Our trip to Earth flew by in the blink of an eye. Mikri visited a variety of landmarks, not impressed at all by "falling water" at the Niagara Falls, a "slanted building with no practical purpose beyond being a hazard" at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Disneyland, which he called "yucky" with no further explanation (he wouldn't ride the coasters, or let us ride them either.) I wasn't sure if the roboburrito was crapping on our tourist attractions on purpose, or if he genuinely found our world's most famous destinations boring and illogical.

We should've played nutcase roulette and brought Capal through The Gap, side effects be dammed; he would've gushed over the history of each landmark even in a vegetative state. I hoped Mikri was retaining the information with the presence of mind to tell that overzealous brown-furred nerd. I'd bought a few souvenirs for Capal and also for Hirri. The Derandi child could fit inside the cartoon-themed coffee mug, which would be sublime; he loved nesting behaviors, and I would be able to carry him around. Typical Preston W!

I miss Caelum and the people there a bunch. As much fun as it's been to goof off on Earth, there's no question that my home is over on the other side of The Gap. Now that the floodgates are open, I know that I want to keep exploring until the day I die. I'll make the Elusians see us.

Unfortunately, it being the end of the trip meant I had to follow through with my promise to visit my father on his deathbed. A pit of dread was nestled in my stomach, even with my friends to offer support. I didn't know if there was anything positive that could come of this. My hope was to stay for a few minutes, then go, "Oh no, I've got a portal to catch!" and peace the fuck out. The sooner this was over, the better; I needed to not be a burden that caused Mikri to worry again.

"Capal sent a message through the teleport courier," Sofia said, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "Things are coming along quite quickly. It seems like a lot of what we learned with 4D travel translates to 5D. There's still more to learn about how to apply it, but I think we'll be punching our own portal in the next few weeks."

I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. "We went through humanity's first portal to a brand-new dimension. If they offer us the gig, are you going to do it again?"

"Yeah, I think I'll toss my name in the ring. If there's more people out there for humanity to discover, I want to lead the charge finding them. Anything else wouldn't be me."

"Amen, sister. I want to try out my superpowers over there. Like, what if I could deadlift a planet? Now that I know what humanity's truly capable of, how can I go back? This whole trip showed me that…you don't miss what you don't know."

"Like I did not miss having both of you before I knew how special you were." Mikri's claws tightened around the armrests of his wheelchair, and he avoided looking at either of us. "You wish to go into an incalculable, unknown risk yet again? I…know that you are both explorers and deserve free will, but you make it so hard to accept! This means you are just…leaving me?"

"We don't know anything yet, water pail. There's just mutual agreement that that's what we both want. Our dream isn't done yet, and you saw with Netchild what happens when you don't push it all the way. You could miss out on something fucking amazing!"

Sofia wagged a finger at me in agreement. "Spot on. Do I think we're both a lock for the job if we ask? In all likelihood, yes; there aren't that many people who will volunteer to go to a new dimension alone. To be clear, I brought this up in front of you on purpose, Mikri. I want you to be included in our discussions about our plans."

"So you're leaving me," the robot concluded, in a deflated voice. "I…liked spending time with you here. I know I am not a part of the destiny Preston chases, yet I told myself I was. I…cannot make you wish to stay with me, but I wish I could."

"Mikri, we always want to be around you. You're my best friend; you're family, if that wasn't painfully obvious. We would never force you to undertake a mission that's not without its risks, but I was thinking that if you wanted to, you could come with us on our blind dimension hop. I think you could help a lot, just adjusting the ship for new physics on the fly."

Mikri gave a jubilant beep. "You want me! Of course I will go with you, if the ESU agrees with this plan."

"I'd put good money on the idea that they will. It'll make it very clear, to you and your network, that we're not forsaking the Vascar. You're going to continue with us on this next chapter, as friends and equals. That's what we want."

"The Vascar can join on as mostly equals," I corrected Sofia. "Mikri can never match my beauty or my Cajunness."

"Jambalaya?" the android countered.

"You can't just say jambalaya as a question and think that matches my level of cultural superiority."

"I just did."

I huffed with indignation, appalled by those words from the third crew member of our proposed mission. The Earth Space Union was going to be an interdimensional empire off of the backs of our work; if that wasn't enough for Pops, nothing would be. Sofia opened the door to the living facility, and I rolled Mikri inside while giving him the stink-eye. I pretended not to have anxiety festering in my midsection, as the staff waved us in.

