The model in the center of the entrance hall spun slowly, the mechanical, to scale, planets orbiting the massive sun at a rate thousands of times faster than their real counterparts did. The fake sun glowed softly, it’s light dimming briefly as Jupiter crossed between it and the man viewing it. Jupiter’s moons and the metallic arms that held them above the ground created a spiderweb pattern of shadows on the ground that slowly swept across the body of the visitor as it moved.
Xisuma stood several feet away from the center of the solar system model, his eyes tracing the path of Earth as it came out from behind the sun in an almost melancholy way. His brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail, his beard freshly trimmed- although you couldn’t see it at all thanks to the respirator he was wearing. He had even gone to the trouble of putting on one of his more casual dress uniforms.
The effort hadn’t gone unnoticed by the museum staff, drawing a couple of confused looks and some whispers, but he did his best to ignore him. What he had to say wouldn’t go over well, so he might as well look nice. Get some compliments.
The door opened, and the employee greeted the group of people that walked in cheerfully. X turned around, taking a deep breath, and smiled. Show time.
An older woman, just a bit shorter than him, her hair almost completely white, was pushing the wheelchair of a man that someone might have mistaken for him, if his hair weren't as white as hers and his face covered in scars. The woman checked in at the front desk quickly, showing a pass, and then turned and saw him, her eyes crinkling in a smile.
She walked over to Xisuma, the man in the wheelchair saying something and rolling over to the other side of the model.
“Hey, mom.” He said, trying to ignore the way his bottom lip trembled when she pulled him into a hug, her respirator digging into his shoulder.
“You’re all dressed up.” She said, stepping back and putting a hand to his cheek in the way that she always had when they were little. “You look nice, honey.”
“Thank you.” He said, bringing his hand up to cover hers. “You look nice too.”
She chuckled, patting the side of his face and then putting her hand down. “Oh, stop. I didn’t realize that this was going to be a formal dress event, or I would’ve thrown on something besides my work clothes.”
“It’s not a formal dress event, I just felt like cleaning up a bit.” Xisuma shrugged, hoping that the tension in his shoulders didn’t betray the news that he was bringing. “Haven’t had the opportunity to wear this in a bit, got a discount on museum admission, you know.”
She smiled at him again, but her eyes seemed… sad. “…Xisuma, we’re very proud of you. You know that, right?”
“I know.” He replied. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, just looking at him, as if she was searching for an answer to an unspoken question in his eyes. Whatever she found there didn’t seem to change her emotions, her soft smile and that strange sadness remaining as she pulled her purse to the front of her, opening it.
“You should go talk to your brother, dear. I need to go change my filter before I forget.”
“You didn’t change it before you came here? Mom…”
She waved one hand in the air as she continued to move things around in her purse with the other. “The alert came just as we got inside. A few minutes on a bad filter isn’t going to kill me.”
“…Alright. We’ll wait for you.” Xisuma said, and his mother waved him off as he headed over to the other side of the model where his twin brother was sitting, staring up at the planets in silence.
He reached his side, and stopped. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like forever.
Finally his brother spoke. “Xisuma.”
“Xenelis.” He replied, looking down to find his twin’s steely grey eyes staring up at him.
“Where are they sending you this time?” Xenelis’ voice was quiet, raspy- although he didn’t know if it was from the medical grade respirator attached to his mouth and nose or from his vocal cords being underused.
Xisuma started. “What? What do you mean?”
“You didn’t visit us at home or at the hospital, you called us out. You’re dressed up, but you didn’t tell us that this was a formal event. You’re stiffer than usual, which is saying something, and you look like you’re homesick even though you’re a fifteen minute commute away from your apartment.” Xenelis said, his voice carefully void of all emotion. “Where are they sending you?”
Xisuma looked away, breaking eyes contact and staring up at the solar system spinning above him. “Off planet.”
“Out of galaxy?”
“Yes.”
“How far?”
Xisuma didn’t respond for a moment too long, and that was all the answer that his brother needed. His sigh, heavy and full of disappointment and bitterness, hit Xisuma like a bullet to the heart.
