Port Triton

We're almost there. We're really almost there.

Purple-fuchsia-brown has told us it's time to decelerate the ship and observe our landing spot from orbit. I know there is still much to do before we land, and it will be even longer before we leave the landing spot and make the journey to Earth. But I'm still excited.

We are still closer to Earth than any of us have been for 65 million years.

***

"Test complete. All systems working."

I let out my breath and straighten up. My back is tired from hours spent hunched over the valves, making sure nothing is amiss.

But now, we've done it. We've really done it. I look out over the starship and beyond, to the blue sphere of Neptune just above the horizon. It's a familiar sight by now, but it still can be breathtaking.

And soon, I'll leave it behind. I'd expected to be ecstatic when the ship was complete, but now my excitement is tinged with more than a little regret.

I've already left one planet behind. I'm not sure how I feel about leaving another.

***

"Everyone!" Purple-fuchsia-brown lets out a cry. We all turn to look.

"There are beings on the landing spot!"

"Beings?" Green-yellow-red asks, hurrying over to look at the computer display in front of Purple-fuchsia-brown.

"Yes. What will we do?"

"If we stay in the alternate dimension, they can't detect us. We will observe them, and then decide."

***

Inside the dormitory, the celebration is in full swing.

It seems like everyone in Port Triton is crowded into the main hall. People are laughing, crying, and talking everywhere. A few people are making good use of the low gravity and doing arial shows of excitement.

I feel my celebratory mood start to rise. I am happy the ship is done, really. This is what I came here for, after all. And once we leave the force field, we can talk to our families. It's high time.

I'm just beginning to join in the fun with a few grandiose backflips when Dr. H.C. comes rushing in to the room.

Dr. Henson-Campos is the one who discovered the Henson-Campos field that Port Triton is surrounded by, that allows us access into the alternate dimension. Without her, Port Triton wouldn't be here.

She's out of breath as if she's been running. I'm instantly curious.

"An alien spaceship just landed a few kilometers from base!"

***

After we land it does not take long for the beings to appear.

There are five of them, riding in a sort of car. I think they are very funny looking creatures. Then I realize they are certainly wearing suits to protect them from the extreme cold.

But for all I know they might also look funny under the suits as well.

Green-yellow-blue sends them the message. We hope our computer translated it correctly. It is quite good at learning languages, but still imperfect.

We watch the beings closely, but we cannot tell how they react. Even if they weren't wearing suits, we would not know their body language.

I hope they react well. And not only because that is best for our safety.

I have barely even seen them, and already I want to be friends.

***

Our captain and a few others head for the ship in one of the rovers. In the main hall, the excitement of finishing the ship is quickly replaced by anxious waiting for some word back.

Some people are afraid. Some are excited. For some, the reality of the situation seems not to have quite sunk in.

I'm not sure which of these I count as.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Dr. H.C. opens the door. She has a funny look on her face.

"They aren't aliens. They're dinosaurs."

***

We have told them, the humans, why we are here.

That Earth, their planet, was once ours too. That none of us have been back since the asteroid killed all of us except those who had left the planet. That we come back now only to see what has become of it, and if we can learn anything about our ancestors who lived here. That we will not hurt them or interfere with their lives, and want to learn from them what Earth is like now.

They said they must think about it, and be careful. I would like to talk to them now, of course, but I understand. We are a surprise.

***

I had hoped we would get more news of the astrosaurs, as people are calling them, but after the initial report, things are mostly quiet. A committee of Port Triton's leaders hold meetings to discuss the best course of action, but for the rest of us, business continues as usual. I try to focus on preparing for departure, but it's hard. I don't want to leave without at least seeing them.

But eventually, the captain makes an announcement. The committee is convinced enough of the astrosaurs innocuous intentions to let them visit the base.

On the day of the visit, most of us wait outside for the astrosaurs arrival. Some people are still suspicious of them, but not enough to deny their curiosity.

They first appear as dots on the horizon. As they get closer, it becomes evident they are in small carts of some sort, made of cabs shaped like the bottom half of a cone sitting atop three odd spherical wheels.

They don't get out of their carts when they arrive. The carts are not only their transportation, we learn, but also their spacesuits.

I feel oddly shy as they travel around our camp, talking to people through their translators.

***

I can hardly believe we are really here, in the humans' camp. I am full of curiosity.

