《Rosasphere》 Illegal Rescue Mission Lucinda''s Journal Entry 15th September 2118 Shift 13 always get the cruddiest jobs to do. I''ve got to trail after Alice, my supervisor, shoving this trolley while she takes notes on the trivial stuff that''s broken down. Like vending machines. I hum as I push the trolley down the softly lit corridor. The lighting is rosy pink. It''s pretty, I guess. The atmosphere on board this ship is nicer than the air in the space station, too. I hum "Bring back my Bobby to me." It''s an old tune, but I think it''s romantic. Alice, my superior, doesn''t agree. She whirls round, her blue eyes flashing. "Lucinda, are you winding me up?" She calls me ''Lucinda'' when she''s annoyed. "Not at all, Alice," I say, scrunching my nose at her. "Then stop humming." I stop humming and whistle the tune instead. Alice stops the trolley by a vending machine and rounds on me. "One more sound, anything at all, and you''re on report." I shut my mouth and nod. "Now what job number''s this?" she asks, opening her notebook. I mouth at her silently, careful not to make a sound. Alice glares at me and scribbles in her notebook. "Right, that''s it. I''m telling the captain." I''ve got to reason with her. "Alice I''m bored." "Bored? This is essential routine maintenance. It''s essential to the mission and the wellbeing of the crew." She tuts and examines the machine. "Now can this machine still dispense toffee crisp bars?" Essential indeed. What would the crew do if they couldn''t get toffee crisp bars? Alice really is a wishful thinker. We''ve got all the most rubbish jobs on the Rosasphere. The girl who maintains the toilets is more important than us. "Pass me a 2B pencil, Luce," says Alice. She''s calling me Luce again. Her flash of rage has passed. I pass her a pencil. She breathes through her nose, annoyed again. "Is this a 2B? Does it look anything like a 2B?" She picks up an identical pencil. "This is a 2B, Luce. You handed me a 2C!" At that moment, someone comes down the corridor to us. Oh great Galaxy! My heart skips. It''s Baldr, the second in command on the Rosasphere. His eyes are blue like glaciers. I swear, he''s so gorgeous, he lights up the corridor like a golden comet. I hastilyflick my long plait over my shoulder and make sure I''m standing up straight. "Hello, Alice. Hello, Luce." Stars and Planets, he knows my name and that I like to be called Luce! I stammer at him like an idiot. He beams at me, his smile a tiny bit crooked. I''ve never seen anything or anyone so lovely. Alice smirks. Baldr turns to Alice. "Alice, I see you''ve filed a complaint against Luce on a count of insubordination." "She stood on my foot, Sir," says Alice stiffly. "It was an accident!" I protest. Baldr holds up his hand pacifically. "Girls, you must try to get on. There are 84 of us, on a ship 100 feet in diameter." "Yes, Baldr," I reply. "I ¨C I''ll do my best." I know I''m gazing at his lovely face like an idiot and I bet I''m blushing so my face is red as my hair¡­ Alice makes a scoffing sound. Baldr clasps my hands and smiles his dazzling smile. His grip is pleasantly firm. He smells like apples and blackberries. Oh planets. I can''t believe he''s clasping my hands. I wish I could say something impressive, but right now I''m just thinking how skinny I am, and about myreddish hair, my too fair skin, my too many freckles. Pathetic, isn''t it? "Take note, Alice." Says Baldr. "Luce wants to improve." Alice sneers. "Yeah, I think I know what inspires her."
00O00 In the mess hall, there''s a bit of a weird announcement. Tess, the captain, a pallid, pudgy lady, introduces this other lady. She''s tall, with an aquiline face and hair almost as red as mine ¨C but I can see right through her. I mean I can actually see the mess hall right through her. She''s transparent, like a ghost. Tess gestures to her. "This is Davinia Rothman, architect of the Rosasphere. I appreciate that not all of you have travelled with a Virtual Projection, or VP before. I want you to treat her as you would any crewmember." She sits down. Davinia smiles a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you, Tess. I am a Virtual Projection. I appreciate that this may seem spooky to some of you, but I have died. And now I am back as a computer simulation. Or Virtual Projection. It is routine for the Star Corp to download the personalities of all of its crew members and refine those personalities into algorithms that can be used to bring them back as VPs in the event of their deaths."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. She gestures with a wide weeping gesture, as if she wants to grab us all in her arms. Who taught her how to make speeches? "This is the Rosasphere''s maiden voyage. I designed the Rosasphere to be capable of both interplanetary and interstellar travel. The ship is a perfect sphere, 100 feet in diameter with perfectly simulated gravity. The northern hemisphere is for crew. The southern hemisphere is a self-sustaining ecosystem, with algae fields and sunlamps as the basis. On an interstellar flight, the Rosasphere would become a generation ship, and the crew farmers. Then the Star Corp rule would apply ¨C quad marriages, three women and one man each." There''s some sniggering at that. Real mature, girls and guys. I''m just thinking that on one of these interstellar trips, I''d better be Baldr''s wife. I think I could stand his having two other wives. I know he''d come to really love me if he''d got to know me, and the awful, arranged marriage idea wouldn''t hurt so much anymore¡­ Davinia continues. "But this maiden voyage is an interplanetary mission at a mere cruising speed, to transport a cargo of lab cats to the Asteroid Base. They''ve been experimented on with retro-viroids." I sit up and take notice. What''s she on about? Who''d dare hurt a kitty? I had a cat, back on Earth. The thought of someone putting retro-viroids in her makes me angry. I glare at Alice, trying to convey that I want an explanation. She raises her eyebrows at me. I want answers now, but I''m useless at sign-language. I shake my head. Alice runs her fingers through her short brown hair, and turns away. Well we''re bunkmates in the poky dorm. I''ll get an explanation then. The ladies dorm is for all the girls who are not officers. All sixty of us. It''s four to a bunk. Alice and I are both in a bottom bunk in the far corner. Alice grumbled about it at first, but she''s not exactly my first