Gold Glory

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. For my fifteen-year-old daughter, slightly taller than me at five feet eleven inches and hazelnut colored skin like mine, she enjoyed being in my former commander’s quarters because it provided her the sight of the lunar landscape.

The sole place for her imagination to be sparked and lit aflame, she knew what she was doing. I watched her look at her tablet then outside at the grayish-white desolation. Captivated, she whistled softly and vocalized some tune she had heard back on Earth or the Internet station up here. I just knew she was fully engaged in her work and that she didn’t even allow me in my own room to walk about the area.

“Danya,” I called. She picked up her head.

“Yes, Dad?”

“We’re going outside.”

“No, we’re not Harland,” she replied.

“You know better than to call me by my first name, Danya Willikens. Come with me.” I asserted.

“No.”

“C’mon. I’ve got your spacesuit and everything ready for you.”

“As you know, the radiation levels are significantly greater here than on that blue rock.”

“It’s perfectly safe. You have nothing to worry about. The surface is totally safe for human exploration,” I explained to her.

She looked at me like I had completely lost my mind.

“No way, Papa. I shouldn’t even let you go out there but you’re so gung ho about it.”

“And you can be, too. There is actually a tunnel constructed by previous astronauts made from moon rock that will block us from the harmful rays,” I reasoned with her.

She looked down at her tablet and had a moment of curiosity. I saw it as her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“You think we can find different samples to bring back to the lab?”

“Of course, babygirl.”

Danya shrugged. “Okay, I’ll go out there but if I even sense that I’m being attacked by the sun, we’re turning around.”

“Deal,” I said.

We walked over to the preparation room. This room showcased tools, extra suits tailor made for us, and the emergency kits and extra food and supplies just in case we needed them.

The suits looked like gold ingots. They shimmered in the light with all their gold glory.

“As you already know….”

“The layers of gold play a significant role in protecting the wearer from radiation,” she finished my thought.

“Exactly. Again, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Your master’s degree in biochemistry sure is paying off, Dad,” Danya mentioned.

“As long as I’m up here, I’ll use whatever I can to ensure your safety and overall well-being,” I told her.

We donned our suits and secured them. We checked each other over for any lapses in our ability to keep one another safe from the elements. It was like two green one hundred percent ratings hovered over our heads.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked.

“I don’t have too much of a choice now.”

“Remember, this is a mission from the Fossil Forever Initiative. Anything we can use that can be refined into energy will net us…well we’ll be handsomely rewarded.”

“You’ll be rewarded, Dad,” Danya retorted with droll.

“Well, you’ll reap the benefits of whatever I get,” I smirked behind my visor. Then, I opened the hatch. The sound of the door opening was like fetters falling to the ground. I checked to see if I had the wireless entry component attached to me. I did. Once we left, the lights went out to preserve power.

Danya showed a bit of hesitation but nonetheless, moved in a manner of confidence. She stepped with assurance the rest of the way.

“When I first traversed this terrain, I didn’t know what to expect either. Those suits were not as advanced as these, either,” I pointed out.

“How far away is the tunnel?”

“Relax, relax. We’re within a quarter of a mile from it,” I said consulting my navigational system.

Danya checked her own. “I kind of don’t want to be out here right now, Harland. To be honest….” she admitted.

“There you go with the first name….We’re almost there. it will be something for you to document on your vlog. How’s that sound?” I asked.

“Like we should be turning around.”

“I don’t get this from you. First you don’t want to go, then you do, and we’re already out here. I want you to make up your mind young lady.”

“Look! Is that the tunnel?” She asked.

“It is. Good eye.”

We marched forward through the rocky surface looking like giant statuettes from an award show. I checked the time. We had been gone for almost an hour.

“Do you want to rest?”

“I do.”

We sat down with our legs crossed.

“I didn’t bring you out here to scare you, not even to build your confidence. I wanted our father-daughter connection to grow even tighter.”

“I hear you talking, Har—Dad. I’m just focused on my schooling and what career I want. I am aiming to be CEO of the Fossil Forever Initiative.”

I weighed the idea in my mind. “That’s a lofty goal. Are you prepared?”

“For the onslaught? The screeching hippies and treehuggers who claim they want to save the snails and the whales but don't actually give a damn about Nature. They blame man because humans have flourished and become ready to employ sustainable and reliable energy,” she argued.

“That’s quite a statement. I’m impressed,” I conceded. “I’ll make sure that the application goes through the proper channels.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, you have more than enough credentials than most kids your age. You’re on the moon!”

She giggled. We got back up and reached the tunnel. We took off our helmets and looked at the dazzling array of data processed by the computer bay in the tunnel. It looked like a well lit café indoors.

We received alerts that another lander had reached the surface.

“Okay,” Danya said.

The hatch opened and two figures entered. They also removed their helmets and featured the same complexion as ours.

“I’m Captain Willikins,” I said, extending my hand to shake.

“Captain Gullars,” the man had a firm grip and looked me square in the eyes. “This is Gimble, he’s sixteen.”

“I’m glad you’re here. My Danya is a year younger,” I divulge.

“I hate to have to break this to you but your mission is secured by the United States government.”

My heart raced and I saw vitality drain from my daughter’s eyes.

“We’re from the Climate Preservation Agency. You’re not going to be arrested if you cooperate.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, sir. I’m just following orders.”

“My orders say I stay on this lunar surface with my daughter as we collect samples and….”

“Your module has been secured.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Look at your navigational devices,” Captain Gullars replied.

I looked down and saw a throbbing red circled over our living quarters.

“You will have a chance to pack all of your belongings and take—”

“Goddamnit! Listen to me. I’m not taking my daughter back to get our things. We have just as much of a right to be up here as you. Gullars, we are leaving here.”

During this whole exchange of words, Gimble had been staring at Danya. She had been writing code to override the system.

“C’mon, Dad! She’s messing with the system!”

I shielded her from both of their assaults. I employed defensive martial arts that brought them both to their knees. I ran to my daughter who stood at the hatch. I sealed it with my device.

“With the code I put in, they will be blocked from exiting at all. Those rations won’t last long. There'll be someone up here to come after them. Let’s get to our module.”

We sported our helmets and attempted to move with as much agility as the moon allowed. Danya trailed me and I picked her up and carried her across the surface. We reached the module. The “securing” units were just three drones. I knocked them out of the sky with a laser beam which caused them to crash into each other. We went inside and took off our helmets. We decompressed. We both hung up our suits and changed into thermal gear and blue jeans and red tops.

“I claim self-defense in all of this,” I said.

“You fought them off and held me in your hands…I don’t care what they call it. I will call you, Father.” I took that in my mind and it resonated for a long time.