SPACEBORN TO EARTH

Dizzying spirals of light glowed blue and silver through the cruiser’s side windows, dappling the wrinkled faces of its passengers. In the soft glow, they all looked eager, waiting with bated breath to catch a glimpse of Planet Earth, their home. 

Kira couldn’t relate. 

She studied her fellow travelers, carefully keeping her focus shallow to avoid the viewports. Older than her by earth-decades, their creased faces practically glowed with their excitement. Theirs was the first generation to colonize Moon Europa, turning the four-hundred-person colony into a thriving, growing mining settlement. Now, they were returning to Earth to enjoy their well-deserved retirement in fine accommodations and acclaim from the homeworld population. 

Then there was Kira. Twenty earth-years old, small even for a spaceborn, she gripped her green inhaler tightly in her fist. The hard plastic would leave ridges in her skin, but the pressure was the only thing keeping her from breaking down entirely. The earth-months aboard the cruiser had dragged by, leaving her more anxious with each passing day. Behind her on Europa, she left her parents, her little brother Keane, and her Havanese dog, Spark. The only familiar thing on this whole blasted cruiser was--

“Alright, Kiki?” 

Kira swallowed the tightness in her chest and turned to face Gran. Opening her mouth to speak, she realized she didn’t know what to say and shrugged instead. 

Her grandmother reached over their seats’ armrest and placed a dark, wrinkled hand on hers. With her wiry strength still apparent through her thickened joints, her hands painted a picture of the hard work that had gone into making the Europa colony livable. 

“You nervous to go home?” Gran asked softly. 

“It’s not home,” Kira bit back reflexively, then winced. “Not for me, at least,” she amended. “Not—not yet.” 

“But it will be.” Gran patted her hand gently. “Just think of all you’ll be able to do here that you couldn’t on Europa.” 

Kira tipped her chin in half-hearted agreement. 

Below them, the floor abruptly shuddered as the engines changed pitch. Kira's breath caught in her throat. Reflexively, she shook her inhaler, popped the cap, took as deep a breath as she could manage, released it, tilted her head back, and inhaled her dose. Closing her eyes, she held her breath and counted in her head. She made it to ten seconds before having to breathe again, relaxing slightly as the medicine took effect. 

A wave of bitter frustration washed over her as she lowered the inhaler to her lap again. If it wasn’t for her asthma, she could have stayed with her family instead of leaving her family, her friends—her home—but the lower oxygen percentage of the settlement prevented her from living a full life and contributing to the community in any meaningful way. The slightest exertion was enough to trigger coughing fits and breathlessness. With all the marvels of modern medicine, no one had figured out how to manage asthma in space, and the dearth of qualified doctors in the community made it impossible to begin any kind of research. 

Despite her young age, the settlement’s leaders had decided to send her back with those going into retirement. 

Although the decision hurt, Kira knew they had made the right decision. There was no space or food on Europa for someone who couldn’t pull their weight, and the last thing she wanted was to watch those she loved work themselves to the bone to cover her share. On Earth, with its comparatively rich oxygen environment, she could live a fairly normal life. For the first time, she would be able to keep up with others her age. She could work a job, or study at university. If treatment went well, she might even learn a sport. Tennis had always fascinated her, and she couldn’t deny that the opportunity to try it excited her. 

Still, her heart ached at leaving behind all she knew. Reaching into her slim backpack, she pulled out the framed photo her family had insisted they take before she left. Her parents had their arms around each other, their smiles warm and comforting. Beside them, Keane was smiling angelically, his left hand on Kira’s shoulder—and his right hand giving their mother bunny ears. She’d been furious, especially when their camera had died right after the photo was taken. Waiting in the port for the cruiser to begin boarding, there had been no time to find another battery pack. 

Rubbing a finger over the photo, Kira studied the glassiness in her eyes, matched by a similar shine in her mother’s eyes. They had both been near tears for weeks leading up to the departure, but at the time of the picture, Kira had been more excited than sad. Despite the agony of leaving, the planning and the packing had her imagining all the new activities she could try, the new opportunities she’d have. Only when the cruiser lifted off did she truly realize how much she was leaving behind. 