choice either. I think you know I''d like to share with Baldr. There''s a vidscreen above us, with the image of a ghostly green, female face. It''s Nebula 2000, the ship''s computer. She''s an AI who runs the ship. Supposed to have an IQ of like 5000 or something, but she doesn''t have hands, so she couldn''t do those silly IQ jigsaw puzzles. Her dark green lips form a smile. "Good night, girls. May your dreams be sweet tonight." "Good night, Nebs," most of us chorus, while Alice makes that scoffing sound. Alice wriggles under the cover. She''s a lot smaller than me, and she''s complained about my long legs taking up room. "Try not to snore so much." Ouch. I don''t know why that offends me, but it does. "I do not snore!" "Yes, you do. Like an adenoidal pig." "I don''t-" I remember what''s really eating me. "Never mind. Alice, what was that about kitties being given retro-viruses?" "You didn''t know that, Luce? The retro-viroids give them extra DNA. It''s supposed to accelerate their evolution over generations or something." "That''s horrible." "Mm hmm. Go to sleep, freckleface." The thought of a sweet, fluffy kitten being given some foul parasite brings tears to my eyes. Alice had lain back on the pillow, but now she stares at me, amazed. "Hey, hey." She wipes a tear away from my cheek. "It''s alright. That''s what they''re for. The Star Corp paid for them." Alice can be surprisingly dense at times, so I''ll forgive her that one. "It''s not alright. I hate cruelty to animals. I want to stop them." I can see Alice''s face in the near darkness, but I can''t read her expression. She replies in a surprisingly soft voice. "Luce¡­ you have to accept what you cannot change. You are a dreamer. There''s nothing wrong with that, but sooner or later, you have to wake up. The universe is a cold and cruel place to those that don''t. It''s like with Baldr. You two cannot be together. He cannot settle down with a seventeen year old girl who''s got no money, and no qualifications. It''s best to put impossible dreams from your mind, or you will get hurt." When do I ever listen to Alice? After she''s asleep, I lie awake. Baldr, my love, must hate cruelty to animals too. I''ll get the cats out of this somehow. And he''ll admire me for being so brave. He''ll shine his dazzling smile on me for it and take me in his arms. Alice will see that it doesn''t matter if someone has no money or qualifications. Those are things she thinks are important. Well they''re not. Courage is important. Kindness is important. Love is important. I slip off the bunk. Alice does not stir. I tiptoe down the rosy lit corridors. I know where the animal cargo room is. The door is heavy and has a KEEP OUT sign, but I have a trick up my sleeve. A techno-tick. These little things scramble any circuitry. I set it into the lock. It''s black and red striped. It latches onto the lock mechanism which soon glows red and gives way. The door opens inwards. The lights come on when I cross the threshold. There are row upon row of cages. The cats look up at me and mew. They''re all in tiny little cages! It breaks my heart. They should be allowed to roam and exercise, that''s what kitties want to do! I''m sorry to disobey the captain, but it has to be. I can''t let cruelty to animals go on if I can do anything to stop it. And if Alice disagrees, well stuff her. "It''s OK, darlings. I''m getting you out. There''s a chute to the Southern Hemisphere. You can roam the fields there." There''s squeaking from a table nearby. There''s a cage of white mice. Well I''m not going to leave them to have horrible experiments done on them when the Rosasphere reaches the Asteroid Base. I''m letting all the animals free. Lucinda''s Journal Entry 16th September 2118 OK, now I''m in trouble. It''s a lot worse than being in trouble at school. Hauled in front of Tess the Captain is worse than being hauled in front of a headmistress. "What were you thinking?" she storms. "Releasing the cats into the Southern Hemisphere Ecosystem? And the lab mice? We may not be able to round them all up in time." Baldr''s there too. He looks at me sadly, but says nothing. "I ¨C I''m sorry, Captain, Ma''am," I tell Tess. "I do respect you, but I hate cruelty to animals, and the idea of deliberately giving the cats retro-viroids makes me sick." "We''re just the transport. It''s not up to us to decide on the medical ethics involved," yells Tess. "I must stand by what I believe in. That is, kindness to all living creatures." Oh no. I think I''m going to cry. I can''t lose it here. "Do what you want with me," I tell her. "Stasis. For the rest of the trip." The poker-faced security girl leads me to the stasis booth. "The stasis booth works like this. Time cannot penetrate the stasis field inside, so no time will pass for you, but it will pass for others on the outside. You will exist, but you will not exist in time." "Great," I say, glumly. "Don''t worry, it doesn''t hurt. It''ll be like no time has gone by. Then you''ll be out and the trip will be over." Baldr''s coming up the corridor. My heart leaps. "Wait!" The security girl stands to one side. He clasps my hands again. I stammer. I think I''m going to melt. "I admire your passion for doing the right thing, Luce," he says steadily. Oh planets, I''m blushing again. I don''t know what to say. "I certainly can''t overrule the captain," he continues, "but ¡­" he pauses. I know I''m just staring, taking in his glacial blue eyes, his perfectly sculpted features, his white gold hair. Do I sound shallow? Well what I''m really excited about is that he admires me. Admires my passion for the right thing. For kindness to all creatures. Yes. It must be true. He must be my soul mate. After I get out, could I ask him to marry me? Would I dare? My lip is quivering. My emotions are welling up inside me. I''m trying not to burst into tears¡­ "Remember¡­ at the end of the trip¡­ we must talk." Then he''s gone and I have to get in the stasis booth. There''s a window in the door, but the door itself is clearly airtight. It slams shut. I hear Neb the computer''s voice. "Stasis field going up in ten seconds¡­ five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­ one¡­" Death, Evolution and Conception Lucinda''s Journal Entry 16th September 3118 It''s like the stasis booth opens again almost immediately. "Your stasis term is over, Luce," giggles Neb''s echoing voice. "Isn''t that nice?" OK¡­ she sounds really weird. I don''t think