Space & Time

Chapter 14- Just Keep Moving

After a restless night researching new information and not getting much sleep, I awoke to

the smell of brewing coffee coming from Katerina's small kitchen. I sat up and looked around

now out of habit to make sure we were all together. Tannin was snoring beside me; he must

have come and found me in the middle of the night from Dmitri's room. The internet search

Kate had set us up with gave us all so much information. I think we slept maybe two hours. I

check to make sure the grey backpack with the Petorium is at my feet and then stand and stretch.

Slowly all of us gather at the little table in the kitchen to discuss our next move.

"Kate thanks so much for all you have done for us, we are lucky to have crossed paths

with you," I said as I looked at her and Dmitri. I tried a mug of coffee and though bitter, it was

nice and warm in my belly. Kate expressed her gratitude to us as well. She assured us she

wouldn't speak to anyone about meeting us. We continued to pack our things as Josef noted the

directions she gave us to Gregor Popov‟s place. After a few more hugs and double cheek kisses,

we were on our way, looking more like out of place tourist, than time warped space travelers.

This was a big town, the city of Odessa. We were halfway to Popov's when it was time

for lunch. Looking around we all settled on a place to get some food, our first pizza back on

Earth. Over lunch, we had some whispered conversation about the information we learned

yesterday on Katerina's iMac.

"The option of going home sounds like it is off the table" Alexei stated what most of us

were thinking. He continued, "We know the new president of Russia is working to rebuild

things, fixing the food shortages and infighting. Not to mention working on relations with the

countries his predecessor had attacked. There is nothing left for us in Russia now."

Josef chimed in, "and don't forget space exploration since we left has been nothing more

than a bunch of low earth orbit shuttle trips and space station experiments which kept tumbling

back to Earth. No one even knows our mission or our families existed. What good did we even

do, other than finding these damn crystals?" He kicked my bag.

"Hush" I look at him sternly. "You need to keep it down and be a little more positive

please, we are all barely hanging on here and you are not helping." I was talking with a

mouthful of a delicious slice of cheese and onion pizza.

Fredrik took a turn "With no governments funding any space research and the NASA

program being shut down fifteen years ago, it is no wonder we landed with no curious observers.

Other than commercial satellites for communication and GPS I don‟t think the people here care

about the possibilities of space at all."

Then Alexei continued, "The tragedy eight years ago with the first civilian owned space

tour didn't help the cause of space exploration either. It is heartbreaking those twenty-six people