It is a long path I must take.
Tears fell down my cheeks and my breath made my visor misty. The miles sped by as rode the hover bike my soul bereft.
The lights of the salvage team checking for anything I might have missed were in my rear view video now. The violet vapour trail from my exhaust danced like sprites I searched the horizon for the settlement out on the third hill brow.
Io this barren moon spread out before me. This place that took my man, dead plains and ridges for miles and miles all that I can see. Inside I bleed, inside my guts twisted and turned with grief, flooding my veins. The sight , damn the sight I do not need to see my anguish and pain l can feel it. I need to see where I travel tonight.
At last I see the huddled mess that is the Miena mining outpost.The last mine left on the this moon. Luckily my friend Jayden is there and she will be my host. There is not much left here now since the last of the Martian fighters left after the wars, glad to see the last of the sand blizzards that are sharp enough to make you wince.
The last mining outpost on IO
Leaving go of the throttle for a short while I touched my radio and asked, Jayden are you there? seconds passed then I smiled. “Yes you stupid bitch where else would I be? In charge of this dump , a prisoner, that’s me.”
Slowing my hover bike making the reverse thrust roar I manoeuvred my bike through the open landing bay door.
Standing down off the bike , she was there at my side as I removed my helmet she hugged me and we cried. She told me she was sorry about Lars, she had heard the fight and seen the explosion in which he had died. She moaned about the dust on her landing bay floor and swore at me loudly as we made for the stairs to the door.
We sat and talked into the night we spoke of Lars’ finale fight she told me he had spoke with love of me before he flew off on his final flight.
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This is the fourth instalment in a story set in the future. Here is episode one https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/he-fights-beyond-io/
and episode two. https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/i-saw-i-aw-him-crash-and-burn/ and episode three https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/the-edge-of-enternity-on-io/
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