she''s ever giggled like a little girl before. "It feels like I only just got in," I tell her as I step into the corridor. Planets¡­ the air smells really musty, like an old cellar. What''s going on? There''s something wrong with the lighting too, it''s dim and flickering. Neb''s voice echoes around me. "You feel like you''ve just got in, eh? Lucky thing. Never did have to use your brain." Ouch. Perhaps I deserved that¡­ "Please just go to the Captain''s office, there''s a dear." I make my way to the captain''s office. The corridor''s deserted. Again, why? Has everyone already left? But Baldr must be waiting for me! I grin and run up to the office. But it''s empty, except for a service robot. It''s hovering above the floor like they always do, but it''s acting super-weird. It''s spinning round and round in circles. Alright, what''s going on? There''s the monitor with Neb''s ghostly green face on it. "Where is everyone, Neb?" I ask carefully. "They''re dead Luce." I feel as if I''ve been punched in the gut. I begin breathing hard. The office spins around me. My heart''s really thumping. "No! They can''t be. W-what happened?" I grab the table for support. As if from a distance I hear Neb''s voice. "Radiation leak in Northern hemisphere. Don''t worry your pretty little head about how¡­ I got it under control, trouble is, all the crew died instantly. I had to send the Rosasphere off into interstellar space. And naturally I couldn''t let you out until the radiation died down. Your sentence got a lot longer¡­" "H-how long?" I stammer. I''m shaking. "A thousand years. Now it''s all safe for you to come out, but everyone you know is dead now." "Everyone?" My voice is barely above a whisper. "Yes, you poor thing." "Baldr¡­" my love. Gone forever. And everyone I knew. I sink to the floor. This is too much to take in all at once. "You poor thing," says Neb. "But if he were still alive, the age difference would be insurmountable." I''m barely listening to her. "I''m all alone." My voice is trembling. I hug my knees. I''m starting to cry. "Oh it''s worse than that. Look who you''ve got for company." That voice. I look up. "Alice?" She''s semi-transparent. Like Davinia Rothman was. "Alice¡­ you''re a VP." "Yeah¡­ I''m just a computer simulation of me. The real me is dust." "Oh Alice." I stand up and try to hug her, but my arms go right through her and I end up hugging myself. She''s made entirely of light. I''m really crying now, tears pouring down my face, my body wracked with sobs. It''s like some dam in me has burst. "Hey, hey, you''re not the one who''s dead." Alice is trying to wipe my tears away, but of course she can''t. "Sorry, Alice. I''m so sorry," I sob. "You can''t go to pieces now," she hisses. "I can''t do anything useful, so you''ve got to take care of me." I swallow and sniff. "I will." I try to take her hand, but it''s like trying to hold hands with a shadow. Alice glares at Neb. "Where in the cosmos exactly are we?" "I dunno," Neb remarks. "I''ve been on my own for a thousand years. I''ve gone a bit peculiar, to tell you the truth. I shot the Rosasphere into space at top speed. Ten percent lightspeed. She''s been going for a thousand years straight." Alice''s lip curls. "Oh great. Just great. A senile computer." Neb curls her dark green lip in return. "This senile computer is all that''s sustaining you, Alice River. I can only support one VP at a time. You are the one Luce knew best and the only one who can keep her sane." "We''ve gotta¡­" I rub my temples. My head''s spinning again. Oh planets, don''t let me faint¡­ "We''ve got to get back to Earth," I declare. "Even if everyone we know is dead."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Sounds like a plan," says Alice. "Can you do that, Neb?" She''s using a sarcastic tone, though I don''t know why. It''s not going to make Neb do any better. "Yeah, I can plot a course change," says Neb. "Please do," I tell her. "Listen. I don''t think I''m very well. Ummm¡­ I''ve got to go to the Medibay." I still might faint. In the Medibay it smells musty as well, but the mustiness is overlaid with the scent of medicine that''s gone bad. There''s a monitor here with Neb''s green face on it as well. "Hope the Medibot still works," remarks Neb. "Perhaps one of you could check for me?" The screen flickers and the green face disappears. "That computer¡­ so rubbish," says Alice. "Completely crocked." I sit on that leather reclining chair for patients and burst into fresh sobs, tears pouring down my face. "Hey, hey¡­ enough''s as good as a feast," says Alice, sitting beside me and putting her arms around me as best she can. I can feel her grip, like gossamer¡­ I think of Baldr. "I dunno Alice¡­ I dunno what Baldr wanted to say to me." "What? What d''you mean?" "He said he wanted to talk to me when I got let out. I was going to ask him to marry me." "Whaaaa? Oh Luce, you are the weirdest girl." I glare at her. "You may scoff. I know I''m not much to look at." Alice looks uncomfortable. "No, I didn''t say that." "Well you think that Baldr couldn''t love me? I know he understood why I did what I did¡­ why I couldn''t let cruelty to animals go on around me. He said he admired my passion for doing the right thing and that we had to talk at the end of the trip." "Well, I don''t know what to make of that. It''s too late anyhow. Put it from your mind. There''s nothing of him left except fingerprints and blood samples." "Alright, I know. Wait¡­ not just blood samples, surely?" A thought occurs to me. "Neb!" The ghostly green face appears on the monitor. "You called, Lucey Goosey?" I giggle a little despite everything. "Can''t you even get her name right?" jeers Alice. "Please¡­" I hold up a hand to forestall her snarking at the computer. "May I ask, Neb¡­ I know you''ve got blood samples here. Well did the guys leave sperm samples. I ¨C I know it''s not difficult for them to deposit sperm..." I think I''m blushing. "Not difficult? They''re always at it," says Alice smirking. "I just want to know if we have Baldr''s sperm stored," I say in a rush. "Sure, sweetie," says Neb. Oh yes. My sweet Baldr isn''t all gone. There''s a glimmer of light through the gloom¡­ "Wait, what are you getting at?" says Alice frowning. "I want to put the sperm in me," I tell her bluntly. "I want to be a mother. I''m not going to be alone my whole life. If I had a child with Baldr to remember him by, it would be some comfort." "Are these the right reasons to be doing this?" says Alice. "Bringing a new life onto this ship because you think you''re lonely and you want to remember Baldr, who let''s face it, you barely knew? And there are other things to consider." "Like what, Alice?" says Neb. Alice ponders. "Although having said that ¡­ I would like to be an aunt. Aunt Alice. So, what the Galaxy? Why don''t you do it, Luce?"