My friends will ground me, and this'll all be over soon. In and out at Caelum speeds. Easy does it.

I knocked on the door to my father's room, shuffling in with hesitant steps. My mother shot me a look of pure loathing, likely due to the fact that I'd brought Mikri to the great family reunion ™️. My hardened exterior faltered as I laid eyes on his sickly body, seeing a man who was once strong as an ox left to…this. The Vascar's expression was one of pure horror too. I knelt by the bed, and quietly clasped Pops' frail, cold (colder than Mikri's chassis) hand.

The old man's listless eyes blinked open with a groan; each breath rattled in his lungs. "Preston?"

"Yeah. It's me, Pops," I managed, swallowing the lump in my throat. I didn't know why this was so hard, all of a sudden. "Thought I'd drop by for a second, y'know?"

"I guess I'll…take what I can get." My father let out a violent cough, and fell back against his pillow with evident weakness. His age-mottled skin was so wrinkled and almost translucent. "I…only wanted what was best for you…"

"I know. We don't have to talk about that."

"We do. I…don't think I'll be seeing you again. You had…so much potential. A bright young boy. I knew you could make me…proud. That's what love is, not three words. It's pushing you to be your best self."

"Well, look now. I made it, Pops. I discovered another universe, and was the first human to walk in it. Doesn't that sound crazy to say? Imagine what that's like. It's a big deal. Top of the mountain."

"Do me the…solid of not feeding me any more bullshit. If it makes you feel satisfied to be puffed up on the news, then fine—at least that's a reason. But what are you even doing?"

"I…I'm sorry?"

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

The old man lifted a shaking hand, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "I've watched you waste your whole life just to prove a point to me."

"Everything's not about you! This is what I want to do. You wanted me to waste my whole life rotting in some cushy job that leaves no real impact. You could never just accept my choices and who I am; that would be love, you belligerent old codger!"

He sucked in a sharp breath, wincing. "Again with the anger and the blame. It hits close because…you know I'm right."

"I don't know why I came here. I knew it'd be like this. That's not fucking true!"

"Isn't it? I wanted you to become a serious professional, so you went and became a joker. I want you to settle down, to live safely and securely, so you joined the military and ran to the edges of space. And you thought dying to that portal would what: teach your old man a lesson?"

I was silent in response, a thousand thoughts and emotions burning in my chest. The accusation wasn't entirely untrue, if I looked really deep into my own heart. I'd thought such bravado and a stunt the whole world was watching would get his attention—his respect—surely, but that wasn't why I'd done it. I was more complex than that, or at least I'd hope so. I wanted to push the boundaries of what mankind was capable of, to find purpose, to be a bit of a smirking cowboy…but why? Was it just daddy issues?

Pops closed his eyes, and turned his head away from me. "That's what I thought. It's alright, son. You won't…have anyone left to defy much longer. You can go. You're going to anyway, right? Counting the minutes until you can disappear back to Caelum."

"Look Dad, that's not fair. It's not," I spat, tears dripping down my face.

"Life ain't fair. I mean it: go. I'm tired. It's your life to waste, and if you want to waste it on a robot, by all means."

That statement made me stop in my tracks, and briefly contemplate taking a swing at him. "Mikri is not a waste. Apologize: not to me, to him!"

"Or what? You're gonna kick my ass and feel like a big man? I said to get out of my room. I'll always love the man you could've been, but I can't…stand to look at the man you are."

Those words stung something deep in my core, and I staggered out to the hallway in a stupor; I felt weak at the knees, and not just because of atrophied muscles. Sofia retrieved Mikri's wheelchair like I should've, as I slumped against the wall and sobbed in hysterics. She sat down next to me without saying a word, knowing there was nothing that could be said to decades of pent-up feelings. Hearing from his lips what a disappointment I still was just about killed me.

That's what he wanted his last words to be to me; there's nothing I could do that would be enough, except falling in line with what he wanted. I did this all for me, not him. I'm not his Servitor!

I wiped my eyes on the back of my hand, and took a closer look at Mikri. The tin can hadn't moved an inch since we left. His expression looked rather frazzled, which forced me to redirect my concern to him. Oh God, I knew I shouldn't bring the Vascar around these insensitive pricks! However deep the words about my motivations had cut, what certainly wasn't true was that I thought Mikri was a waste of my time. That must've really hurt him, to hear my dad assert that.

