Flauraan, Abigail is 14, Sophie is 16

We watch the Eridanus II disappear into the sky, back on their expedition to who knows where. I still can’t believe that I had no idea there even was another expedition. I will have to grill Louise about this when I eventually return to Earth myself, how a detail like that could possibly not be something we knew. Although apparently communication between Science Institution centres is really poor, so I guess it’s not that weird. Still. Wow. Embarrassing.

But I’m happy at least that that oversight meant that I was able to be here to help bridge the conflict between my people and Abi’s, and to fight the Weraynian (even if I was pretty useless at that). And of course if I hadn’t been here I never would have even met Abigail. I look at her now, turning my head a little. Most people are already starting to dissipate with the expedition’s departure, but she still has her head raised, staring at the spot in the sky where it went from a bright spot back to nothing. She is watchful, but there’s something else in her eyes. It’s the same look she gets when she’s stargazing. She has this love and curiosity for the universe that I think is so awesome. I hope she gets to explore the universe herself someday. I’ll happily take her with me too, if she wants. She’s probably not ready for that, it’s a big shift, but still. The idea makes me excited. Regardless, I’m gonna be on Flauraan a bit longer. I’ve got my report to do, which will take longer than normal given this planet, this system, is completely unknown to anyone outside it, that I know of anyway. There’s so much to document! And it gives me the perfect excuse to spend more time with Abigail, and maybe get around to asking her if she wants to go on a trip or something with me. Hmm, what a nice thought. The part of my brain that doesn’t shut up tries to remind me that my research should be secondary to the search for my dad. My dad who is missing along with a whole bunch of other people and possibly got into a similar crisis to the Eridanus II. But I tell myself that Abigail is smarter than I am, and she’s offered to help me look over my files, my searching route. Everything will be fine.

Finally Abigail tears her eyes away from the sky above us and smiles at me.

“Ready to go?” she asks.

“Of course.” I say, and follow her in the opposite direction of the dispersing crowd, towards the forest, the hill, her house.

So many of the trees were burnt during the Weraynian incident, and now that the giant spaceship is gone the forest around it looks even more depressing. We pick our way around the most scorched patches of ground, and I start speaking my thoughts aloud.

“So sad that all those trees are gone now.”

She stares around her solemnly. “It is. My town will just have to hold more sapling planting sessions on top of the seasonal ceremonies.”

“The what now?” Abi’s people are very different from mine, and this is yet another new concept to me.

She tilts her head at me and smiles. “We have a nursery in the council building with saplings for ceremonial purposes, and we hold plantings for all of our major events. In one portion of the year we do the funerary plantings, and we also have the marriage plantings.”

“You plant trees when people get married? Why?” I ask. I wonder if people do something like that on Earth. I don’t know anything about weddings.

She shrugs. “It symbolises the new stage of life, which is the whole point of marriage.”

“Oh, because people have babies and stuff? I know people on my planet used to do that.”

She frowns. “People do often get married because they’re having a child, but that’s not the only reason. It’s just any committed relationship you know - people get married when they’re moving in together, when they’re creating a business or a research project, even when they have shared finances.”

This is so interesting. “So it’s not a romantic thing?”

She looks at me curiously. “It can be. But romance is just one reason people commit to each other.”

I nod, thinking of my own commitment to stay with Abi, my desire for us to join forces somehow. Her people’s concept of commitment feels a lot less restrictive than the Earth rules around couples and babies and stuff. You don’t really get married on Earth except if you’re romantically with someone. It’s never been something I’ve thought of myself doing, but now I’m thinking about what if me and Abigail got married. The planting ceremony sounds pretty cool.

“Do you think they’ll do more planting while I’m here?” I ask.

“Hopefully, if the council decides it’s the appropriate time and we have the right sort of saplings. It probably won’t be as impressive as the marriage ceremony though, it will be more of a rush to organise it.”

“Well I hope I can see the marriage one as well.” I say. “That sounds really cool.”

She stares at me for a moment. “It is.” She shakes her head and holds out her hand. “Come on, let’s speed up.”

I take her hand gladly and we disappear deeper into the forest, away from the scorched battlefield.