00O00 Let''s skip over the insemination procedure. Fortunately the Medibot does still work, but there''s no romance involved in sticking thawed out sperm in me. Not what I''d dreamed of. Not at all. But it gives me hope. A sense of purpose. I really hope it works. Let''s be optimistic for a moment and assume it does, now I have a reason to live. A child with Baldr. I''m thrilled and my heart flutters even though everything else is so terrible¡­ We go on a tour of the empty Rosaphere. It''s really, really sad. Everything is so empty. "I like the officers quarters better," says Alice as we enter the cream coloured suite. "We can move in here right away." I stand in the centre of the room. "Baldr once slept here." I''m suddenly overcome by a desperate desire to speak to him. "I''m hoping to have our baby, my love. Rest in peace. Um¡­ ''til tonight." Alice stares at me as if I''ve said something shocking. Well let her stare. I don''t care. Later we come to the barrier to the Southern Hemisphere of the Rosasphere. The artificial ecosystem meant for sustainable farming during interstellar travel. "You might want to be careful here," says Neb from the monitor by the barrier. "Those cats you released in there¡­ the ones infected with a mutagen¡­ they''ve been evolving like crazy because of the mutagen ¨C for a thousand years." "Oh no! What, there''s a horde of horrible cat monsters in there?" says Alice, wrinkling her nose. "No, Alice. I''m having trouble picking up any life signs to tell the truth, but there may be something." I nod. "We have to find out. Please open the door, Neb." The algae fields are different to how I remember. They were blue green when I first took the cats here, but now they''re brown. They look dead. And cracked. And the domes of the buildings are cracked as well. They look ruined. The air stinks, too. There doesn''t seem to be anything alive. We traipse through each of the buildings. Everything''s empty. No supplies, grain ¡­ no anything. But in the last one we here a reedy whisper. "Come¡­ come and be near me." There''s a bed of straw and on it ¨C Alice gives a loud exclamation ¨C there''s a cat lady! No, really! Like a cat lady from anime. She has a black face with blue eyes, and a mostly white body¡­ Then out of the shadows, something leaps forward and grabs my ankles. "Gotcha!" It squeaks. It sounds like a girl''s voice although higher. I look down. It''s a little cat girl, yellow with brown spots. She looks up at me with green eyes. "That''s not nice, Kitty," murmurs the cat lady wearily. Is she sick? I detach Kitty from my ankle. I had to do that with Luna, my own cat, enough times. I kneel beside the cat lady. "Hello. Um, I''m Lucinda. Are you ¨C are you the last cats?" Her mouth forms a wry smile. "I am the last of the ragdoll cats. The others have gone. They modified the shuttle and took off shortly before you came. They just left me and my adopted kitten. I''m not like other cats. I need company. Kitty''s mother didn''t want to keep her, so I did." "A ragdoll? What is this?" demands Alice. "Isn''t this thing a cat?" I turn to her. "Don''t be rude to her. A ragdoll is a type of cat bred specially to be sociable. Different from other cats. Not really catlike. Definitely not the hunting type of cat." Meanwhile Kitty has found a pebble on the floor and is batting it around and yowling. "I''ll get ya, pebble. I''ll kill ya!" I point at Kitty. "That''s the way normal cats are." Alice scoffs. "All cats are vermin!" I stand up and glare at her. "Hey! Enough of that. Cats are living creatures. And I''ve raised a cat before and I love them. Now I''ve got a plan, Alice. We''re going back to Earth. I have two cats. And I''m going to have a baby. And we''re going to have our own place when we get there. You''re welcome to come with us, but you''ve gotta choose." I hold out my hand to her. "Are you in?" She sighs and nods. "Alright. It''s not like I''ve got anywhere else to be." This is it. The start of my journey back. The Beginning. Hope, Horror and Halloween! Lucinda''s Journal Entry 30th October 3118 I''m reallllly not feeling great. I was over the moon to find out that I am pregnant with darling Baldr''s baby, but now I''m throwing up every morning and generally feeling sickly. Lady, the old ragdoll catwoman, is lying next to me on my bottom bunk bed in the officer''s quarters. She''s making a rumbling sound in the back of her throat. That means she''s purring, of course. She presses her cold, wet nose against my cheek. "Don''t worry, my love. I''m here." I''m reading a book on knitting. Alice may scoff, but I want to be able to knit bootees and baby toys like my great grandmother could. Who says knitting is obsolete? Kitty the spotted cat comes stalking in mewling. "Here, mousie mousie! I''ve got cheese for you. I just wanna be your friend!" I think Kitty''s some kind of hybrid savannah cat-girl. She''s wearing a little silk dress, but she''s brandishing a wooden club. "Weird, how all the lab mice and their descendants are gone," I say. Turns out the lab mice I released into the Rosasphere''s southern hemisphere did breed. Early on, the mutating cats ate them and they were their main source of nutrition. "The ecosystem did fail. The poor things had nothing left to eat," says Lady. "Then the other cats took nearly all of the mice on their shuttle when they left." She slips her furry arm in mine. "I don''t think I could kill a mouse. I did catch one once, but I just had to let it go. Kitty did all the hunting for both of us in the ruins until you got us out." "You''re lucky I share," says Kitty, glaring at her with bright, green eyes. She gives a little hiss indicative of disgust. "I think all the mice are really dead now." Alice comes gliding in, her ghostly form making no footfalls. "Good thing too. We don''t need vermin like that on board. Especially not with a baby coming along." She sits on the edge of the bed and puts a transparent hand on my belly. "And how is the little gingerbread baby cooking today?" I give her a faint smile. "I can''t wait ''til he