* * *

        Now, I'm on the Earth again.  I spent a whole year on the ship.  A lot of work, many unslept nights, but also a lot of pleasure.  Yet, the time spent on a ship runs much more slowly than the time spent on the Earth.  Some strange longing gets upon you and you start liking all the things that have always annoyed you.  Is it then strange that I spent hours and hours thinking about my son and about Sellena...
        I lost Sellena.  I knew that since the moment I left her.  Seven years is a whole little life for a woman of twenty two.  Besides that, I'm going to Orion very soon.  After Orion I am going to Vega, then to Betelgeuse, then who knows where...  When I finally come home she will not be alive any more!  Maybe it is the best solution not to visit her while I am here.  Anyway, it will certainly be the best for her.
        And what about my son?  Have I lost him, too?  He is seven now.  Does he look like me?  Does he prefer to play alone, too?  Does he miss me?  But, how can he miss me, he doesn't even know me!  And yet, he is my son.  I must not lose him!
        And I knew pretty well how I could keep him...
        I ran like mad from store to store looking for a multicolored cloak that could cover my black uniform.  All the time, there was a picture of the Great Wizard in front of my eyes.  The picture of my father!   Did I really need so much time to comprehend?

* * *

        He was sitting on the bench and reading a book when I found him.
        "Are you Latto IV," I asked him. "I am looking for you."
        The small shaggy head rose and deep inside his clear, black eyes I found a flash of incomprehensible identifying.  At that very moment, I became sure that one day my son would also start sailing through the unknown paths of the Universe, and that I would, too--like my father and my grandfather before him--have enough time to search for him and to find him somewhere among the stars...

        Dragana Konstantinovic
        Translated by the author

A TRIP

        The monitor occupied a whole wall of a small cockpit.  They sit comfortably reclined and watched the contours of the well known planet wrapped with a bluish fog.  The planet was covering almost half of the screen.
        - You wanted to show me THIS? – Asked Eve pretty disappointed. – Sightseeing of our dear planet…  I've always hated those student excursions.
        He slowly bent over and touched a button on the command desk.  At the same moment, all walls became black.  Only the lights on the command desk smoothly twinkled.
        - The automatic pilot?  Why did you turn it on? 
        He didn't answer.  Instead, he pushed another button.  A small yellow twinkling light accompanied the great number of others and the walls started coming towards each other.
        - Air pillows! – She shouted delightfully.  With few impatient moves she freed herself of bends and pushed herself off the chair.  She started flying towards the right wall and dived into the soft blackness with great satisfaction.
        He was still operating something at the command desk.  Both chairs and the command desk elegantly slipped underneath the screen.
        - Have you ever made love on zero gravitation?
        Eve wasn't sure she heard him correctly.  She tried to turn over but her try turned into a hazardous pirouette and she—after she bumped off the wall—continued flying towards him headfirst.  He hugged her readily and started flying through the space together with her.
        - Are you serious?
        - Very serious, - he answered.
        She laughed frivolously and hugged him.  Very carefully, she searched with her right hand for a little sensor on his back.  When she finally found it, she skillfully wriggled out of his hug and continued flying in opposite direction, laughing out loud.
        They heard a 'click'. He continued his flight naked while the wrinkled shell followed him at certain distance.
        - You, little witch…
        He turned over with a well-trained move, pushed himself off the wall and unmistakably went toward her.  Very soon, there was another shell flying around, lightened up only by a spooky bluish light from the screen…

* * *

        In just a tiny second, all walls changed to bright yellow.
        - What happened? – Asked Eve fearfully.
        - A sign for danger, first step…  This has never happened before…  I'll go see what's going on.
        He went towards the command desk hidden bellow the screen.  The Earth's bluishness became smothered by the intensive yellow light.
        - I can't turn off the pilot…  It can't be turned off in a case of danger…
        - But, what danger? – Asked Eve. – Where are we going?
        - Sector CK-3… - He answered mechanically.
        - CK-3? But there's a…
        - Yes… A black hole…
        - It cannot be! That's the forbidden sector!
        - I don't know, - he said bluntly. – I can't do anything…
        The screen soon became dark as the contour of the Earth gave up its place to the spooky darkness of the Universe.  A yellow cabin became fulfilled with horror.
        A small passenger ship unstoppably ran towards the unknown inky opening.  Clouds of stardust through which the ship went made its shell look like an orange peel.  When the ship became swallowed by the time collapse, it just unperceivably shook and then disappeared.

* * *

        The eons went by.  Suddenly, as quietly as it disappeared, an egg-like wreck appeared in the visible part of the Universe.  There were words 'SE-3 destination EARTH' written on a big black screen; but, two asleep passengers were not able to see them.

* * *

        He was awaken by a strong bright light that played on his eyelids.  He stretched his numb legs and opened his eyes.  The interior black as Hell on one side and that intense brightness on the other scared him.  His mind occupied only one thought: RUN AWAY.  He tried to jump but his legs did not support him and he fell over the command desk.  Strange screeching noise that suddenly appeared followed by colorful twinkling gave him a panic fright and recovered his strength.  He climbed up on the top of the swinging wreck with speed of a pursued beast.
        Glimmering green of the surrounding gave him confidence.  He instinctively jumped and abandoned his naked body to waves.  His limbs trashed up and down without stopping.  He heard a strong shattering sound behind him but he didn't turn over.  He saw his goal.
        With last atoms of strength, he crawled onto the beach.  A long slimy creature zigzagged through the dense greenness above him.  Yet, he was distracted by something else.  Something that stood in front of him and that looked exactly like him.  He saw the stretched arm that was offering him a small red fruit.  He took it and took a bite.  He knew it had to be like this.
        For who knows what time, everything started from the beginning…

        Dragana Konstantinovic
        Translated by the author