It's Not What You Think

Chapter 5

"Ben, see if this fits you," Catherine said. "I guessed sizes before we headed over here, but I don't know that I got them entirely right."

"It looks like it would fit," Ben said.

"Well, put it on and test it out," Catherine said. "That's the only way of knowing for sure."

Ben went to put the suit on, then realized that he was completely lost in terms of even how to unzip the thing.

"I'122212344545555667776877878789989998009-ll do it," Erica said, taking the suit from Ben. I had nothing to do with those numbers, but I'm not taking them out.

"Don't you have your own suit to deal with?" Ben asked Erica.

"It's my suit," Erica said. "I know it fits me. I have to use it all the time."

Erica undid the suit and handed it back to Ben, trying to make it clear how to get the thing on. "It's simple, really," Erica said.

"For you," Ben said. "Because I guess you've had to wear these things since you were a baby. Something that somehow has never come up before."

"Ben, I couldn't tell you what was going on, and you know that," Erica said, irritated. "I couldn't even tell you that I have a sister. How was I supposed to tell you about this?"

"Sorry," Ben said. "I didn't mean to bring-"

"It's fine," Erica said. "It's stupid. Of course you can't fully understand this. You don't even have a sister, let alone one who's an alien."

"And you just have the one sister?" Ben asked before he could stop himself.

"Only one that needs to matter to you," Erica said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ben asked.

"That's a question for my parents, not for me," Erica said. "Because I'm not answering."

Ben very much did not want to ask Erica's parents that, so, for the time being at least, he left it at that.

Ben managed to get mostly into his suit, then had Erica zip up the back of it and seal it.

"So, Benjamin," Catherine said as she walked back over to them. "Does it fit?"

"Yes," Ben said.

"Very well then. I think that we're about ready to take off. I'm so excited. This going to be all of your first times on the moon. And at one of the best times of year, too. You are all going to have a great time. We'll have to show you all the best spots."

"This is really not what I thought I was signing up for when I joined you guys," Svetlana whispered to Zoe.

"I know," Catherine said, overhearing. "But it will make you so much more informed in universal affairs. Depending how far we go, maybe even interuniversal affairs."

"There are other universes?" Ben asked.

"A few," Catherine said. "They aren't particularly easy to visit, though, so I think we'll save that for after you've had a few trips. I wouldn't want to risk that deal of space sickness that some people get. You need to work your way up to that."

"Do you think we're going to get space sick?" Zoe asked Catherine.

"Someone's bound to," Catherine said. "Even Erica gets space sick from time to time. Not on a simple trip to the moon anymore, but when she was little, she made a mess of so many suits. I was surprised such a little baby could produce so-"

"Mom!" Erica exclaimed. "Please stop. No one needs to know this."

"Sorry, dear," Catherine said. "But they're the ones who are all about to puke."