comes out and I actually get to hold him." Actually, how do I know my baby is a he? I guess I just hope I''m having a boy, ''cos then he''ll remind me of Baldr. My lost love¡­ Kitty yowls and drops her club with a clatter. "Look at me! Focus on me!" "Shut up, you stupid, festering hairball!" Alice snaps at her. Kitty hisses back, her hackles rising. "Girls¡­ please¡­let''s try to get along," I urge. "Remember my motto, Kitty," murmurs Lady. "Always be friendly." Kitty pouts. "It''s a stupid motto." Then she catches a glimpse of her own reflection in the mirror and gasps. "Who is that amazing, gorgeous and stunning creature?" At that moment, the monitor flickers and the ghostly green face of Neb, the ship''s computer swims into focus. "Awooga. Awooga. I''ve an announcement," she declares, then falls silent. "What announcement? Spit it out," says Alice. "A distress signal," says Neb. "Probably nothing¡­" "Planets¡­ why didn''t you just say so immediately? There could be lives in danger." I scramble off the bed and slip into my black top and jeans and then Alice and I hurry to the communications room. "Getting contact," says Neb from the monitor. "Punch it up," orders Alice. A picture swims into focus. It''s a green female face, like Neb''s but bald¡­ and solid. It looks like she''s made of green rubber. "Thank the stars!" Her voice is high-pitched and sounds quite posh. "I''m Nan, the service android on board the star-ship Bolide IV. We''ve crashed. Most of the crew are dead, but my two boys¡­ sorry, I mean two male officers are injured, but stable. Here are their medical details." A picture appears of a super-cute guy with text giving his details. This makes Alice sit up and take note. It''s like her eyes are starting out of her head! This guy is gorgeous, there''s no doubt about that. He has a sculpted jaw, wavy, toffee coloured hair, wide and dreamy hazel eyes and a freckled face.His smile is really warm. I find myself wanting to look more. His name is Gabriel. Kitty slinks in at this point and gazes at the screen. How much human DNA have the retro-viroids put in the cats over a thousand years? Is she human enough to appreciate an attractive guy? Then there is a tough looking dude, muscular, with close cropped blond hair. His name is Raphael. I like these names.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Tell them we''re coming aboard," declares Alice. "Great Galaxy, we''ll rescue these strapping lads, or my names not Admiral Alice, Amazing Adventuress!" "Thank you, Admiral," says Nan the android, giving a little bow. The monitor screen goes blank. I turn to Alice. "Admiral¡­ What¡­? Admiral!" Alice sticks her tongue out at me. "Well what should I say? I''m the girl who used to keep the vending machine stocked up on toffee crisp bars. Actually we know sod all about space travel or rescue missions, but if you want a choc bar, we''re your girls. That''ll fill them with hope, won''t it?" I sigh. "How far, Neb?" "Mm. ''Bout 24 hours." "What? 24 hours?" screams Kitty. "I''ve gotta get ready! All six of my nipples are tingling." She bolts through the door. I shake my head. "Silly cat. We''re on a mission of mercy. We''re taking them urgently needed medical supplies. We are definitely not on the pull!" Alice raises her eyebrows at me. Lucinda''s Journal Entry 31st October 3118 Oh planets, there''s not enough time to get ready. I''m in the bathroom trying to fix my hair, but I''m overtaken by a bout of nausea and have to puke in the toilet. Great. Now my breath stinks heavily of vomit. First human contact I''ve had in a thousand years (poor Alice is just a computer simulation pf Alice, remember?) and it''s with two handsome hunks and my breath will smell awful¡­ I peer into the mirror. After all that puking, I look really pale, my freckles really showing. I look sickly, that''s how I look. Great. Ah well, the guys will love me for rescuing them. I''ll take them into my care and nurse then back to health. Will they want me to read to them while I nurse them? I hope so. I apply some lipstick and mascara and a touch of rouge to my cheeks. Later, I get into the prettiest dress store on the Rosasphere. Well, not the prettiest, pink would be awful with my hair, but there''s this really nice periwinkle blue dress¡­ Alice comes gliding into the room. Neb has agreed to deck her out in a lady Admiral''s outfit, it seems. Alice sneers at me. "No, we''re not on the pull, are we Luce? Hypocrite." I glare at her. "I don''t know what you''re talking about." "You''ve pinched that dress, which is better than anything you could have afforded. You''re on the pull, you liar." Ouch. I hate being called a liar. "You can talk. You''re carrying on with the lie that you''re an admiral. The girl who put chocolate bars in the vending machine!" "I knew it would start. The put downs," says Alice, shaking her head. "Sorry, what?" "You want to put me down to make yourself look good in front of the hot guys. I suppose you''ll taunt me for being dead." That''s low. As if I''d ever do that. She must know me better than this. "Please calm down, Alice. I''m not going to put you down." "Then build me up. Mention that I died and I was incredibly brave about it." "Yes. You were." I beckon to show that we should kiss and make up ¨C what we normally do after we''ve quarrelled. She kisses me on the cheek. I can''t feel anything of course, cos she''s made entirely of light.
00O00 The Rosapshere''s in orbit over the free floating dwarf planet where the Bolide IV crashed. I''m monitoring things from the control panel. The Bolide IV is a huge, long, cylindrical craft, stuck in the planetoid''s icy surface. "Watch out! The pretty Kitty has arrived." It''s Kitty. She comes bounding into the comms room dressed in a load of tacky imitation jewellery. "Did ya ever seen anything so great? Well, did ya?" she glares round at us. "Sure, Kitty," I tell her. I''d better not say that she has the taste and self-control of a deranged magpie. Lady is dozing on a chair, but now she jerks awake. "We''re gonna make more friends, right?" "Of course." I scratch behind her ear. She purrs and nuzzles my cheek. "Love you." The monitor flickers and the ghostly, green face of Neb appears. Oh planets¡­ she''s made it look like she has bright red lipstick on. Red lipstick looks really garish on a green face. Alice glides in and smirks at Neb''s painted face. "What are you doing, you silly old crock? You really think you stand a chance with any handsome or hunky young man?" Neb glares at her. "Well who wanted me to simulate shoving a whole box of tissues into her who-does-she-think-she''s-kidding bra?" Neb has to make all Alice''s clothes, because Alice is a computer simulation. I hold up my hands. "Stop bickering! We want to carry out this rescue professionally." I snap louder than I want to. My own breasts are feeling really sore right now, and I think I have to go and throw up again.
