03/08/2178

Hi Mama, Hi Papa.

I just saw my first dead body today. It was cold; almost metal. But it was human. He was human; fleeing the Earth that once held him by its bosom. He was not the first to try. Thousands have snuck into Lunar, desperate to sail the stars with the cargo on the ship. But none make it. 

They carried him through the Galaxy Room, where we waited for our next tour to begin. His head poked past Pluto and reached Mercury, where we were standing. The nostrils told us all about it, along with his ballooned skin which cratered like the moon below.

Lunar was unforgiving, even for those who are part Ero, part human like me. Only full Ero strolled around the station free from the helmets and exosuits we donned. Unlike us, they were resilient enough to tolerate the inconveniences of changing gravities, void air, and dust. I, on the other hand, had a ‘chronic condition’ tag sticking out. Just in case I collapsed – they would know why. 

We were visiting as part of Valley’s finest. Only the grade’s top four students were chosen for the trip. Unfortunately, the breathing fits have been getting worse. Dr Tlale has tried everything, including requesting an upgrade to full Ero. But my scholarship will not cover it. They said it was non-essential, even after we explained the situation with my lungs. The human’s nostrils would disagree. Its last breath was for Lunar-Ero’s feat. It was a testament to its ingenuity. And the human only wanted to be part of it. He wanted the dignity of their living. But he was left behind.

And I don’t want to end up like him.