Enedelia’s life became routine. Work, eat, clean, eat, and sleep. By the end of the first week, she was no longer crying herself to sleep, and had figured out how to change the channels on the television. She found one particular channel, which was simply natural settings, like gardens and waterfalls, which she kept on while she slept. She made it through the week by imagining she was anywhere but here, even wishing she was home doing homework. One thought that had kept her from just feeding herself to Moa was the knowledge that her grandfather had worked much harder, longer hours, and for much less pay. Comparatively, she had no reason to complain. She had gotten everything she wanted. Out of the house, away from her brother, off the Earth, and was now on her own, working, just like any adult would do on Earth. The only person she missed was her mother, but she figured her mother didn’t miss her.
On the first day of the new week, Enedelia made one mistake, and it nearly cost
her her life. While dropping off food, Enedelia had let her guard down, and came very close to getting caught by Moa. Drie grabbed her back, and in the process, stumbled.
Moa grabbed him up instead. Drie screamed. Without even thinking, Enedelia leaped into the air and grabbed Drie. The suddenness of this, and because of her weight, she was able to pull Drie free from Moa’s grasp. They hit the floor hard, and she stayed conscious enough to roll. She should have rolled out of the circle, but what saved her life was she actually rolled in towards Moa’s feet. Moa had predicted they would roll towards the circle’s perimeter and her hands went there. Enedelia stood up, hunched, and led Drie back along the egg sack and out of the circle. Moa grabbed and grabbed, and then screamed a horrible, frustrated cry.
Enedelia inspected Drie for injuries.
“You saved Drie?” Drie said. “Why?”
“You saved me,” Enedelia pointed out.
Jeden came over. “That was very brave. I would have not thought to move closer
to Moa.”
Enedelia hadn’t meant to; it had been blind panic. She kept this to herself.
Rumble Wor’s voice came over the intercom. “Back to work. Enedelia, to my
office. Now.”
The Grays looked at her, uncertain, but she waved them on back to work She
trudged up the stairs, worried she was to be fired. What would she do for food if he fired her. Damn it, she thought. She had nearly died, and all she could think of was she might loose her job, and deep down, she knew she deserved to loose it because she had grown complacent, and had nearly cost Drie his life.
Enedelia entered Rumble’s office. She could hear her heart in her ears, and then remembered to remove her hearing protection. Rumble Wor asked her to sit, but she remained standing, hands behind the small of her back as if she were at parade rest.
“If it’s the same with you, I’d rather stay standing if you’re to terminate me. It was my fault what happened, not Drie’s,” Enedelia said.
“I know. I saw the whole thing, and you compensated by quickly repairing the
wrong you had caused. Very smart, rolling in towards her. I didn’t think you that smart, or that brave. I appreciate both your honesty, and how quickly you acted to resolve the situation,” Rumble Wor said. He pushed something across his desk. “You are not the greatest worker, strength wise, but you are consistent. I believe your strength will increase with time. I have decided to keep you own.”
“Thank you,” Enedelia said, surprised. She was both grateful and unhappy at the
same time, and she almost started to cry from relief. This was not how she saw her life evolving. She had wanted to go to school. Maybe be a nurse, but only because the pay was good and that she could work part time, and afford to travel. But now, she was just grateful to have a job that could afford her a place to sleep and food to eat.
“Is there anything I might do to make your employment here with me more
pleasant?” Rumble Wor asked.
Endelia shook her head. She was so surprised by the question that she could think of nothing that he might do for her. “I suspect that what you are doing for me is more than I deserve,” she said.
Endelia returned to work, and besides having her meals with the Grays, she kept
to herself. She had been having trouble telling which one was which, but now that Drie had an injury from where Moa had grabbed him, it would be easier. Drie was so grateful for what she had done, he was offering her his own food and drink at the table, and repeatedly telling the story of how she had saved him to anyone who would listen. Jeden produced the camera at lunch and took their picture together.
“This will complement the pics I took at work today, of you being the hero,”
Jeden said. “How do you get the pictures out?”
Enedelia sighed. “We don’t. I will have to go home and have someone do that for
me.”
Enedelia worked two months without missing a day of work. And the day she did,
Rumble Wor came calling. He had an override for her lock and opened the door to her home. Enedelia saw him, and the two Grays standing anxiously behind him. “You don’t answer your page?”
