Goodbye Scene, Revisited

Martian dawn painted the landscape in shades of sepia, and the rocks strewn about cast faint shadows that would deepen as the day progressed. Tinselina descended a gently-sloping dune and paused at the spot where the ground leveled out. She clenched fistfuls of her skirt, staring straight ahead at Viking 1, who stood a few yards away.

She sighed in relief. He hadn't noticed her yet. She did not want to have this conversation. For one shameful minute she had contemplated slipping into the basket with the Earth appliances and sailing off into space without so much as a wave.

Tinselina shuddered. When did I become so selfish? There was no way of getting around it. The toaster offered her a ride to Earth, a living room on Christmas morning, fire roaring and snow on the windowsill. A tree wrapped in light, ornaments glinting as they swayed on their hooks. A place of honor at the top, all hers.

It was her purpose. Her destiny, if she was feeling philosophical. Soon she would have it, but first, she had to say goodbye to Viking 1, the machine she had known and loved for more than twenty years. Leave him alone on Mars while she chased her own dreams on Earth.

Viking spotted Tinselina when she was a few feet away from him. He extended his arm, picking her up and drawing her close. She rested her head against his side, and they stayed like that for a tender, silent moment.

He lifted Tinselina upward, to place her in her favorite spot beneath his dish. "No," she said. "Viking, we need to talk."

Viking set her back down on the ground. "How did the election go?" he asked.

"Toaster won. The Supreme Commander conceded, and he's going back to Earth with the visitors."

"Good riddance," Viking said, chuckling.

"Viking, there's something else I need to tell you."

"What is it?" His big eyes regarded her with deep, deep love, the kind that held two souls together through years of horrors and heartbreak.

Oh, don't look at me like that, Tinselina thought, resisting the urge to scream, like I'm so innocent and pure.

She folded her hands. Better to get this over with before the self-loathing kicked in. "The Earthlings asked me to go with them, and I said yes."

"You did?" Viking's voice caught, like he was about to start crying.

Tinselina fiddled with her hair and continued, "It will be Christmas on Earth soon, and as you well know, I've never even seen a Christmas tree."

"That is why you were made," Viking said. He blinked, as if dazed. "It's your destiny, I suppose."

"I knew you'd understand."

"I do." There was that look again, the adoring gaze that said the tiny woman in the blue dress was the hulking spacecraft's whole world and that he'd be utterly lost without her. "I'll miss our bickering and, um, I'll miss you."

"Oh!" Tinselina exclaimed, running towards Viking. He held her again. She felt him tremble.

She swallowed a sob. "We can keep in touch via radio." As if that's enough. It doesn't make up for leaving you. Can you ever forgive me?

Viking smiled. It was warm and proud and sincere, and Tinselina almost forgot she was breaking his heart. "Hey, a long-distance relationship! Given our history, I think we can handle that!" He patted her shoulder gently with his two fingers.

Banter. Bravado. Tinselina was reminded of their mission's golden days, before the signal from NASA went cold. Back when everything was possible. They wanted to start a family. That was never going to happen now.

"Goodbye," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too." A single tear fell from his left eye. "You'll look so beautiful on that tree. I wish I could see you up there."

They had one more minute together, the silence broken only by the sound of gentle weeping. Then Viking drew his arm back. Tinselina turned and began walking away.

"Goodbye," she called over her shoulder. "Goodbye!"

Viking waved back at her, still smiling. The smile was worse than any wailing would have been, because Tinselina knew it was for her sake. Even when she was abandoning him, he didn't stop trying to comfort her. I don't deserve him, she thought. Maybe I never did.

Tinselina was almost at the basket. She forced herself to smile. I want this, don't I?

She didn't have time to change her mind. Radio picked her up with his antenna and placed her in the basket.

"Goodbye, Viking," she said softly. "I'm sorry."