Ablation ✔️

2 - The Fool's Errand

"Sounds like a fool's errand to me."

Milton threw a log on the fire. The flames licked around the curves of the latest addition, embracing and consuming it, as the smoke filled the fireplace and climbed up and out through the flue, the whole setup yet one more of the many anachronisms that followed in Milton's wake.

Talia turned away from her personal screen setting her eyes on Milton. "The mission of our time. You understand that right?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "The planet is in the habitable zone, an actual Goldilocks planet. Terrestrial. Potential oceans. This could be it – an Earth analog and its only one system away."

"So only 5 light years? Sign me up."

"4.37."

"I was in the ballpark. That counts for something, right?"

"It would, if you weren't so condescending about it. This is huge. How can you not see that?"

"And the Global Coalition is only what, two years out from completing an interstellar colony ship? Good thing we found a prime target within her only remotely realistic range. Otherwise we might have wasted nearly a trillion dollars of the economy on that boondoggle."

Talia gritted her teeth, unwilling to have her excitement dampened by the cynicism of her husband. "Barnard's Star is within range."

"Okay. Rephrase. Good thing, we found a prime target around the closest possible star."

"Technically, Proxima Centauri would be closer."

Milton stopped stoking the fire and set his face in his hands caught in an irrepressible silent laugh. "You just have to be right."

"I don't have to be," Talia said, smiling once more. "I just am."

"Of course you are." Milton rose, crossed the gap between the fire and his wife, then leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You're always right."

She shoved him away. "Don't patronize me."

"Not my intention at all." He took a seat beside her, stretching his hands towards the fire for warmth. "I didn't mean to spoil the news. If the consensus is a habitable planet within our reach, that's huge. That's the New World huge."

Talia narrowed her eyes. "Why are you giving in so easily?"

"I'm not. It's a big day. Lots of good news. Distant planets. A great checkup. Everybody's healthy. I just want to keep us on a positive note."

Talia eased up, cozying beside Milton. She set her head against his shoulder. "Fair enough."

"So, what do you say? Do we want to know the gender?"

"Of course, I do. Come on, Milton. You know I hate surprises. You?"

Milton pondered for a moment, Talia watching as he did. Always so lost in the past, he often overlooked modern convenience. As such Talia took his response as somewhat of a surprise.

"Yes," he decided. "I think I would like to know."

"Good," she said, settling back against his shoulder. "It's a boy."

Milton jerked back in surprise sending Talia tumbling from his shoulder. At the last minute, he reached out to catch her and they both spilled across the floor in front of the roaring fire.

"Surprise," she said.

***