Enedelia pulled a blanket over her head. She felt the bed move and peeked out
from under her covers. Her entire bed was sliding out of her coffin, so that she was now lying in front of her observers as if she were on a table. She felt like a cadaver on a morgue table coming out of the refrigerator. They looked at her. She lay there
indifferently, as if she were an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ cake about to get a slice taken out of her, like in that the music video by Tom Petty. She wanted them to just hurry and get it over with, kill her already. There was a little blue man there, holding an instrument out at her. She tried to cover her head again, but he pulled the blanket back. She squinted from all the light and shielded her eyes with the back of her fist.
“This is not normal for her, Doctor,” Rumble Wor insisted. “I have given her
sufficient nutrition.”
“If you please, I will make my assessment,” the blue man said, viewing her with
special glasses. “Hormonal levels are normal. At least, for this age of development.” He pushed some buttons and changed the way his glasses operated. A blue haze seemed to be occupying her brain. “Low serotonin levels. Um, yes… I see it. She’s depressed.”
“How can that be? I have given her the nutrients the computer says humans
require,” Rumble Wor said.
“Humans need more than nourishment. They need rest, recreation, friends,
family,” the blue doctor said. “They need touch, joy, sadness, sunlight, emersion in water.
I can give her an antidepressant, but I don’t believe it is warranted given the current stage. Give her a day off from work, and some credits to spend. Take her to the public pool, and dunk her. Yes. Have the Grays take her to the park, shine full spectrum lights on her, and see that she is given Earth type foods. Make it processed foods, less nutritious. She is probably having withdrawals from not having processed foods. Yes.
That will cheer her right up.”
“I have a business to run!” Rumble Wor insisted. “Just give her the
antidepressant.”
“Your business will do a lot better if your employees are happy, not drugged. An antidepressant could cause a stupor which would make working in the Moa pits much more dangerous. You signed her own, you are responsible for her well being,” the blue doctor said.
“Well, I can’t afford all three of you being off. Jeden, take her to the garden, or shopping, or whatever it is that will snap her out of this funk,” Rumble Wor said. “Drie, back to work.”
It took some coaxing, but Jeden got Enedelia out of bed. She watched as her bed
retracted back into the cubicle. She grimaced at the doctor. The doctor smiled pleasantly, and then said to Jeden. “Page me if she gets any worse.”
Enedelia followed Jeden in total apathy. She didn’t care. Life was the same, day after day. At least the poundings from her brother gave her something to fight for. She scolded herself for missing her brother’s poundings. She knew it wasn’t healthy. She should be happy. She had food and a place to sleep. And she earned it on her own, by working hard. Wasn’t that the best any one could hope for? What else was there to life other than a place to sleep, work, and a little comfort? The television in her cubicle had offered her entertainment from music to reading, as well as images of drama and comedy.
Compared to the other six billion plus people she had left on Earth, she was rich, and free. So why was it she felt so bad? she wondered.
“Look, we go here and buy frozen liquids,” Jeden offered. “You like?”
Enedelia realized they were in the mall, the one she had probably wanted to visit when she had first arrived. Like the ring that held all the cubicle housing, this ring held stores and shops of all descriptions. Most of the items being sold, no doubt, were way out of her price range, but the frozen liquids store held promise, and she was curious. She rediscovered ice cream. They ordered scoops of an unfamiliar flavors, and retired to the middle of the walkway, where a garden path separated the two sides of the mall. The floors curved away at the horizons, like being in the dip of a tunnel. They sat on genetically modified grass and ate. Enedelia liked the flavor so much that she closed her eyes to help focus just on the taste. When she opened her eyes, she studied the park, wondering what was missing. The grass was cool and pleasant to touch. There was a tree, and she had the impulse to climb it. The grass was inviting her to run, and she was beginning to feel like a kid again. Back before the beatings by her brother. Back when he was a human, and not a monster. Back when her dad had still been in their lives.
“Squirrels,” Enedelia said. It was the first words she had spoken all morning.
“Ands birds.”
“What?” Jeden asked.
“That’s what this place is missing. Animals,” Enedelia said. “This place is
missing animals.”
