The Spacemen

Filby lifted the access panel and pulled out the feedline for the new sensor unit on the International Space Station. He stripped back the sheathing from the wire and snapped it into a small junction box. The sensor light blinked, indicating a successful connection. He gently tucked the wire back into its cubby and replaced the panel door.

Marcell lowered himself out of the utility capsule and slowly towed himself along the sensor arm toward Filby.

"Looks good." Marcell said, tapping the newly installed sensor unit.

"Yeah, well that's the last one. Let's head in and set up the software."

"Sounds good"

Marcell began to pull himself toward the capsule door, but stopped just shy of it.

"Hey, Filby? Are we spacemen?" Marcell asked, staring off into the celestial void.

"Well.....we are men. And we are in space. But....I don't know if we could accurately be called spacemen."

"Why not?"

"I guess when I think of spacemen....I think of men from space. Not just men in space. We are from Earth. We are Earthmen."

Marcell continued toward the door but stopped again.

"I don't like that. I mean, look at us. We are wearing spacesuits and we have bubble helmets on our heads. Think about when we were kids. If you saw a toy that looked like we do right now, when you were a kid, what would you think it was?"

Filby rubbed the bottom of his bubble helmet.

"Hmmm. I guess I would think it was a spaceman."

"Right?"

"But....I would also assume that it was from outer space. Or from the future. Or both."

Marcell sighed heavily into his bubble.

"But when we were kids, now was the future. This is the past's future. And in a few days, we will be coming to Earth from space."

"Well, I guess maybe you are right. Maybe we are spacemen."

Macell smiled and pulled himself into the capsule. He reached down and grabbed the toolbag from Filby and set it inside. Filby climbed into the capsule and latched the door.

Marcell lifted the toolbag into a vinyl pouch and stared out the tiny window of the station. Earth was perfectly framed within the contours of the space porthole. He watched the swirling clouds slowly shifting along the bends of the giant sphere. In the clear spots, the deepest, most magnificent shades of blue pierced the black curtain of space. The sun was rising from behind, sending brilliant shafts of golden light across the edge of the planet.

"You know..." Marcell said

"...I changed my mind. You were right. We are from Earth. We are Earthmen."