The Loneliest Girl in the Universe(22)
I need to know what’s happening. I need to know if Molly is still alive. What can we do? Is there anything we can do? Or do we just have to sit here, waiting, like always?
I don’t trust them, J. Nothing they are saying makes any sense. They are lying to us. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad there’s someone I can rely on.
R x
From: The Eternity Sent: 30/04/2066
To: The Infinity Received: 04/06/2067
Romy,
I guess by now you’ve picked up the message from the “UPR” too. As soon as I read it, I messaged you. I didn’t want you to have to deal with their email without hearing from me – but I don’t really know how I feel yet. Sorry if this sounds a bit confused.
It’s just all so strange. I want to be angry. I should be angry. This dictatorship has taken over my country. I should hate them, right? I should, but (and I would never normally admit this, especially not to a girl) I’m scared, Romy.
There’s nothing I can do about it. There’s no way that I can help my friends.
I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here too. Probably turn the ship around and go back to Earth like a one-man army. I’d try to save them all and get blown up in the process. I can’t believe it.
J x
DAYS UNTIL THE ETERNITY ARRIVES:
261
From: UPR Sent: 23/09/2065
To: The Infinity Received: 09/06/2067
Subject: For Attention of The Infinity
Attachment: Antenna-coordinates.txt [40 KB]
Commander Silvers,
We hope everything is well on The Infinity and there is no reason for concern with regards to the progress of the vessel. We have now fully installed the antennas ready for detection, so now hope for updates received to the UPR. If The Infinity ceased communication during the Third Global War, then expectations are no message pick-up for one year or longer. We will, however, continuously scan for transmission during that time, in the instance a message was sent during the war.
Would you kindly transmit to us the details of your vessel’s system operations to date for analysis?
The UPR wishes all the best for The Infinity and once again expresses how pleasing we find your addition to our citizenship alongside The Eternity.
All hail the UPR! May the King live long and vigorously!
The UPR have been sending me messages for days and I still don’t understand a thing. I scan every word, trying to read the truth behind the messages. Who are the UPR? What’s really happening on Earth? They keep sending me robotic messages with a lot of words but not much useful information. The UPR are obsessed with the running of their newly repossessed ships, and not at all interested in telling us what’s actually going on back on Earth.
I don’t know what to think. I just know that I don’t trust them. I can tell J doesn’t, either.
Is Molly still working at NASA or for the UPR? Is she even alive? I don’t think they are ever going to tell me.
The UPR know that their messages are our only communication with Earth, but they still treat us like computer systems they need to relay orders to. I refuse to send them any information about my ship, at least not until I know that I can definitely trust them.
The ship’s system data used to transmit to NASA, but that stopped when the antennas went down. I’m not going to start sending it to the UPR instead. Who knows what they would do with the data? I’m not an idiot.
They have no right to tell J and me what to do. They didn’t build these ships. They don’t own us.
From: The Eternity Sent: 15/05/2066
To: The Infinity Received: 09/06/2067
Romy,
I realized today that I’m in mourning for Earth.
I don’t think it’s homesickness any more, because the Earth I was homesick for only exists in my memory. If I went back now, everything would be different. My old home would be unrecognizable.
I don’t feel sad about the UPR, I just feel numb. Well, that’s not entirely true. I feel angry – and frustrated, the same as I felt after my parents died. Back then, I couldn’t focus on anything beyond this wild fury, which made me want to do anything it took to right the wrong of their deaths.
How do you react to grief, Romy? How did you react after your parents died? How did they feel after the deaths of the rest of the crew? Did they feel guilty? Did it consume them? Or did they carry on with life as normal?
J x
DAYS UNTIL THE ETERNITY ARRIVES:
259
From: The Infinity Sent: 11/06/2067
To: The Eternity Predicted date of receipt: 15/08/2067
J,
Firstly, I’m sorry this reply is a couple of days late. It took me a while to write it. I wanted to get it exactly right.
Your reaction seems completely understandable to me. Everyone deals with grief in different ways. Anger is just one of the different stages.
After my parents died, I didn’t feel sad either – or in denial, or any of the other things you’re supposed to feel. I just felt scared. I was too busy trying to work out how to survive each day to take the time to actually grieve. I think I was in shock.
I knew we were isolated out here, but I didn’t mind it so much when I had my dad to look after me.
He did everything. He cooked and cleaned and maintained the ship; he educated me and hugged me and loved me and read me bedtime stories. He was my best friend – my only friend. And then all of a sudden, he was gone.