Four Years to Kolfina

“Rit!”

Rit jolted upright, knocking the back of her head against something hard.

“Ow! That was my chin you trogger!” Cain said, rubbing his face as he circled Rit’s table to take a seat.

“Cain, you’re the trogger! You know I’ve been jumpy all week. You can’t just sneak up on me like that. I just can’t believe we’re actually getting off the ship today,” Rit said, looking around at everyone else in the cafeteria.

“I don’t know why you’re so worried. We’ve been on this ship for four years,” Cain said as he grabbed a rehydrated strawberry off Rit’s tray.

“I know, I know. But all those nights we laid awake fantasizing about what it would be like, we never really mentioned the possibility of…”

“Of what?” Cain interjected. “Of imploding as we stepped off the ship? Of suffocating as we took our first breaths? Of not being welcome and finding ourselves fighting an unknown creature? Rit, listen. Everyone has those thoughts, but it’s not going to be like that.”

Rit didn’t respond right away. She hadn’t been thinking about the graphic worst case scenarios. She had recently been feeling homesick for their colony on Europa. Since the day she was born, her parents and teachers had told her that she was one of the few who won the lottery to travel to a distant planet, Kolfina. She was made to see it as an honor—to be proud. And she did feel proud, but she also felt…

“Europa to Rit. Do you copy?” Cain teased.

Rit had been staring out the window, into the never-ending blackness with a cold chunk of whatever plant based protein they had on the menu that week dangling from her fork.

“Rit, just try and finish your breakfast, okay? We still have plenty of time before we…”

“Cain! Rit! Did hear? Kolfina is visible from the library windows!” exclaimed Taro. “Everyone has been crowding the room so it’s difficult to see, but I caught a glimpse. It’s bluish-green, just like they told us in class!”

Taro was Rit’s best friend. Their pods were next to each other when they were little and they shared a yard. However, Taro’s mom had accepted a contract with the government when they were nine-years-old and their pod moved to a distant city. When they were fourteen, Taro’s mom had contracted some illness and died, so Taro and her father moved their pod back to their old neighborhood. Taro never mentioned her mom much, but Rit often wondered if she felt less homesick because her mom had died. Rit never brought it up, she just wondered to herself.

“Rit are you coming?” asked Cain, with his hand outstretched toward Rit. “Come on, just leave your tray. It’s cold anyway and it’ll be here when we get back.”

Rit knew her appetite wouldn’t come back anytime soon and secretly hoped someone would come for her tray.

The three of them walked hurriedly down the red corridor toward the library. The library housed all of the texts they read throughout their training. Rit remembered many late nights studying for exams there. She found it comical that the library was usually avoided, but was where everyone was fighting to get in this morning.

Rit could feel her heart beating in her ears. She instinctively reached out for Cain’s hand, but hesitated right before she would have grazed his skin. Cain was always very perceptive of Rit’s body language. “Give me that hand!” he said as he reached out toward Rit and clasped his hand around hers. “Jees, Rit, your hand is so clammy. It’s going to be fine. The wait is finally over. We’re in this together!”

Rit appreciated Cain’s optimism. She needed it this morning. It wouldn’t stop the sweating or racing heart, but it would help get her off the ship.

“Give me that other sweaty hand!” Taro teased as she reached down and grabbed Rit’s right hand. She smiled broadly at Rit and Rit felt herself being towed down the corridor, her body heavy but advancing one foot after the other.

The trio turned a corner and straight ahead could see the chaotic bundle of bodies squeezing in and out of the library. They slowed their pace and looked at each other, sighing deeply through their noses.

Taro took the lead and pulled their bodies toward the doorway, “Excuse me, coming through, watch-out, top student coming through!”

Rit immediately blushed and squeezed Taro’s hand firmly. Taro turned back and grinned at Rit, pleased with the effect she had. “Come on Rit. After all the studying, it has to pay off somehow!”

The students in the doorway trying to get in hesitated and turned around. They didn’t care that Rit was the top student, they feared Taro. Taro was clever and mostly got her way. She rarely lost merits.

The crowd opened up just enough for the three of them slid through single-file. The room was hot and stuffy. Elbows and and hips jostled them from side the side. Taro continued on with the top-student antics and they moved through the packed room like a snake through mud .

Rit’s hands tightened on Cain’s and Taro’s as they approached the glass. Surrounded by black, a blue-green planet seemingly grew in size before their eyes. The ship was still moving fast, so the planet came into view with increasing detail with each passing second. Rit noticed some red-brown spots on the surface. Bromine lakes. Just like the ones she learned about in the books. The planet was more stunning than any teacher or textbook had ever described it. She immediately felt at ease. Rit shook her head slowly from side to side wondering how she went from such apprehension to such awe. She released her grip on Cain and Taro, bringing her hands up to the glass, wanting to be closer. Taro wrapped her arm around Rit’s shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. They were all speechless.