There was a flash of light, and Enedelia turned to see Jeden holding her
disposable camera. He moved his face to the side and smiled. “You have this memory aid, and have made few recordings.”
“Photographs. What’s the use? I can’t get them developed. I brought them
thinking if I ever went home, I could have proof of my adventure,” Enedelia said. “But it appears I am not going anywhere.”
She took off her shoes to walk in the grass. It did feel nice against the soles of her feet. It was cool. It smelt nice. She laid down in it and stared up into where the sky should be and saw other shops and walkways. It was hard to look at it and gave her vertigo as she tried to process it. She noticed Drie joining them, but didn’t acknowledge him.
“How is she doing? Is she still blue?” Drie asked.
“You no work?” Jeden asked his brother.
“Wor says I’m useless with out my brother, so he send me out for the day, too,”
Drie said. “You have her memories? Good, we go make more memories together.”
Enedelia sat up and stared at her ice cream. It wasn’t so much that she was home sick as much as she just wanted to go somewhere and do something, but felt she had no options.
“What does she like to do?” Drie asked.
“I don’t know,” Jeden said.
“She must like something. Give her more food?” Drie asked.
“You want to go to the zoo?” Jeden asked.
“There’s a zoo?” Enedelia asked.
“Yes,” he said, grabbing at her hand. “You miss animals. We go.”
Enedelia followed, becoming more alert and taking notes of the stores they
passed. Drie snapped pictures from time to time. A store selling spaceships caught her attention. A sign said financing available. Jeden saw her pause by the store.
“Not good. Financing very bad. Bad to the point of being evil. Only pay for what you have money,” Jeden said, pulling her along.
“Are there other humans on board Indigo station?” Enedelia asked.
“Yes,” Jeden said. “Servants, or workers like you. Some are slaves.”
“Slaves?” Enedelia asked.
“Yes. They have contracts, like workers, but they have more debt than they can
pay off in a life time. No hope of ever being free agents,” Jeden said. “Some are slaves by choice, through deliberate purchasing beyond their means, or by just bad book keeping.
Some committed crimes and must pay society back. Some are slaves by accident. Some are slaves by force. Some are slaves by birth. Like Grays, humans are very useful. We are valuable commodities, having opposable thumbs and sufficient brains to train into technologies. Too valuable to risk being on just one planet, with extinction potential. So, humans were harvested to perpetuate the species. Just like Grays. Like most intelligent species with opposable thumbs. There are many species with much better brains, but
because they have no limbs, or ways of making tools, they are less valuable. Like your whales. They will never be considered for anything other than food, because they won’t develop technology or write languages. Of course, had they enslaved you humans to make the technology for them, they would be very valuable indeed.”
“You know about whales?” Enedelia asked. “And Earth?”
“Yes. Drie and I thought we could go there with you when you retire. However,
our research suggests that would not be a good move for us. If you like, you can retire to our planet, or we can find another planet altogether. There are many colonies that are multi-special.”
Enedelia hadn’t thought that far along. She hadn’t thought about retiring. She had only been focused on getting through the weeks, one day at a time. The zoo brought her back to life. The animals, though encaged, seem quite happy with their habitats, and were playing. They were actually able to pet many of the animals, which had been made docile through genetic manipulation, or by constant handling. After the zoo, Jeden took her to a public pool and she swam the length of the pool several times. She felt so refreshed that she wondered how she could have ever thought of returning home. The pool attendant had offered her swimming attire, which made her happy, because it fit so well, but the only reason it fit so well was because it was sprayed on. It went on like a thick syrup, and on a ultraviolet light hardened it, and she had no problems being naked for the application because she was the only human present. She could have just swam naked, but decided she wasn’t ready for that level of confidence, as many of the inhabitants of Indigo Station apparently were.The suit, when finished, simply peel right off and could be reused. She wondered if perhaps being shy of her anatomy was part of her American culture. She had read Europeans were less hung up on nudity than Americans. But somehow, she
suspected it was more than that. Compared to the media she wasn’t ‘all that.’ She knew she wasn’t bad looking, only her brother called her peculiar looking, but she was definitely not Shakira.