00O00 Ready to dock now. "The Bolide''s a 24th Century craft, apparently," says Neb. "But connecting with the airlock shouldn''t be difficult." "If I see a mirror, you''ve gotta help me get away," says Kitty, glaring at me. "Got it? I''m too beautiful to resist." I stroke her spotted head. "Of course." The airlock doors slide open and Nan is here to meet us, the bright, steady lighting of the Bolide IV shining off her bald, green head. She''s dressed in tight fitting black rubber. "Come in, come in. How lovely to meet you all." Alice glides over the threshold and around Nan. Nan bows to her. "Admiral." "What a delightful craft this is. Reminds me of my first command." Alice really means to keep up this Admiral nonsense. "A pleasure to meet you too Miss," says Nan, bowing her head to me. Then she peers up at me with beady black eyes. "You look a little pale, can I help?" Great. Even an android can see that I look sickly. "No ¡­ thanks anyway¡­ um¡­ I''m going to have a baby," I tell her, putting a hand to my belly. "Ooh congratulations, Miss," squeals Nan. "And might I add, your husband is a very lucky man." Alice and I look at each other. Alice shrugs. Nan leads us down the corridor. As the cats pass a mirror, Kitty stops dead, her green eyes wide at the sight of her reflection. "Ohhh¡­ you''re so purrrfect." "Come on, puss," I tell her. "You gonna have to help," says Kitty. "I can''t resist that." She points at her reflection. I pick her up and carry her all the way down that corridor. "My boys are so eager to meet you all," says Nan. This way. She leads Alice and I into a little parlour off the main corridor. The cats are lagging behind again. Alice and I both gasp. Propped up on chairs around a small table are two skeletons in uniforms¡­! "These are my boys. My precious angels," says Nan, grinning at us, a blank, crazy gleam in her eye¡­ Double Trouble! Alice and I stand there gaping. ¡°Well? Isn¡¯t anyone going to say ¡®Hello?¡¯ asks Nan. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll get some tea.¡± She leaves. Kitty comes in, followed by Lady. Lady¡¯s blue eyes widen. ¡°What is this? Are we too late? Those poor boys¡­ they¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Dead for centuries,¡± said Alice, glumly. My mouth feels very dry. ¡°Yes¡­ I think Nan is in denial ¡­ or maybe she¡¯s not programmed to deal with the guys passing away.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that cute guy?¡± grumbles Kitty. ¡°The one with freckles? I wanna kiss ''im and wan'' ''im to stroke pretty Kitty. There are only these boring old bones here. Booooring.¡± I shush her. ¡°After all this getting our hopes up¡­ it was only a crazy old android,¡± says Alice bitterly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have bothered if I¡¯d known it was just her here. She let us think human lives were in danger! She should rot here.¡± ¡°I honestly think she didn¡¯t know better,¡± I say. I want to cry. Maybe I should. Alice has seen my cry before and so has Lady. Lady is always really sweet about it. I kneel beside the skeletons and whisper. ¡°Sorry¡­ we were too late. Much too late. Rest in peace.¡± Lady nuzzles my cheek in a comforting way. ¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± says Alice. ¡°I want fooood,¡± caterwauls Kitty. On cue, Nan comes back with a tea tray. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some scones in a jiffy,¡± she assures Kitty. Then she glances around at the rest of us. She can¡¯t fail to notice how glum we look. ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± Alice¡¯s lip curls. ¡°Anything the matter? They¡¯re both dead!¡± ¡°Sorry, who are you talking about?¡± Asks Nan, gazing at Alice with her black eyes as she puts the tea tray on the table. ¡°Gabriel and Raphael, you dopey machine,¡± says Alice pointing at the skeletons. Nan straightens up, her eyes widening. ¡°WHAT?! I was only away for two minutes!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been dead for centuries, just look at them. Nothing but old bones,¡± snaps Alice. ¡°We should bury them,¡± I say, my voice a husky whisper. ¡°You¡¯re that sure they¡¯re dead?¡± says Nan, staring at us blankly. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a simple test,¡± says Alice. ¡°Alright guys¡­ hands up who¡¯s alive.¡± Nan urges the skeletons to raise their hands, but eventually she has to accept Alice¡¯s test results as definitive. Lucinda¡¯s Journal Entry 1st November 3118 Great Galaxy, it¡¯s so sad¡­ having to bury those poor boys and conducting their funeral the best I know how, but I know they deserved better. Lady¡¯s sad as well, sniffling and wanting to link arms with me more often. Alice is bearing the disappointment well, although she¡¯s a little more dour than usual. Only Kitty is unaffected. For Nan though, it¡¯s like her whole world ended. ¡°I ¨C I knew the other crew members had died on impact, but I couldn¡¯t accept my two favourites¡­ my two precious angels leaving me. Raphael so strong, Gabriel so beautiful, and both of them so kind, even to a lowly android like me. I can¡¯t go on. Please, Miss Lucinda, bury me with them.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°No Nan, you¡¯ve got to start a new life,¡± I say tell her, my voice trembling. She¡¯s gonna make me cry again, I just know it. We¡¯re carting a lot of the Bolide¡¯s cargo onto the Rosasphere. There¡¯s plenty of space to store it in the ruins of the Southern Hemisphere¡¯s deserted cat city. We did already have enough supplies in the Northern Hemisphere supply cupboards to last me and the two cats for 240 years, but I am having a baby now and I do want to have more kids after that. And maybe someday we might really be able to rescue someone¡­ I¡¯m still really sad that I was too late to rescue those boys. Something like 750 years too late! Punctuality was never my strong point. I could have looked after them if they were injured, I just know it. Yeah, Alice, Kitty and Neb were obviously on the pull, but I want to help people. Like I couldn¡¯t help anyone on Rosasphere, cos I was in stasis... I take the sperm samples from the Bolide to put into storage too. Gabriel had donated a lot. I suppose cos he was really cute and a lot of women wanted his sperm donations¡­I may too, someday... Lucinda¡¯s Journal Entry 2nd November 3118 Back on the Rosasphere again! I¡¯ve stashed the really posh food from the Bolide. The caviar and all that expensive stuff. Poor Nan¡¯s sitting huddled against the table. I put my arms around her. ¡°Nan¡­ dear¡­ you¡¯ve got to start a new life for yourself now.