Slowly, a metallic structure came into view. “That must be the docking station,” Cain said, lifting a hand and pointing straight ahead.

“I wonder how long it will take to get there?” asked Rit.

“I’m sure it won’t be too long. Let’s go finish breakfast so we have time to change clothes and double check our bags before we have to disembark,” Cain said as he turned toward Rit with a reassuring smile.

_______

Rit was alone in her room needlessly triple checking her bag when she felt a slight jolt of the ship. Her hair stood on end realizing that the ship had docked. She didn’t know why, but she immediately glanced to the side looking at herself in the mirror. Maybe it made her feel less alone. But she knew any moment that Cain would be knocking on her door.

Rit met Cain a year after Taro had moved away. They played together after school almost every day. She didn’t know how or when her friendship with Cain had transformed into something more, but they both felt it seemed predetermined somehow. Perhaps since everything else in her life was predetermined from the moment she won the lottery. She reached down and slung her bag over her shoulder, did a final eye-sweep of the room, and took a deep breath in and out. She smiled to herself and turned toward the door. Right on cue, a knock.

Rit and Cain walked together toward the disembarking chamber at the end of the ship. They had never been inside it before. There was never a need. The chamber was bright white with a high ceiling. Their classmates were lining up in single file lines seven deep and ten across. Rit and Cain ended up somewhere in the middle. Rit looked around trying to read others’ faces. Excitement. Fear. Uncertainty. Curiosity.

The head trainer, Ms. Pailah, walked in front of the group. “Listen up everyone. We will release lines one-by-one. We will first walk through a decontamination chamber. As you know, some of the microbes on your body are an invasive species to this planet. It is time to fasten your protective eyewear and respirators. Everyone should be wearing your weighted footwear. As you know from the simulator, the decreased gravity here will take time to get accustomed to,” Ms. Pailah continued methodically. 

Although no one from Europa had ever been to Kolfina before, cross-galaxy conversations and relationships were fostered over the last eighty years. The first thirty years were spent solely developing a translator.

An archaic sounding buzz alarmed. Ms. Pailah smiled at the students and then turned toward the door. Walking with weighted steps, she reached the keypad off to the right. The most observant students could see the slow rise and fall of her shoulders as she let in and out a deep breath lifting up the keypad cover. After a slow succession of finger movements, the door made a surprisingly soft clicking sound. The large door opened by retracting straight upward. A black floor revealed itself on the other side. Slowly, more of the seemingly empty room came into view. Slightly higher than head height, a single row of small holes the size of thumbnails lined the black walls. Once the door was locked into place, the students were guided forward one row at a time.

Rit felt like her shoes were weighted down more than in a normal simulation. Her knees trembled and she feared that if she took a step they would fail her. As if reading her mind, Cain gave her a reassuring squeeze on her right shoulder. Rit relaxed for a moment, then realized the first person in her row started moving forward. She quickly reached up across her chest and grabbed Cain’s hand. After another light squeeze, Cain removed his hand and lowered his arm down to his side.

Rit took a step forward as the classmate in front of her created an opening. Once in motion it somehow felt more natural as if it were one of the other hundreds of simulations. After all the students had passed into the black chamber, the door to the ship began closing behind them. Rit’s heart tightened and her stomach seemed to rise up toward her throat. Click. The door was closed.

Suddenly, the lights in the room turned off. A few classmates nearby let out blunted shrieks. Rit opened her eyes as wide as she could, hoping it would help bring in any ray of light to illuminate her surroundings. She quickly looked side to side. Nothing. As she felt the impulse to turn and grab Cain, the lights flickered on. This time a deep red hue.

Rit relaxed a bit, reminding herself that the lights were for killing the microbes; hence, the protective eyewear. Just then, a high pressured mist sprayed out from each small hole surrounding the room. Rit thought it would feel wet, but it wasn’t at all. It evaporated instantly as it landed on her body, leaving her feeling cool. The mist stopped and the lights turned bright white again without first blackening the room.

Rit glanced around the room anticipating the next sensory input, but nothing happened. She caught Ms. Pailah moving her eyes around the room with equal uncertainty. Suddenly, the floor shook, which felt beyond strange. Rit remembered the change in gravity. The misting holes seemed to be raising up before Rit realized that the whole floor was actually moving down. They were on some sort of platform.

