Back To Mars

I had strange dreams tonight. I dreamed of wars, explosions, a scenario of chaos. I was so desperate that I accepted it, they told me it was safe, that there would be no danger, they lied ...

- Hey... - I felt someone nudge me. - Why are you crying? Was I too hard yesterday? I woke up to a distressed Makoto.

- Crying? - And when I touched my face I could feel it moist. - No, it was just a nightmare. Sorry.

- Nothing is going to hurt you, okay? - He messed up my hair. Nishinoya got up and went to get something.

- What is it? - He lay down again showing me that crystal we sought yesterday.

- This? It is a rare specimen. - He said with a warm smile.

- Hah? - I did not understand.

- A test that indicates that, for sure, there may have been an ancient civilization here, despite current studies showing the opposite. - He looked excited.

- I'm happy for you. But I would be even more so if you made me a coffee. - Nishinoya laughed.

- Look at the intimacy. - we laugh. - Yes, let's go. - And so, we went down to have our breakfast.

...

- This stone may be the beginning of great discoveries. - Said Nishinoya dazzled. I smiled. Bao sat next to me.

- Thank you for helping me. - Nishinoya Makoto said. - I wanted you to know that last night...it was incredible. - He bowed his head awkwardly and I blushed.

- It was wonderful. - I commented embarrassed.

- Hey, I don't know your story but here in our world, when we really like someone, we ask the person in dating. - He seemed genuinely embarrassed to say that.

- Hah... - What did he mean?

- Would you date me? - As Makoto was pale, soon, I noticed his face taking on a scarlet red hue, that was cute.

- Nishinoya Makoto, I don't know what to say. - I didn't know what to do.

- I mean, you don't have to answer me now, because I need you to come with me to a place.

And without further comment, the mystery of what we would do hung in the air. We finished drinking coffee, and followed the path he was taking us only this time, without Bao.

- Earlier, you had a nightmare, what was it about? He asked, interested.

- I don't remember... - I replied restlessly.

- Tell me what you remember. - Nishinoya asked interested.

- War, bombs, water, chaos, struggle and devastation. - He looked shocked.

- Wow, how can you dream so real about something you never lived? - Asked seriously.

- Did I never live? I don't think we'll ever know. - He looked at me without expression. We followed the path and a little restless I asked:

- Where are we going exactly? - I asked curious.

- Earlier, my compass picked up a gravitational shift coming from where we're going.

- Ooooh, and what is this place? - I asked trying to maintain the dialogue. I felt something strange ...

- Remember the cliff that I pulled you before you fell? - I seriously agreed making him smile.

- Yes. - I noticed that although our walk seems to be short, it already seemed dusk.

- So, instead of falling and dying, we will take the opposite path that will take us there.

After his explanation, we followed a kind of slope and out of nowhere, he shook my hand, going down with me, and that was enough to remove the fear that was in my heart.

- Have we arrived yet? - We were already down there, I could see the height of the precipice and the painful death that I would have had if he hadn't pulled me.

- Almost, we'll just have to turn over there. - He continued to hold my hand.

- Nish, thanks for saving me. Sorry if I don't show it, but I have a strong feeling for you. - He turned and kissed me. I was static.

- It's okay, I thank you for letting me save you. - When we were approaching to kiss again, we heard a bark.

- BAO!? - Nishinoya shouted, I turned around.

- Hey buddy! What happened? - Bao looked different, started to bite Nishinoya Makoto's pants, wanting to pull him away.

- What's it? - I asked without understanding Bao's attitude.

- I don't know, he doesn't want to let me pass. - He pushed the dog lightly approaching him and asking Bao to behave. For no apparent reason, as we approached the snow space we had to jump, Bao started to howl. - Go ahead I bring B with us.

- Okidoki, Makoto-chan - I blushed when I noticed I used "chan" and Nishinoya stared at me laughed. Afraid, I jumped over the stone wall and what I saw was unbelievable.

It was the flying saucer, which I saw when I was having sex with Makoto-chan. Same, buried, just like in my memory. My heart started to race faster, what did that mean?

I cautiously approached that strange object. It looked like a bottle. I felt a certain familiarity with this but did not remember exactly what, how and when it was done. After noticing that there was no danger, I touched the cold metal base and the moment I touched that piece of tin, a kind of discharge took over my body and my whole life focused on my conscience, not just this life I have now, but all of them.

…

- Hey, are you--. - I heard Nishinoya's voice. - What the fuc*-- !!

I was sitting on the floor with my head down. My memories invaded my mind, like an explosion. I felt myself being filled again. I felt my memory being reinstated.

