Home Base

The road stretched out as he hit the gas.

The streetlights blurred into streaks of white. Warp speed.

Frankie tapped the steering wheel. The controls were responsive. The engine roared, a faithful vessel carrying him home.

-Mission successful, he whispered.

Back on the station, Red lay back. The sheets were still warm.

She listened to the roar of the thrusters fading into the distance.

Frankie pulled into his driveway. Docking complete.

He killed the engine and the sounds of the real world seeped in. The hum of the distant highway. The barking of a dog.

He stepped out of the car. He walked up the path and unlocked his front door.

Inside, the apartment was quiet and empty. He walked to the desk in the corner. He tapped the spacebar. The monitor came on.

Inside the station, Red heard the familiar chirp from the computer on her desk. She rolled over, wrapping the sheet around her, and sat up.

-Landed safely? she typed.

Frankie watched the cursor blink. The green flower was waiting.

-Touchdown confirmed, he replied. Systems cooling.

-Copy that, Captain, she wrote. Station is secure.

Red smiled and stretched.

Frankie looked at the screen. The flower was still there. Online.

-Same time next cycle? she asked.

He leaned back to stretch.

-Keep the frequency open, he typed.

He reached out and turned off the monitor. The room went dark again. He looked out the window at the night sky. The stars were hidden behind the city smog, but he knew they were there.