Giant Grey Graveyard

We couldn’t find him anywhere. We scanned the whole region of 767. “You knew he shouldn’t have gone collecting by himself, why the hell did you let him!?” the commander yelled at me trying to beat the sound of the roaring engine of the new Citroën moon roamer we used on the expedition. “The moon doesn’t really seem like a dangerous place, I gave him two times more air than he needed!” I replied, I didn’t think him ignoring me was because he didn’t hear me, more because he was frustrated with me. We didn’t talk for a while; we just kept searching the area. “You’re his father! When he goes to collect moon rock, you are to go with him, you know that!” the commander came out with again. “Yes, yes I know he can’t be too far away!” I yelled nervously because I knew inside he could be anywhere in this never ending grey graveyard, and he was only thirteen.

“Where going to have to search outside 767, he’s definitely not here” I bellowed to the commander. “Your right, we’ll have to call it a day, he might just have enough air to last till midnight” the commander said, turning the Citroën around. “What, no we can’t stop we have to find him, he’s only a kid, please!!!” I pleaded to the commander, violently jolting her arm. “Listen! Even if he was out of 767 he would be dead by now, its treacherous out there, there’s no point trying, he’s gone” the commander said to me in her unyielding serious voice. “Please, please no” I said under my breath as my face poured out with tears. “I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is, some things will never change” the commander said as she got out of the Citroën and walked into the base station of 767.

I watched as she walked away, balling my eyes out. I stayed in the Citroën for a few hours crying nonstop, I was out of control; I couldn’t stop myself because I was just so distraught. I had to return to the station as I was running out of air. I didn’t sleep at all that night, and when morning came I was in no frame of mind to leave my bed, by son was dead, and it was my fault.