As she swam, she thought about owning a spaceship. Having a spaceship would
give her the freedom she believed she wanted, more so than the dreams she once had of having her own car. She made a mental note to return to the spaceship store just to inquire into the nature of their financing plan, and find out what sorts of ships they had available. Maybe one big enough to live on, like an RV camper type trailer home. Oh, the places she would go, she thought, thinking of the book by the same title.
As they headed back to their cubicles, Jeden said, “I took liberty and purchased you a present.”
“Really? You didn’t have to,” Enedelia said. “Um, where is it?”
“I had it delivered to your cubicle,” Jeden said. “Much thought went into this
purchase. I see how much the animals cheered you. I think you miss animals. You miss caring for something other than yourself. I have my brother. You, you are alone. Now, you are not alone.”
She opened her cubicle and was greeted by the curious faces of two ferrets. They had both been exploring her cubicle, but when the door opened, they came to see what new things awaited them.
“The shop proprietor recommended buying them in pairs, so they are not lonely
when you work,” Jeden said. “They are small, furry, and cute. This meets human
qualification for pets, right?”
“Oh my god,” Enedelia said, picking one up. Inside her cubicle was a small
hammock for the ferrets to sleep in, a recess had been opened and a food dish and a watering bottle was hung. The only thing missing was a litter box. “Where’s the litter box?”
“Litter box?”
“Yes, so they can poop and urinate?” Enedelia asked.
“Oh, these pets are modified,” Jeden assured her. “They have matter to energy
converters inside their bodies that will turn all waste material directly into energy. This energy runs some of their implants and the lights on their collars. All excess energy is beamed to the space stations grid.”
“Talk about beam it up, Scotty,” Enedelia said.
“I don’t understand?” Jeden said.
“Never mind,” Enedelia said, hugging him. “Maybe I should get such an implant.
What a time saver that would be. Oh, Jeden. Thank you. This is the best present I have ever received. Thank you.”
“You are welcome, Ene,” Jeden said. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Enedelia said, slipping into her space with her two new friends,
careful not to squish them.
Enedelia returned to work and proved to be more productive than before, suggesting the expenditure on her health had been worth it. She was indeed grateful, but the bigger part of it was that she actually felt happy because there was hope that something else was possible. She was enjoying work and her meals with Jeden and Drie. Even Moa was
becoming less scary with time. It wasn’t like working with a trained lion or tiger. She would probably feel more affection towards a big cat, but it was definitely less scary. She was no less vigilant about safety. She never forgot that she nearly cost her friend his life with her slip up. Nearly cost her her own life, but she was less worried about the loss of her own than her friend’s. Still work was work, and she always went home physically exhausted. The best part of her day was returning to her “coffin” as she called it, to find her two little companions waiting for her. The moment she opened the door, they were there waiting for her, and would start dancing a little dance, their mouths open, and barking a little wheezed cough like sound. Their dance consisted of locking their legs at the knees, hunching their back, tail straight up, and bouncing around in a circle, baring teeth and looking all menacing. It was the funniest, hyper looking thing she ever saw, but there was no way to mistake their enthusiasm at seeing her for anything than pure joy. It was like releasing bottled sunlight! This was called their “war dance.”
She loved her little room mates so much that she didn’t mind the fact that they
nipped her toes whenever she was asleep. Of course, she couldn’t have that. She needed her rest so that she wouldn’t make mistakes at work, and so she had to train them not to bite. It took two weeks of patience and vigilance to do this, and she did it by shouting when they bit her, grabbing them by the scruff of the neck, and telling them in a stern voice, “no.” When this failed, she gave them a time out in the tiny, cloth, carrying case that they had come in. She didn’t once hit them or thump their nose, because that would only make them more aggressive. When they slept, they slept curled up on either side of her head. It wasn’t hard for them to establish a routine. Breakfast and dinner together, going for work and coming home, it was all clock-work. There was only one day that they hadn’t greeted her, and her first thought was that they had escaped. She climbed in to see if they were curled up in the small food cubby hole, nearly putting all the weight on her new pillow as she did so. As soon she touched the pillow, she knew they were sleeping inside the pillow case. They came out to greet her as soon as she touched it.
The ferrets were the most unique animals she had ever met. They were not like a cat or a dog by any means. They very curious little animals, always inspecting her backpack, and pulling trinkets out. They enjoyed taking her ear ring and her watch when she removed them for the night. They also started hiding food pellets in her pillow case, which prompted her to reduce the food portions to only enough for them to eat at one meal. They had accepted her as if she were just another ferret, never questioning her place in their world. She named the male Taz, and the female Minuet.
