Fortunately, medical corps wasn't a critical position, with plenty of standby personnel. Brittany stayed by Lübeck's side all afternoon, swiftly completing her transfer arrangements. She returned to her old quarters to pack her belongings and move them into Lübeck's room.
Lübeck didn't linger at work either. With nothing urgent, she clocked out on time. Opening her door, she caught sight of Brittany arranging her personal belongings. The scene before her felt like a replay of two months ago. How often in life did one get to relive moments they longed for?
Lübeck entered the room, closed the door, and stopped the busy Brittany. He took her hand, pulling her to stand before him. He gazed into her eyes, studying her face as if examining whether she had been harmed during the time he'd lost her, whether she had changed, whether she was no longer the same person she once was.
“Captain Lübeck, what's wrong?” Brittany asked softly.
“I thought I'd never see you again.”
Brittany said nothing, burying her face in Lübeck's embrace.
Lübeck held her tightly, his arm covering her mouth and nose, but she still murmured,
“Me too.” She lifted her head to look at Lübeck.
“Tell me when you changed your mind?”
“When they asked me to choose a partner, I inquired about you. They said you'd been assigned to another unit.”
“Hmm? Why did you make me wait so long?” Brittany squirmed, punching Lübeck's shoulder twice with clenched fists—a mix of reproach and playful pouting.
“Sorry. Truth is, I never quite let go of you.”
“Then why? Oh, you were missing your ex-wife, right?”
"Yes. Sorry, I didn't want to forget her, so I didn't erase the memories. We made a promise—she'd find me again in the next life. Only... I don't know where she is or when. Truthfully, I've been trying to find traces of her in you all along. But, heh, it's kind of funny. I'm not even sure if you are her."
“Oh,” Brittany replied, saying nothing more, clearly deep in thought.
“So, what if I'm not her?”
“It doesn't matter anymore. You are you. I realize I care about you too.”
“Mm,” Brittany buried her head in Lübeck's chest again, seeming to relax.
“Let's go for a walk. Dinner time is almost here.”
“Okay.”
Mars had almost no atmosphere, so the base personnel could only stay inside the base structures. They rarely went out for work unless absolutely necessary.
Lübeck wrapped his arm around Brittany's waist as they walked along the corridor windows toward the dining hall. Today was clear, and Mars' atmosphere offered exceptional visibility—though all they saw were endless red rocks and gravel, a desolate expanse. Earthlings remained unaware that within this Martian barrenness, a base housing humans of their own kind was already operational.
The mess hall food couldn't compare to the rehabilitation center's cuisine—it wasn't as refined. Still, the officers' mess offered ample fare. Lü Beck no longer harbored any prejudice against her freeloading on the officers' meals. Thinking back to all those midday meals she'd sacrificed just to see him again, he felt a pang of pity for her.
But halfway there, Brittany suddenly suggested,
“You treated me to lunch today. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?”
“Oh? Sounds good.”
As the senior officer approached the enlisted mess hall, he immediately drew the attention of numerous eyes. Lübeck could only nod and smile in greeting to each person. He also noticed that these soldiers were all teenagers and young adults in their twenties. Judging by their demeanor and attire, some were conservative, some fashionable, and others cyberpunk. Brittany seemed to relish the attention, striding ahead and tugging Lübeck along behind her.
But their dinner quickly transformed from an ordinary meal into a real-life Cinderella story. Before long, soldiers from Lübeck's unit recognized their captain, and wave after wave of people seeking photos began to arrive. Lübeck managed to finish his meal while intermittently engaging with the young admirers. Observing the radiant happiness on Brittany's face, he realized this wasn't merely a dinner invitation—it was a deliberate attempt to publicly declare their relationship.
After an unusually lively dinner, the two left the restaurant and began walking back along the corridor. Outside, it was completely dark, illuminated only by the dim, yellow and red lights of various base facilities. Yet the corridors within the base were unusually brightly lit, perhaps to maintain a pleasant mood for personnel in the enclosed space.
After the stroll back to their quarters, their stomachs were nearly empty. Brittany had noticed the comprehensive trainer in Lübeck's suite, designed for muscle training in low-gravity environments. Pointing at it, she asked, “Can I use it? I haven't done my physical training for the day yet.”
“Of course,” Lübeck replied, settling down nearby. He began flipping through the documentation for his new ship, occasionally glancing up at Brittany. Though Lübeck had previously commanded the same model of space-air mothership, upon opening the new documentation, he discovered significant changes to the vessel he'd received. It appeared to be an upgraded variant of the original design—essentially a new class altogether. It featured larger hangars and decks, but most crucially, it incorporated a biosphere self-sustaining system within the ship's hull. Consequently, this crew included a contingent of botanists, zoologists, and livestock handlers.
Weren't romantic partners also part of the ecosystem? With that thought, Lübeck looked up at Brittany. Unnoticed, she had shed her uniform jacket, tossing it aside. A red sweatband held her hair back, revealing her forehead. She wore a light gray uniform undershirt, sweat dampening her collar and armpits, the form-fitting fabric accentuating her curves.
Yet Lübeck felt no restlessness. Was he growing old? He wondered, but hadn't he just reversed his age? His body functioned as if he were 25 now. Why then, no sexual desire? Could it be he didn't physically love her? But surely, upon first meeting her, he had felt excitement. Why this calmness now? Could it be that she already belonged to him? Was passion extinguished without suspense? Or had decades of experience dulled his anticipation for such matters? Had he missed the thrill of new beginnings by choosing not to erase his memories? Yet erasing them meant forgetting Ruth forever—and where was she now? Lübeck began to wonder if his fear of loss had driven him to choose Brittany.
“Erich, do you need this equipment?” Brittany asked from across the room.
“No, not now. You take it.” His reply was calm, yet her utterance of his name echoed in his mind, stirring memories of days spent with Ruth. Looking at Brittany, he couldn't ignore her care and steadfastness.
She seemed to have a straightforward nature. After finishing her workout, she tossed her sweat-soaked clothes into the washing machine, then gathered Lübeck's as well and added them. Turning back, she stood before him and said,
“I'm going to take a shower. Do you want to?” " As she spoke, she drew closer, leaning her body against Lübeck's arm, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other taking his hand.
The scent emanating from Brittany's pores after her workout seemed to stir Lübeck's hormones. He rose willingly, accepting her invitation.
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