- What's happe--. - I could not stand to contain so much information.

- AAAAAAAAARRRRRGH!!! - And I got up. I rose from that sea of forgetfulness, the cold no longer consumed me, I knew who I was.

- You're okay?! - I could see Makoto approaching, and I pushed him away with my hand.

- Do you... - I tried to catch my breath - Do you remember when you asked me who I was?

Nishinoya looked at me confused.

- So, what happened? - He kept his distance between us.

- I promised to tell you and I will. My name is Isshia. - I could see your confused face.

- And how did you find out? - He was looking at me intently.

- My spaceship. - I touched her.

- Your what?! - He didn't understand. He looked at the disk beside me.

- My spaceship. I'm not from here. - I said getting up.

- Yes, I already knew that!

- I'm not human. - I could see surprise in his brown eyes.

- If you are not human, what are you?

- Martian. I'm from Mars.

...

- Right, "Isshia". You are not from Earth. How do you know you are from Mars? How are you so sure? - Was he doubting?

- I remembered. One mission. I came to Earth on a mission.

- What mission? - He continued to look at me intently.

- Thousands of years ago, Mars suffered from water problems. - Nishinoya-chan watched my explanation attentively to every detail.

- When did these problems start? Wait, did mars really have water? - He looked shocked by what I said.

- Yes, we had water. But, as elsewhere, feelings of greed, anger, disunity were present, and it was no different with the Martians. We became divided into two main factions and then, there was a nuclear war, and it ended up destroying our atmosphere. It didn't take long for Mars to lose its water to space.

- And then?

- We were desperate. Part of our population started to perish and the Martians, prepared for a specific task, started to travel to Earth in search of water. We were a prosperous people, but the war destroyed everything, that's what my nightmare was about. Although we do not age, none of us could survive without "H²O".

- You want to tell me that Martians don't grow old?

- No, we don't get old. Unlike you who breathe oxygen.

- Wow. Okay, continue.

- After collecting this precious liquid, we started to adulterate it. Even with water again, the problem with the atmosphere was not solved, and we continued to lose it, until we started to deuterate the water.

- Wait, did you turn normal water into heavy water? - Makoto-chan was smart.

- Yes, it was the most reliable and safe method of keeping the remaining water stuck to the surface of Mars. The Martian atmosphere continued to fade and this called for extreme measures. - It hurt to remember, but I promised I would tell you.

- What measures?

- Bases and underground constructions. The soil was and is probably still heavily infected with radioactivity.

- "Do you want to tell me that Mars was once like Earth?" With water, population, society and that you are a Martian?

- Yes. That's why Mars no longer has a tenth of the water it used to have. The war burned everything! Just so you know, you are not the only ones in the universe.

- And how did you get here? - He analyzed me as if he was expecting a slip from me.

- I was recruited to come to this planet because it was the closest and with abundant resources without having an internal defensive force. I came to earth in search of water, like the others, but ... something happened. - He approached.

- What happened?

- I don't remember, because it's been a long time. A giant fire stone fell in several places. - I felt a look of regret from Makoto on me.

- How long ago did this happen? - The strong wind that started to hit where we were, messed up your hair.

- I don't remember exactly, probably thousands of years ago. You may not know it, but Jupiter was supposed to be the second sun, so in the near future when our main star goes out, life in our solar system would not be extinguished. Unfortunately, however, we were unable to get enough mass and we had to give up on the project.

- Project? Is transforming a planet like Jupiter into Sun a project? - Nishinoya looked at me seriously.

- Yes, a project to which, unfortunately, we were not successful. You earthlings are no better than us...

- What do you mean by that?

- I mean, for example, that part of the reason your probes are destroyed is due to the signal sent by the Martian bases. Its materials are radioactive and harmful to our planet's system.

- Why are you saying all this Isshia-chan? This time his gaze faltered. The tears started to fall from my eyes, I couldn't contain myself.

- Because unfortunately I was not on the right side of the fight. - I sobbed. Makoto kept looking at me, this time I didn't feel anything in his eyes.

- How did you get here? - He asked again.

- After the earth started to be bombed, it was divided. One of these divisions the land and the sea became unstable, and in one of these cracks...

- In one of these cracks...?

- I fell. I thought I was going to die, I thought it was a crack in the earth but no, it was a kind of water basin, the helmet I used stopped working. - The memories hit me like arrows.

- Helmet?

- It does not matter. I fell, after that, I don't remember anymore. My most recent memory was when you saved me. - I said at last.

