To the Moon and Back

3. A tour of the Moon Station

When the rover was close enough, Xie Lian waved, and the new guy drove past, slowing down and parking beside the station's other vehicle, a SUV. Xie Lian hopped back to the lever and closed the gate, and after a moment a long beep and the orange lights on indicated the oxygen levels were good in the airlock.

He walked over and opened his helmet, smiling brightly, "Welcome welcome!"

Hua Cheng got up, too suddenly though: he lost balance and fell on his side, tumbling down on the floor. Xie Lian hopped closer and grabbed his arm to help him up.

"You'll get the hang of it", he said still smiling. The guy opened his helmet, and he was laughing.

"In the meantime", he replied, "I have to embarrass myself like that a lot?"

He had a handsome face: pale, with high cheekbones, dark almond eyes and long black eyebrows. His smile was playful, his lips red, and his hair was very black, cut short in a military style.

Snapping out of it, Xie Lian said, also laughing, "If you mean falling, stumbling against walls or being clumsy in general, I'm afraid so".

Hua Cheng then replied, "You have to help me up like an older brother then", and he added, "You're going to be my Gege".

"Looks like it. C'mon let's get rid of these suits first, then I'll show you around".

Hua Cheng followed him to the store room with careful little steps, trying not to fall again, grabbing on doorways or walls. Underneath his suit he was wearing The Agency's standard red jumpsuit, and Xie Lian noticed he was slightly taller and seemed fairly muscular.

Not wanting to look too much, he made some conversation, "Well done on the manual landing!"

"Thanks", he replied with a strained smile, "I'm sorry I didn't reply you on the radio, I was nervous".

Xie Lian nodded and smiled to himself, imagining Feng Xin's face hearing that.

"Ahem", Xie Lian started his estate agent act, "Welcome to the Moon Station, I'm your station manager, Xie Lian. This is ground level, and there are other four levels below. That lift over there is used mainly for cargo". Then he suddenly asked, "By the way did they send coffee? Because if they didn't I'll go on strike".

Hua Cheng laughed, "They did, they said you were running out, and desperate".

Xie Lian sighed in relief. "Alright. I'll sort out the cargo later, let's use the stairs for now".

They took the stairs at the back of the room – Xie Lian walking normally, Hua Cheng still in baby steps – down to a lower level, and Xie Lian quickly explained, "This is Control Level. In one room we have the powerplant controls, and on the other the station's: airlocks, recycling of water and oxygen, temperature. We're big on recycling everything here".

Hua Cheng just nodded, looking around – all training bases had model control rooms, so at least this wouldn't be anything new for him, and he should be able to operate everything on a basic level.

Then they went down to -2, and Xie Lian went on, "This is the lab, where I guess you'll be spending most of your time. And the gym, because guess what's the main experiment here?" he smiled and pointed at himself and at Hua Cheng. "Us. You better not slack off your workouts".

Hua Cheng laughed as if thinking, 'Damn how did you know?', and said, "Alright".

"Now, -3", Xie Lian said, reaching a wide hall, with two huge doorways: the one at the left took them to a room with green walls and plants everywhere, with comfortable sofas and armchairs and posters with colourful geometric patterns.

"This is our lounge. These lights simulate sunrays, and these plants are genetically modified to produce more oxygen. That's the reason this room is at the station's very core, it's our oxygen powerplant". He gestured around, "This is a nice place to relax with a coffee and a book. Ah, the kitchen is via that other doorway".

The kitchen had all its surfaces of gleaming metal, with industrial sizes larder and freezer. "Of course the station is run by solar energy, otherwise it'd be impossible to keep a huge freezer like that only for the crew. But our food isn't 100% Earth-brought, we have a greenhouse too!"

He gestured for Hua Cheng to follow him, and via a door at the back they reached a mini-hydroponics farm, with a wide variety of vegetables, and even a few small trees.

"There's apple, plum, pear and tangerines", Xie Lian pointed, "They're working on bananas, but don't ask me details: everything here has sensors for the right amount of light, water and compost, all automatised. I just come here and pick what I want to eat", he said with a wink.

They went down to the last level, which was a bathroom with shower and the quarters. All levels had bathrooms of course, but the shower one was special, as Xie Lian smilingly demonstrated.

"We can't afford to waste water at all, so this shower box is all closed, and vertically along its corners there are tiny waterjets, designed to get you all wet in like, 10 seconds after pressing the button. Then even waste water is recycled via a specially designed membrane bioreactor".

"Hum", Hua Cheng commented, pointing at the waterjets, "They're air jets too right?"

Xie Lian smiled, "Yeah. Even the water from off your body must be reclaimed, and the bioreactor does the rest. Right, I have to replace the membranes soon".

Hua Cheng nodded, and Xie Lian realised he should be super tired – he felt bad with all his nonstop talking. They walked out to a long corridor with five doors, numbered.

"Finally, the quarters", Xie Lian said, "They're quite comfy, with colour lights, temperature control and weighted blankets. Mine's the number 1, you can choose any other. I'm sure you will sleep like a baby tonight anyway", he added, pffting a laugh.

Hua Cheng smiled in agreement, "Alright I'll have number 3 then".

"The third youth, San Lang", Xie Lian said, and jokingly added with his usual bright smile, "Well, we have reached the end of our tour. The Moon Station management wishes you a pleasant stay".

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng meet and... do I see someone falling? 😍

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