How could she, the captain, of all people, let this happen? What could she do now? Apologize? Sure. Ask her to forget what she had said? Maybe. Erase Shizuka’s memory? Could she do that?
She would if she had to, right?
Right?
And then Lan’s stomach growled.
Shizuka laughed, Lan blushed, and suddenly, both of them were back in real time.
“Well, while we’re here, let’s find some food,” Shizuka said. She pulled out her phone. “Not much … There’s an Olive Garden nearby,” she murmured.
“Olives? Garden?”
“Look! A fountain!”
Lan Tran, Starship Captain, former Imperial Scientist, and Earth’s first harbinger of the Endplague, giddily entered the Olive Garden. She stopped at the entryway and said hi to the hostess. She examined the décor. As the server came and sat them at their table with their menus, she gushed at how punctual and pretty she was.
“Everyone here is so polite!” Lan said. Lan pointed to another server’s tray.
“What is that?”
“That’s our Peach Raspberry Iced Tea. Would you like one, too?”
Lan nodded. “This is such an amazing place,” she whispered. She scanned the menu. “Eggplant Parmigiana—it sounds so luxurious.”
The salad came, and then the bread sticks.
Lan ate one, then the other. She looked at Shizuka in horror.
“Oh no! I ate your bread stick, too.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll bring more.”
“Really?”
Shizuka tilted her head. “Lan, haven’t you traveled the galaxy? I mean, surely you’ve been to much nicer places than an Olive Garden in Cerritos.”
Lan scooped more of the delightful salad. “Maybe, but it’s been a while. Sure, I was a systems designer for the Empire. But after I had Markus, I spent most of my time taking care of family.”
She reached for another bread stick.
“They’ll bring more? Really?”
“Really.”
Shizuka watched Lan and thought of all the immigrant mothers in their neighborhoods. She thought of all those who had braved leaky boats, smugglers, and pirates to deliver their families from Vietnam, then spent the rest of their lives never leaving Monterey Park.
“This is so good! And I can’t believe I ordered a dish called Eggplant Parmigiana. Parmigiana…” She let her voice trail. “Even the word feels so creamy on the tongue. And eggplant! Doesn’t it sound cute? Have you had eggplant before?”
“Uh—yes I have.”
“And this peach tea is so peachy!”
As the server brought their plates to the table, Lan pulled out her phone to take a picture of her Eggplant Parmigiana.
“Shizuka! Look at how pretty this is! Shizuka, can you take a picture? Shizuka?”
“But you traveled across the galaxy. The galaxy.”
Lan picked up a bread stick.
“Yes. It was really scary,” she said with her mouth full.
“Tell me more?”
Lan nodded and swallowed. Then she began.
* * *
How to Survive an Interstellar War More warships, more shouting. Don’t think you are special.
More fighting, more war, as if people’s very souls were falling away into disrepair. You are not special.
Another planet set on fire. This has happened before. Over and over. Leaders drawing new plans, finding new scapegoats.
A civilization coming to the end of its life.
So don’t think you are special. You are a digit, trying to dodge statistics. And, while you are still insignificant, leave now.
Find a planet. A planet with compatible biology. With no space technology, so you can be left alone. Look. Look harder.
You don’t need pretty. You don’t need powerful. You need ordinary. And far, far away.
Study. Study more. And then you smile.
Yes.
Never say you’re escaping. You just want to try something new.
Never mention politics. Say you were in the military, a scientist, so of course you’re loyal. Say it’s just business. It’s simply business.
Tell them you enjoyed your service. Talk to the bank. Present a business plan.
Tell them about the gamma ray burst.
Show them your calculations. Show a planetary system that will experience a gamma ray burst. A Level-Five Gamma Ray Burst.
Say when the burst hits, tourists will need a stargate to get there.
Say profit from the show. Say working with family means reduced overhead. Say return on investment. Be honest where you can. Let them find your lies. Let them see a little greed, which is easy, because who doesn’t want to get rich?