The atmosphere of sadness, distrust and regret settled in that space, but as a Martian I knew what to do. I gotta go.

- What you said earlier, about the air... - He didn't continue.

- We Martians breathe carbon dioxide, I couldn't leave Mars without a helmet otherwise I would die. - He was shocked.

- HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?! - Taking your hand to your mouth. I smiled sadly.

- I don't know, I believe that something has granted me "forgiveness" and probably my body has adapted to the earthly system. Our bodies are different from yours. In fact, we Martians are more like Lemurians or a little like Atlanteans.

Again the silence fell again. We looked at each other and Bao watched our dialogue.

- Nishinoya-chan. - I approached. - I want to thank you for teaching me the meaning of the word love.

I got even closer to him, I thought he would walk away but no, I took the moment and kissed him. It would probably be our last kiss.

- What are you going to do now? - Makoto hugged me. What I was going to say hurt me more than it hurt him.

- I gotta go. - I felt him hug me tight. - I didn't want to, but I need to.

- Why? - He turned his face to mine and looked deep into my eyes.

- Because I'm not from here. Please don't make it any more difficult. - My eyes were watery.

- God, I wanted so badly not to believe it. - What he said broke my heart. - What you need? - He already knew.

- The stone, it has the necessary energy to reactivate my spaceship, I need it, only with it can I go. I'm so sorry. He closed his eyes, thoughtful and serious.

- I had everything, you know? I think I was close to making the greatest historical find in the world. And are you asking me to put this aside? - Makoto was right, I didn't have that right.

- I shouldn't be asking you that, I know. - He held my face, seeing those teary eyes, broke me.

- Wait. I'll get it. - He kissed my forehead and everything I was seemed to be insignificant near that Earthman who taught me much more than I could learn in so many incarnations.

I saw him distance himself, coming back the way we came. Bao got up and approached. I crouched down and kissed him, getting a lick back, a lick that meant goodbye.

I looked at that dark sky, antarctica... Something cold, how many years have I been asleep? Does not matter. How silly of mine. I had the opportunity to learn the love, the peace, the value of humility, and I just threw it away but the Universe is so kind that it gave me a second chance. Thank you to all the stars.

I could hear Nishinoya Makoto coming.

- So, is it? - We were a step away from each other. - You...will die, right? His countenance was saddened. I confirmed.

- Yes.

- You can continue here with me and Bao, happy! - He exclaimed crying.

- No Makoto, I can't. I have to die to be reborn. You are an amazing man and in a thousand lives I will not be able to return the lesson you taught me. You saved me when I needed it, taught me love for a stranger. I don't think I've ever been happier. - I cried laughing, rubbed my eyes and felt Nishinoya hugging me.

- I will miss you so much... - He squeezed me more.

- Makoto-chan, we are eternal, I will not leave forever but, my moment has come, we will see each other in the future, believe me. - I parted with him a little - I will miss you too.

He handed me the Stone.

- Thank you.

- Not for this. Unfortunately, humanity is not prepared to know about extraterrestrial life.

We laughed and when I was going towards the spaceship, he pulled me by the arm and kissed me again. I felt our tongues fighting, until rhythmically they started to "dance". Bao barked and we parted. Makoto walked away and I opened the spaceship compartment. It was so spacious and big now. When did I decrease so much? I saw the panel, it looked rusty, but the stone compartment was intact. I took a deep breath, maybe I lost the practice. I put the stone in the center and nothing happened. Damn it! When I was giving up I felt a "jolt". Yeah! It had worked. The spaceship's interior lit up, the panel appeared and I almost felt at home. It was fine. How could anyone feel so happy when approaching death? No, this is a fresh start. The spaceship's magnetic layer was intact and energized. All ready. I looked through the panel, seeing Nishinoya and Bao once again, I knew, it would be the last one like Isshia. I decided to shout:

- Keilis!

- WHAT??! - He shouted.

- I said "I greet you" and without space for a better farewell, the spaceship continued on an ascending road.

I saw deaths, war, losses, destruction and greed. I could say that I lived in the shadows. I felt so tired of it all. When Makoto found me, all the shadow in my heart was lifted, there was no more room for hatred, bitterness, revenge, pain, sadness. How curious are earthlings, huh?

The moment my spaceship passed through this atmosphere, a new cycle would begin for me. There are many locations in the universal home. There are many ways to learn good, to learn love. There are all those who ignore this, well, there is still time, I just ask the universe so that in the next cycle, I can be close to Makoto.

Together and happy.

The last thing I saw was the Universe and a light. A light that took over my being and my whole soul.