“Of course.” Xenelis said. “Well, congratulations. You did it. You left us behind, just like you always wanted too. Good job, bro.”
“Damnit, Xen, you know that’s not-“ Xisuma rounded on his brother, hands automatically going to his hips.
“It’s not? It’s not? It sure as hell looks like it is. You’ve been leaving our whole lives, Iz- it’s just nonstop leaving and leaving and leaving- and now you finally don’t have to come back!” Xenelis snapped. “Good for you! Living your dream!”
“This mission is for the sake of the entire planet! I can’t just refuse to go on a mission that might make or break the human race-“
“Of course you can! You’re not the only high ranking officer out there! They could’ve found someone else, anyone else!”
“They came to me, specifically, asked me to pick out a crew, told me that we would save the world- how am I supposed to turn that offer down? You would’ve taken it in an instant-“
“Not if you were in my position I fucking wouldn’t’ve-!”
“Boys?” Their mom called from the other side of the model.
“Coming, mom.” They chorused automatically, shooting each other a glare. Xisuma walked around one side of the model and Xenelis rolled around the other, meeting in the middle.
Their mother smiled at both of them, apparently unaware of the argument that had been rapidly escalating until she entered the conversation. “There you are. Shall we go look at the new exhibits? I heard they had one about the Titanic.”
“Sure, mom.” Xisuma said, falling into step behind her as she led the way into the museum.
The visit was… cordial. Their mother chatted with both of them about equally, talking about this and that, whatever came to her mind. She was probably trying to fill the heavy silence that fell between the twins, Xenelis refusing to speak to Xisuma, and vice versa.
When they reached the end of their museum tour, pausing in the aquarium section before they left, Xisuma bit the bullet.
“Mom,” he said, folding his hands behind his back. “I have something I need to tell you.”
“Go ahead, dear.” She said absently, watching as a massive manta ray swam overhead.
Bathed in the blue light from the massive aquarium tank, she and Xenelis looked almost peaceful. Gods only knew how made Xen really was, however, and Xisuma knew that it was only a trick of the light. Or maybe it was a trick of the mind, him trying to convince himself that him leaving wouldn’t hurt them as much as he knew it would.
“…I’m leaving.” He said, turning to watch as the manta continued on its way. “They’re sending me on a mission to deep space.”
Her eyes closed momentary, steeling herself as she turned to him. “Deep space?”
“Past Centauri.” He said quietly. “They’re building a team of scientists and researchers to start colonizing a new planet.”
“Why so far away?” She asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“Mars can’t sustain a population like Earth’s, and after the Venus colonies failed… the galaxy isn’t suitable for life anymore. You know it’s true, mom. You’ve watched it happen. Think of how different things are now from when you were a kid.” His tone was soft, but he knew that there was a hint of pleading in there somewhere. She must understand. She wouldn’t be mad at him too, right?
“I know, I know, but… but of all people, why you?” Her voice broke, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
Xisuma’s heart sank as he stepped forward, hugging her. “They couldn’t find anyone better to do it. Mom-“
“When will you come home?” She asked, her voice thick with tears.
“I don’t know.” Maybe never. “I… don’t know.”
She cried for a while, and her sons remained in silence, one other knowing what to say, and the other not wanting to say anything.
When she finally stopped, she only had positive things to say. She was proud of him, she was sure he was going to do great, they would be able to communicate, even if it wasn’t face to face… but that sorrow in her eyes that he had noticed before was much more prevalent.
Had she expected this?
Was he really as predictable as Xen said he was?
They said their goodbyes just outside the museum. His mother hugged him tightly, told him she would see him soon.
Xenelis’ eyes crinkled in what he knew was some form of a mocking smile or sneer. “I hope you have fun, Iz.”
“I’m not leaving right away. I’ll see you again.”
“That’s what you always say.” Xen retorted sharply, turning and rolling away towards the ramp down to the street, where their mother was already waiting.
Xisuma stood at the door to the museum and watched them get into a car and fade out of sight, his heart heavy in his chest.
Computer: New Command unlocked!
Computer: Input the command Profile: [Name] to open the file associated with that person. Please note: some files or portions of files may not be available due to clearance levels.
