A Permanent Home For a Weary Traveler

For the first time in years I could relax. Living in space is harder than most people think. Living in ships with cramped quarters is no fun, especially if you’re sharing your space with someone who is obnoxious, or who snores so loud they cause the bunks to vibrate, or if you snore that loud. There’s very little to do other than the work of keeping the ship clean and functioning, which isn’t that difficult, so you find yourself trying to fill up your empty time with a lot of useless chatter, or by meditating, or working out. What kind of life is that?

There are very few habitable planets. I’ve heard of them, but have never been to one so that isn’t usually an option, just stopping at some toxic shithole of a planet and living in a terrarium and pretending you're on a real planet is all you can do. Yet again, Clavius is just that, except it’s huge and extends for hundreds of miles underground, and it’s permanent. I can stay here as long as I want.

I also have family here, my twin brother who I haven’t seen in years. We were separated at the age of 7 when my parents split up. My father headed out to space. My mother stayed on the old, burned out cinder, Earth, until it was unbearable and then headed in the other direction. It was impossible for us to keep in touch across galaxies, but I heard a rumor that he was here, in Clavius. He was a powerful politician, from what I understood.

I walked into a giant cafeteria going to have the first meal on a stationary planet I had had in the last couple of years. It was my new home and I was happy to finally be stable. I paused at the door. There were people from many races, as people used to call them, ethnicities, and even planets in there. A slight roar came up from all the voices mixing together and there was a lot of movement and clattering of dishes. To be truthful, it was quite intimidating. I made my way to the line and met a smiling face who directed me to the food machines and instructed me on how to use them.

She grinned. “Looking different today are we?” You make a handsome man.” I grinned. I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I knew when to take a compliment. She looked pretty good too. She was a little older than I, but had beautiful green eyes and a wonderful smile. I smiled back.

“Thank you. I think it's the shirt. You make a very fine woman too. Beautiful,” I said. She smiled as she gave me the simple instructions on how to work the machines, took another look at me, smiled pleasantly, and then walked away. She had a nice little butt on her. That was good. Maybe I'd run into her later. I hit a few buttons, heard some clicking, and out came a platter with several types of food all placed in their designated pockets.

I looked around. Most of the tables were full. I wasn’t used to so many people. I saw a table way in the corner that was empty, walked over, sat my tray down, and took a seat. I tasted what looked like potatoes. They tasted good, like real potatoes. Maybe they had real food. Another woman approached, an official looking woman, carrying a tray. She sat across from me and slammed it down. I looked up and she glared.

“Nice to meet you too,” I said. “Yes, you may have a seat.”

“Don’t try to be funny. What the hell did you think you were doing? You can’t push your own agenda like that. And why are you dressed like that?”

I looked down at my clothing. I thought I looked pretty good. It was the second day I wore that shirt, but it was still clean. I looked cool. I looked up at her.

“What? The shirt doesn’t work? I think I look pretty good.” I rubbed my chin. “Maybe I need a shave, but not that much.” She lowered her voice.

“I mean you’re dressed like that. You stood up there screaming about women’s rights and trans rights, now you’re dressed like a man. What’s your problem? Suppose someone sees you?”

“They’ll say, ‘Hey. I like that guy's shirt.’” She was furious. She stood to her feet.

“So you’re not a woman now? You can’t play games like that! Why do I even deal with you?”

“That’s what I wondered.” She picked up her tray and headed for another table. In the meantime a couple of more people were approaching my table. They too sat down, no manners at all, just sat there. Didn’t even say anything like, “Do you mind if we join you?” They were really rude. I began to eat again. I wondered if everyone was like that on the moon.

The man wearing a suit grinned. “I like the new look,” he said. I looked down again.

“This isn’t a new look. This is my old look. Who do you think I am? I just got here.”

“No, '' said a shorter man. “You look so much like Don Bridges.”

“No, Roberts, Donna Bridges,” the other man corrected.

