May Haddad<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Carna\u2019 Karaki\u2019s Cerva had just enough fuel to reach the Narra Harbor. But as she struggled to maneuver her scooter through the cosmic turbulence, she realized that, for the first time in her career as a courier, she was running on empty. Securing her grappling hook against the nearest comet, she landed as gently as she could on its surface, then lay back and let gravity handle the rest. If she was lucky, she could hitch a ride without having to refill her tank.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Earlier, Carna\u2019 had gone missing and needed to be tracked down to the resto-caf\u00e9 at the other end of the universe. Though she was never one for alcohol, Carna\u2019 could always drink her problems away here at the Leafs of Lebanon \u2014 except, that is, on the night that would\u2019ve been her thirtieth birthday back on Earth, where she just sat there at the counter, contemplatively staring down at the crystal glass in her hands as old Fairuz songs played in the background.<\/p>\n
Expecting the worst when her supervisor Achut arrived with the return order stamped by the Courier-Master General herself, Carna\u2019 was surprised to see him sit down quietly beside her instead and casually order tabbouleh and drinks. The man seemed to be minding his own business, and for the first time, Carna\u2019 noticed that his carved face had furrowed since she had first met him, giving him more distinguished features that had aged him beyond his years.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve finally joined me for a meal,\u201d Carna\u2019 mused out loud, hoping to end the prolonged silence that seemed to dictate their conversations. However, her manager chose not to reply, enjoying his salad silently, seemingly unconcerned with having to clock back in on time.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know…\u201d Achut finally remarked, sipping at a shot of arak after the tabbouleh was picked to the last shred of parsley. \u201cEver since you told me about this dish, I\u2019d been meaning to try it when \u2014 if I ever made it back to Earth. But this might be my last chance…for a while…\u201d<\/p>\n
Carna\u2019 leaned in playfully. \u201cFinally saved up enough for a vacation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Achut dabbed his mouth with a napkin. \u201cNot that I\u2019m looking forward to leaving the UCS to become a shipping super.\u201d He then studied his watch, looking like he was fighting the urge to get up and go. \u201cMoving on to more of the same isn\u2019t what I had in mind when I thought I\u2019d finally get the chance to leave this job, but the husband and I are looking to adopt, and I can\u2019t afford to be doing this in my forties.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carna\u2019 drunkenly rested her chin on her palm.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, being a courier\u2019s not that<\/em> bad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean the low pay, long hours, and nonexistent benefits aren\u2019t that<\/em> bad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, maybe a little.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike you, I signed up to be a courier because the final frontier was where I had to be, and money was <\/em>an object. But, having done this for more than a decade now, I wonder why I thought it would be any different than Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, chasing me down\u2019s not so<\/em> bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Achut opened his mouth to say something clever but seemed to reconsider before looking around the resto-caf\u00e9 with a tinge of regret in his eyes and said:<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d He sighed. \u201cThis place is wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n To think that Carna\u2019s fading nation could be found all the way across the known universe was as remarkable to her as her being here \u2014 here, instead of the monotony of life back in southern Lebanon. Though she found herself comforted by the familiarity of the establishment she was in, this served little to quell the profound wistfulness that had set in.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could come here whenever I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry management felt the need to \u2018limit\u2019 your mobility after the last couple of \u2018detours.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome to think of it, this job was fine before that.\u201d Carna\u2019 buried her head in her hands and groaned. \u201cYou know \u2014 if you don\u2019t think too much about the low pay, long hours, and nonexistent benefits. Being a courier meant that there were places to be, people to meet, and all the adventure you could ever want out of life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I\u2019ve been meaning to ask for a while.\u201d Achut took off his spectacles and ran his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. \u201cBut why haven\u2019t you left yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Carna\u2019 was taken aback.<\/p>\n \u201cYou seem miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 frowned. \u201cI\u2019m not sure. I\u2019m having trouble understanding it myself. Something doesn\u2019t feel right about leaving this life. I mean, what else would I do? Where else would I go?\u201d<\/p>\n Achut sighed again. