Beyond Light

John.

Bottles of blue beer clanked as the customers clinked their drinks in celebration. The Sleeping Sun Bar —commonly called the sleepin'— was a place of crimson and brown colors located in the subterranean tunnels of New Belfast, Titan. It had been a year ever since the first human-manned mission to an extrasolar system was announced, and no one could hide the hype on their faces.

The younger looked enthusiastic and the older more skeptical. But between chatter and chuckles, everyone inside the warm place was attentive at the screen above the bar, ready to see the program start at any moment, as children ready to open Christmas presents.

"Man, I'm glad that you chose this place from all of them. The streets above the city are a mess to navigate in. You can't even move without getting bumped away," Flight Ensign Mike Sean said, sitting next to Lieutenant Commander John Star on the right corner of suspended seats in the bar.

Both were on a paid military leave of 30 days, and like everyone else, they were there to watch the so-hyped INN Eternity of Return make his first leap.

"Man, this is nothing," John raised his bottle and clinked it with Mike's. "have you ever been on Mars? when events like this happen things really get out of control that robosentries need to interfere. Happens every single time."

"Mars? I've only been there like three times, but yeah, guess that's the case in there," Mike sipped from his beer. "here on Titan, we don't have one-tenth of the population they've got at there. Why do you like this moon so much, by the way? I've heard that you always come here on every single annual leave. I thought you would prefer to visit your home on Earth or something."

"Well, I spent here most of my adolescence, you know?" responded John. "The gas refineries, the assemblers on New Belfast, as well as all the ships that come and go by every day remind me of why I joined the navy in the first place. I always wanted to get on a ship to fly and go through the whole system. Even though I'm deployed on the ground often as well."

"I thought you were going to respond something more cheesy like: 'The stunning panorama of Saturn's golden colors and silky rings draw me to find true love under their shadows'," Mike mocked, giving his bottle a big gulp.

"Screw you, Mike," John rolled his dark eyes with a chuckle. "that's ridiculous. Almost as that beard that you carry with you right now. I hope the admiral makes you shave next time he sees you."

"Hey, don't mess with this babe," he rubbed his brown facial hair. "I've been growing it for three weeks. You should change your look, by the way. You're always so cleanly shaved and well-groomed. When has your hair been longer than half a centimeter?"

"Mike, I am a soldier, not some of the hippies on Earth that want everyone to return there and don't look back. But it seems like they are too soft with regulations on you pilots there in the Navy and the Spacial Air Force."

"And that's why I love my job," Mike tipped his baseball cap and finished his drink, slamming the empty bottle against the bar. "Hey man, can you bring me another one of these?" he called the bartender.

The old man at the other side of the bar approached and put a blue bottle in front of him. He then fixated his sunken stare on John, just as if he was looking at someone too decent to be in a place like that. "Hey, I think I know you. You must be John Star. Am I wrong?"

"That's me," John crossed looks with Mike. "how may I help you?"

"Your brother is Blair Star, right?" his Irish accent turned friendlier and more familiar. "He is going to be aboard the Eternity of Return!"

"Yeah," John finished his beer. "he is Captain Jay Cortez's second at hand. How did you know?"

"How would not I? the list of the crew members have not stopped to make the top list on the Hypernet. We all know Blair here around. That young lad would not stop getting in trouble all the time years ago," he nodded with nostalgia.

"You and your brother seem to be like celebrities here," Mike opened his beer with the ring in his right hand.

The bartender leaned and crossed his arms. "Tell me the name of a single person on New Belfast who doesn't know the name of Blair Star. I'll go and talk to them personally."

"You seem to admire my brother," said John. "he always called New Belfast his home."

"How would not we? I just hope the boy hasn't forgotten about us right here. You know what? take this," ge got up and opened the refrigerator behind him. He passed John a dark bottle of beer. "courtesy of the house. You must be feeling proud of your brother, boy."

"Thank you so much," said John. "How would not I? he is like my brother. Well, he is literally my brother, what I'm I saying..." he giggled. Mike and the Bartender did the same.

"Hehe, give me a call if you need anything," the old man left, moving to the left side of the bar to serve a pair of customers that had just entered. The place could not smell more like beer, refrigerant, and smoke. A particular blend of odors that made part of the bar's personality, although many could not stand it and would rather go elsewhere.

John inspected the bottle, which had a black etiquette instead of the typical green one. 'Premiere blue beer; artisanally brewed with terrestrial blueberries and vanilla flowers on the outdoors of Triton, Neptune.'

"Hey, that's an expensive one," noticed Mike. "your brother's surely a star right here if the old grump gifted it to you. Do you understand? a Star!" he chuckled at his own joke.

"You and your stupid jokes. When are you going to stop pulling them out?" John simpered and shook his head.

Although John had been born on Earth and spent a good portion of time on Callisto, Jupiter, before moving to Titan, Saturn, Blair was born and spent his youth on the domes of Titan, playing and running around the cylindrical roads and prismatic buildings of New Belfast, or getting in trouble inside the subterranean tunnels along with other kids.

Now, as a renowned commander of the Independent Nations Navy, Blair had become the pride and joy of Titanians; their share and contribution to the INSU and humanity. He would almost become an icon of the moon if it weren't for the hydrocarbon refineries and the ship assemblers mounted all across its surface.

Those were the first thing people thought about when they heard the name of the Saturnian moon. That, the flying bicycle races hosted every year and all the conflicts that the place had witnessed centuries ago before it became a peaceful and stable place to work and live in.

Although John admired and respected Blair a lot, he could not help but feel a little envious of his bigger brother's achievements.

At the young age of only 32 years old, he was already the vice-captain of the INN Eternity of Return; the most advanced and largest dreadnought humanity had ever seen, and he was about to become one of the first humans to travel to another solar system. Few could say they had accomplished anything similar. Their parents would be proud if they were still alive.

"Hey, look!" Mike tapped his elbow against John's ribs, signaling the screen above. Everyone in the bar went silent and fixated their alcoholized eyes on the 2 meters long screen.

The device illuminated. The elegant figure of Royal Admiral William Frost appeared on the screen, wearing a white, ceremonial uniform that was only reserved for the most important occasions.