209 - A Way Out
Transmission Log - Orestes
Author: Olive
Date: October 14 2195 (Earth Standard Time)
I got into an argument with my Dad. I checked the logs and see he’s already written about it.
I don’t know what to do. How can I make him believe I’m not her? He says I look exactly like her. I don’t know how to explain it either.
I’m leaving after I finish writing this. I just wanted to say goodbye to someone, because I’m not sure that the place I’m going is very safe. I will probably die, but I have to try it.
I want to say goodbye to my parents too, but it’s just too difficult. They’ll read this eventually.
My parents have no idea where Navy went, but I do. Five years ago, when he left, I followed him. Actually, he asked me to go with him. I’m not sure why, but I said yes.
We travelled far by buggy. We didn’t talk much. I didn’t even ask where we were going. I trusted him for some reason.
Eventually, we reached a cave.
Somewhere in the cave, down some sub-branch of a sub-branch of a branch, there is a door. It’s a small door. Less than five feet tall, and only about three feet wide. It’s made of wood. That’s the most terrifying part. Wood. Here.
Anyway, Navy said he hadn’t opened it yet, but he knew that behind the door was a room. I asked him what kind of room, and he said one that grants wishes.
He said he would wish to go to Earth, and that I should do the same. That way, we could be together. I asked him if he’d ever been to Earth before, and he shook his head. I told him, only half-jokingly, that usually you have to be more specific about wishes. He was silent.
We sat there like that for a long time. Back then, I didn’t believe him about the room at all. I remember starting to think that he had gone crazy. I got up and told him I was going back. He nodded in agreement. He told me he was sorry I had to come all this way, but that he was glad he could say goodbye to me one last time. I could see through his visor that he was crying. We had been gone from the base for almost 16 hours at that point, and our suit-flashlights were running low on battery. I knew I had to try get back fast, so I just left him there in the slowly dimming light.
My luck ran out on the way back through the cave network. I had to find my way back mostly in darkness. I’m thankful for that now though. I was able to fully commit to memory the root that I had tracked on the way to the door. Something had told me I would need to keep good track of where we were going…
It took me a long time to get out. But I did it. I won’t reproduce the root here because I don’t want my parents to come after me. If you guys are reading this, please don’t come.
If I don’t make it back here, I want you to know that I love you guys and I will miss you and everything about Orestes.
I’m going because I can’t live with my father’s paranoia anymore. I want my old dad back. This is the only way.
I’m going to use the room to make a wish.
I’m going to wish to go wherever my real parents are. So, if all goes to plan, I will end up back here, and my dad can finally see that I am me, that I am his, that he doesn’t need to be suspicious of me.
Goodbye, Orestes. I hope to see you again soon.
Sent via the QEC