Callisto’s Journal – Entry #17 I don’t know how long it’s been. Time feels... soft. Like ice melting in my hands. The stars look the same, but they don’t feel the same. I keep forgetting their names. I used to know them all. I used to know me. I saw Io today. Or maybe I dreamed it. He looked tired. Hurt. I wanted to say something—anything—but my voice cracked like my surface. I think I said “I’m fine.” I’m not. He knows that. I remember Triton. His laugh. The way he used to orbit just close enough to make me feel safe. He’s gone now. Five Earth weeks. I counted. I think. The virus is inside me. I can feel it. It’s not loud—it’s quiet. Gentle. Like it’s trying to lull me to sleep. I fight it. I write these words so I don’t forget who I am. I am Callisto. I am a moon of Jupiter. I am not gone yet. If Io finds this... tell him I tried. Tell him I’m still trying. —C
