“Welcome to Quality Moon & Supply Company! While we’re waiting for my daddy, can I make you a wishlist?” The dark blonde hair curled at the ends and bounced as she climbed a stool to reach the counter height.
“Okay. What’s your name?”
“Rocket.”
“Hello, Rocket.” Floyd produced the water sample. “First, we would like this water sample tested.”
“Okay!” Rocket bounced up and took the sample. “I learned how to use the machine on Tuesday!”
“Lovely.” Floyd was trying to be supportive, but clearly doubted the girl’s competence.
“I’m sure she knows what buttons need pressing.” Valerie whispered.
“You’re right.” Floyd let out a steady breath. “It’s the machine that does the work, probably.”
There was a clatter of plastic cups that came from the back room. Floyd’s skin started to twitch.
“Everything okay, Rocket?” Valerie patted Floyd’s shoulder.
“Yes!” Rocket’s voice was full of enthusiasm. But no explanation of the sound. Then she heard a door open and a bell chime. Then the man from the alley poked his head out.
“Good to see you again!” He smiled. “I’m Ray. Looking for a moon, or something else?”
“Yes, please. A classic moon, if you have one, or a similar size.” Floyd took charge of the sale. “And do you have any space watches?”
Ray took hold of the touchscreen, and showed the line of watches available.
“What exactly does a ‘space watch’ do?” Valerie chose one with a sport band. She was nothing if not practical.
“Miniaturizes whatever you like, and stores it inside the watch, to be recalled and actualized whenever you like.”
Valerie’s selection materialized in front of her on the counter.
“That’s what you meant by ‘luggage’?” She elbowed in Floyd’s direction, since his belly was higher up than her elbow would ever be. “Does it do laundry?”
“It keeps the dirty and clean separate, but it’s not a fairy.” Floyd shared a condescending smile with Ray. Valerie would let that go for now. Misogyny on the moon.
“It should be a feature, if it’s supposed to be the ultimate travel convenience.”
Ray’s smile turned into a thoughtful expression.
“It’s a good idea. I did a little electronics engineering back in school, but you’d really have to think to make that one happen.”
“Anything worth doing requires a little thought.” Valerie winked at Rocket, who came out and tapped her own watch. Ray looked down at his watch, and frowned.
“Are you sure that’s right?” He turned to Rocket. She nodded. “Go upstairs.”
Rocket looked about to protest, but her father bent his head and gave her a stare that said he would not be refused. When she had closed the door on the second floor, Ray turned back to them.
“What kind of trouble are you in, folks? That’s Smart Water you brought in to be tested!”
“I thought it might be, but I had to be sure.” The corners of Floyd’s mouth turned downward. He leaned his head closer to Valerie. “Her planet is under siege, and they used the moon to…well, it’s not there anymore.”
“How quickly are you going to need your moon?”
“We will need temporal delivery.”
Ray ran a hand down his face. “That could take some time. What’s the date?”
“April 18, 2026.”
“Actually, it’s the 21st that needs the delivery.”
Ray looked at each of them, trying to work it out.
“You’re from the 21st Century?”
Valerie nodded.
“This is bad.” Ray let out a sigh. “This is… really bad.” He turned to Floyd. “When you say, ‘under siege,’ what specifically has happened?”
“Kind of like a child’s drawing.” Valerie shrugged. “The oceans have been repurposed into sealing us in from the sky, and the moon is smoldering at the bottom of where the water used to be. They’re harvesting the air to convert it to water. We’ll all be dead in less than a week.”
“Closer to 3 days, I think.” Floyd twitched his tail, and it gave an audible snap in the air.
“Obviously, I have to help.” Ray made a fist. “But Smart Water is regulated a lot more these days, and security services are on their way to interview you now. They’ll hang on to you for too long. You have to run.”
“Can you delay calling them?”
“The analysis machine is hooked into the galactic database. The moment your results registered, the system notified them. You’ve got about 10 minutes. I’ll get this where it needs to go, but you have to leave. NOW.”
Floyd double-checked his order’s instructions, and recorded the information.
Ray finalized the order. “Do you have a way out?”
“We’ve got transport.” Floyd’s heart stuttered to a faster pace.
“I’ll say you’ve dropped off the sample for testing, and you’ll be back. That should give you about 30 minutes. I suggest you be gone long before then.”
Valerie didn’t wait. She shot out the door with Floyd close behind her. She climbed back up his wing, and gripped his mane.
“I’m ready.”
Floyd shot straight up, and she started to slide down his back. She tensed her legs and held on as best she could. Floyd leveled out, and began to take his wormhole paces. He flew straight out, and Valerie silently counted out the five seconds. He kept his speed, but the seconds kept ticking by.
Valerie’s lungs were being bruised by the hammering of her heart. It wasn’t coming. The wormhole didn’t form. They stayed above the moon.
Floyd noticed it, too. He slowed suddenly, and Valerie lurched forward, trying to hang on to his neck. He circled his way back down to an empty spot just beyond the maze of shops. Valerie closed her eyes, and tried not to feel dizzy. She didn’t fall off him when they landed, though where the strength came from, she didn’t know. Had no idea.
“It’s broken.” Floyd’s sides pushed against her legs as he tried to catch his breath, and Valerie forced herself to relax her legs. “Had to be when I was knocked against the roof of that minuscule trailer of yours. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“I already apologized for that.”
“Yeah, but before you knew I could talk.”
“Don’t I get more points for that?”
“Maybe. Anyway, we only had enough energy for the trip here. It hasn’t been charging since we got here.”
“So you just need power?”
“Hopefully. The responsible thing would’ve been to check it before I brought you here. It might not have worked at all. It might have kept us in that travel no-man’s-land forever.”
“You’ve got to get a diagnostic? Where can we do that?”
“Ray probably could have helped.”
“We can’t get him in any more trouble.” Valerie thought of Rocket.
“If I remember correctly, the security forces on this moon are a little trigger happy. And their guns are mostly a combination of cattle prod and taser. It would be enough to charge my tech.”
“Okay, so we’re going to do… what?”
“We’re going to have to go back into the big place. Their security measures are faster. And we’ll be registered in their fugitive database by now. But we’ll have to risk it.”
