Barriers vs Determination Part 2

"Moon!"

Oh God, I am not in the mood for Harry right now.

"Finally you're back! I been thinkin' about that last meeting, ya know, when I was checkin' out the ship and you called my grabber that weird name-what was it again? Hoards? Hunz?-"

"Why?!" I nearly yell, "I mean, why have you been thinking about that meeting? That was at least a month ago," I physically shake the panic out of my head and chuckle a little bit. Partially to re-center myself and also to give the impression that I didn't care about what happened in that meeting.

Harry pauses and looks at me confused, but of course continues talking.

"Well, I was thinking about all the stuff you would have to do to prepare for the test ride, ya know, its not like any of us have flown a ship or even been to space before - I know, I've asked - so I was thinking maybe",

he starts fiddle with his grippers and looks at the floor,

"it might get a little overwhelming and...I don't know...you might want... a volunteer?....to come with you?....to space?"

No way in hell

"Harry. Be serious. Just this once, be serious right now".

"I am!" He throws his grabbers up in defense, then slowly lowers them while a smile slowly creeps across his face. A smile that I'm assuming is supposed to be persuasive.

"Harry, I don't need any helpers. I know how everything works, where everything is, how to operate and navigate all of that stuff. I built it, remember?"

"Well yeah, but what if you need help finding locations? I could help you! I've been doing research and-"

"I installed a Global Positioning System in the ship that caters to specific landmarks and positions of the planets. That's all the help I need for finding locations up there."

Harry slouches in defeat.

"Oh...damn. You really think of everything, huh?" He scoffs with disappointment,

"I mean, at that rate you could fly off whenever you want! I mean, what are they gonna do? Fire you?! You're Moon Castillo!"

"Harry-"

Wait...

"I got through to ya didn't I?", He smirks.

I realize he had been staring at me during my pause.

"What the - no...... but there is something you can help me with".

****

"Moon, ya know I gotta tell ya, this is my first time being at a rocket launch site!", Harry proclaims.

"That's great, Harry."

It may have taken us somewhere around three hours, I was able to conduct the ship horizontally on the pop-out wheels I added for easier transportation. I got the ship onto the transporter, then Harry and I hopped inside, put the location of the site into the GPS and successfully got ourselves to the destination.

"I can't believe today is the day. The first launch of the first DDD rocketship!"

"Well, thanks for the help.''

"Oh, anytime! Who would turn down the chance to help The Moon Castillo bring the first DDD ship to its secret launch site?! Hey, my offer still stands", he attempts at a persuasive grin again.

"Go back to work, Harry."

"Yes ma'am," he complies awkwardly, "wait how am I supposed to get back?"

"Oh shit, um..hey, just hop back into the transporter." I toss him the keys to the room it was being held in before we took it.

"Smart thinking, as always... wait, won't you need it to bring the ship back, after?"

"Dude, they always got spares nearby at these sites", I lie.

"Oh, alrighty then. Thanks again for this honor Moon, really, I mean it!"

"Don't even mention it, man".

He proudly salutes me, types in the Double Deal address into the GPS and climbs onto the transporter.

"And Harry-"

"Yes, Moon?"

"Don't tell anyone about this. You don't want to know what The Supremes do to workers that know information they're not supposed to know," I advise with genuine caution.

"Oh, of course...wait, what do they do?....and how would you know?"

"That's just another secret, Harry. I've already told you too much. Just keep your mouth shut, you know, for own safety."

He looks at me seriously for the first time.

"Yeah. Yeah I won't tell anyone. I promise."

He rides off, probably scared and confused.

Alright I better get into the spacesuit they gave me for launch day.

*****

A new message appears on my cell device.

H: Word on the street is The Supremes aren't in the building. Would hate to see their faces if they saw ME driving the transporter *wink emoji*

Huh?

How did he even get my number?

Fuck.

My sustainer stops. The second I look up from my cell device my lenses meet with Supreme Argon's. Ron peers in through one of the windows on the left, Cury glares through on the right.

I slowly step out with my grabbers in the air, the universal signal of defense.

I don't bother to speak.

"We know what you're up to Moon." Argon informs.

"How did you know?" I croak

"This is our site. We always know who comes in and when.", Ron responds

"Don't do anything to Harry! Please, I needed help and he was around. I made him do it! He thinks we're doing the test flight today he had no idea about my plan-"

"Bitch, we don't care about Harry!" Argon angrily interrupts, "that boy has no influence!"

I try to swallow the lump in my throat.

All three of them come a few steps closer to me.

"I know you may want to follow in the footsteps of your parents but this is surely not the way. You must learn from their mistakes, don't repeat them," Cury hisses.

I push through the lump and slowly put my grabbers down. My lenses though, stay cast at the ground.

"I have learned from their mistakes. I'm not gonna die in silence like Daddy and I'm not gonna be tricked-or pricked- into it like Mama".

They all burst into laughter.

"What will you do Moon? Go back?! You couldn't even handle it the first time!'' Ron taunts with an amused smile on his face.

I inhale and exhale deeply.

"Okay....maybe I was afraid of some of the things on Earth. But at least it took more than a word to make me go batshit! Hands, grabbers its the same shit and I'm just gonna keep remembering more! What's the big threat anyway? You're afraid someone else will find out humans aren't machines?!"

Argon lunges forward and whips me across the face, causing me to stumble on to the ground.

I scramble to my walk pads holding my cheek. Argon still stands before me hunched with anger.

"Alright, I'm ready for your next threat."

Nobody responds. I give them all a turn to look right into my lenses.

"That's right. I got you all nervous now even after what you did to keep me quiet. The last thing I'm scared of is being hurt. In any kind of way."

I walk backwards towards the ship, cautious of any other sudden movements.

"You really think you're free now, don't you?"

Argon blurts out.

"Even on this very site, away from Double Deal and every sanctuary, you're still in our control,'' he growls

"What?! We're outside! You can't control nature!,'' a genuine chuckle escapes me.

The second you passed the invisible, permeable wall, you were encased. He pulls out what looks like a remote control and presses a button. The walls become visible and solid and a glass ceiling appears across the sky.

My jaw tenses up.

"We control anything we please." He taunts.

Go, Moon.

"No. You can't control anything you didn't make...at least not forever."

I rush inside the ship.

In the click of a button the nearby lakes begin to grow and...at least it looks like...the land begins to shrink?

These fuckers really wanna drown me?

I switch the ship position from horizontal to vertical and begin the engine. The land gets smaller by the second.

Come on, baby I know I made you fast acting. You just gotta beat nature, just this once.

All the patches of greenery have now been submerged. The Supremes claw and beat on the sides of the ship, trying to get in. Did they really think I would leave the doors unlocked?

It's cutting close. I have to let it go now.

"Be one with nature, motherfuckers!"

BLAST OFF

I see all three bodies slide of the sides of the ship from the corner of my lenses. I wish I could look back and watch them sink.

CRASH

The glass ceiling shatters.

I've made it to the sky.

I'm gone.

"I'm really going home."