red arched a fiery eyebrow.

-I met a traveller from an antique land, she quoted softly. -Two vast and trunkless legs of stone...

-Yeah, Frankie murmured. -Nothing was left of Ozymandias but the one inscription.

Red shivered. She rubbed her arms as if the cabin temperature had dropped.

-To think, one day humanity might meet such a fate too, she whispered. Our cities reduced to ruins, forgotten relics of a distant age.

Frankie nudged her shoulder with his.

-One flag on a distant rock, he said.

Red shook her head, a smile returning. She looked back out the window.

-Will there be an alien colony on the far side of the moon? Well, there's only one way to find out, she added with an impish grin.

Frankie gripped the gearshift.

-I move the throttle to take us around the moon to the dark side, he announced, his voice low.

He shifted his weight, banking the car on its springs. They rounded the imaginary curve.

-I can't believe my eyes, Frankie said.

Red’s jaw dropped. She pressed her hands against the glass.

-It's... it's simply astonishing, Frankie, she stammered. An entire city, nay, an entire metropolis!

She leaned closer to the glass, her breath fogging it up.

-Hidden away from prying terrestrial eyes, she marveled. Should we land or save it for the next itinerary?

-Absolutely we must investigate further. Frankie scanned the overgrown lawn. He spotted a patch of bare earth near the fence.

-Bringing it in for a landing, he narrated. Killing the engines.

Red bounced in her seat. She unbuckled an invisible harness.

-Oh, Frankie, aren't you thrilled?! She beamed. This could very well be the greatest adventure of our lives!

-I'm having a blast with you, Frankie said sincerely.

-I must admit, the feeling is entirely mutual, she winked.

She opened the rusty car door.

-Come along then,she beckoned. Let's see what secrets await within those towering spires!

Frankie stepped out into the night air. He grabbed her hand. It was soft, but her grip was tight.

-Just imagine the wonders we might behold together, Frankie!, she said, looking back at him over her shoulder. I have a good feeling about this...

Frankie smiled. He pulled her closer.

-We have to watch out for danger, he warned, scanning the shadows of the hedges. It could be lurking anywhere.