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a pain. But…\u201d He paused, looking like he wasn\u2019t sure if he wanted to propose something. \u201cBefore I vacate the position, I can sign off on an all-expenses-paid vacation that\u2019ll let you head back home. Of course, you\u2019ll have to spend most of it delivering packages to some of the most unsavory places on the planet, but it\u2019ll all be worth it with the low pay, long hours, and nonexistent benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 laughed. \u201cSounds lovely.\u201d Then she closed her eyes and tried to imagine what life would be like for her back on the farm. \u201cMaybe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Now lost in her own thoughts (and five shots of arak), Carna\u2019 was on the verge of falling asleep when Achut suddenly snapped his fingers, bringing her back to the Leafs of Lebanon.<\/p>\n \u201cI just remembered\u2026\u201d Achut seemed to speak sheepishly now. \u201cThere\u2019s one last assignment on your schedule before I can send you back. But\u2026if you\u2019d like, I can reassign it to\u2014”<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As Carna\u2019 made her way to one of the military stations off the moons of Resheph, she was surprised to find that her destination was not an outpost but one of the compounds that housed the families of those in service. These required less stringent background checks and pat-downs, but the sight of soldiers was all the same unsettling.<\/p>\n Parking her Cerva in one of the stations designated for guests, she entered the compound anxiously only to be caught off guard by the immaculate presentation of it all. Carefully concreted paths lead to scenic homes with trimmed lawns and identical vehicles designed only for transport in the facility.<\/p>\n The stroll to the home of Eleni Hiraya was, if nothing, pleasant, though she found it too quiet for comfort. The Brigadier General waited for her outside her doorstep, cross-armed, in full uniform and shades. Standing there in silence, she cut an intimidating figure to Carna\u2019, who was nowhere near as tall, and though Carna\u2019 was muscular herself, she could not compare to the soldier\u2019s lifetime of dedicated weight work that had tightly toned every muscle in her body.<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 walked up to her with trepidation, but when the Brigadier General recognized the logo on Carna\u2019s bomber jacket, her expression lost some of its hard edge. Immediately reaching into her bridge coat, she pulled out what appeared to be a pouch and, nestling it in her hands, informed Carna\u2019 with a sincerity that seemed unusual for her:<\/p>\n \u201cPlease take care of this.\u201d She paused, then added with a chuckle. \u201cIt\u2019s for my parent. I hope you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d Carna\u2019 saluted respectfully before carefully taking the pouch and placing it in the pocket dimension inside her jacket. \u201cThis\u2019ll be there in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n Cautiously, the Brigadier General studied Carna\u2019 and seemed to like what she saw.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this is delivered intact and on time, we could use your services for the war effort.\u201d<\/p>\n Startled, Carna\u2019 did not react, but Hiraya seemed to pick up on the panic in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not so sure I\u2019ll be able to commit to that with my current queue,\u201d Carna\u2019 eventually managed to say. \u201cI hope I can\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObviously,\u201d she cut her off, trying to respond in as pragmatic a way as her stilted idiolect would allow. \u201cOf course, you\u2019ll be well compensated for your time. More so than the UCS could ever provide on its own. Our partnership with them is well-established.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d Carna\u2019 nodded, trying her best to hide what she was thinking.<\/p>\n Taking her leave as quickly as she could, she rushed straight to her Cerva, hoping she had enough fuel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one knew what happened to the couriers who went AWOL. Carna\u2019 had never heard of anyone who had tried, and the whispers passed along from those who had worked there before her seemed to be just as unsure, if slightly more cautious, about the whole prospect.<\/p>\n Once the compounds were out of sight, Carna\u2019 slowed her vehicle down so she could check her map for somewhere that she would want to go and that would be extremely difficult for the USC to track her down in. Having traversed far more of the known universe than most spacefarers, few locations piqued her interest, but as she flicked through the location pins on the hologram, one image caught her eye with its intensity.<\/p>\n The globular cluster Araphel is said to be one of the most magnificent sites in the entire universe. With star interspersion ranging from one every 0.4 parsecs to 1000 per cubic parsec, the cluster is immensely dense, offering a rare glimpse of brilliant intensity in an otherwise cold, barren universe. Gazing up at Araphel from the surface of a planet within its span would offer her a night sky to remember \u2014 one that Earth could no longer provide.<\/p>\n \u201cCarna\u2019, is something wrong?\u201d A text from Achut appeared on her visor, reminding her that she no longer had the time to plan these excursions out as she once did. \u201cIncoming data says that your Cerva\u2019s stopped in the middle of nowhere, drifting away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Carna dictated a text back to him. \u201cThere\u2019s a minor mishap that\u2019ll be cleared, but it\u2019ll take time.