“Spring Is Lovely This Time of Year”

For the following challenge (not one of my best, but still...):

Day One:

“War to be confirmed; major urban centers cleared; leaders declare martial law; chaos ensues.”

We got the message at the exact same time. That was the last official message on our shared feed, but I was the first one to understand what was happening. He had to have his translated as it bounced off of our sensors. I was up early that day, and had somehow managed to remain optimistic as I looked for coffee. Dimitri would join me in our rounds after he saw the message (I could hear the electronics in his room). And then I looked out the main window.

No matter how long you spend in space, it still sends me into my childhood. The view from I.S.S. is glorious, and it reminds me of the first photos I ever saw from outer space…and every movie that I ever watched where they got the science wrong, but kept all of the magic. It was a sunrise hovering over Africa as I sat down and had some processed and freeze-dried mush.

And now we were throwing it all away.

“You read the feed?”

He was at my back, and I turned to see him staring out at the sun and our home. Even now, he was ready to work with his uniform and clipboard in hand. It was time to check on the condition of the ship, but I was beginning to wonder why.

“Had to. Signal came up and woke me up.”

We had read about the flare-ups and heard the speeches and threats. And there had been rumours of an escalating war for a very long time now. The fact that our own countries had agreed to send the both of us up here for several months was a small miracle (a last-chance gesture of diplomacy?). Maybe.

It could have worked.

“So, what happens now?” He needed his coffee, too.

“Now? We just…work.”

He stirred his drink, not looking at me.

“Our countries are at war...probably, not us.”

“Right.” He stared out of the window again. The glare was growing a bit, and the screen automatically darkened. “We have a job to do.”

“And we are doing it well.”

And then he smiled, but I could see that there was something missing there. The old warmth was gone.

“I’ll start the rounds.”

I could not blame him. We were the last ones left in charge and we had done good work up there. I stared at his back and wondered if he knew. I wondered what he received in his room.

On my phone, there was only one text from the government, besides the messages from my wife that was the only family number allowed:

“Spring is lovely this time of year.”

Strange to think of it, but that was the most important message I would receive that day. It was not a compliment on the time of year. It had nothing to do with the season, either (it was late August).

I had just received an order.

I had to kill Dimitri.

*

Day 4:

A four-day gap might seem strange, but you’ve got to forgive me. I was not in the best of health.

Nosebleeds and nausea were taking over. I was trying to self-diagnose and nothing in my training clicked. Was it all psychological?

Dimitri was no help.

“What the hell…?”

He looked no better than me. He was working extra hard in the lower decks and I rarely saw him unless we were both in the kitchen.

But there was something worth reporting.

“It’s so…lovely.”

I almost choked on my pills. We were both eating our evening meals and he caught me out cold.

“What’s…?”

“Up here. The view. It’s still so lovely.”

I had to say something but said nothing. I could feel blood on my lips.

“You really need to…”

“I’ll be in my room.”

That couldn’t be a coincidence, right? Dimitri talking about how “lovely” things are and that message on my phone. We were told that we were not to share our devices no matter what and I knew that communication between both our governments and the station was cut off (no electronic hums were heard to indicate his screen was working). My stomach was in knots, besides the nausea. I could not even talk to my wife now.

Did he know my plan?

Fine, I thought.

But I had another plan.

*

Day 7:

Well, Dimitri isn’t talking to me now. I have just told him about how we should try to keep to ourselves until the government gives us some solid news, and he got offended by it. He even said that we should try not to run into each other when we had to do our rounds and I said fine and he went off and I have not seen him for the last seven hours.

Nausea’s gone and I’m not losing any blood now.

But Dimitri is not looking any better.

It ain’t me, but I am beginning to think he wants me to believe that he is innocent in all this.

I think that this might just be a test. Something psychological and emotional to see how long we can last.

Well, it’s been one week since this all started and I feel so much better. I’m so better now. So better than before.

*

Day 10:

I will have to be much more detailed in this particular entry.

Dimitri is no longer making the rounds. I have no way to prove this conclusively, but the areas that he usually analyzes have shown up on the trouble-shooting equipment that we share. I have heard him in the kitchen and in his room, but I think that he was to just be on his own and not bother with his responsibilities. I am making a full report on this when we return.

And I know that he is doing something to the food, too.

I can taste it without tasting it.

No word on that either.

And I have not completed my duties.

Spring will have to wait.

Oh, one final note: it must have been a trick of the eye, but I could swear that there was another crew member on board. It was too short to be Dimitri, but it was definitely something wearing the gear of what I can assume was another cosmonaut. Or was that one of ours? How would they hide like that and not be noticed?

I will investigate.

*

Day 12:

Her name is Laura and she claims she has been onboard this whole time.

Dimitri has confirmed that he sees her, too. I made him look and he said that he must have missed her when doing the rounds.

I will need to report this...I think.

We really do not know what to think and we are happy to have someone else on the station.

No word from ground control on this.

I think she likes me.

*

Day 15:

Laura has a plan, too.

My nosebleeds have returned, and Dimitri looks like death. I did not give him much, so he should still feel all right. I have to test him on this.

No matter what he eats, he seems to be getting thinner and thinner. It might be inevitable that we have to stay up here, but at least we have her.

Interesting thing is that she can speak both of our languages, and we have decided to…share her. No conflict over this, either. When beggars cannot be choosy…

She has just left me and I feel very lightheaded and happy.

Things are better.

It will be lovely, too.

Soon; very soon.

*

Day ?:

Well, here we are. And we are going home!

I had to put something in Dimitri’s food to get him to relax as Laura explained how we would return home. I already know that they can fix whatever he gave me when we get back.

I doubted that the airlock was the best way to go, but she explained that the return home would be faster that way. Won’t even need our suits to do it. She doesn’t have hers. In fact, as brave as I suspected she was, I did not expect her to do this nude. Dimitri would not oblige, but I thought, Why not? If we are going back to our homes in the middle of a war zone, who really cares if we are properly dressed.

This last entry will be saved by the station’s computer. I can manually open up the doors once I’m done.

And the timing is just right. All that blood and Dimitri feeling colder and colder by the minute. Will he be okay travelling in a wheelchair?

She thinks so.

Laura doesn’t talk much, but I suspect she’s in a hurry and wanted me to complete my mission before I get back. I just hope they forgive me for disobeying an order.

I just want us all to be better.

So much better.

It really is lovely this time of year.

*

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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