For the rest of the flight, with each lightyear that zipped by, the ache in her chest had grown increasingly stronger, for once having little to do with the oxygen in the air. There was no doubt that leaving was the right thing to do, but why did the right thing have to hurt so badly? 

“You know what snakes are?” 

Her Gran’s words were so unexpected that Kira could only blink blankly for a moment before she found her words. “Like... like on Earth?”

“Yes, like on Earth. The legless reptiles.” 

Kira nodded slowly, wondering if Gran was just trying to distract her. When she studied her more closely, however, she recognized the gleam in the old woman's eyes. Her gran was making a point, and, as her mother would often declare in her cheerful southern accent, "Ain't nothin' under the sun that can stand in your gran's way when she's got a point to prove." 

As if prompted by her thoughts, her gran continued, “You know that snakes shed their skins when they grow?” 

“Maybe.” Kira swallowed a cough, knowing that allowing it to erupt would only lead to more. ”It’s—ahem—it’s been a few years since I took biology, Gran.” 

Her grandmother patted her hand. “Of course, dear.” She cleared her throat, her short gray curls bouncing around her face. “This here's what I want you to understand: when the snakes get too big for their skins, they have to shed them. They're pretty vulnerable without that outer layer, so the whole process can be scary and uncomfortable for them. As a result, however, they get a new, beautiful, stretchy skin that gives them more room to grow.” She leaned in, her dark brown eyes staring deep into Kira’s. “You’ve outgrown your old skin, Kiki-girl. You need more room to grow, and Earth will give you that. I'm sure the process will still be uncomfortable for you, so you need to give yourself space to be stressed and anxious. That’s all normal. You don’t have to be happy about this. But I want to remind you—and I want you to remind yourself—that this is a good thing. This'll give you a future that you otherwise wouldn’t have. Feel sad, but don’t get stuck on what you can't change. Alright?” 

Kira blinked back tears, managing a soft, “Yes, ma’am.” 

Squeezing her hand, Gran settled back in her seat. “Who knows?” she mused, staring out the window to their left. “Maybe you’ll go to medical school and develop a cure for asthma.” 

A light dawned in Kira’s mind as she realized what her grandmother had just handed her: a way to return someday, and a purpose to pursue until that day arrived. Distracted, the tears she’d been suppressing began to run down her cheeks, but she didn’t care now. Like a movie reel, images played through her mind of her future. She would get her degree, do whatever it took to partner with the best, and do the research that would not only enable her to return to the moon that she loved but also to help other spaceborn who otherwise would have to leave their homes, too. 

Sniffing, she dashed the tears from her eyes as the spacecraft rattled beneath them, vibrating as it decelerated. 

A mechanized voice rumbled over the intercom. “Earth in sight. Please ensure your safety belts are fastened and your personal items are stowed.” 

Kira nudged her backpack under the seat in front of her and took a deep breath. The light from the window had turned to molten gold as the light of the Sun blazed in. Squinting, marveling at its brightness, Kira braced herself. Then, slowly, she turned her head to look out the window beside Gran. 

Directly outside, the swirling blue, green, and white of Planet Earth shimmered through the atmosphere. Its beauty was undeniable, even if it was a world apart from Europa’s red and gray shell. 

Breathing in slowly, tasting the salty tears that had run onto her lips, Kira closed her eyes and pictured her home moon one more time. “Until next time,” she murmured, fingers rubbing her family’s photo one last time before tucking it into her bag. Straightening, she turned her head to gaze out the window as the spacecraft began to descend into the atmosphere. 

As reentry sent a red, fiery glow into the windows, Kira felt a matching warmth well up in her chest. It would hurt, growing accustomed to this new home, this bigger skin, but it would allow her to grow into the person she was meant to become. 

Reaching over, she squeezed Gran’s hand. “Thanks, Gran.” 

Her Gran smiled at her. “Anytime, spaceborn.”