I see one human standing alone. If I understand correctly which way their suits face, it is watching Purple-fuchsia-brown and the others intently. I'm intrigued. I move closer.

***

"Hey."

The sudden voice in my short-range channel startles me. I jump a few yards in the air and turn around. Up close, the suited astrosaur is quite noticeably bigger than me.

"Hey," I say back shakily, terrified in spite of myself.

"You are a mechanic for your ship, correct?"

"Yes. How did you know?" I'm just a little freaked out.

"Your suit says so. My translating device told me."

"Oh." Duh.

"I'm a mechanic too."

"Really?" I'm not faking my curiosity. Somehow, I hadn't thought of them having different jobs on their ship, but of course they did.

"Yes."

I'm not sure what to say, but I don't want to lose my chance to have a conversation. "How... how long are you here on Triton?"

"As long as you are. We wish to learn from you as long as possible before you leave."

"Oh. I see." I have a million questions, but somehow I can't think of anything to say.

"May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why are you leaving?" The question catches me off guard, before I realize it probably isn't for me personally.

"We want to see what's out there. Because we're curious. But also to see if we can find another habitable planet, in case we can no longer live on ours."

"Like if there's another asteroid?"

Right. This really happened to them.

"Yes, maybe. But also if we destroy it."

"Why would you destroy it?"

I don't know how to answer.

"How?"

That one is easier. "By overheating it. We're releasing gasses into the air that trap the heat in, and make the weather unpredictable. It won't destroy the planet itself, I guess, but it'll make it hard for us to live there."

"But if you know that, why don't you stop?"

I sigh. "Because we're stupid. And bad at planning for the future. And agreeing on stuff."

"Oh." The astrosaur doesn't seem to know what to say. I don't blame it.

I change the subject. "What's your name?"

"Blue-orange-teal."

"Like the colors?

"Yes. We talk in colors. But since you don't, you can call me an abbreviation: BOT. But now I see that spells a name for robot. So perhaps that will be too confusing."

I smile. "It wouldn't be confusing. Plenty of humans have names that sound like words."

"Alright. What is your name?"

"Lira."

"I see. That doesn't mean anything to my translator."

"Oh. I guess it wouldn't."

"We have turned my colors into letters. Could we turn your letters into colors?" "

"You mean, make a set of colors that my name is an acronym for?"

"Yes."

"Alright. How about lavender, indigo, red..." I have to think for a moment. "Aubergine."

"You will have to describe your last word to me. The translator doesn't know it."

"Kind of a dark purple, a little bit grayish maybe?"

"Like this?" Bot changes a light on the side of their cart.

"Yes," I say. "That's it."

"I like talking to you, Lira. Could we be friends?"

I'm surprised by how taken aback and happy I am.

"Yes. I'd like that."

***

Humans do look funny, even without their spacesuits.

But I imagine we may look funny to them as well.

We have visited them several times outside. But now, we are inside their dormitory for the first time. I am glad they trust us enough to allow us in.

It is loud in here. I was not prepared, even though I knew that the human language was auditory. The humans seem more numerous in here then they did outside. I still like them, but they are overwhelming.

I hope Lira can find me. I can't find her.

***

The astrosaurs look like giant, iridescent golden chickens.

That is, if chickens had heads like turtles, color-changing crowns somewhat reminiscent of peacocks', and odd, vaguely fernlike appendages on their sides.

I can't decide if they're gorgeous or hilarious. I look around for Bot.

The front three stalks on one astrosaur's crown are blue, orange, and turquoise. I hurry over.

"Bot!"

"Lira! I'm glad to see you!" The stalks on Bot's crown flicker different colors as the words come through my translator.

"I'm glad to see you too!"

"Your dormitory is loud."

I laugh. "Yes. Not always quite this loud, though. Everyone's exited you're here."

"I'm exited we're here too!"

I smile.

"Do you want to go somewhere quieter?"

"Yes. That would be nice."

I take Bot back to my room. They have to bend over to fit through the door.

"What are these?" Bot gestures to the wall where I keep my photos.

"My family and friends back on Earth. And that one is the Earth itself, taken from space."

"It's beautiful." Bot turns to me. "Do you miss Earth? And your friends and family?"