\u201d<\/p>\n A brief eternity passed before Achut texted back.<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstood\u201d was all his message said, before adding a moment later: \u201cBe careful.\u201d<\/p>\n There was no doubt in her mind that she could hide out in the Araphel cluster before planning her next move, but how to get there was a matter that needed to be addressed immediately. The sideways path that she mentally mapped would traverse a meteor shower that, if she could navigate, would make it costly for the UCS to chase after her.<\/p>\n Of course, there was risk involved.\u00a0There was always risk in the life of a cosmic courier.<\/p>\n But, for the first time in a long while, that electrifying surge coursed through her, reinvigorating her dispirited pneuma as she leaned in and gripped the handlebars. Shifting gears towards her new destination, she activated her visor, perceptually slowing down her vision so that, when she hit the pedal, she could steer the Cerva as if she was riding her cobbled \u201cscooter\u201d back on Earth. With no time to spare, she opened the throttle, kicking everything into high gear as her tracker informed her that she was off course and quickly entering a red zone beyond which she should not venture.<\/p>\n \u201cCarna\u2019!\u201d Achut\u2019s voice message coming in, his alarm and exasperation evident but forced. \u201cIs the Cerva going haywire?!\u201d<\/p>\n This stunt only encouraged her to go faster, however, and she found herself in the meteor shower, dodging fragments as she tried to make her way across. But, as she approached the end of it, a counter she\u2019d never seen before began to tick down to an unspecified outcome.<\/p>\n This was when Achut\u2019s incoming call was activated automatically without her express permission.<\/p>\n \u201cCarna\u2019 \u2014 we\u2019re unsure if you\u2019re able to hear us.\u201d She moved to end the call, but the screen before her did not respond to her input. \u201cYour signal\u2019s too weak to track, and if you leave the known universe, it\u2019ll be impossible for us to intervene. Vitals and specs seemed fine when the last report came in, but I believe that something may have happened on your way there that could have damaged the vehicle.\u201d Flicking the switch to shut down all communication didn\u2019t work either, and she realized in that moment that whatever control she thought she had over her scooter was a charitable pretense under which the UCS dealt with their couriers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf so, all I can do now is wish you good luck and hope you make the right choice\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Despite fearing that the scooter would somehow immobilize her, or worse, self-destruct, she pressed on, knowing that this might be her only chance to make it out of this mess before she had to return to Earth and figure out how to get back here.<\/p>\n But it was no use.<\/p>\n As soon as she was out of the shower, the Cerva shut down, and Carna\u2019 was left stranded right before the bounds of the known universe with a signal sent out for rescue. The message on her visor explained that if she wanted to reactive her vehicle, she would need to redirect it towards the drop-off point.<\/p>\n Though she was worn out in a way she had never been before, she knew that should the rescue crew bring her back in, she was as good as done, and the offer that her supervisor had made would remain on the table at the Leaves of Lebanon, along with her choices and future.<\/p>\n There was just no way around it.<\/p>\n A parcel needed to be delivered, and as a cosmic courier, she was the one to deliver it.<\/p>\n Whatever it took and whatever that meant anymore…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Mx. Hiraya, the overseer of Narra Harbor, was notified that a lifeform was detected in one of the colony\u2019s comet collectors, xe rushed to the infirmary hoping whoever was picked up by the drones was alive. But much to xeir dismay, xe found Carna\u2019 laid out, contorted beyond comfort, and prayed that her death was a painless one. Before xe could sign the cross, Carna\u2019 stirred, and politely asked xeir to quiet down and then, by habit, promptly turned over, revealing the \u201cCosmic Courier\u201d logo on the back of her bomber jacket \u2014 before tumbling off the care bed. Having slept through solar storms as serenely as she had on her bunk back at the station, it would take a lot more than falling headfirst to wake her up, but now that Mx. Hiraya knew why she was here, she wanted answers.<\/p>\n After Carna\u2019s vitals were confirmed to be safe, xe ushered to xeir caregiver, GIRASOL, who picked up Carna\u2019 as effortlessly as one would a child and carried her back to the farm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before Carna\u2019 woke up to the sound of birds chirping. Though she knew where she was, when she stared out the window, she could\u2019ve sworn that she was back home on the hilly slopes of southern Lebanon. Evergreen hills stretched as far as the eyes could see. Pines, oaks, firs, beeches, cypresses, and junipers inhabited the landscape with turbines elongated high above them, patches of solar panels placed where they could not disturb them, and tidal fences constructed in the gentle streams that flowed amidst all of them. Bucolic in every sense, its vistas of sylvan charm harkened back to mother Earth before humankind had traversed past its home planet into the boundless frontiers of space.