I am the point man in a seven man wrecking crew sent to the surface of an alien world. Earlier this morning, I died.
For nearly two weeks I had been suffering from a headache that refused to go away. The doctors aboard the colony ship could find no medical reason for the pain and shrugged it off as a growth spurt. The constant throbbing didn't bother me too much though, so I forgot about it. I had more things to worry about.
We were still two months from the planet’s atmosphere and still had much to prepare in that short time such as packing all of our personal belongings into vacuum-sealed crates and saying goodbye to our parents, friends, and loved ones. They would be waiting for us on the surface in a settlement designated as Echo Camp.
We all patiently waited inside the colony ship’s cargo bay. It was a large compartment which would be our new home for the next few weeks. There were twenty of us in the crew and we were worried sick about what lay just ahead.
About the size of a laboratory, we were farthest from the front of the colony ship. The centrifugal force and gravity caused each of us to be thrust towards the front of the ship. This is what we called the Macgregor Effect. Captain Shorty McGuire said that centrifugal force was caused by the planet’s rotation. Our parents said that centrifugal force was caused by the colony ship’s rotation. No one knew for sure.
We were sitting on two rows of five seats and could here each other talk. We were eating baked beans and drinking coffee when the transportation tube door opened and out stepped a four-armed alien known as a Blur. The Blur stepped in front of Captain McGuire and nodded. I expected Captain McGuire to look into the room at that point but he never moved a muscle, not even to look at the Blur. He began speaking with a voice so soothing that it didn’t bother me at all.
“Hello, children. I am the navigational A.I. aboard this colony ship,” it spoke to us in perfect English. “You were all warned that the first trip to the surface might be rough. But do not worry about that now, because we are well under way. We will stop in nine months for an overnight break for supplies and then continue to the surface. Until then, you are in good hands.”
The passengers shifted nervously in their seats but kept their questions to themselves. The Blur spoke again, “Believe it or not, you will be quite safe. The driverless landship in front of you will provide all of your food and water for the next few weeks. It’s equipped with all of the necessary tools needed to procure the material needed by the human body, including med-packs for acute injuries.”
I could see the relief on the faces of the group of passengers, so I picked at my fingernails.
“Over the next two weeks, you’ll all report to this room for seatings.” I thought the Blur was finished speaking when I saw it reach into its utility belt. It pulled out a large square device and held it over its head. “Outside this room, you will find these in every corner of the ship. I have a name for each so you can easily identify them:
-The “snoop” – located by the recycling chute.
-The “corner” – Located by the anteroom to the bridge.
-The “headspace” – Located by the head section of cryogenic freezer.
-The “tv-zapper” – Located by the commissary.
-The “face wipe” – Located near the galley as the “hutches”.
-The battery bags – Others as mentioned.
In the past, we have learned that people do not know what is important at the moment. What a great way to be prepared.”
We all sat silently as the Blur moved away and closed the door of the cargo bay. Captain McGuire was the first to speak.
“Well, the Blur provided us with a lot of safety tips. I guess we should make sure that we take the good advice.”
As we were all exiting the cargo bay, it began to close and my father stopped me in the doorway.
“John, your mother gave you a little surprise this morning. Now put it on.” He pushed me through the doorway and closed it behind me. I tried to open the door, but it would not budge. I was trapped.
“Hey! What are you doing?” I called to my dad, who was smiling on the other side of the sliding door.
“Open your birthday present, Johnny.” My dad began laughing and suddenly I realized it was a gag gift. I pulled out the pink scarf and laughed. “John, why would I ever want a pink scarf?”
The door suddenly opened and I pushed past my dad. He play-punched my arm and said “John! You should pay more attention to what your mother says. She wants you to wear it. Now go make friends like a good boy.”
I stepped into the equipment room and everyone stared at me. I had a choice. I could kill my father or accept the situation. I decided to accept the situation. I stepped into the crowd, feeling a little embarrassed. Usually I was a center of attention on this ship so I felt like I was the new kid on the block. I began walking into the crowd when I felt something warm under my feet. I bent over to pick it up and saw it was a band-aide. I was surprised, and walked out of the equipment room. As I was walking back into the crowd, I began to realize that people were looking directly at my feet. It was then that I realized they were staring at the band-aid, under my foot. It was then that I realized they were staring at my foot but not the band-aid.
I stood there in silence for a few minutes and they quickly became uncomfortable. I had been made to feel guilty for something I didn't do. It was then that my father walked over and whispered, “Did you give someone a bandage in here?”
I spoke up, but my words sounded small and I had difficulty catching my breath. I replied. “I did not give anyone a bandage…
It was then that I caught sight of the band-aid. It was not beneath my feet. It was suddenly noticeable to me that I didn’t have any band-aid. It was then that I became aware that everyone was acting strangely and I began to realize that I had something in my mouth. I pulled my tongue out and saw it was a band-aid. I had found it in my mouth. I had been eating it.
I smiled at my father, wondering why he didn’t notice. He was even more confused that I didn’t realize I had something in my mouth.
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