"Sometimes..." I say. "I mean, yes. I haven't talked to my family in years now, of course I miss them. But..." I hesitate. I haven't said this to anyone, but somehow I trust Bot. "I sometimes feel like I don't miss it as much as I should. And if I'm being honest, I feel almost as bad leaving Triton as I did Earth."

"You do?"

"Yes. I don't know why. I lived on Earth for thirty years; I've only lived here for two. On Earth I had my whole family to leave behind; here, no one is staying. It's barren and cold, and no one can live here. And yet..." I am fighting back tears. "I love it anyway, Bot. I love Triton. And no one else seems to care about remembering it. I mean, there'll be a perfunctory ceremony on something, I don't know. But... We don't talk about the fact that it's a whole other world we're leaving behind. And once we leave, we can be in communication with Earth. We'll see pictures and videos. But we may never see or hear anything of Triton again."

Bot is silent for a moment. Then they speak. "Is my understanding correct that this would be a good time for a hug?"

Surprised, I nod, forgetting about the translator. Then I remember. "Yes."

Bot envelopes me in a feathery appendage. I can no longer hold back the tears.

After a few minutes, I wipe my tears and straighten up. "I'm sorry, Bot. I must be confusing you. I don't know if you even understand these human emotions."

"I think I understand some of them. I like this place too."

I smile, but I'm also about to cry again. "I'm going to miss you too, Bot. So I will be leaving someone behind." I wipe my eyes and smile. "Your arm is soft. Is it an arm?"

"Yes. But our historic scientists think they were wings on our ancestors."

"Really?"

"Yes. On Earth, we could fly. When we left Earth and went to other planets, the different gravity and atmosphere made it so that we could not, and we gradually lost the ability." Bot extended an appendage and looked at it. "I have always wished it had not been lost. I would like to fly."

"Many humans feel the same way, and we never did have wings."

***

I see Lavender-Indigo-Red-Aubergine many times as time goes along.

She tells me more about Earth, good things and bad. Some of the bad things are very bad indeed. But if the good things are true, and Lira is anything like the rest of the humans, I think I will like Earth anyway.

***

It's time.

The starship is up and running. Our things have been packed. The bustle of final preparations is all around.

We are five hours from departure. Every step I take feels weighted with the knowledge, yet I keep on with the preparations. Not, however, without glancing frequently at the horizon.

At last, some familiar odd carts appear on it.

Bot and I walk a bit away from the base, neither of us talking much. I wonder if the same feelings make us both silent. At last, Bot breaks the quiet.

"I have something for you." Bot extends their cart's arm. In it is something small and square.

"A selfie. I hope I did it right."

I look closer. It is an image of Bot and I, both in our spacesuits, standing on Triton's surface with Neptune in the background.

I smile, and feel a lump forming in my throat. "Bot, it's a wonderful selfie. When did you take this?"

"When we were last walking here. I don't think you noticed."

"I didn't. Bot, it's gorgeous! Thank you!"

"It's not the same material as your other pictures. Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all. I love it just the way it is!" I look at the picture again. "I wish I had something to give you, too! I didn't think to bring a present."

"I don't need a present. I just gave this to you to remember Triton by, and me. I have my own copy." Bot holds out another image. "But I would like it if you would autograph it for me."

"Autograph? You make me sound famous."

"Perhaps the translator chose an odd word. Would you write your name on it for me?"

"Of course. But I don't have a pen."

"I do. But it's not like the ones you're used to."

"That's alright. Let me give it a try."

Bot produces a pointed metal cylinder wrapped in a colorful band. "You use these knobs to adjust the color and brightness."

After a bit of fiddling, I figure it out. Carefully, I write a lavender L, an indigo I, a red R, and an aubergine A on the back on Bot's picture.

We turn and walk back toward the base.

"Take care out there," I say. "Say hi to the rest of humanity for me."

"I will. You be careful too, Lira."

We stop a few meters from the starship. All around us, the bustle of preparation is in full swing. I look at Bot. "I guess it's time for me to go."

"Yes. I must go as well."

I can feel the lump in my throat get bigger. "I'll miss you, Bot. Thank you... thank you for being my friend."

"I will miss you too, Lira. I hope we will talk over the communication channels sometimes."

"I hope so too."

"Goodbye, Lira."

"Goodbye, Bot."

I watch as Bot rolls away toward the horizon, where the sun has just begun to rise in the sky.

Then I turn around and head for the universe beyond.