A lunar father's day

Kyle stared out the window at the clear sky.  The stars were so much brighter here than on earth.  Just looking up at the end of a long day still is his most favorite time.  Night is quiet as there were only a few people needed to watch over things.  The rest of the colony lived as they do on earth by a 24 hour clock.  Kyle tried that when he first arrived here at New Freedom moon colony but because of what happened he has been working the “late” shift ever since.  Kyle arrived here with his father on one of the first flights from earth almost six months ago. Everything held such promise for them it seemed.  All the troubles they both had earned for themselves were literally millions of miles away.  The chance of a fresh start with a new group of people who barely knew either of them was like a dream come true.

He watched as a service droid glided by on the auto path outside his window headed off to do the most menial tasks.  The streets and buildings were kept immaculate so the human occupants could concentrate on the more important tasks to keep everything functioning. 

The fact that tomorrow was Father’s day was why Kyle was brooding in his living quarters. Settling back in his chair he programmed a massage/relaxation sequence into the onboard controls.  Kyle felt himself go weightless and felt his eyes droop from the sonic massage starting. 

The dream always started the same.  Kyle and his dad ate breakfast as usual and chatted about the day’s activities to come.  Then fast forward to them both in environment suits outside the colonies habitat working on the shielding material that protected the colony.  A very large piece had been damaged by space debris striking it so they were working towards replacing it.  The lunar surface was like beach sand beneath their booted feet as they made their way towards the damaged area from the airlock they had emerged.  Kyle was carrying the bundle of shielding they were going to install and his dad had the giant cryo-laser that was used to cut through the material.  Kyle had spent all day yesterday repairing the laser by replacing most of its circuitry including most of its main computer core.  The laser was almost 3000 pounds but due to the weightless environment Kyle’s dad was pushing it like a piece of styro-foam. 

Fast forward again to the damaged area and Kyle’s father prepping the laser for cutting.  The explosion blinded Kyle for a few seconds even though he was crouched down some distance away prepping the shielding.  Try as he might he struggled towards his father’s location only to watch his burned body floating away into space, his safety device utterly destroyed. 

Kyle sprang awake in a cold sweat despite the ventilation on full.  Tears stained his face from the guilt of knowing he had caused his father’s death.  Pouring over his repair logs for weeks after the accident he could not find any cause of the explosion so he concluded it was his fault.  Something he did caused the laser to explode leaving him here alone despite all the other colonists.

Oh how he missed his dad and their mornings together.  It was more like they were brothers than father and son and coming to the moon had only made their bond stronger.  Staring at the ceiling thinking about his father Kyle noticed he had goose bumps.  It was still very cold in his living quarters for some reason.  Kyle suddenly felt something solid touch him and terror gripped his heart.  Turning around, the fright he felt from the apparition before him made him stumble backwards and fall down.  Staring down at him with a sad yet peaceful smile was his father.  He still had his environment suit on but the helmet was gone.  An ethereal hand was held out to help Kyle up.  His fear fading Kyle slowly reached out and gripped what appeared to be his father’s hand. 

“Dad...dad is that you?  Am I still in the chair dreaming” Kyle said feeling the tears threatening to well up again.

“It’s me Kyle” His smile was sad no longer and he smiled like he was still alive.  If his eyes were solid you would be able to see the sparkle almost return.
“I miss you son.  I am so sorry my leaving has caused you such pain.  I didn’t want to go but it was just my time.  You will understand what I mean eventually.  Please son don’t do this to yourself any longer”, his father pleaded. 

“Dad I killed you.  I screwed up the repairs to the laser and killed you.  How can I live with that?”  Tears streamed freely from his eyes now.

“Son it was not your fault.  You did nothing wrong with the repairs.  One of the parts they gave you was faulty which is why it exploded.  Nothing you could have done would have made a different.  It was a terrible accident” he said seriously while his body shimmered.

Kyle was speechless now.  It wasn’t his fault?  He did not kill his dad?  How can this be but how could he not believe it when his father himself was telling it to him.

“Be at piece Kyle. What happened was not your fault.  Great things are in store for you in the years to come.  Remember me but do not mourn me further my son.  I love you and always will.  Good bye.

With that he slowly shimmered and faded out of existence.  The temperature in the room slowly became normal and Kyle sat back down in his chair.  Watching out his window the stars seemed a bit brighter than before and the tears that were drying slowly on his face were no longer sad but the marks of happiness and peace.