Chapter 1
Part 1
-E
Help. I need help. Someone. Anyone. I’m… stuck in the locker. Again. It’s those bullies. They say that once you go into the field everyone becomes family. Your fellow researchers are your brothers and sisters, but I’m nothing special. I have no impressive skills. I’m kinda surprised I even made it past university. Of course, I’m not the only one that’s surprised. Apparently many think that way. There’s just one person who believes in me. Alli, the nurse on base. She is like a sister to me. We met when she found me half dead in a locker on our 3rd day at the NASA base. All in all, she’s been the one to patch me up since then.
“Elizabeth? Where are you?” Alli called my name.
“Oh, hey Alli. Just chillin’. Ya know, gotta get in some locker time.” I called out. She came up to the locker and unlocked it. I fell forward but managed to catch myself. Sometimes, I have an inkling of coordination.
“Again?”
“Yeah. It’s like the people who keep putting me here are trying to tell me something.” I said in a sarcastic manner.
“Stop acting so down because I officially have amazing news!”
“How many times do I have to tell you, an extra shipment of bandages is no reason to celebrate.” She glared daggers at me. “Sorry. Sorry, you were saying?”
“I found you an assignment!”
“Another one? Look, the last one had me in a body cast for 2 months.” She sent me another glare. I rolled my eyes and gestured for her to continue. I had told her to stop looking for jobs for me. I have no abilities that are beneficial. I have nothing to offer.
“Don’t worry. This assignment is easy, and you’ll be gone for 1 month! Not only that, but I’m coming also!”
“No bullies, easy assignment and my best friend are tagging along… why not?”
“So it’s a yes? You’re going?” I swear her eyes got so bright they blinded me. She has enough
“Yea I’m going.” I finalize. She literally jumped with joy. I simply managed a smile. “Now tell me, what will I be doing on this job?” positivity for the both of us.
“They picked up alien frequencies at the main NASA base!”
“Okay. So… that has nothing to do with what I just asked. Can you answer my question?” She punched me in the shoulder.
Maybe it hasn’t set in yet, you know, the fact that I was just beat and stuffed in a locker. That after all that I really don’t want to be punched again. Whatever.
“If you would let me finish, meanie!” She said puffing her cheeks.
“Fine, finish your alien talk.” Alli glared at me, with her big green eyes squinted but continued.
“We are being sent out to the coordinates to check the area!”
“Isn’t that why we have fully trained astronauts?”
“They said that the aliens are kind so they’re sending us. They said it’s time we get the experience.” I stared at her. Whose bright idea was this? Most likely the First-class. ‘Send the newbies on a trip so we don’t have to work blah blah blah’.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Open and close the door to the ship once we get there. That’s all.” She said. I looked at her suspiciously. In all honesty, I’m reeling at the thought of this trip, but she seems too happy. Like, that can’t be all. They could get anyone for this job.
“Why me? What else aren’t you telling me?” I ask getting up in her face. Well, as much as I can, I’m kinda… really short.
“Ok, so there may be a bit more to opening the door than just clicking a button, or pulling a lever.”
“Let me guess. I have to turn a nob?”
“You’re an idiot.”
“And you still have not told me why they want me.”
“Well, it’s because of your size. You have to crawl into the wall to open the door from the outside… and, um, uh, well-”
“If you don’t spit it out, I’ll stuff you in a locker.” I grab her shirt and shover her in, grabbing the door. She is getting on my last nerve with her stumbling words, and alien talk, and… ugh, her smiling. It’s all the time. Sometimes that’s good, but sometimes it’s not.
“Okay! Okay, so one wrong move in the tunnel, and you’re… out in space?”
“Oh no. Nope. I’m not doing it. No. No. Nope. No. No. No. N-”
“Shut up! You already said you’d do it.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” I said shaking my head again and again. I refuse to be lost in space forever. She said one wrong move. One. I don’t have that kinda luck or skill. I ain’t doing it. I’m done with these ‘easy’ assignments.
“No changing your mind.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Yes, it is. We need you on this team.”
“Get someone with more skill.” I turn to go. I’m not staying here anymore. I walk out of the Locker room onto the training deck. Alli runs after me, grabbing at my uniform.
“Please, Elizabeth! For me!”
For her? Maybe she expects me to do it for all the times I’ve needed her to sew me together. As a personal favor? Just because we’re friends?
“For you? Fine. I’ll play the death game, but if I die, It’s on your hands.” I say coldly. She seems a bit unsettled at the idea but covers it quickly with a smile.
“You’re not gonna die.”
“Whatever. I’ll do it.” Alli grabbed my hands and started swinging me around in circles.
