Age
He feels so old. The world has changed so much in nearly 50 years.
He is apart from everyone now. He's not really human. He never was to begin with, and now... he's so different. This is not his home... but it's the closest he'll get.
Sharing the story with his team -- it had both been difficult and relieving. But he saw the tears streaming down Venus's face, and he wished he could have spared her that.
He touches the side wall of his quarter and the solid wall ripples and becomes transparent, allowing him to look out at the stars, at distant Uranus.
At his second home -- which is no more his home now than Earth ever was.
He is apart from everyone now. He's not really human. He never was to begin with, and now... he's so different. This is not his home... but it's the closest he'll get.
Sharing the story with his team -- it had both been difficult and relieving. But he saw the tears streaming down Venus's face, and he wished he could have spared her that.
He touches the side wall of his quarter and the solid wall ripples and becomes transparent, allowing him to look out at the stars, at distant Uranus.
At his second home -- which is no more his home now than Earth ever was.