The Lunar Marketplace

Ryder strides across the stone, gray ground of the Lunar Marketplace. “An open air market on the moon”, he muses, “who’d a thunk?“ The settlement on Mars has been sending expeditions to the moon for about 5 years now, but this is Ryder’s first time seeing it in person! His brother, Phoenix, has told him stories of it, but the vastness and selection of goods could never be put into adequate words. Phoenix had teased him before he left, something about meeting a “nice alien girl”. He responded with his signature eye roll and a reminder that he’ll be there to collect supplies, not to meet the locals.

He stops at the first stall. It reminds him of one of the circus tents they had on Earth. The shopkeeper, who is a green lady, sells exotic pets. His eyes scan the selection: sea monkeys, snakes with every pattern imaginable, raucous birds, talking cats and the smallest dogs he’s ever seen. A tiny, brown poodle looking dog-that could fit in his pocket- stares up at him and he feels as if the dog’s eyes contain the galaxy. “How much for the dog?” He asks, gesturing and uncertain whether the woman speaks his language. “400 asteroids” she replies, in her strange accent. Phoenix had also told him that almost every stall requires a different currency, which could be confusing. He thanks his lucky stars that he had remembered to exchange some of his volcanic rocks for various other bartering goods.

Ryder cannot resist; it’s like the pup is staring into his very soul! “I’ll call you Orion,” he whispers to the dog, as he places him in his shirt pocket and hands over the asteroids.

After this, Ryder saunters down the path, trying to take in all the sights and sounds. The stall tents are all the colors of the rainbow and they stand out starkly, in contrast the bland rocks of the moon. The smells are both familiar and putrid, comforting and alien.He’s accosted on every side and he takes a while to locate his next stop. Finally, he sees the food stall he’s heard about! A rickety, wooden contraption; stacked high with canned goods, MRE’s and sacks of rice, grains and flour. In the middle of the small, packed shack stands a blue, furry beast. He has long wiggly arms and pointy teeth. Ryder is uncertain if he is friendly, but he has to stop here to get some food to bring back with him, to Mars. Some delicacies from earth are arrayed before him; hamburger flavored chips, pouches of fruit juice, “just-add-water” pastries and his favorite; freeze dried ice cream!

  Standing there; his mind is suddenly transported back 15 years, to when he was just 5 years old. He lived on Earth then, though he doesn’t remember it very well. He was a small boy, with brown curly hair and big, brown eyes; the spitting image of his mother. He was full of energy, and loved to follow his big brother around on all of his adventures! Their mom always said that all her gray hairs were from worrying about her boys and their tendency to get into trouble. But he knew that their mom had also adored them! He and his mom used to go to the Space Museum, every month and as a treat after, they’d share a package of freeze-dried ice cream. They’d sit and talk about space and Mars and wonder what it would be like to actually live there. 

When people began to realize that the theory of Global warming would eventually come true; the plans to colonize Mars were expedited. His father was a critical part of the planning team responsible for sending the first shuttle to Mars. He worked long hours and often spent days at a time, at the space station. Their mother couldn’t stand how much her husband was away. She left when Ryder was 5 and Phoenix was 10. Their dad eventually worked himself to death. So, it was just the two of them;(then 7 and 12 years old) on The Explorer 3-the third transport ship to be sent to Mars. He and his brother were now workers, who gathered igneous rock from the Martian volcanoes.Phoenix wanted to rise to the top and worked as hard as their father had. But Ryder remembered their mother and only worked enough to earn a decent wage.They were allowed to keep half of what they gathered, to use for bartering on the moon. The other half went to their boss; but Ryder didn’t want to think about that orange maniac now. Instead he thinks about how, as a little boy, he so desperately wanted a dog. He reaches down and pats his pocket to reassure himself that little Orion is still there. 

“Ya gonna buy anything or just stare at it?” A gravelly voice interrupts his reverie.

Ryder carefully selects enough food to hold them over for a while. The stores the last trip, are running low and this stockpile needs to last until the next expedition to the moon. 

On the top of the pile, he adds dehydrated dog food and his ice cream. “That’ll be 1,000 pieces of Martian volcanic rock”, growls the blue monster (who’s name tag says Goodle-Muckin). Ryder’s eyes go wide with shock...That’s over two week’s salary! “He’s trying to upsell you!” Comes a voice, from behind Ryder; so close it makes him jump. He turns around to see an ethereal looking woman stands before him; translucent and strung with jewelry that shines like the stars that surround them. Ryder thinks she is the most magnificent creature he has seen, since setting foot on Mars! She turns to Google-Muckin and they speak back and forth in a language that sounds a little bit like yodeling. She turns back to Ryder, grinning, and announces “he’ll give it to you for 700!” Ryder fumbles in his backpack and soon produces the correct amount of rocks; handing them to the lurking stall-keeper.

”Wait!” He calls out as the dazzling woman, who just helped him, begins to fade into the crowd. “What’s your name?” “Galexia”; she answers, smiling at him over her shoulder. And then she floats away and out of sight.