Chapter 02: Gravitational Pull
The surface of Veritas-IV was desolate. Stark. A bleak expanse of grey dust and jagged rocks stretched out for miles, bathed in the cold light of a distant sun. Astrid stood by the airlock, watching as Leo set up his equipment, muttering calculations to himself under his breath. The low gravity made every movement feel like it was happening in slow motion—almost dreamlike. Even the smallest jump sent her floating a few inches above the ground. It was an odd sensation, but one she had grown used to over the years. Leo, on the other hand, was having more trouble adjusting.
He gripped his tablet as though it were the only tether keeping him from floating away entirely, his eyes darting between the readings and the rocks around them.
“I’m not sure about this,” he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “This moon is… more unstable than we anticipated. The seismic readings—”
Astrid shot him a look, trying not to roll her eyes. “You say that like you expected it to be a luxury resort.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “You’re not taking this seriously, are you?”
“Not everything in space has to be a life-or-death situation,” she replied with a smirk. “We’re here to get your data. We do the job, we go home.”
Leo took a deep breath and adjusted the small, portable station he’d set up on the rocky ground. “I’m here to collect data on the gravitational anomalies of Veritas-IV. If we succeed, this could change everything about our understanding of low-gravity environments.”
Astrid walked over to the equipment, her boots crunching against the rocky surface as she lowered herself into a crouch beside him. “You’re serious about this, huh?”
Leo shot her a look that was both defensive and exasperated. “Of course I’m serious. This moon’s gravity is unstable, unpredictable. We don’t even know why it behaves the way it does. If we figure that out, it could have major implications for deep-space exploration.”
She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “And that’s why you had to drag me all the way out here?”
“Don’t pretend you’re not enjoying it,” he shot back, his lips curling into a small, teasing smile. “You wouldn’t have come if you didn’t think it was interesting, too.”
She chuckled, unable to hide the grin that crept up on her face. “You’ve got a point. But let’s be clear, Dr. Hale, I came for the paycheck, not the space science lectures.”
He let out a laugh, a sound that seemed completely out of place in the quiet emptiness of the moon’s surface. “Fair enough.”
As they worked, the silence between them was oddly comfortable, punctuated only by the hum of their equipment and the occasional click of tools. In the low gravity, every movement seemed deliberate, slow. She found herself gliding across the surface rather than walking, every step lighter than air. It felt freeing, exhilarating even. For the first time in a while, she allowed herself to relax into the rhythm of the work.
Despite the oddness of their partnership, something about it felt… right. There was a sense of camaraderie in the way they moved around each other, cooperating without really having to talk too much. And though Leo still seemed a little stiff—like he wasn’t fully accustomed to the unpredictability of space travel—there was something in his demeanor that made her think he might just be starting to enjoy himself.
“Ready to head out to the coordinates?” she asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
Leo nodded, packing up the last of his equipment and securing the data pads. “Yes, but I’m not sure we’ll get accurate readings from the current location. I want to see if we can find a better spot to set up the station.”
Astrid gave him a sideways glance, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not worried about being too far from the ship?”
He shrugged, his gaze still fixed on the horizon. “Not if we stay within a reasonable distance. The gravity here is unpredictable, but we can manage. The real risk is getting too close to the fault lines. That’s why I want to be careful.”
She pursed her lips, considering it. She knew she couldn’t keep dragging her feet—Leo had been right so far. The anomaly on Veritas-IV was something no one had fully understood yet. The data they were gathering could potentially unlock the secrets of low-gravity environments, something that could change space travel forever. She had to admit, it intrigued her.
“Lead the way, Dr. Hale,” she said, settling her helmet over her head and securing it tightly.
He gave her a nod, a fleeting smile crossing his face before he turned to lead the way. Astrid followed, her boots floating lightly across the uneven terrain as she trailed behind him. There was something about the way he moved—careful, measured—that reminded her of a person trying to avoid a mistake. A person who couldn’t afford to let anything go wrong. It was endearing, in its own way.
As they made their way to the designated coordinates, the gravity of the situation—both figuratively and literally—began to settle in. The moon’s gravity fluctuated in ways that Astrid hadn’t anticipated. Every step she took felt like it might be her last, as though at any moment, the ground beneath her could give way.
After a few minutes of walking—floating, really—they arrived at the location Leo had marked. The terrain here was rockier, more jagged. There was a deep crack in the ground where the seismic readings had spiked earlier.
“This is the spot,” Leo said, eyes scanning the horizon. He sounded confident, even though Astrid could see the tension still lingering in his shoulders. He set down his equipment carefully, kneeling down to begin calibration.
Astrid watched him for a moment, then glanced up at the sky. The stars seemed so far away, so unreachable. The stillness of the moon was almost suffocating. She couldn’t help but feel the weight of isolation pressing down on her chest.
It was as if they were the last two people alive in the universe, stranded on a cold rock in the void.
“How do you deal with it?” she asked suddenly, her voice low.
Leo didn’t look up from his work, but his response was thoughtful. “Deal with what?”
“The loneliness. The silence. Space can be… a lot to handle. I mean, we’re on a moon in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing.”
He paused for a beat, then gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug. “I suppose you get used to it. Or maybe you just learn to embrace it.”
There was something in his voice that made her pause. Something vulnerable, even though he didn’t seem like the type to share much of himself.
“Yeah,” she said softly, “I guess you do.”
And for a moment, neither of them spoke. They just worked in the silence of the moon, letting it wash over them.
But in that silence, something shifted. Something more than just the quiet gravity of Veritas-IV. Something that neither of them was ready to face.