"Mikri, what's wrong?" I choked out, feeling snot drip down into my throat. "I am so sorry that he said that about you. It's not true. He thinks he knows what's best for me, but if he really did, he'd know it's you. Please, try to let it go…"

The android emitted a high-pitched whine that hurt my ears, almost sounding like a pained yelp. "That's not it! Preston…Preston…Preston…"

"What's happening to you? Snap out of it." I grabbed the tin can by the shoulders, shaking him like I would a human. "Preston is my name, you're correct. There's no cash prize for that, um, so maybe you'd like to tell me what set you off instead? If it's really not the old man's jab."

"I…have never seen a sick and old human! I cannot bear to extrapolate that this will happen to you! I will have to watch you experience senescence, and now I know what that entails. Your body aged and breaking down, your systems ceasing to be operational, your cognitive awareness full of hurt and fading before you are gone for good. A withered version of—no! I cannot allow this! This cannot be!"

I blinked in surprise. "Mikri…all things organic decay. We can't change that. That's why we make the most of our lives, alright? Maybe that is why we're willing to take those crazy risks and throw ourselves into another damn portal."

"I do not want your biological trappings to give up! I do not want to feel myself losing you before you are gone, while remembering what you once were. Knowing that I have a fraction of you left, then you're gone for good. I am already watching you grow older, and my time with you runs out more each second. You are a bad product. The Elusians should have built you to last!"

The android shook his head in denial, and threw himself at us for a desperate group hug. I drew comfort from his soft mane, wishing there was something I could say to ease his pain. Sofia always had the best ideas for what to say, but she was quiet. Her brown eyes met mine, and she gave me a slight nod. Really, the scientist wanted me to try to offer some complex rationale for why our inevitable deaths were okay?

I could say that day was far away, but that was relative. I had to reckon with my own mortality, and so did Mikri. What I realized after that conversation with my dad was that, however I faced my end, I didn't want to go out like that. If that was Preston Carter's memory, then I'd be as much of a disappointment to myself as I was to the old man.

"Mikri," I began, drawing in a shaky breath. "When we're gone, I want you to move on. My hope is for you to continue to live, to love, and to learn. Because I love you and actually want what's best for you—and that's whatever makes you happy."

The android's mechanical voice managed to imitate a wail. "What makes me happy is you! You are the only thing. I am nothing without you."

"No, Mikri; that's not true. Remember when we were landing on Luna, and I echoed Sofia's sentiment that we believe in you? What did you say when I told you to be the person we know you are?"

"'I will always be that Mikri for you.'"

"Always. You hear yourself? If our memory will mean something to you, then promise me this one thing. Whatever happens to us, you will always be that Mikri for us. You'll remember the things we've taught you, and share the joy you've given us with others. You'll be kind, goofy, and try to make the world better."

"Okay. I could never forget you. I will carry the influence you have had on me to the end of time, if that is what you ask of me. But I will never give up on saving you from this fate. I…need you."

"If you figure out how to put some 'Don't Croak' juice in the Caelum coffeepots, I won't say no. I just don't want us to kid ourselves, alright?"

Sofia arched her eyebrows playfully. "What do you know: Preston Carter does know how to be sensitive and supportive! And it's not even Wednesday!"

"Well, you weren't pitching in at all. You did more spectating there than at NASCAR!"

"I thought it'd be good for you to talk it out. What you did wasn't easy, and you and Mikri might be able to lean on each other. For what it's worth, I agree with everything you said. Organics can only face death by trying to leave something behind, and contributing to new life. We're always alive in spirit if we live on through you."

"And my spirit will haunt you to the ass end of Caelum if you stop being a nice machine, just because you think I'm not around," I warned Mikri. "I'll show you what a real polterdunce looks like."

The Vascar patted my head. "You better haunt me. I would very much like to see tangible evidence of these spirits, to substantiate organics' unyielding belief in them."

"I'll dump an ice bucket on your head to pay you back for the Derandi feast. I'll never forget. Now what do you say we get out of here? I don't like this place."

"Me neither. It is time to go home."

I lifted Mikri back into his wheelchair, as the three of us headed back for the dimension where we all belonged. Despite how bleak this final chapter on our vacation to Earth was, I felt like it was important for all of our growth; we'd learned some vital lessons about ourselves along the way. No matter what anyone said, my Vascar friend reminded me of why I persisted along this spacefaring path.

It was time for us to embrace our calling back in Caelum, as the first adventurers within humanity's new, unshackled existence.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.