“We leave in three hours.” Then she ran. Fast. Away from me. ‘Why’ you ask? Because she could feel my bloodlust pouring from me in waves. I now have 3 hours to get ready for a month long trip. I’m so going to murder Alli when she comes out of hiding.
I jog up to my room. I’m not exactly happy about the fact that I have to crawl through tunnels, but it’s better than facing aliens, right? My entire body shivers as I enter my room. Did I forget to adjust the settings of the thermostat?
“Awww, did the little girl stumble into a surprise?” I turned to see… her.
Do you know how all high school movies have that popular, pretty, super talented, boy magnet type, girl? Yeah, this is her. Amanda.
“I don’t know. Did you happen to stumble upon a surprise?” She rolled her eyes.
“Little brat. No parents, no friends, and a life filled with beatings… how much longer are you going to play strong? The only reason you made it this far is because Mrs. Sarah adopted you, and when she died the board of council couldn’t turn their backs on you.” I brushed it off like she hadn’t just cut through all my defenses.
“Yeah. Everything you just said is true. Do you feel better now? About yourself, I mean. You said that all to build your self-esteem, and tear mine down, right? That’s right. I’m correct aren’t I?” I sit there questioning her as her face twists with dislike.
“Do you want another beating?”
“Yeah, sure. Two in one day. Can’t believe my luck.” I fake a cold smile. Might as well act like I’m enjoying it. Lying to myself is something I do well anyway. Just as she took off the jacket of her uniform, the bell rang. “Ha. I am Lucky today, huh?”
“Can’t be late can we girls?” The redhead to her right nodded, as the brunette to her left uttered a quick no. Amanda took one last look at me and shouldered her jacket. “We’ll come to visit you after dinner.”
I’m just surprised she’d wait that long. Does she have all afternoon classes today? Usually, we have pilot lessons around now, but I’ve been given leave do to my departure soon. I guess that’s where she’s going? I walk into my room and turn the thermostat from 32 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I turn to see all my clothes strung across my room. Okay, easier to pack.
I gather things and pack them with little to nothing in the bag. Well, it was half expected. I have my uniform and some normal clothes. Bathroom stuff, and my one nice dress. Yeah. I’m set. This should be a heck of an experience.
******************
Only half a month of this ship, and I already feel like this is where I belong. People here are nice, and Alli has somehow found a way to hook up an Xbox. I really don’t know. We’re kinda just chilling here. Only the pilots actually do stuff. We eat and sleep. Which I’m good at.
“Elizabeth! It’s not fair!” Alli was spread across my legs poking my stomach.
“Look, I didn’t ask him to have feelings for me.” It’s true. Matthias has feelings for me, and Alli likes Matthias, and I’m stuck in this awkward spot.
“I know you don’t like him.”
“Yeah, your right, but he likes me. I can’t break his heart without feeling bad.”
“You always say you don’t have a heart, but you can’t manage to say no to a guy.”
“Fine. I’ll say no to him later.”
“Oka-” Alli was caught off by a loud alarm. This alarm should not be going off. Not for another half month. We weren’t supposed to run into the alien craft yet.
“Get to your stations! Go! Go! Go!” A man said running through the halls. Alli looked up at me with wide eyes.
“We have to go.” I mouthed. That broke the spell she seemed to be in. She jumped up running to her post her blonde hair swishing behind her. I ran to the tunnel that leads to the door button. Alright. I had practiced this. Over and over. Now it was time to do it for real. I zipped up my suite and put on my helmet sealing the airlock.
I’m shaking, but I manage to open the tunnels door. It starts tall and skinny, walls on both sides of me. That’s not too hard. But then it quickly gets wide, the roof is so low I have to crawl on my belly. That’s when it gets bad. The metal cuts deep into my fingers as I pull myself along. I look to one side noticing I’m now out of the ship and crawling along the slit in the side. Still, on my belly, I continue to pull myself. The oxygen in this suite will only last me half an hour. I take a chip from my helmet and plug it into the panel. The lever slowly clicks and then turns green. I pull it and wait for everyone to exit.
Alli waves at me. ‘Be careful’ I sign. Me and her had communicated by sign language multiple times when I was so badly hurt I couldn’t talk. She nodded, and motioned for me to shut the door. I was to open it again when they signaled me.
Little did I know then, but I would never get a signal from anyone. And I would never see Alli again. Nor did I know… the troubles I was fixing to face.
Everyone was gone.
No help was offered.
My life was going to change.
I was going to change.
Who even am I?
I can’t remember.
Do you know?
I don’t.
Not anymore.
