After all is said and done, an international agreement has been made. To protect and leave the anomaly located on the far side of the moon in peace. After months of learning its language, scientists have learned a lot. The previous victims were a warning to leave the anomaly alone, as it wanted nothing more than to make its music in peace. Most of its work was derived from the music of Gesaffelstein and looked rather similar to him. No one knew how the two were connected, not even Mike knew. NASA had to approach him to help them figure out the situation. After some time, the anomaly would communicate to Gesaffelstein only and refuse to talk to many scientists. The communication was done via the screens of probs on the moon, using its language. More months and much planning later, he visited the moon. Something he never ever thought could’ve been possible.

Who knew his career in music would lead to space exploration? It all still felt like a dream. Being weightless and seeing him and the Earth apart from each other. And to come into contact with the anomaly…

Scientists named this anomaly Gemini, as it seemed fitting to be Gesaffelstein’s twin. Gemini communicated through its own writing on the terrain and moon rock objects that Gemini could levitate. The science behind that was still being learned… Something about altering the already-weak gravity. It created sculptures to reflect on its past experiences. A lot of the sculptures involved itself naturally. When it was first made, what it has learned, what it felt. From carbon foot-printing, Gemini was possibly formed during the early stages of the moon.

Even with such great research of Gemini, it was coming to a close. It did not want to be prodded or experimented with. The demise of previous astronauts in 60s was enough of a message. And while many people could not agree with ceasing in-depth investigations, people accepted the conclusion of not everything being solved. Not right away anyways. They will do what they can from a distance, but it was about respecting the other party and accepting when to back off. Mike didn’t know to feel about all of it. He was stuck between; he wanted nothing to do with this, and wanting to know everything.

But now he’s back on the moon, at the border of the near side and far side. One side being completely pitch black and unable to see the other side, he’s waiting for his twin to return.

Slowly, Gemini’s face emerges from the harsh shadow and a spherical moon rock hovers in front of him. Every time they met, Gemini would always try to speak through radio waves into Mike’s helmet, only for it to come out as distorted, crackling whispers that were impossible to decipher. It sounded like a monotone voice similar to the text to speech devices in the 90s. They stare at each other for a good moment before Gemini gives him a pen-like object in the same material as the rock. Gesaffelstein had to be the first one to start the conversation. He writes in the rock with its language.

[They have agreed to keep you in solitude.]

Gemini reads it slowly. The writing from Mike eventually smooths out and Gemini returns the rock with words in reply, without having to physically write.

[I will be left alone.] Subtly asking for reassurance.

Mike nods, though he wasn’t sure if Gemini was knowledgeable of human gestures, so he writes an “Affirmative” just in case.

Gemini understands, surprised when suddenly Gesaffelstein reaches for the rock and writes again.

[So, this is it. I don’t think I could see you again.]

Gemini didn’t react nor respond.

Gesaffelstein presses, beginning to frown, [Don’t you feel bittersweet of all this?]

[Nothing lasts forever. All things come to an end. You must know this.]

So that is it? Gesaffelstein became used to Gemini’s aloofness, but he learned this extra terrestrial language, going through all the paper work and training to get to the moon, constantly scared for his life of what he’s facing up to, only to gain more curiosity over something he could no longer reach. It was out of his hands. The scientists kept his previous wish to be as publicly unaffiliated as possible to one of the biggest global discoveries ever recorded in history. Now he almost regrets it.

[You seem upset.] Gemini doesn’t seem to understand.

This hurt Gesaffelstein. He refused to translate it on his face even though his breathing pattern began to tremble. There’s a moment of silence before he recollects his thoughts.

[This journey was a lot. Very personal. This is big to humanity. Difficult to acknowledge it’s over.]

[It’s better to have happened than to never had happened, is it not?]

It’s one of those moments where you just know the future version of you will yearn for the past. As if many versions of you remember, anticipate and even try to communicate with one another.

[But don’t linger too long. Your mind will get too lost in space.]

It became very personal. Mike saw a lot of himself in Gemini. They look identical, their music was identical, they even had similar personalities. Were they one? Were they two halves of a whole soul? Gemini never had the answer to that. The acceptance to endings is always a hard one, one that Gemini may not understand either. It wasn’t human, after all.

Intercom interference interrupted Mike’s thoughts. The mission control was warning him his time was almost up. Gemini heard it too. Mike fights against water breaching from his eyes. Months worth of tension wanting to break out. Gesaffelstein felt like if he tensed up too hard, he could telekinetically break the material of his visor.

[Mike.]

His name engraved in the rock slowly becomes blurry in Gesaffelstein’s vision as he keeps staring at it while tears give way. When he blinks, the text changes.

[Hold onto this moment with pride, with stride. It’s still monumental for your species. It will live on.]

It surely will, Mike thinks.

[Think about how you can move forward from this experience.]

Mission control warns him again.

Will Gemini do the same? Move forward from this?

[One last question.] Mike’s hands begin to tremble, [Was this as impactful to you as it was to me?]

Gemini stares at his question, looks up at him and cocks its head thoughtfully.

[It was.]

Mike nods in acknowledgment, Gemini seeing a smile on his face for the first time. So there was at least some connection… With something beyond human yet closely resembling him. If there was ever an out-of-body experience, this was as real as it gets. Finally accepting, perhaps a part of him he never sat down with or never knew about. While this story ends, Mike appreciates the way it closes. He’s mouths “goodbye”.

[Safe travels, Mike.]

Gemini remains at the shadow of a border as Gesaffelstein returns to his pod. Within a few minutes, pod launches back up, slowly. The distorting whispering in his speakers slowly dissipate the further he gets from the moon. Mike can see Gemini’s face watching the pod, then slowly its face sinks back into the vanta black veil. The sound he makes was a mix of a chuckle and a sob. It almost feels like a part of him was taken away, almost ripped off like a limb. It almost hurts, but it’s the humane way; to leave it alone. And Mike will keep its words close to his heart and promises to live by them. There is much more to learn out there. More beings, more discoveries. More stories.

fin

here are some notes. i could’ve fully fleshed out this story really, but i don’t have time. i have other stories to finish too