Apologies

      Astrodude never considered himself special just because he knew that planets and their moons were alive. Only in certain moments did he feel a sense of fulfillment — when he had been on the brink of death and managed to survive. But even that wasn’t really a special trait. It was more like pride in his resourcefulness, and a calm satisfaction that the image of a skeleton with a scythe had once again passed by his mortal soul.       Even though he enjoyed that feeling as much as the knowledge of his wife’s love for him, he absolutely didn’t want to experience it again — at least, not in the way it came about. Nearly dying again was not something the man needed right now.       Astrodude’s sleepy gaze wandered through space, over the myriad stars scattered far away. He hadn’t been able to sleep for quite a while. Insomnia had been haunting him for the past two days, and though he was completely exhausted, sleep just wouldn’t come. So now, he didn’t even try.       The shaking of the rocket made him flinch out of habit, but his tired brain decided there was no real danger, even though his body stayed tense.       “You there?” someone asked from outside, but the man was too tired to answer, so he simply closed his eyes, hoping this wouldn’t be the last thing he ever did.       “Uh… hello?”       The unfamiliar voice was starting to annoy him, but arguing with a celestial body was more trouble than it was worth. So Astrodude kept pretending to be asleep, ignoring the intruder in his personal space.       “Well… I’ll wait a bit, I guess…” the muttered words reached him only faintly, as his mind finally began to drift into sleep.

***

      When Astrodude woke up, at first he had no idea where he was. Asteroids were floating all around the rocket, and the ship itself was gently swaying, the metal alloys creaking quietly.       After a bit of fumbling around, the astronaut fully woke up, grabbed a cup of coffee from the 3D printer, and rubbed his face.       “Computer, where are we?” he asked, straightening his suit just in case.       “In the Asteroid Belt,” the familiar robotic voice replied.       “And what the hell are we doing here?” he sighed, moving toward the controls.       “Titan brought you here.”       Shock spread across the Earthman’s face as he heard the answer. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Damn it, what did that moon want now? He won’t go under his surface again! Even if there hadn’t been much real danger last time… well, it sure hadn’t been pleasant. And he had spat him out. SPAT. HIM. OUT.       “Did he say why?” he asked, hoping there wouldn’t be any more dangerous — or worse, deadly — situations.       “He was silent.”       “And where is he no-”       “I’m here.”       Astrodude flinched slightly, nervously glancing at the moon that appeared out of nowhere, stepping back from the front windows.       For a few seconds, they just looked at each other silently. Then Titan sighed, looked away, and awkwardly stepped back.       “Listen, our last meeting wasn’t… the nicest,” he began, trying to lead up to something under the astronaut’s wary gaze from inside the rocket. “I forced you to look for life on me, didn’t want to let you go, didn’t even thank you…” the moon started mumbling, clearly losing confidence and the point of his visit. Was he here to remind Astrodude of that whole ordeal? Or what was this about? “Anyway… I wanted to apologize,” the moon took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you take that risk. It was wrong of me.”       The man stared at him blankly, blinking a few times. He couldn’t quite believe that someone — no, something — was actually apologizing to him. For God’s sake, he’d already forgotten about Saturn’s largest moon, and now this…       “Uh,” the astronaut began uncertainly, not knowing what to say. He hadn’t been holding a grudge. He didn’t even know how to hold one. The only feelings he had toward Titan were nervousness and wariness. “Well… okay?” he finally managed, hoping it didn’t sound like he just wanted to leave.       “I mean it,” grumbled the moon, wrapping the rocket in its gravity, which made Astrodude even more uneasy. “I’m sorry.”       “I’m not mad,” the man raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Really.”       Titan looked at him doubtfully, suspiciously.       “You sure?”       “Titan, I wasn’t even mad,” replied the astronaut tiredly, hoping to end this quickly and get back to his asteroid work, which he’d interrupted in his attempt to sleep. “Sorry if this sounds rude, but I hadn’t even thought about you.”       The moon gave the man a critical look, clearly deciding something. The gravity pressed down harder on the ship, and the moon drew it closer — apparently imitating a hug. Astrodude nervously gripped the chair, hoping the rocket could withstand the pressure.       “Thanks, dude,” smiled Titan, finally letting him go. “I’ll take you back and leave you alone.”       And without waiting for a reply, he gently lifted the rocket and carried it through space. The astronaut decided not to say anything, just slumped back in the pilot’s chair, completely exhausted. Asteroids drifted by, Titan’s surface loomed nearby, and together it all created a fantastic view — like something straight out of Star Wars.       When the rocket was back in place, the moon smiled faintly in farewell.       “Maybe we’ll meet again,” he said, turning away toward the Asteroid Belt.       “Hell no,” — Astrodude muttered to himself, putting on his suit and heading out to continue his asteroid work, just as he had planned.