In addition to the ferrets and her friendship with the Grays, another thing that kept her going was the dream of having her own spaceship. It was a whole month of dreaming before she acted on the impulse to go inquire about rates, and what kind of ships were available. She knew it was a month because she had been keeping track of time by her watch and had made marks in a diary she had begun. If she hadn’t done this, she would have lost all track of time, since everyday was the same on Indigo Station. Owning a
spaceship was a goal, and since she was managing to save most of her pay, which wasn’t difficult seeing how she really had no wants, other than occasional snacks and pet food, but even if she did want something, there was nowhere to keep stuff if she bought it; but still, she needed to know how much a spaceship cost so that she could know exactly how long she would have to save. Or slave? Was there a reason why saving was only one letter off from being slaving? Her curiosity got the better of her, and so one day after work, after feeding the little varmints, she decided to head to the mall on her own and do just that.
The spaceship store was neatly arranged with desks for customers and clerks to
work together, with images of various types of ships flashing on various screens strategically placed around the room. The screens revealed data, such as ship numbers, technical drawings, dynamic views, and the like. There was also a display case with various models of ships, and what she assumed to be models of various types of engine technologies. One display seemed to offer a whole series of potential upgrades. She hardly had time to inspect one of the models before a clerk greeted her eagerly just past the door.
“Hello, my name is Bindler,” the man said. “I am your friendly BioCorp
representative. How might I assist you today?”
“Well, I’m interested in getting my own spaceship. I was wondering if you could
educate me about such things?” Enedelia said.
He smiled, took her by the arm, and led her over to a chair. He took his chair
opposite of her, the desk between them. “If you’ll look here,” he said, indicating his desk top, “I can show you several models. Of course, everything is dependent on the sort of traveling you will be doing.”
“Oh, I don’t want anything fancy,” Enedelia assured him. “I would like to live on the ship, though.”
“Good choice,” Bindler agreed.
“I just want to travel and see the Universe,” Enedelia said. “And maybe go home
occasionally.”
“Yes, yes,” Bindler said. “And how would you be paying today?”
“Oh, I won’t be buying today,” Enedelia said. “I was just curious, and I thought I might ask about your financing plan.”
“Sure. May I access your credit history?” Bindler asked.
“I guess,” Enedelia said, placing her hand on the desk.
“Um, uh,” Bindler said. “Excellent. You have a history. You’re buying pet food, bought a pillow, and some clothing, but have never extended yourself into debt. Very fiscally responsible. I could put you in our starter model today.”
“Really?” Enedelia almost screamed
“You bet,” Bindler said. “It’s a Scout Class ship, but it exceeds the parameters that you’ve shared with me so far. Could you make payments of ten thousand credits a month?”
“Ten thousand?!” Enedelia said, and then lowered her voice. She was only
making sixty credits a week. “No. I guess not. Sorry to waste your time.”
“Wait, not so fast. If you would prefer doing odd jobs for BioCorp, in lieu of
making payments, we can still make an arrangement,” Bindler said. “We’re always in need of new pilots willing to expedite merchandise from station to station, deliver cargo
or special passengers to various destinations, or, more excitingly, for those seriously daring pilots that are willing to map out new sectors of space to bring us back good Jump Coordinates, we have even a better package deal. Does any of this sound like something you would be willing to do?”
“You mean, in exchange for a ship, I would work for BioCorp?” Enedelia said.
“Yes, and with the successful completion of a standard number of missions, you
can buy out your contract, and then you will own your ship clear and free,” Bindler said.
“So, how many missions are we talking about?” Enedelia asked, a weary voice in
her head saying forget about this. Run away!
“If you were to successfully map out one new system a month, for four years, you would have enough credit to buy your contract out from BioCorp,” Bindler said.
Enedelia thought about that. Her mother had bought a car on credit, with a five
year contract. One mission a month didn’t sound too bad.
“So, are you interested?” Bindler asked. “It is easier work than the Moa Pits,
that’s for sure. You just fly the ship and your on-board computer takes sensor readings for the surveys, mapping o