Far from home

Chapter I

I opened a dark brown wooden door in Italy and stepped in my - or my dad's - house.
"Hi! I'm home!" I yelled and dropped my bag at the floor. I hung the yellow jacket I was wearing in the coat rack and started walking towards the kitchen.

My little brother Dante was there. He was five years younger than me, 21 years old.
"Hi Fia", he greeted while cutting cucumber for his sandwich.
"Hi. Can you make a sandwich for me too?" I asked smiling sweetly. It had been a tough day at work along with the offer I had got.

I was a 0-G mechanic, but my education had included pretty much everything connected to space. I had worked three years for Nasa and been on four short space trips. Three months ago, I had decided to come be with my family in Italy for a few months. Now I was working at a small garage here in Milano.

"Sure, but you'll make it back some time", Dante answered and winked. I shook my head and laughed a little.

"Where's dad?" I asked sitting at the dark wooden table. The red tablecloth still had a darker spot where I had puked after eating too much candy over 15 years ago.

"Still at work, should be coming soon, I suppose", Dante said. He sat on the opposite side of the table and handed me my sandwich.
"Thanks", I said and took a bite.
"You will make this up", Dante said and smirked. Then he took a bite from his own sandwich. 

Just then, we heard noise from the door, and right after it opened.
"Hi! I'm home!" dad yelled from the lobby. Okay, here we go, I thought.

"Hi! I have something I need to tell you", I said waiting for dad to join us. He appeared to the kitchen door and came sitting next to Dante.

"Okay sweetheart, what is it?" he asked smiling. I took a deep breath and started.
"As you know, Nasa is sending a ship in space with some other countries to find us a better place to live", I began to tell them.
"Yeah, it was in the news a few days ago", Dante said. Dad just nodded. They hadn't realized what this was about.

"Today I got a call from Nasa. They want me on that mission", I said and watched their faces, waiting for their reactions.
"WHAT? YOU?" they both asked about the same time. I just nodded to show them that I wasn't joking.

"But- but why you?" Dante asked with a confused face and voice. I wasn't sure about that either. Of course they had explained it to me, but still... I was 26 and they had way more experienced mechanics than me.

"Well, they told me that they wanted young crew and that I was their best young mechanic, at least when half of them are in hospital or dead because of this virus", I told my family what Nasa had told me.

"Is this decided?" asked dad quietly. I sighed. That was a tricky question, I didn't know that myself.
"Not yet. I mean, I know the risks, that there is the possibility that I will die. But this virus is killing people all the time, it's a miracle that I haven't lost anybody specially important for it yet. And... with this, I could do something about it", I explained. I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince them, or myself.

The virus I was talking about, was a consequence from the climate change. From the actions of the humankind. We had finally screwed this whole planet up. Scientists said that it hadn't be able to live in the pure atmosphere, but the growing amount of greenhouse gases, had enabled its appearance.

This virus (CCV as an abbreviation for climate change virus) caused internal bleeding and made people cough up blood. It was usually killing. The people who had survived it, could be counted with fingers of one hand.

"I understand but... are you sure about this? I mean, like you said, there is the possibility that you really won't make it alive", Dante asked distressed. It was probably the most sensible thing I'd ever heard from his mouth.

"I know and I haven't decided yet. But there is also the possibility that we'll find a perfect planet without this virus and save the humankind", I responded. In deep down, I knew they understood, they just were afraid and worried for me. But this was my decision to make, not theirs.

"Well, if you did decide to go, when is the launch?" dad asked. At least he was trying to support me. No one from my family had really ever understood my interest for space, but they had still at least tried to be supportive.

"They want me there in two weeks", I answered his question.
"No matter how hard you say that you haven't decided, you really sound like you're going", Dante noted in a quiet voice.
I had two brothers and Dante had always been closer to me. Leone was two years older than me, and he had moved out years ago, so I new I was closer to Dante than him too.

"Look Dante, I don't wanna leave you - or dad - but... I have a chance to do something here, to help people, to save them, and... that is a fucking wonderful thing. And I don't wanna give it away", I explained. I felt bad for Dante. Me and dad were pretty much all he had. He had never known his mother and he didn't have a girlfriend. Of course he had a few friends, but not any special ones. And now he might lose me. So, he had totally every right to be upset.

"Yeah, I know that. I just- I need to think", he said and started walking towards upstairs and his room.
"Okay", I just said and watched him go. Then I turned back to dad. He looked sad like Dante, but he also looked like he understood.

"If there was anything I could do to protect you, Dante and Leone from this virus, I would do it. So, I get it. Besides, up there you can't get it", he said and smiled a little. I smiled at him back. This went- well, not well but... better than I thought.
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Leone came by with his pregnant wife later that week. His reaction was... different. He was- mad. Carita (his wife) said it was his way to cope when he was sad, but it still wasn't nice, although I kinda understood.

"How can you? How DARE you leave us, leave Dante alone down here?" he shouted basically right at my face in the living room.
"Believe it or not, I don't want to leave him or you! But this is the only thing I can do to help anyone", I responded, trying to stay calm.

Dante and Leone were total opposites. Dante was this fun and chill and vulnerable sweet guy and Leone was serious and no one could never know how he would react to so. Don't get it wrong, I loved him too and he could be a wonderful person and brother, but... he could also be hard. Very hard.

"The best thing I think you could do to help, is to be here when one of us gets CCV", Leone said with madness in his voice. At least he had stopped yelling by now. I was getting tired to argue with him, so I didn't anymore.

"You clearly don't understand me, but your opinion won't change my mind. I'm sorry", I just said and walked to the kitchen. Carita followed me and gave me her support.
"Thanks. Also, I wish I could be here when my niece will be born", I responded to her. She smiled and we hugged.
That didn't go better than I had thought, but I was pretty sure Leone would come around.
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Hi! I just wanted to let you know that every time Fia is speaks to her family or other Italians, she's speaking Italy, even though I write them in English! 🇮🇹💕