After a seemingly long time, the platform came to a stop. Rit felt a draft come from behind her. She quickly turned around and saw that the back wall was actually two panels sliding away from one another revealing a large cluttered room. Some students started muttering to one another. Through their respirators, it was nearly impossible to understand what anyone was saying. Ms. Pailah briskly moved to the new front of the room waving at the students to be quiet. She slowly brought her hands up to her face. Hesitantly, she unclasped the sides of her eyewear and pulled them off over the top of her head. She blinked several times. Her eyes moved up revealing a hidden smile. She reached up to her respirator and unclipped it from the back, sliding it down off of face. She looked up and around as she took in a slow deep breath. After a couple more blinks and deep breaths she grinned at her students. “Everyone, please remove your protective equipment. It’s safe,” she said.

Each student slowly removed their gear and looked around at one another. Red grooves on their cheeks and around their eyes remained as they took turns confirming the safety of their new environment.

“How do you feel?” Rit asked Cain.

“I feel… I feel…normal. I feel okay,” replied Cain as a smile slowly stretched across his face. “How do you feel, Rit?” he asked.

“I feel…good,” Rit said. “I wonder what…” Ms. Pailah stomped her weighted foot causing most to jump.

“I’m glad to see everyone is feeling okay, but listen up. We were told that when we arrived we would have the opportunity to take some items as gifts to ensure comfort as we set out from the docking station. Think of this as a marketplace. Each table behind me has items you will all need. You must each take one item from every table. Before I begin allowing each row to move forward, I would like Rit to step forward,” Ms. Pailah said as she stretched an arm out toward Rit inviting her up.

Rit immediately began to feel a slight tingle under her arms and a warmth spread across her cheeks. She despised being in front of the group, let alone at the most pivotal moment of her life. She glanced over at Taro who gave her a wink in encouragement. Rit stepped out of line and advanced forward toward Ms. Pailah. As she reached the front of the group, she turned around to face everyone.

“Rit has been the top student since you all started class together,” Ms. Pailah began. Turning toward Rit she said, “I want you to be the first person to walk through this room of items and pick what you want.”

“Thank you ma’am. But, I don’t know what any of it is for,” Rit replied with a confused look on her face.

“No one knows what it is for yet, Rit. Just go ahead. Pick out your items,” Ms. Pailah said smiling while turning Rit toward the room packed with strange objects.

Rit glanced over her shoulder at Cain who had an apprehensive look on his face. Once he made eye contact with her, his eyes widened and he quickly flashed an unconvincing smile. Rit realized she wasn’t the only one on edge, but moved forward as instructed.

The lighting in the room was less harsh. More inviting, Rit thought. The floor was softer under her feet. Her skin felt pleasantly warm and the surrounding air still. About a dozen tables of various heights were scattered around the room. Items lay in disarray on and around the tables. It appeared as though the items had previously been stacked, but then the tables somehow got jostled. How unceremonious, Rit thought.

Trying to create some sort of order, Rit began from the left intending to move through the room to the right. She circled the first table. A golden metallic orb immediately caught her attention. She felt a strong desire to reach down and grab it swiftly. Greedily. As she reached her hand forward, she caught herself and stopped. She glanced up and looked at Ms. Pailah, who nodded encouragingly at her. Rit looked back down and realized she had already locked her fingers around the orb. As she lifted it, she realized it was heavier than she had imagined it would be. She instinctively rolled it between her palms and she felt it quickly warming. A wave of pure joy crashed down upon her. She closed her eyes, gripping the ball tightly in one hand now. A vivid image came to her. She could see her parents sitting outside her pod at home, billions of miles away, staring up into the sky. A smiled and a warm tear slipped down her cheek. The image slowly faded away and she opened her eyes.

Everyone was staring her, wide-eyed, searching for an explanation for what just happened. Rit briskly shook her head, snapping back to reality and flashed everyone a sheepish smile. She slipped the orb into a secure inner pocket of her jacket and moved onto the next table.

The next table was very low to the ground with bold colored cloths stacked and draped over the sides. Like at the first table, she saw an item that she felt compelled to grab. A corner of a yellow-orange cloth stuck out from the pile. She reached down to pick it up, but before she could, it slipped itself out from the pile and flew up in the air around her, landing across her shoulders. Rit froze. Without moving a muscle, she carefully glanced down to see that the cloth had fastened itself around her shoulders like a cloak. She slowly turned around. Everyone was silent, jaws ajar. Rit tried to open her mouth to say something, but Ms. Pailah quickly spoke up saying, “It’s okay, Rit! Keep going!”

Rit continued on like this until her person was covered with various items and her pockets bulging with trinkets. Each student had their own turn, and like with Rit, it seemed like the items chose them. When the last item was spoken for, a small door opened in the back corner of the room. A blinding light shown in, cut by a thin shadow that appeared to sway.

Their escort was ready to retrieve them…

TBC