<\/p>\n However, when she got out of bed, she almost didn\u2019t notice that for the first time since she had left to explore the universe, she was able to move around the same way she did on Earth.<\/p>\n But she couldn\u2019t. She didn\u2019t know how to anymore. And fatigue finally getting the best of her, she fell back onto the bed with a thud.<\/p>\n \u201cCarna\u2019!\u201d Mx. Hiraya ran to the guest room, rushing over to inspect xeir guest.<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 gazed up at xeir statuesque face, only vaguely familiar to her, and noticed its graceful countenance even in a situation as concerning as this.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you know my name?\u201d Carna\u2019 asked, unusually at ease in xeir slender arms.<\/p>\n Losing no time, Mx. Hiraya responded with controlled urgency as xe inspected Carna\u2019s vitals: \u201cTo confirm your identity, we were given access to the tracer on the engine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where it is…\u201d Carna\u2019 muttered in a daze. \u201cIf I could just…just…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Ms.?\u201d Mx. Hiraya asked, worried that Carna\u2019 might not have had enough time to adjust to Narra Harbor\u2019s specifications, but Carna\u2019 replied without so much as a thought:<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Having grown up in Earth\u2019s gravity, navigating outer space was as exhausting as it was thrilling. Each excursion out of the postal station left her enervated \u2014 so much so that it was only a matter of time before this would happen, but that was not what had startled her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is just how I remember it…\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMx. Hiraya!\u201d Carna\u2019 called out as she made her way down the stairs of the cabin. \u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n When she finally found the kitchen, GARISOL, who was preparing a spinach apple salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette, placed the ingredients on the counter to pull out a chair for its servee. Once Carna\u2019 sat down, GARISOL scanned her vitals before carrying on with its lovely salad \u2014 an act that was made all the more amusing to Carna\u2019 as GARISOL seemed to be a repurposed War-Mech painted over in shamrock green and egg-shell white, its hulking figure meticulously arranging the apple slices standing in stark contrast to the picturesque kitchen they were in. Not that this sight was new to her. As a cosmic courier, she encountered more than her fair share of War-Mechs, but GARISOL, with its bulk and outdated tech and gadgets, was a model far older than any she had come across. There was something endearing about it, a gentleness in those old circuits known only to those who\u2019d experienced war.<\/p>\n After carefully placing the salad on the dining table, GARISOL held out a knife before Carna\u2019, startling her until she realized she was being handed utensils.<\/p>\n \u201cCarna\u2019!\u201d Mx. Hiraya called out from outside.<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 rose to meet xem, but GARISOL gently placed its rusted manus on her chest and softly guided her back into her chair, then pointed its index at the bowl. It then threw the towel over its angular shoulder blade and slowly trudged towards the front door.<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 chose to wait before digging in, but having not eaten since she set out here, that resolve did not last. By the time she had picked every last bit of spinach, GARISOL opened the door for Mx. Hiraya, and xe strode in with a smirk that put her at ease.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m told you\u2019ve recovered fully.\u201d GARISOL pulled out a chair for Mx. Hiraya, who chose to stand. \u201cNot that there was anything to recover from other than exhaustion. I must say hightailing a comet was an \u2018inventive,\u2019 if peculiar, way to make it to the harbor.\u201d<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya finished off xeir comment with a self-satisfied smirk. In spite of her desire to maintain professional cordiality, Carna\u2019 found herself smirking back.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, somehow, safer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and I\u2019m sure that cutting down on battery expenses plays a part in it too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA part.\u201d Carna\u2019 affirmed, amused. \u201cWe couriers aren\u2019t exactly paid well.\u201d<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya laughed, then sat down and untied xeir long black hair, letting xeir painstakingly brushed hair flow.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long before you have to head back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis harbor is as remote as it gets for a courier in the known universe, so I\u2019ve been given \u2018ample time,\u2019 considering I\u2019m the first one ever to journey out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy, my. I guess you are. And you\u2019re so young too. How on Earth were you talked into it?\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 thought about it but couldn\u2019t come up with an answer. Mx. Hiraya carried on without missing a beat.