Circinus

Dani stared at the red soil distorted by the layers of UV protection of the dome. The landscape looked reddish brown, but on the other side would be orange-red. They tugged their thermal suit around their shoulders and zipped the front up, closing it carefully around a heart shaped locket containing a cropped photo of their child, Corvus, from when she was nearly twelve. Her pronūntiera was scheduled for next month, and she’d already decided which pronouns she was most comfortable with.

Dani took a couple of nutribars and aqua packs from the bare table, placed them in her backpack, and left the modest apartment issued by the engineering company responsible for Dome Circinus. The burnt orange hallway was chipped in places and stained near the floor. Dani walked past door after door, toward Environment Control. Some doors along the hall were ajar, but it was mostly quiet. Out of the corner of their eye they occasionally saw the odd figure or two standing in the doorway. Dani’s chest clenched, uncomfortable with the attention, so they continued walking, looking ahead.

Last night, the halls had been filled with laughter, music, and community until the early morning hours. They passed one apartment that still partied, defiantly resisting the new day. An old song from Earth, before the New Ice Age, escaped the open door. Dani was tired, their eyelids heavy, but energy coursed through their body. Today was an important day at work. They’d signed on for a huge project, and today it would be completed. The Traverse Pod door slid open, and they thought of Corvus’ smile.

She’d smiled all day when Dani received their Enviro Engineer certification. Very few engineers were accepted into the program, and Dani had worked all hours, picking up extra shifts and studying whenever possible, to be accepted.

They remembered thinking that they had their work cut out for them the day they started in Enviro. There were upgrades due to be installed in the dome and algae treatment system. Dani and two other engineers had been promoted last year for the workload. The current treatment system was old, from when the Dome was first built, and the new one would increase oxygen production by fifteen percent. Other wealthier domes had upgraded their systems already, so it was long overdue.

Dani exited the pod, entering a large central atrium. It was where all Traverse Pods met, and during regular working and school hours was filled with voices and bodies rushing around or socializing. High above Dani was the top of the Dome, the star filled sky above it. The spaceport would be visible soon too. The big clock in the atrium showed 03:23. The horizon would remain dark for another couple of hours. A couple of people, who couldn’t be more than 20, were laying in the middle of the atrium looking up at the sky. Beside them were bottles, most likely previously containing alcohol.

Scraps of paper, a t-shirt, and a toy littered the ground. The atrium looked worse for wear, and someone had tagged a wall with red paint.

Capitalism thrives. Circinus dies.

Dani clutched the strap of their bag tightly, then walked to the Enviro Sector Traverse Pod and pushed the call button. They kept their gaze straight ahead.

“Hey.” One of the young people was sitting up, looking at Dani. Dani looked back. The young person pointed at the graffiti, then tapped their temple and patted their chest, a gesture that had become commonly exchanged among people who wanted government reform. It meant ‘know your heart’.

The Pod dinged, and the door slid open, but Dani lingered for just a moment before stepping in. They pushed the button labeled ‘Control’, and the Pod hummed as it accelerated. Despite the smooth ride, Dani felt queasy. They touched the heart shaped locket through the fabric of their suit, gaining strength from Corvus. The doors slid open suddenly, surprising Dani, and standing on the other side was Callisto, another Enviro Engineer. She stood still, watching and waiting for Dani.

“Morning.” Dani spoke softly and awkwardly glanced down at their white mag boots.

“Morning.” Callisto’s greeting was filled with disappointment and a sense of finality. It was her last day on the job, and Dani didn’t know what to say that could comfort her. Clearly, Callisto didn’t either because after a long silence she turned and walked towards the Enviro Control center. Dani inhaled quietly, as if the sound of oxygen entering their lungs would be offensive to Callisto, and followed. The ground felt brittle despite being firm.

Callisto entered through a doorway to a big room with screens and computers, and went straight to a central panel. Dani paused, running their fingers over the plaque next to the doorway that marked what room it was. They’d done the same on their first day, so it seemed only right to do the same on their last.

As they walked up behind Callisto, Dani noticed she was wearing Mars opal earrings, and her hair looked freshly done. Wearing jewelry to work was against safety regulations, so they were both rebelling in some small way. Callisto looked back at Dani, waiting. On the holoscreen was a real-time video of them, waiting to go live and connect with MASA Corp. Dani approached, stepping lightly but feeling the weight of every step. They weren’t a small person, broad shoulders and muscular arms from hard labor, but as they stood looking at their image they thought how small the person reflected back looked.

Callisto stared at her own image, still and stiff. Her expression was like stone except for the slight pucker under her mouth. Dani had seen that pucker on Corvus’ face many times before when she was sad. Dani had to look away, a knot forming in their throat. Callisto must have noticed because she cleared her throat, loosening her own knot.

“Ready?” Her voice cracked slightly. Dani pressed their tongue to the back of their teeth and shook their head slightly, then inhaled deeply and nodded. Callisto reached out to tap the big blue button that said ‘START CALL’, but hesitated. Dani waited patiently. When she was ready, Callisto tapped it. A person with a tight blonde bun and headset appeared on the screen almost immediately after.

