Promise

“Got a text from the girls… guess they’re going to bed right now.”

Hugo sighed in the presence of his beloved. And here he was just about to start his shift.

“Text them for me, will you…? You’ve got such a way with words…”

“And what should I text them, hon?” Suzy buzzed.

“Say we’ll get to talk to them tomorrow, on Christmas.”

“How… will you do that?”

“I’ll try and get time off. Wish me luck.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but though she hated to admit it, part of Suzy didn’t really believe he could…

“Good luck…”

Hugo smiled.

“Did you know that Christmas used to be a paid holiday? Gosh, to live in another time… Oh, well.”

Hugo rode the tram to work. The other employees wouldn’t stop chattering. Apparently, the “Genesis” as they were calling it had just been revealed. It got a chuckle out of him. Even he could’ve thought of a better name for this stupid thing he’d slowly been helping put together on a microscopic level.

Joey showed up a few minutes late that day.

“Are you alright, son? They’ll kick you out, you know.” He said to the boy.

“Heh. What, you’re lecturing me now? Thanks for the tip, old man. But I dunno what it is, I just haven’t been worrying so much lately.”

“Because of the announcement? It is nice to know all our work meant something…”

“It didn’t, don’t fool yourself. No, honestly I’m disgusted as hell that I gotta work on this. It’s like being part of history, but in the worst way possible. We won’t be remembered. And why should we be? I just wish they’d pay us more.”

“I’m getting off work tomorrow.”

“Yeah? Good luck with that, buddy. Supervisor’s been stricter than ever this whole week.”

“No, I promise- whatever happens, you won’t see me at work tomorrow. I promise.”

“Whatever you say.”

After another excruciating day of labor, Hugo’s body itched on the inside, just under his spacesuit as he walked into his supervisor’s office.

When he walked out, it was with a frown and a reprimanding.

“Guess I’m just a sorry liar…”