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you must\u2019ve bought yourself time with that extravagant joyride.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hoping to get back as soon as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBack to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure, to be honest.\u201d Carna\u2019 eyes went blank. \u201cThis might be my last delivery before I head back home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t seem to be happy about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t know till I get back, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t seem to enjoy your work much either.\u201d For a moment, the vivacity in Mx. Hiraya\u2019s manner seemed to fade.\u201d Not that I can blame you. I was in a similar position myself once upon a time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWere you a cosmic courier too?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly.\u201d Mx. Hiraya theatrically brought xeir palm to a heavy brow. \u201cIn some respects, it was far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 turned towards one of the windows and stared out into the evergreen hills with a disaffected gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cAny advice on what I can do to get myself out of this rut?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good question, and I think I might even be able to help.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearing this, Carna\u2019 lit up, but Mx. Hiraya seemed to be considering xeir next words carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cCarna\u2019,\u201d xe clasped xeir hands. \u201cGARISOL and I were wondering if you\u2019d be interested in helping out while you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Farming was the last thing Carna\u2019 ever wanted to do. The agrarian life she led back on Earth was even more suffocating than her life working for the UCS, but she owed it to her host, who seemed keen on having her participate in it.<\/p>\n As Carna\u2019 put on her motorcycle helmet, a hover-tractor driven by GARISOL \u2014 now sporting what seemed to be an oversized, hand-woven straw hat \u2014 to pick up Mx. Hiraya, who raised xeir baro’t saya and hopped on, taking the wheel and driving with exhilarated delight as GARISOL held onto its hat.<\/p>\n \u201cPark over there, Carna\u2019!\u201d Mx. Hiraya called out.<\/p>\n Arriving first, xe positioned the tractor right in front of the entrance and then hopped off with an electrified zeel \u2014 unlike GARISOL, who, despite its lack of discernible facial features, seemed quite shaken from how long it awkwardly held on to the safety handle after the vehicle had stopped moving.<\/p>\n For some reason, Carna\u2019 expected a far more elaborate structure, but the aeroponic farm was modest, contained in a white translucent tent as far from the lodge as it would be sensible to traverse in regular intervals. By the time Carna\u2019 managed to find stable ground to park her Cerva safely, GARISOL was able to let go of the handle but chose to sit there silently, as if contemplating its choices in life.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright?\u201d Carna\u2019 asked, her helmet still on, but GARISOL did not reply, and she realized that she hadn\u2019t heard it say anything the entire time she was there. \u201cWe\u2019ll be inside if you need anything, GARISOL!\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 left her helmet on the Cerva\u2019s handle, grateful that, for once, she didn\u2019t have to hide it in her scooter\u2019s seat before some punks spotted her until she realized that there was no fun in that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya inspected each crop in the aisle carefully, even though all the tech that surrounded them gave Carna\u2019 the impression that there was no need to.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the look on your face, I can tell this is new to you,\u201d\u00a0 Mx. Hiraya commented without taking xeir eyes off the crops.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe.\u201d Carna\u2019 shrugged. \u201cMaybe not. I guess it is in a sense…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh!\u2019 Mx. Hiraya seemed intrigued. \u201cI thought you were from one of the settlements.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 suddenly couldn\u2019t hide her bewilderment. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Mx. Hiraya started grinning. \u201cYou give off the impression.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Carna\u2019 audibly sucked in air through her teeth. \u201cI wish I had lived in one of those settlements.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wish?\u201d Mx. Hiraya raised an eyebrow. \u201cBe careful what you wish for, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n For once, the cosmic courier thought a moment before responding.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess, life, where I\u2019m from, is that solar dream without the punk\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, my lord. It can\u2019t be that bad. My guess, life there is…\u201d Mx. Hiraya motioned xeir hands, trying to find the right word, but Carna\u2019 beat xem to it:<\/p>\n \u201cMonotonous.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Basket-in-hand, Mx. Hiraya walked away from the tractor, heading to what appeared to be a forest from a distance.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d Carna\u2019 asked, exasperated.