Limitless

Chapter II: Space Between Us

  249 million miles seems like a lot on Earth, but when that's the distance between you and the one you love the most, it seems like a lot more. Nearly every day I recalculated the distance, just to diminish any false hope that I would suddenly be transported back to Earth.

 After my attempts to tune out the blaring alarm failed, I pulled my arm from my warm cocoon of blankets and pressed the dismiss button on my alarm clock. 5:45 A.M. With an unnecessary groan, I stretched and crawled out of bed. I shivered in my new exposure to the cold air of my ship chamber. Looking over at my small round window, I realized that requesting to be quartered in room with a window may have been useless, as the window was always covered in ice anyway.

 I pulled on a tight gray Lyrca suit (It was required.) and layered a light blue crew neck sweatshirt with the OSTS-Mars logo on the breast pocket over it. After slipping on white-washed skinny jeans and black combat boots, I brushed my hair and teeth, grabbed my bag for work, and walked down the long corridor towards the office in which I will spend most of my days here on Mars. I absentmindedly wrapped my hand around the charm hanging from my neck.

 "Morning, Lena." my work partner, Chet, said.

 "Dr. Adkins, I did request to be called Dr. Sarndal yesterday, did I not?" I said in the snobbiest tone I could produce. 

"Whatever you say, baby... I mean, Dr. Sarndal." he said with a wink. I sighed.

"Listen, I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to work." I said, stopping and looking Chet in the eye.

 "How about we continue this conversation later... how about 7:30? Can you meet me outside the cafe?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"How many times have I told you? I'm not interested. I have a girlfriend, Chet." I yelled.

 "Hey, that's Dr. Adkins to you, pretty lady." he joked. I took a deep breath and turned to continue walking down the corridor. 

Later that day, at 10:30, it was time for lunch break. I packed up all my notebooks and writing utensils and made my way to the cafeteria. I tried to avoid Chet, but that's nearly impossible. He scampered to catch up to me, and he followed me all the way through the cafeteria line and he sat next to me at the tables, just like he does every day. He scooted as close to me as he possibly could, and began eating.

 "You know, you don't look gay." he said between bites of turkey sandwich. Exasperated, I slammed down my veggie wrap and stood up.

 "Alright, Dr. Adkins. And you don't look like you would be the most unintelligent person on the planet, but I clearly, I was wrong." I yelled a little too loudly. I noticed that everyone in the cafeteria had their eyes on me. "And, please tell me, what exactly does a gay woman look like? Would you prefer to see me wearing nothing but a pride flag wrapped around my waist, or on camera with four other girls doing "gay things"?"

 "I... uh... well usually gay girls have short hair and they don't dress like you...But how did you know I watch that stuff?" he stuttered.

 "Well, usually ignorant people like you aren't on a space ship with some of the most intelligent people in America." I concluded as I sat down again and took a large bite out of my lunch.

 "Maybe this girlfriend of yours didn't come with you because you act like this." Chet said under his breath. I don't think I was supposed to hear it, but I did.

 "Chet, I've most likely had more girlfriends than you. Shut up and eat your damn sandwich." I said with a bitchy smile, then I picked up my lunch tray and went as far away from him as I could get.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a sloppily folded picture of Alex and me, sitting on a carousel horse together, her arms around me, pressing her cheek against mine with an overjoyed smile on her face. Her moon and my Sun reflected the colorful lights. 

 She had the reflection of the stars in her eyes.

 Have you ever missed someone so much that just thinking about them physically pains you? That every memory, no matter how insignificant, becomes torture to think about? I just needed her back. I didn't want to choose this over her. I would rather have my moon back than see the moon in person. I want to wait to explore the universe with my universe.

 I had to get back to Earth and I refused to let anything get in my way.