Fly Me to the Moon

It was April 12th, the anniversary of the day they met. They were spending it in New York City.

Actually, they were spending it above New York City.

That day, they had traveled from Chicago to Paris, from Jamaica to Hawaii, and everywhere in between.

Her name was Lois, and she was one of the greatest investigative reporters the world had ever seen. His name was Clark, and he was a part-time superhero.

They were madly in love.

There was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked. “Tell me. Just say the word, and I'll take you there. Put me to the test.”

“Is it true,” Lois asked, “that I'll be safe with you, no matter where we go?”

“Of course!”

“I want to see the inside of a volcano.”

Within seconds, they were hovering above a lava flow inside a volcano in Hawaii.

“Is that the best you've got?” she asked.

“I tell you what. Fly me to the moon.”

“Okay,” he said. “But I need to build up enough speed to break Earth's gravity.”

He flew around the world, reaching a speed of 25,000 mph. Then, with Lois safely in his arms, he shot into outer space.

Looking down, she could see the beautiful blue ball known as Earth. It was the most breathtaking view she had ever seen. In Clark's presence, she noticed that although she couldn't breathe, she was still fine.

Somehow, they could still communicate.

How? she thought. Can you read my mind?

“Yes, I can,” Clark said. “And here we are. The Moon.”

The sight of the Moon was just as beautiful as the Earth. Flying above its surface was like nothing she had ever experienced.

It's beautiful, she thought. Thanks. Thanks so much. I'll never forget this.

“The night is still young,” Clark said. “Where else would you like to go?”

“I'd love to play amongst the stars.”

“The stars? I know exactly where to take you.”

He flew at top speed, moving faster than the speed of light. Before long, they arrived at Alpha Centauri, a system of three stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri, the closest of the three to Earth.

“Check it out,” he said. “Our next-door neighbors.”

From there, they flew to an orbiting planet known as Proxima b.

The people there seemed to know him. They cheered as the two flew by.

“He's back!” somebody shouted. “And he has a girl with him! Come join us.”

“Maybe next time,” Clark called back. “It's our anniversary.”

Looking at Lois, he said, “The day isn't over. Where else would you like to go?”

“You know, I always did want to know what spring is like on Jupiter. Or maybe even Mars.”

Flying back into space, Clark headed toward the Solar System.

“Jupiter, straight ahead.”

As they entered Jupiter's atmosphere, Lois noticed there was no place to land.

They didn't call it a gas giant for nothing.

“It's still beautiful,” Lois said. “I'm having a great time. The greatest time of my entire life. Not because of the wonderful places I've been or the amazing things I've seen, but because I'm spending it with you.”

“And I'm not finished yet.”

As they continued to fly, he said, “The Red Planet is next.”

Before they reached Mars, a ship approached them from the planet.

“Oh! It's you, Clark,” said the Martian. “Did you ever give that—”

“No!” Clark quickly interrupted. “That war is still being fought.”

Lois could tell that he was hiding something, but she didn't care.

She was having the greatest time of her life.

Later, as they flew back toward Earth, their bodies cast a shadow in the moonlight. Clark reached into his suit and pulled out a ring set with a stone found nowhere on Earth.

“Lois,” he said, “will you marry me?”

“Oh, Clark! Yes! Yes, I will marry you.”

He slipped the ring onto her finger.

Lois looked at it, then at him.

“You really are a super man.”