<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya carried on cheerfully.<\/p>\n \u201cFollow me.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 got off her scooter and followed Mx. Hiraya, who led her through the forest and into a glade by a river where xe had placed a blanket and taken out food and drinks for what looked like a picnic.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Mx. Hiraya sat down and patted the ground. GARISOL walked past Carna\u2019 and sat down on the grass near xem. \u201cGARISOL and I thought you could use a change of pace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this it?\u201d Carna\u2019 asked, sounding more dissatisfied than she would\u2019ve liked.<\/p>\n \u201cMore or less.\u201d Mx. Hiraya laughed. \u201cGARISOL and I could also use the company.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why stay here at the harbor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is where I\u2019ve always wanted to live.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 looked around as if she was flustered by the whole arrangement.<\/p>\n \u201cYou designed it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Mx. Hiraya stood up to stretch xeir arms and legs. \u201cYears of engineering finally <\/em>put to good use.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Carna\u2019 realized she sounded more baffled than she thought herself to be. \u201cI mean, if you had the chance to design anything, why this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese environments are good for the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019ve been told.\u201d<\/p>\n By the time she had her third biscuit, Carna\u2019 had grown restless, staring off into the distance where she became transfixed with the path that led uphill to where a lone wind turbine had stood.<\/p>\n Without a word to Mx. Hiraya and GARISOL, she quietly stood up, brushed herself off, and walked towards it as if in a dream…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Narra Harbor was far larger than she could have ever imagined, but she did not know what this confirmation meant to her. Perhaps, she was hoping for something different or even something she had grown familiar with over the years. From the peak, she could take in the wide landscape in all its wonder, but to Carna\u2019, it was much of the same \u2014 just more of it.<\/p>\n All she wanted to do was take her Cerva up here to ride it off the cliff and see how far it would take off before she would need to hover. The thrill of the thought alone had her surging with renewed vitality. But that would disturb the carefully constructed serenity on which Mx. Hiraya was no doubt keen. There was a time and place for adventure, but it was not now and not here.<\/p>\n And, besides, she would have to go back eventually \u2014 as she always did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When she returned to the farm, Mx. Hiraya and GARISOL greeted her in much the same way she would have expected her family member if she ever returned to Earth.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere have you been?!\u201d Mx. Hiraya asked, concerned. \u201cAre you alright, my dear? You seem discouraged.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe know.\u201d Mx. Hiraya brushed the hair out of her face, gazing at her with a tinge of worry. \u201cThat tracer installed in the Cerva allows us access to the chips installed in tracking your location and vitals at all times and warns us if you\u2019re in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 frowned. \u201cI should head back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou really want it gone, don\u2019t you?\u201d Mx. Hiraya put xeir hands on xeir hips, trying to size up the situation. \u201cHow are you liking the Harbor? It\u2019s a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of spacefaring, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful,\u201d was all Carna\u2019 could reply, but Mx. Hiraya still looked concerned.<\/p>\n Noticing xeir expression, Carna\u2019 silently walked away, making her way to the Cerva, where she discreetly pulled out the parcel from the pocket-dimension in her sac and placed it where GARISOL and xe could see it. Without so much as a goodbye, she hit the pedal of her Cerva\u2019, speeding in the direction of the lone wind turbine up the slope where she would ride off the cliff and blast off into space.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was no time to spare. While she flew within the confines of the Narra Harbor, a signal would not be sent back to the UCS HQ. But, as she exited the force-shield that encompassed it, she knew that the counter to shut down her scooter would start ticking and time was not on her side.<\/p>\n True, the distance between her and the boundaries of the known universe was shorter here at the edge of civilization, but that did not make anything easier. The UCS was on to her now, and there wasn\u2019t much Achut could say or even do to mitigate the fallout from this one.<\/p>\n Knowing that it was now or never, Carna\u2019 activated her visor and opened the throttle, reaching speeds that no sane courier would ever dare, just so she could buy enough time to hopefully make it into the unforgiving depths that no person in their right mind had ever traversed before.<\/p>\n And it was exhilarating.