“Good morning Circinus. I’m Cameron Bauer, she-her, and I’ll be commanding this mission. Please state your full names and titles for authorization.” She spoke as if this were any other day to her.

“Callisto Marcus Byrne, she-her. Environmental Engineer Six.” Callisto spoke clearly and confidently.

“Accepted. Next.”

“Dani Lee Ann Silva, they-them. Environmental Engineer Nine.”

“Accepted. Please initiate Dome Decommission procedure. Sending authorization codes now.” She tapped on her screen a couple of times, and a series of familiar words appeared on Dani’s personal tablet built into their sleeve.

Alpha. Whiskey. Hornet. Moon.

“Acknowledged.”

“Received.” Those four words were burned into Dani’s mind, and forever would be.

“Repeat back to me.” Cameron said, following the methodical step-by-step process of shutting down Circinus.

“Peak. Foxtrot. Comet. Tango.” Dani recognized the tension in Callisto’s voice, though Cameron did not.

“Accepted. Next.”

“Alpha. Whiskey. Hornet. Moon.”

“Accepted. Sending shutdown codes now. Please confirm when the decommission program has begun.” Cameron tapped a few more times on her end, and Dani received an eight digit code. Callisto also looked at her arm. She reached out to the central console to enter the code, but hesitated and looked at Dani. She nodded slightly, and Dani’s chest tightened. Dani reached for the central console too.

“Together.” Callisto smiled, masking her pain. “One, two, three.” They both entered their codes, and hit enter. The screen changed slightly. Their keyboards and cursors disappeared from the screen. Every other screen in the room and, Dani knew, throughout the Dome did the same. They were officially locked out. Callisto and Dani looked at each other again, but Callisto was no longer able to keep her composure. Her eyes were filling with tears, and her chin quivered slightly.

“Report?” Cameron asked, unaware of or unconcerned with what was happening on the other side of the screen. Callisto’s chest shuddered slightly and she turned her face downward, so Dani spoke up.

“The shutdown program has been initiated.”

“Acknowledged. Please make your way to Dock One. Commander Tsuda and his ship will wait up to twenty minutes, so don’t detour. Have a safe flight.” Cameron smiled pleasantly, and the call ended.

Callisto sobbed loudly, and Dani felt tears pour down their own face. After about a minute, Callisto wiped her cheeks and forced a smile.

“You better get going.” She gestured towards the door. Dani felt the tension rise like a geyser through their body.

“What do you mean? We only have twenty minutes. We should go.” Dani reached for her, but Callisto pulled away.

“You made a deal, right?” Hesitantly, Dani nodded. “I did too, only I had to make two of them. My husband and my-” emotion choked her words. “My baby… they’re almost four.” Dani’s face crumpled and they had to turn away. They breathed deeply, packing the emotions back down. When they turned back Callisto was smiling sadly again but couldn’t hold it.

“Go. Your daughter needs you.”

“It has been-” Dani sobbed, their emotions seeped through cracks. They had to pause before trying again. “It has been an honor to serve with you.”

Callisto smiled, and then tapped her temple and patted her chest. Dani returned the gesture, lingered one final moment, and then turned on their heels and left the Enviro Control Center. They walked down the hall to the glass bridge that crossed above Circinus Park. About halfway across Dani realized that below was a group of thirty or so people. It was the majority of those who were about to be left behind due to lack of money or who were mortally ill.

Dani stopped in their tracks. Many were crying. They were sad, scared, and angry. A few smiled kind smiles, seeing Dani off with compassion. It was those who first tapped their temples twice and patted their chests before raising their fists into the air. Slowly everyone else followed suit. Dani clenched their fists so tight that their nails dug painfully into their palms. MASA Corp knew it was leaving people behind, but, because Circinus was in poverty and had many unregistered residents, they didn’t care.

Dani unclenched their right hand, tapped their temple twice, patted their chest, and raised a fist to the sky. They stood, arm raised, for what felt like the longest moment as time slowed, then turned and continued across the bridge. Before they knew it they were at the dock, being whisked onboard, scolded for taking so long, and buckled in. The port shuttle doors sealed with a hiss, and moments later the spacecraft shook as it took off from the ground.

Dani looked out the window back at Circinus. Part of the dome had collapsed almost a month before. The Education Sector had been needing upgrades for quite some time, but due to a lack of funds never received them. The collapse threatened the integrity of the rest of the dome, so MASA Corp decided to decommission it.

Nearly a hundred families had lived in Circinus. Many were now displaced, able only to afford to leave. Some had family in other domes. A few had enough money to move to a new home.

Dani and Corvus would have been with those left behind if MASA Corp hadn’t offered the deal. Corvus was waiting on the Space Port, and once Dani could hold her safely in their arms, they would travel to a new dome where Dani would start a new job.

Their lives would continue, but Dani would tell Corvus and others about Circinus. They would tell everyone about the people, about MASA Corp, and about Callisto’s courage and sacrifice.

They tapped their temple and patted their chest, touching the heart shaped locket.