¡± She¡¯s cold and stiff in my arms. Like she¡¯s dead herself. ¡°I can¡¯t go on without my boys.¡± I rock her. ¡°You poor thing.¡± Alice is in the corner reading a holographic manual on the Bolide IV blueprints. ¡°It¡¯s a machine,¡± she scoffs, without looking up. ¡°You might as well feel sorry for a tractor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start, Alice,¡± I warn her. ¡°Nan has feelings.¡± ¡°I did have feelings,¡± says Nan. ¡°But it¡¯s like my heart was buried with my boys.¡± ¡°I have loved and lost,¡± I tell her. I kiss the top of her shiny green head. "You have done more than that. I know the boys loved you as well, so the fact that you loved two people and they loved you back means you can learn to love again and make it work." Lucinda¡¯s Journal Entry 3rd November 3118 Alice can still astonish me, even now, and I think I knew her best. She¡¯s found the VP unit on the Bolide and it turns out there was just enough power in it to create one more VP. And she¡¯s created an exact copy of herself from her downloaded personality algorithm on the Rosasphere databank...! Another Alice. Great. Fantastic. OK, words fail me and the mind boggles at this. Wish I had found it first. I could have gotten Baldr back¡­ Alice announces her plan to move into the Captain¡¯s old quarters with her duplicate. ¡°So you¡¯re leaving me Alice? Really? And who for, might I ask?¡± I put my hands on my hips and give her my best sardonic smile. ¡°Sorry, Luce, but the company is what matters,¡± says Alice smirking, ¡°I¡¯m moving in with the brightest star in the universe!¡± Nan picks up the box of Alice¡¯s personal stuff. ¡°Is this all, Miss Alice?¡± ¡°Not quite all. The blu-tac Luce uses for her posters is mine too, but that can wait. Careful with the box, it has an important work of art in it.¡± The important work of art is a porcelain sculpture of a huge man thing¡­ Nan rolls her glassy eyes as she follows Alice with the box. The Other Alice snaps at Nan when they¡¯re in the Captain¡¯s room. I can hear her. ¡°Careful with the box, it has an important work of art in it¡­¡± Wonderful. Alice in stereo. I¡¯m with Lady in my room now that Alice has ¡­ Other Alice¡­ yeah¡­ and Nan wants to be left alone at this time. I will give the poor old thing her space. I reach out and stroke Lady¡¯s head and she purrs. I¡¯m trying to knit bootees for my baby, but I¡¯ve no talent, really. Talent must skip a few generations. Kitty comes sneaking in glancing furtively around. ¡°I¡¯ve left a surprise for ¡®em both in there,¡± she says, pointing a claw in the direction of Alice¡¯s new room. ¡°They won¡¯ find out ¡®til they try on their boots.¡± She has feline instincts, clearly, but doesn¡¯t realise the Alices don¡¯t need leather boots anymore. ¡°Boo.¡± Neb¡¯s ghostly green face appears on the monitor. ¡°Lucey goosey¡­¡± she giggles, her eyes rolling weirdly. Then she glares at me. ¡°Are you disappointed, sweet thing? With those cute guys being dead? I was. Still am.¡± ¡°Please¡­ try to be delicate about it if Nan can hear,¡± I say, putting a finger to my lips. ¡°I hope you have a little boy,¡± rambles Neb. ¡°And that he¡¯s gorgeous like Baldr, but has a freckled face, like you. That would be perfection. That would be super-gorgeous. Maybe he¡¯d grow up to be really smart, then settle down and marry me.¡± Awww, poor Neb. I know she¡¯s not well, but she must be less with it than I thought, if she thinks she can get married. Neb glares at the wall that adjoins to the Captain¡¯s quarters ¨C Alice¡¯s room. ¡°And that complete cow is alone with herself. She''s made her own bed. Let her lie in it.¡± Lady¡¯s keeping me company tonight. She just likes to sit with me, even when I¡¯m concentrating. Nan¡¯s comforting herself by doing the laundry. She says it¡¯s the best way to ¡®drown her sorrows,¡¯ and she would rather not be disturbed. I¡¯m still trying to knit some bootees. I know I¡¯ll get it right. They won¡¯t look like woolly bladders this time. Suddenly I hear shrieking through the wall. It¡¯s Alice, arguing with herself! This is the really weird exchange they¡¯re having: ALICE: ¡°I¡¯m not hearing this!¡± OTHER ALICE: ¡°No wonder father hated you!¡± ALICE: ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Lie, lie, lie lie, lie¡­¡° OTHER ALICE *sneering* : ¡°He didn¡¯t send you to the Academy, but he sent our sisters. No one liked you, not even Mummy¡­¡± ALICE: *sobbing* ¡°That¡¯s it. I hate you, Alice.¡± OTHER ALICE: ¡°I hate you too, Alice. I¡¯ve always hated you.¡± Well¡­ seriously, what to make of all that¡­? It¡¯s just disturbing. Then Alice comes gliding over the threshold, dressed in a white gown. ¡°Ah, Luce. How¡¯s it coming taking the blu-tac?¡± ¡°You want the blu-tac right now?¡± ¡°No, it can wait ¡®til morning. I¡¯ll just wait here ¡®til then.¡± She sits on the side of the bed and cups her face in her hands, looking really miserable. ¡°What¡¯s all the yelling for?¡± asks Lady. ¡°No point in hiding it. Alice and I¡­ we¡¯ve had a bit of a tiff.¡± Other Alice screams through the wall: ¡°Shut up, you dead b****!¡± Alice glides into the corridor and screeches at the top of her voice: ¡°You shut up, you foul trollop!¡± She glides back again. ¡°There¡¯s no point in denying it. I hate myself.¡± ¡°Oh, Alice.¡± I kiss my hand and touch it to my cheek. ¡°I always thought you must do,¡± says Lady, trying to lay a paw on her arm, but her solid paw passes through Alice¡¯s shadowy form. Battle of the Alices Lucinda¡¯s Journal Entry 4th November 3118 I¡¯m getting the weirdest pregnancy cravings. Popcorn, melted cheese, pickles and dark chocolate! I¡¯m in the mess hall which doubles as a cinema, and the cats are here too and so is Nan. Kitty has a hotdog, but she takes out the sausage and bats it around the table. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get ya, sausage! I¡¯m gonna kill ya!