Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Seven: Homecoming #2

"I fought in the Iraq war," Karl Leipiweitz II commented, taking a long pull on his beer. "The good one."

Kleppie perched on the edge of the couch, watching his father closely. By "the good one" his father meant Desert Storm, the invasion of Iraq back in the nineties that hadn't ended in a quagmire. He brought up his combat service anytime he felt someone wasn't respecting him. Kleppie wasn't sure what he'd done now.

"You've had some exciting trips, it sounds like," Mom deflected as she came in with glasses. "Very exciting, don't you think, honey?"

Dad merely snorted.

"And this looks interesting." She inspected the tea bottle he'd brought with him. It was the best she could do, but at least she was trying. "Are you sure you don't want to try it, honey?" she asked her husband.

He snorted and shook his head.

Kleppie sighed. What had prompted him to bring it anyway? Did he really expect they would fawn over a bottle of tea? Or him, for that matter? Treat him like the returning hero?

That was exactly what he had thought. After all he'd done, he deserved at least little bit of a hero's welcome, didn't he?

No. What he couldn't figure out, now that he thought about it, was why he expected his family, of all people, to fawn over him. It wasn't like Dad to do something like that.

"Saw combat, too, let me tell you," Dad continued, taking another pull on the beer and ignoring the tea Mom was pouring. She handed a glass to Kleppie and then poured one for herself.

"I did shoot down a nuclear missile," Kleppie muttered into his cup.

Dad shot him an indignant look. "Front line."

"Gunner's seat."

Their eyes met for a second, and, for once, Kleppie did not look away.

"Tell me about your latest trip," Mom prompted, deflecting the conflict again. "Sounds very exciting. This is good, by the way. Sweet but not too sweet. A touch of . . ."

"Lavender," Kleppie said. Dad shot him another look, as though a man even using the word was suspicious. "I figured you'd like it. Anyway, yeah, I was on Angorak and Shin."

"Angorak?" Dad asked.

"Mars . . . Mars Station, actually. They haven't opened the surface to civilians yet. Soon, though."

"Wow, Mars," Mom said. "Just think of it, honey; our boy on Mars."

Kleppie and Mom talked about his trip. Dad watched TV and drank.

"And how much longer before you are out of the Navy?" Mom asked after some time.

"A couple more weeks. I'm still on leave, technically, until then. Got to go back and do one last check in and get my papers."

"Not going to re-up?" Dad asked.

Kleppie sighed. Dad knew the answer. "Figured it's time," Kleppie said. "I've done six years. Besides, I have a new dream."

"Be one of them," Dad muttered.

"Work in space, see the universe," Kleppie finished. That was another sore point. He was the first American on the list for space certification. True, there would be plenty of other Americans in the camp that summer. But he was at the top of the list, the first American to qualify for space certification. That was a big first. Captain Lannister and Fox both had said so. But Dad had different opinions, as did many conservatives.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Mom asked. "Traveling in space and all."

"Traveling, sure. Working . . ." He shook his head. "That's why you need training, Mom."

She nodded. "And where is the training again?"

They'd been over this several times already. "Antartica. This summer."

"Summer?"

"It will be winter there," he added.

Mom crossed her arms and mock-shivered. "It will be so cold."

"Very. Very hostile in places. Which is why they're using it for the camp. Hostile enough to force you to take the drills seriously, without actually killing you." Actually a misstep on some drills could nearly kill you, but they'd have healers on call for those drills.

The conversation eventually dwindled to nothing. Mom had a roast in the oven and began setting the table for dinner. Kleppie excused himself to the next room and pulled his slate out, to which he'd added a hyper-relay band. He sent a quick message to Kavi, who was on a mission at Vaisada, the newest deep-space station.

Mom called him out to dinner. The kitchen was a small, square room with white porcelain tile on the floor, and a flecked white table in one corner. Mom was hoisting a large pan from the oven to the table. Dad was already sitting at the head of the table, a new beer by his plate.

Kleppie sat the slate on an empty chair and said. "I've got a special treat for you guys."

"Another one?" Mom asked.

He hit an icon on the slate, and Kavi was holographically projected in that seat. "This is my girlfriend, Kavi. I've told you about her," he said. "She's on Vaisada, that deep station they're building in the next quadrant."

Kavi waved and said hi to Mom and Dad. Dad watched her cautiously, like he wasn't sure about people being projected into his house. Mom, at least, was cordial.

Supper didn't go well. Kavi was nervous and rambled. Kleppie found it adorable; anything she did was adorable to him. Dad's scowl only grew as the meal went on. Mom, Kavi, and Kleppie struggled to find any subject of conversation that would last more than a few minutes before the three of them fell into an awkward silence.

That night, he got another message from Kavi as he lay in his bed. He accepted, and her holographic form appeared beside his bed. "I'm sorry," she said, her face abashed. "I'm not good with new people."

"It's not you. You were wonderful," he said, reaching out as if to stroke her cheek. She stilled and let him; though they couldn't really feel each other, it was comforting. "It's just my parents, Kavi. Don't know what I expected."

"I wish I were there," she said. She ran her hands along his chest.

He closed his eyes, trying to imagine the feel of her hands. "Me, too," he said. After she'd signed off, he lay in the bed and thought. This trip has been good, he thought, trying to psych himself up for the rest of the week, if only to remind him why his new life was so much better.