<\/p>\n Dodging debris and projectiles hurtling at her so fast that she barely could register their presence before having to dodge them left, right, up, or down, Carna\u2019 could feel life surging through her again. Every successful miss brought her atom-by-atom, scrap-by-scrap, closer to the freedom she had longed for when she was just that farm girl back on Earth. But the clock kept ticking. No matter what she dodged, no matter how fast or skilfully she maneuvered, the counter relentlessly ticked down, and there would be no Achut this time to put his reputation on the line to intervene and talk some sense into her with messages, voice notes, or calls. Years of experience were finally being put to the test, and the weight of this strain would slowly but surely, wear her out.<\/p>\n But she had to press on \u2014 she needed to.\u00a0Except, that she didn\u2019t expect that she would drain so soon\u2026<\/p>\n For the first time since hightailing that comet, she realized just how exhausted she was, and she could feel that numbness in her legs, that cramping in her hands that soon dulled their capabilities. Each dodge and maneuver was now less instinctive, less methodical, and that soon gave way to carelessness.<\/p>\n When her grip had finally locked on the handles in an uncomfortable clutch, she could do nothing but move left and right, up and down, unable to take her hands off the handlebars and hoped that she could outpace the timer on the speed her hands could no longer adjust.<\/p>\n But that would not matter any longer. The Cerva\u2019s sensor glared red, suffocating Carna\u2019 in sight and sound, warning her of an asteroid that was coming straight at her.<\/p>\n Knowing what was coming, however, did not mean she could dodge it.<\/p>\n Carna\u2019s only hope now would be to relinquish control to the AI, but that would allow HQ to wrest over the Cerva from her and direct her back to the Narra Harbor \u2014 the last place she ever wanted to be, or perhaps, the penultimate one.<\/p>\n Indifferent to a life that bound her to the Earth, she lay back and let gravity handle the rest. If she were lucky, she wouldn\u2019t feel a thing. Not that she felt much of anything as the asteroid hurtled toward her.<\/p>\n However, as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate, a hulking figure of shamrock green and egg-shell white soared before her visor\u00a0\u2014 right before she passed out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome now.\u201d Mx. Hiraya called xeir guest over with emphatic grace, taking her by the hand, as she was preparing her Cerva to depart back to HQ and receive the brunt of Courier-Master General\u2019s unrestrained rage. \u201cOur tea is waiting downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I couldn\u2019t.\u201d Carna\u2019 sheepishly waved off the offer needing as much time as she could save up to try and dismantle the tracer in her scooter. \u201cI really have to head back now \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n But Mx. Hiraya wouldn\u2019t entertain the thought, and Carna\u2019 followed xem to the patio without protest. There, GARISOL was pouring green tea into yunomi against a backdrop of pastoral wonder. To think that it was only a short while ago that bulky frame had raced for her Cerva at the speed of light and smashed through an asteroid with a deteriorated manus. Having been all over, few things could wow Carna\u2019 in the known universe, but this old hunk of junk was somehow, someway, one of them.<\/p>\n Taking the chair facing the solar panel fields, Carna\u2019 sat there silently, taking it all in, wondering what her next move would be, if there were one.<\/p>\n \u201cMs. Karaki,\u201d Mx. Hiraya turned to Carna\u2019 with a firm, but patient gaze, as GARISOL left their company. \u201cI\u2019m assuming there\u2019s something that was meant to be delivered to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes. I almost forgot.\u201d Carna\u2019 laughed nervously, unzipping her inner pocket-dimension and reaching inside to pull out a pouch that wasn\u2019t there. \u201cWait, but I left it back at \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya nodded patiently.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and here it is.\u201d Mx. Hiraya pulled the pouch out of her pocket and handed it to Carna\u2019. \u201cIt would be ideal if the sensors picked up on the fact that you\u2019re handing it to me by hand \u2014 as opposed to leaving it near the woods. Don\u2019t you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n Shamefacedly, Carna\u2019 nodded and promptly followed Mx. Hiraya’s instructions. In spite of the terse turn their conversation had taken, no irritation or grievance could be discerned from xeir face, and Carna\u2019 found herself cheering up when xe lovingly cradled the sack in xeir hands with a smile that could melt Ganymede and untied it with bated breath.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, this is just what I\u2019ve wanted!\u201d Mx, Hiraya exclaimed, hands clasping xeir cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cMy family would love this too.\u201d Carna\u2019 mused. \u201cWe used to plant these cedar seeds back home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean back on Earth?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya shook xeir head, trying xeir best not to chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cThat look on your face back in that room. Let\u2019s say it\u2019s not one I\u2019m unfamiliar with. Is that why you left?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Carna\u2019 struggled to find the words. \u201cThere was this yearning in me to blast off into space and live \u2014 for once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Hiraya smiled. \u201cYou\u2019re a sensation seeker.