Chapter Text
On the way out of the garden, Simon noticed a few fliers neatly stacked on the edge of the desk. The pile was stacked high, untouched. Simon took one, squinting to read the black font on top of the already dark blue paper.
Join us June 17th at the La Jolla Planetarium for a special summer presentation! See the stars from a new perspective! Enjoy complementary popcorn! (This event is from 8pm to 8:30 pm. Parking is available on the street and can be validated).
“Ooo, thinking about going to the Planetarium?” The woman at the desk asked. She had begun to pack up her personal items. It was quite late. Simon hoped he wasn’t the reason she was still there.
“I… Maybe. I’ve never gone to one.”
The woman grabbed her bag, the bangs of her pixie cut draping over her eyes. “It’s pretty neat. The couple that owns this place owns the Planetarium too. They are probably the cutest elderly couple I’ve ever met. The husband, my boss, primarily runs the garden while his wife runs the Planetarium.” Her smile faded, replaced by a forlorn expression. “Mrs. Maverick hasn’t been doing so well. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in November. Mr. Maverick had to take over. I can tell the stress of having to manage both businesses is getting to him, especially since people stopped visiting the Planetarium.”
She stopped speaking, eyes downcast. Simon didn’t know what to say. They just stood there for a moment, not saying much.
“... Anyway, it would be really amazing if you came. I’m planning on going. I would love to see you there.”
Simon looked down at the flier again. “I’ll - I’ll see if I can make it.
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The warm night air blew across Simon’s skin as he stood facing another large dome. This one wasn’t made of glass, which made him a little disappointed, but there was a large tube-like structure sticking out of the side.
As he approached, he noticed only three cars. Maybe people walked here like he did? He didn’t see anyone, maybe he was just early? Simon took out his personal mobile. The clock read 7:50 pm.
Simon and Chica walked through the open double doors into a room painted dark blue. Little lights dotted the walls, most of them illuminating objects. There was a piece of meteor, a diagram of the planets.
“Ahoy there!” Simon flinched at the lively voice. A man in a white suit stood at a doorway. His dark gray hair was slicked back and his eyes were shining. “Didn’t mean to scare you there, kid. Have you come to see the show?”
Simon nodded, taking out the flier he folded in his pocket. “The woman at the butterfly garden said I should come. I’ve never been to a Planetarium.”
The man he assumed to be Mr. Maverick beamed. “I’m so glad! Well, I hope tonight’s show will have you coming back for more. You know, this place here isn’t doing so great. There’s been a little voice in the back of my head that tells me it’s high time to sell this place, but then my Marsha reprimands me for even thinking such silly nonsense.” Simon watched Mr. Mavericks face drop, his hands ringing together. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for all that to come out. Here, let me show you and your puppy over here your seats.”
Simon went to follow him, but something in one of the display cases stopped him. It was a tiny piece of moon stone. It was stark white with little holes.
There wasn’t much of a surface on Moon AT-5. The bit that stuck out of the ocean was populated with C.O.I’s bases. The only time Simon saw the surface was the walk from the shuttle to the main base. Unlike the stone before him, the land was tinted red. Fleshy vines crawled up from the bloody sea, squirming along the top.
It was the first time Simon had seen the ocean.
Chica let out a small whimper, throwing Simon back into reality. His hands were shaking, breath coming out in short bursts. “Fuck…fuck me.” He murmured to himself. He gripped the leash tighter, begging his hands to stop shaking. He couldn’t have another attack. Not here, not now.
As he walked into the room, Simon realized how huge it was, and how sparse the attendance was. Mr. Maverick stood in the center of the room on a small platform with a control panel. In the front row sat the woman from the garden and another person.
The butterfly girl noticed Simon, standing up and waving him over. He obliged, silently cursing to himself as his legs wobbled under him.
“I’m so glad you could make it!” Butterfly cheered. She turned to the person next to her. “Honey, this is the guy from the garden I told you about.”
The person next to her looked up from a pamphlet, their long hair falling in curtains in front of their face. “Wow… he does look scary.” This earned them a small smack on the shoulder. “Ted! Why would you say that!” Butterfly gawked. Her partner's eyes widened. “No! No, I mean like a cool kind of scary. Like… you could protect someone!”
“Thank you… I think.” The former convict said, trying to ease over the situation. Ted seemed like he didn’t mean to offend. Besides, Simon has heard much… much worse.
Mr. Maverick clapped his hands, demanding attention. “Good evening, everyone! I’m glad you all could make it. I am just about ready to start tonight’s presentation, so if you could all take your seats, I can start the show momentarily.”
Butterfly and Ted sat back down in their seats. Simon took one at the end of their row, not directly next to them. Chica landed out in the aisle, keeping her head on Simon’s foot. He hadn’t stopped shaking yet.
Suddenly, he felt the back of his chair recline as the dome above him flickered on. Simon gripped the arm rests, letting his nails dig into the leather. Chica moved to sit, now resting her head on his stomach closer to his chest. Simon tried to focus on his breathing.
They aren’t going to kill him.
Everything is fine.
The ceiling above him flashed to show a sea of stars. They danced, flickering in an almost rhythmic frequency. Projections of meteors zipped across the dome, leaving dust in their wake. There was a collection of stars they claimed created a picture of a bear, though Simon didn’t see anything that even resembled a bear.
The dome was then filled by a giant, red planet. Simon’s breath caught in his throat as he observed the place he was born, a place that was so faint in his memory it seemed to mock him.
Simon’s vision began to falter and blur. The camera got closer to the planet's surface, highlighting the small colony that presided there. Eden.
In an instant, Simon was out of the chair and out of the room. His legs screamed at him, begging him to stop, but he couldn’t. Simon and Chica made their way out of the building and into the night. He didn’t stop walking until they were a good ways away from the planetarium.
When he finally did stop, he was hit by a wave of shame. He let his past get in the way of his present (that’s how Moby put it). He couldn’t sit in a chair and watch a fucking screen.
Simon didn’t sleep at all that night. Instead, he stared at the ceiling and thought of how thing could have gone if he wasn’t so fucking broken.