“Well I’m not Donna Bridges or Don Bridges.” I sipped my soda. “I do have a twin brother named Don Bridges here somewhere though. My name is Jason, Jason Bridges.”

“That’s Donna Bridges,” the person in the suit corrected. “Your sister.”

“I don’t have a sister.”

“You do now. Here she comes. She usually sits here. This is her table.”

“A tall woman came into the room with long dark hair and beautiful eyes. She was built, curves everywhere. She smiled as she walked in and stopped here and there talking with various people on her way. She walked over and pulled out a chair. She stared at me and took a seat. I looked at her. Jesus. She was a knockout.”

“What kind of joke is this, Barston?” She asked the man in the suit. Before he could respond she looked at me. “What is this?” I was silent. I just looked her up and down. She looked like me. A female me. I stood to my feet.

“Who the Hell are you? What is this?” She stood up. We were about the same height.

“Who are you?” She crossed her arms. She looked a little like my mother. I felt embarrassed, lusting for someone who looked like my mother? Eww.

“I’m not gonna tell you,” I said, taking a seat. “I was sitting here first, so you need to tell me who you are.”

“Well I sit here. This is my table. This is the table reserved for dignitaries.” She sat down. “You need to tell me who you are. Right now, or I will have you removed.”

“I just got here from off planet. Do you really want to do that? That would look really bad throwing a Merchant Marine out on his first day here.” The guy in the suit looked at her and nodded. Someone came over and sat a tray in front of her. “You mean you don’t even pick up your own food? I can’t believe that.”

“You better start believing it.” She grabbed a napkin off the tray and snapped it so hard it made me jump. She grinned as she put it in her lap. “A little jumpy are we, mystery man. Are you a spy for the NeoEarthers?”

“Would I tell you if I were? No. I just got here from off planet. I’ve been circling this stupid galaxy most of my life. I don’t even know what a NeoEarther is. I’ve been transferred here and plan to stay here.”

“What’s your name?”

“Why?”

“Just pretend like I want to be your friend.”

I started laughing. She pursed her lips and then smiled too.

“You look like my mother,” I said. “Are you related to the…no. You’re not Don.”

“Donna,” the man in the suit said. She looked me over.

“Jason?”

“Yes. Oh my God. It’s you Don, Donna, I’m sorry. I can’t believe it. I was hoping to find you, but not the first day in such a big city, and not built like a brick shithouse. My God you are…never mind. We’re identical twins aren’t we? Maybe what I was about to say was a little…incestuos or something. Maybe I’ve been in space too long.” I looked at her and lifted the corner of my mouth.

“I can’t believe this,” she said. “It’s my brother. My twin brother and a perv. My God.” She stood up. We met at the end of the table and embraced.

“You’ve got to tell me what you’ve been doing. It’s almost been 20 years.” I looked down at her chest. “There has to be a story about those.”

“More than you want to know.” She put her hand on my chest and gently, but forcefully, pushed me away. “All you need to know is that I missed you and the fact we couldn’t even communicate all this time. I thought you might even be dead. I settled here about 10 years ago, after Mother died. I was tired of traveling through space and left everything I knew to settle down here all alone and start a new life."

I was so lonely here and then I realized I wasn’t being who I really was. I was a politician, pretty powerful, but then I had my transition a couple of years ago, and here I am, fighting to get my power back. Now that you’re here, it will be easier. With family everything’s easier.”

“I’ll help anyway I can, Donna, but I’m not a politician and I sort of despise them. I’ll make an exception for you though, for now depending on what kind of politician you are.”

“Good. Because the newspapers and my enemies will be coming at you from all sides.” She sat back down. “So be prepared.” She picked up her napkin and put it back in her lap. “You walked into a firestorm and you’ll have to play politics yourself. You’ll be forced to be one of the politicians that you hate just like I’ve been if you want to stay free.” She took a drink of water.

“Sounds like the moon is no different than the Earth used to be.”

“So true brother. We humans tend to carry our prejudices everywhere we go and the greedy tend to seek power any way they can get it.