¡± I put a finger to my lips. ¡°Please be quiet, Kitty. The films starting. It¡¯s a classic. Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley.¡± ¡°Indeed. It is a classic love story,¡± says Nan. She sighs. ¡°I got Master Gabriel to take an interest in it. I would read it to him in the evenings.¡± Alice glides in. She¡¯s dressed in the blue overalls of shift 13 again. She sits beside us. ¡°Good afternoon, girls.¡± ¡°Ugh! Not her,¡± groans Kitty. ¡°Miss,¡± says Nan, inclining her head. Lady gives a chirrup of greeting. ¡°Hey, Alice. Where¡¯s your double?¡± I ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± says Alice with a sniff, ¡°she¡¯s nothing to do with me. She¡¯s quite mad.¡± ¡°So, you want to watch Pride and Prejudice with us? You said it¡¯s slushy nonsense.¡± ¡°I can always change my opinion,¡± she replies. ¡°If itstood the test of time, then it warrants another look.¡± ¡°Absolutely correct, Miss,¡± says Nan. Then Alice tenses. Other Alice comes gliding in. This time she¡¯s dressed in black overalls. I wonder why? ¡°Luce. Cats. Nan.¡± She gives us a nod, but makes a point of ignoring Alice. But then she sits down right in front of her. ¡°Excuse me, I can¡¯t see,¡± says Alice through clenched teeth. Other Alice shushes her. ¡°Excuse me, I can¡¯t see through the back of your stupid, porridge brainedhead,¡± says Alice. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I groan. ¡°Please cut it out.¡± ¡°Yes, some of us just want to watch the film and enjoy each other¡¯s company,¡± says Lady. ¡°I just happened to choose a seat at random,¡± says Other Alice with a sneer. ¡°If Alice wants another seat, she should move.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Alice stands up. ¡°Where shall I sit?¡± She pretends to consider. ¡°How about here?¡± She plumps herself down in front of Other Alice. ¡°Look at this. Miss Maturity,¡± scoffs Other Alice. She rises and glides into the seat in front of Alice. I sigh. ¡°Will you both please just grow up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one immature idiot here and I think we know who she is,¡± says Other Alice pointing at Alice who points back at her. Great Galaxy¡­ Other Alice glides in front of the projector and sticks her hand in itso her hand casts ashadow bunny on the screen and then she says in a harsh squeaky voice: ¡°Hellooo. What do you think of Alice?¡± Then she blows a raspberry. Lady groans. Kitty gives a mewling giggle. ¡°We have an insuperable problem,¡± murmurs Nan. I¡¯m sick of this. I stand up. ¡°This can¡¯t go on.¡± I sigh and bury my face in my hands. ¡°They can¡¯t both stay,¡± says Nan softly. ¡°Right. One of you has to go,¡± I tell the Alices. They point at each other. ¡°Yes. Her!¡± ¡°I was here first. I nurtured poor Luce through those early critical days to keep her sane,¡± says Alice. "It helped me begin to see things in a new light..." Other Alice sneers. ¡°We¡¯re the same person. And I will always be theimage of your twisted psyche. You will never change.¡± Alice''s lip quivers... I have a bit of an idea. I point at Alice. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta go. Control room, 15 minutes.¡± Other Alice gives a twisted grin and rubs her hands together. ¡°Oh, I so look forward to it.¡± She¡¯s sick. She actually follows me to the Control room. I point at the door. ¡°Out. Now.¡± She grumbles and glides past Alice who is gliding over the threshold, clad in a white gown. ¡°No one will mourn you,¡± says Other Alice, with a ghoulish grin. ¡°Why the gown, Alice?¡± I ask her. ¡°I want to die, just Alice. As I was born. No uniform. Not even the overalls of Shift Thirteen.¡± I sit at the small table. ¡°Sit, Alice.¡± She sits down at the other end of the table. I lean across the table and gaze at her. She stares back at me dully. ¡°Is there anything you want to tell me, Alice?¡± She purses her lips. ¡°No. Nothing.¡± ¡°What do you have to lose by opening up, Miss Alice?¡± asks Nan. ¡°I heard Other Alice picking on you last night. It¡¯s your way of keeping stuff bottled up. It might help to talk about it,¡± I urge. ¡°Now that I¡¯m doomed, I can tell you¡­¡± says Alice slowly. ¡°My father never loved me, because I wasn¡¯t his. I was the product of one of Mummy¡¯s affairs. I was denied all the breaks the officers on the Rosasphere had.¡± She breathes through her nose, her breast rising and falling. ¡°My sisters had all the charm and the talent. I was just a product of our mother¡¯s loose morals. Hopeless. Half-wit. Hideous failure. I hate myself.¡± "Oh don''t," says Lady sounding upset. "You act like you hate everything, because you hate yourself. Figures," says Neb. ¡°Alice¡­¡± I begin, reaching for her hand. Of course I can¡¯t grasp it. It¡¯s like trying to grab hold of a shadow. ¡°No right minded person would think less of you for something that was not your fault. I certainly don¡¯t. You were the victim in all of this. It must have been very hard and upsetting to find your Dad was not your biological father.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a sweet, kid,¡± says Alice. ¡°I complained about you being a useless assistant, but deep down I knew there was no one else I could stand. And no one else who could stand me.¡± I sniff. ¡°That¡¯s so nice.¡± From Alice, that sort of confusing statement is as poignant as, ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°And if I called you ¡®freckleface¡¯ it¡¯s because I was jealous.¡± She says it in a rush, her pale cheeks flushing faintly pink. ¡°You would not be as pretty with even skin tone.¡± "I''m jealous of her complexion too," chimes in Neb. I¡¯m not entirely sure what to think of that. ¡°OK, both of you¡­¡± ¡°How long are you dragging this out?¡± mewls Kitty. She¡¯s crouched on a table nearby. "I''m hungry. I want you to get to work. You''re looking at one hungry pussycat." ¡°Yes, go on, delete me!¡± scoffs Alice. ¡°Already done,¡± I tell her. "I deleted Other Alice while we were talking.¡± I show her the remote for the VP centre I used. Kitty giggles. Nan claps her hands together. ¡°Well resolved, Miss.¡± Lady give a cat smile. "See? There was no need to worry." Neb giggles. "Maybe you have changed a bit, Alice. Other Alice was even more objectionable than you are." Alice blinks. ¡°You let me bear my heart and soul¡­?¡± I hold her gaze. ¡°You weren¡¯t going to confide in me otherwise. But now you know that if you do want to talk about anything, I¡¯ll listen.¡± Alice gives a slow nod.