72 - Gemini Moon

"Evenin' Jay good to sync,"
"Been busy, quakes shorting the 'lectrics, tunnel's down but I guess you already know,"
"Yeah, shut tonight and tomorrow, guess it's overtime for you but I'll take what breaks in the world I can get, Jackson pushing you hard down there? I know he pushed me,"
"Yeah, wouldn't be wantin' to trade places with me now, would you? Tunnel Jockey, really, what a way to make it,"
"It's got a plus side,"
"Name it,"
"Well, fer instance you met me 3 weeks subjective ago and I met you 15 minutes subjective ago,"
"You call that a plus? I'd like to see the girl that'll settle for seeing her man once every 3 weeks over his coffee break,"
"Money's good,"
"Better be,"

"This is Tunnel Control, TV-8 respond,"
"Control, this is Tunnel Vehicle eight, pre-drop check complete, am waiting taxi clearance,"
"TV-8, this is TC, you are clear to taxi to Tunnel bay 2, I say again, bay 2,"
"TV-8 confirms bay 2, am activating manoevering beams,"
"Beams on target, you may proceed to bay 2,"
"TC, in position bay 2, drop clamps auto-engaged, requesting drop clearance,"
"TV-8, you are cleared for drop on TC mark minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Mark"
"Drop,"

Jay fell. Always there was the fear, the sadness. the pain, squeezing him, until the retrieval beams locked onto him, slowed him down, docked TV-8 in bay 1, he exited, three weeks further in his subjective future, but not in his universe anymore.

After debriefing, he learned it had been a fruitful mission, the last universe had some vaccines that didn't exist here, they had also perfected certain directed energy systems that were only beginning to be theorized here. There had never been any earthquakes on this moon either, it had been geologically inactive for millenia.

As always, when he exited TV-8, he walked back to the lip of the tunnel and looked up, wondering about it, was it natural? unlikely, it had to have been built. he was sure.

Why, gods, why did it have to go only one way?

Jay walked to his quarters and read his own biography.

Here, his name was Frank.