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 nodded, though she had never thought of it that way. Hearing Mx. Hiraya say it, however, made it sound true.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right. I am a sensation seeker, but I\u2019m not sure if I could continue living a courier\u2019s life. This all makes me wonder if I should…\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 suddenly went quiet. The mere thought would\u2019ve been unthinkable only a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a way, I was once an explorer \u2014 one of the first, actually,\u201d Mx. Hiraya remarked then, with an amused grin, glanced over at xeir guest. Carna\u2019 though taken back, tried not to show it. \u201cThat\u2019s all right. I know. I never seemed the type for that kind of living. Too prim and proper. This sanctuary was, in fact, my retirement gift for a life of service.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the complete opposite of the army sites that I\u2019d gotten sick of.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 shifted uncomfortably in her chair, but she was unsure why.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t seem happy,\u201d Mx. Hiraya remarked empathetically.<\/p>\n \u201cI am. It\u2019s just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you considered heading back home?\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cMe too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe same reason you haven\u2019t. Not that home was ever as nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I should find somewhere in the universe to settle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think?\u201d Mx. Hiraya leaned in and tapped the table. \u201cHow about here, dear?\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 blinked, bewildered, but Mx. Hiraya carried on as if it was the most casual invitation:<\/p>\n \u201cGARISOL and I could always use more\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Carna\u2019 paused for a moment before adding with a nod, \u201cAnd thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the answer I was expecting.\u201d Xe rolled xeir eyes playfully. \u201cMaybe not as promptly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I know I can\u2019t keep going on like this with the UCS.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about striking out on your own?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean as an independent courier? I\u2019ve got no money for my own scooter, and it would take years for me to save up. I don\u2019t think I have the years in me to give to the Universal Courier Service.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, I had a feeling,\u201d Mx. Hiraya said, then told her \u2014 seeming quite assured of what xe was saying: \u201cThat\u2019s not something you need to worry about anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she asked, just as GARISOL made its way back to the patio, then walked over to their table and gently placed some broken chips onto it.<\/p>\n \u201cAre those \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Mx. Hiraya nodded, and chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, the tracer and a bunch of other \u201crestrictors\u201d placed on UCS space-scooters.\u201d Xe then brushed the instruments of Carna\u2019s torment off the table as causally one would dust. \u201cThe last report sent to the UCS was that the parcel had finally been delivered to the Narra Harbor.\u201d Mx. Hiraya winked playfully. \u201cWe thought the UCS would prefer that the queue be completed before you hijack one of their scooters. It\u2019s all yours now, of course. No reason for the UCS to send someone here if there\u2019s nothing more to deliver. No way they could find you now, or reason enough to waste the resources to try to recover one scooter out here.\u201d<\/p>\n Carna\u2019 was speechless.<\/p>\n All she could think to do was lunge and hug Mx. Hiraya, then GARISOL, who both managed to hug back in their own way.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for this \u2014 for all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d Mx. Hiraya leaned back in xeir chair, pondering the possibilities. \u201cWe would have loved to have you here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can always come back.\u201d Carna\u2019 took a deep breath. \u201cMaybe someday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill you?\u201d Hiraya asked, amused \u2014 already knowing the answer.<\/p>\n But Carna\u2019 considered it seriously, for just a moment, before gazing up at the endless expanse beyond the clear blue sky.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In May Haddad’s short story, Carna\u2019 is a spacefaring mail carrier fed up with working for the Universal Courier Service who journeys to the edge of the universe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":10629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,43,50],"tags":[226,1032,1137,1523,1602],"article-category":[],"article-type":[],"coauthors":[2038],"class_list":["post-10625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fiction","category-tmr-25-heroines","category-tmr-issues","tag-arab-identity","tag-lebanon","tag-mobility","tag-sci-fi","tag-space-travel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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