Change Is Coming

I don’t want to return to Earth. And honestly, who can blame me?

My family has lived on Ajax, in the Vega System, for over a century. We’d moved here after our home planet, Earth of the Solar System, became too polluted to sustain frail human life. Who knows if there are any wild animals, or even living organisms, left?

I’d been born and raised on Ajax. I’d made honor roll on Ajax. I’d learned to ride an air scooter on Ajax. I’d thrown up from eating expired tuna sushi on Ajax. My best friend, Zoyui, is a native Ajaxtran. How can my parents make me walk away from all that?

And the worst part is that my siblings are excited about moving. Lunari started packing immediately. Emille made a list of things to do once we get there. And Carlin can’t stop talking about it. Mama says that I should just accept the move like my sisters, but I can’t. I won’t.

I stare out the window of our starboat, the Nebula Swan. My silver cat, Nova, springs up onto the window seat, purring.

As I run my fingers through her soft fur, our destination comes into view. It is lusciously blue and green, streaked with creamy white, like a cluster of emerald and sapphire dripping with milk. It reminds me painfully of Ajax and the home I left behind.

Maybe Mama is right. Maybe this isn’t as horrible as I originally thought. Change is coming, and I’ll be ready for it.