‘SEE YOU MORNING’ 105 Homecoming

As speed and altitude gradually decreased, the San Jacinto transitioned fully to deceleration and gravity compensation via its plasma propulsion engines. She followed the Martian equator, descending steadily, and ahead lay the scar of Mars, Valles Marineris—half of its arid cliffs illuminated by the feeble sunlight, the other half swallowed by its own shadow.
Lübeck stood on the bridge, watching the visual feedback of the mothership’s altitude and speed changes. He ached to pilot the ship himself; he loved flying anything, whether planes or spacecraft, but he also needed to give his crew the chance to familiarize themselves with their respective station operations.
The operation was smooth, and the spacecraft flew strictly along the pre-set trajectory. Lübeck still had moments to zone out as he alternated between checking data and visual feedback. After lunch today, he had told Brittany which medical station on board offered the best view of the entire landing process, and he wondered if she and her friends had gone there as he suggested. Gazing at the sunset-lit canyon, the wild red cliffs weathered by eons of time, Lübeck wished more than anything that he could share this moment with his only partner, Brittany.
Ahead of the descent trajectory lay Hermes Base, located in Coprates Chasma in the eastern part of Valles Marineris. There, a large portal had been built into the canyon cliffs, and the San Jacinto was to dock there to await official deployment.
There was little light left in the canyon. The massive hull of the aerospace carrier had already dipped below the surface, yet even in the kilometer-deep canyon, it appeared somewhat small and lonely—like a child returning home, having seen the world outside, only to remember the memories of their former home and the path back to it.
Hermes Base was entirely carved into the steep basalt cliffs of the canyon, which provided the structural foundation for the portal’s spatial framework. All other supporting base facilities served auxiliary functions aligned with this primary purpose.
As the hovering San Jacinto drew closer to the cliffs, it adopted a strategy of increasing anti-gravity engine output while reducing plasma thruster jets to use them solely for attitude control. A colossal behemoth slowly approached the portal’s docking bay on the cliff face. The base lights illuminated her metallic bow; fortunately, she did not require a hangar, for in the universes they would be teleported to, there was no such thing as front or back.
Accompanied by the roar of plasma propulsion jets and the low-frequency vibration of the anti-gravity field, the San Jacinto entered the portal bay in a near-hovering state.
When the aerospace carrier finally docked smoothly in its berth, cheers erupted from both the ship and the base. But it was only a brief meeting and handover; having spent far too long in that enclosed space, the crew could not wait to enter the base facilities, finally feeling solid ground beneath their feet again.
Soon, the disembarkation corridors and halls went from empty to teeming with people. Brittany and her unit also made their way down the corridor together. The heavy equipment on her back, the swaying luggage in front of her, and the narrow, bumpy corridor made her slightly slender figure stagger as she was swept along by the crowd.
The crowd surged before her, a sea of shifting backs. But through a gap in the throng, Brittany spotted the familiar figure at once, standing still against the backdrop of the crowd. His navy blue woolen coat and white peaked cap made him look like a rock standing firm in the churning waves, unshakable, as if waiting through the passage of time by fate’s decree.
“Lübeck,” Brittany called his name, rushing toward him.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Lübeck said, taking her backpack off her shoulders.
“Oh, look, Bri’s home first,” the medical staff traveling with them teased the two before they could even say more.
“Bri, how did you land yourself a sugar daddy?”
“Hahahaha,” everyone laughed.
Brittany was wrapped in Lübeck’s arms, looking back and grinning as her colleagues walked past. Lübeck also smiled and nodded at them in greeting.
“Why did they say that?” Lübeck whispered in Brittany’s ear.
She turned back to look at him and said,
“I told them you once reversed your age.”
“Oh, do you talk about me often?”
Brittany wrapped her arms around his back and swayed slightly in his embrace.
“Why do you care what they say? You can only think about me.”
“Mm, okay,” Lübeck said, slinging Brittany’s backpack over one shoulder and putting his arm around her waist. They headed first to his quarters, then planned to relax and enjoy themselves around the base.
Hermes Base was the only Martian base equipped with a portal for aerospace carriers, providing the capability for carrier-scale military assets to be deployed across space and time. As such, its supporting facilities and services were the most luxurious and comprehensive, designed to meet the needs of space crews before their deployments. However, due to construction cost considerations, all living facilities were located on the surface, requiring an elevator ride to reach.
Before leaving Mars too far behind, the ship’s day-night cycle was synchronized with that of the Martian base. It was now evening, perfect for dinner. Lübeck and Brittany headed to the dining district of the base’s commercial street.
Along the side of a small block stood buildings of various styles, including Nordic, British, and Mediterranean.
As they walked and looked around, Lübeck asked softly,
“What would you like to eat?”
“I don’t know, you choose.”
“Then let me treat you to a taste of my hometown,” Lübeck said, leading her into a restaurant with beer samples displayed at the entrance.
There were so many specialty restaurants here that none were particularly crowded. The bar was directly opposite the entrance, with simple natural wooden tables and chairs on either side. The long tables were covered with red and blue checkered tablecloths. The two chose a window seat; Lübeck had Brittany sit by the window, and he sat beside her on the aisle side.
He browsed the menu with her and was delighted to find fish burgers, a specialty of his hometown, on the list. He ordered one for her to try. At some point, Lübeck had begun wanting to introduce Brittany to everything about himself, including his past life experiences.
After ordering, he looked at Brittany. The pale green patterned glass of the window blurred the street scene outside, turning passersby into floating patches of color drifting past. This blurred background only made Brittany’s delicate features stand out more.
“What’s wrong?” Brittany asked with a smile, though she knew perfectly well, she wanted to hear him say it himself.
Lübeck did not answer. He gently tilted her chin up with his hand and kissed her lips.
Brittany smiled and said nothing more, their eyes meeting in tender sweetness.
Pedestrians passed by on the street outside the restaurant, no one noticing the two figures by the window—drawing close, then pulling apart, speaking, listening, feeding each other food in joy, and clinking glasses in warmth.
When they walked out the front door of the restaurant, Lübeck was carrying a case of beer. Brittany wanted to drink with him, but she did not want to get drunk in public—what a good girl.
As a senior officer, Lübeck’s quarters were on the upper ground floor and featured a panoramic skylight, which, of course, could not be opened. The two sat on lounge chairs, sipping German beer and admiring the Martian starry sky. In this moment, the galaxy in their eyes and the fragrance in their mouths seemed to merge perfectly. The light of life from the stars had grown crops on the earth, which had been aged into wine over time. And now, that same wine was stirring the hearts of both of them.
When the ship landed and they were living on solid ground again, with a sense of security restored, people naturally gravitated toward ordinary life.
“Eri, we’ve finished all the beer,” Brittany said softly, stopping their stargazing chat and setting her glass aside.
Lübeck discovered that she could hold her liquor even better than he could. Even in the dim starlight, he could see her flushed cheeks. He reached out and touched them—they were warm, reminding him of the rosy glow of a nebula.
“You look like the Rosette Nebula,” he whispered.
“What?” Brittany asked, confused.
“I mean, your cheeks are flushed pink, just like the Rosette Nebula.”
Brittany laughed. Being praised by one’s lover is always wonderful, no matter what the praise is.
“Then, am I your rose?”
“Yes, my pink rose,” Lübeck said, kissing her lips. Her cheeks were warm.
Brittany said nothing, only responding to his kisses and caresses, savoring the moment of being admired and cherished by her lover.
As Lübeck pulled her into his arms, it felt like the searing heat across the galaxy, waiting for its long-voyaged ship to return home.