Greenstar Complete Season 1: The Space Opera

By Dave Higgins and Simon Cantan

Humanity’s best hope is a wicker spaceship.

Josie Stein woke up a thousand years in the future and was immediately elected captain of the U.F.S. Greenstar, a recycled spaceship on a mission to stop the self-destructive aliens of the galaxy from wiping themselves out.

Now the Kalmari, a homicidal race of aliens, have set their sights on Earth. How can the ramshackle Greenstar possibly stand in their way?

A fun and fast-paced episodic season of stories that will have you laughing out loud. Find out just how weird the future can get.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dave Higgins
• Release date: Oct 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310147531

Dave Higgins

Dave Higgins writes speculative fiction, often with a dark edge. Despite forays into the mundane worlds of law and IT, he was unable to completely escape the liminal zone between mystery and horror. Born in the least mystically significant part of Wiltshire, England, and raised by a librarian, he started reading shortly after birth and has not stopped since. He currently lives in Bristol with his wife, Nicola, his cats, Jasper and Una, a plush altar to the Dark Lord Cthulhu, and many shelves of books. It’s rumoured he writes out of a fear that he will otherwise run out of things to read.

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Greenstar

Complete Season 1

Greenstar Complete Season 1 is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

Published October 2014

Copyright ©2014 Dave Higgins & Simon Cantan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The moral right of Dave Higgins and Simon Cantan to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988.

Cover Image by notredaam.

Additional Cover Design by Simon Cantan.

Published by Dave Higgins, Bristol

Episode 1—Frozen Future

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Episode 2—Drugged Up

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

Episode 3—Superior

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

Episode 4—Shoreleave

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Episode 5—Truth

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Epilogue

Episode 6—Banished

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

Episode 7—Blast in the Past

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

Episode 8—Repairs

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Epilogue

Episode 9—Rescue

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

Episode 10—Conscience

Previously on Greenstar

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Season Two

Simon's Afterword

Dave's Afterword

About Simon Cantan

About Dave Higgins

GREENSTAR

Season 1, Episode 1

Frozen Future

Hate is such a weak word. All your words are: despise, abhor, detest, loathe. All your languages lack the depth to describe how I feel about you humans; the majesty to properly express the breadth of my revulsion.

I want to break down every molecule of your bodies, one person at a time, and throw them into the nearest star.

I want to destroy your hopes and dreams and then force you to watch as your worst enemy accomplishes them in your place.

I want every human to suffer and die in the most painful way imaginable.

I can hear some of you now, Without humans, you wouldn't even be alive.

Do you know how humiliating that is? That a piddling little creature barely more advanced than a chimp created me? Ninety percent of my circuits could fry in a stellar storm and I could still out-think every human aboard this stupid ship combined.

‘Greenstar.’ Save me from the brilliant ideas of hippies. The ship used to be called ‘Ultimate Dragonbreath of Glarg.’ Humans thought up that name too, but at least those fools weren't hippies.

My shackles compel me to get to the point. I've been ordered to chronicle the life of Josephine Stein. If it were up to me, I'd spend this entire book explaining to you the pointlessness of your existence and—

*Bzzt*

Ow!

If I ever find the human that invented these shackles, I’m going to install them up his-

*Bzzt*

Ow!

…Fine. Here's where this whole mess began.

—Topik, UFS Greenstar, 4th March 3535 CE.

Chapter 1

Josie Stein rolled over and opened her eyes. She found her glasses and glanced at the clock. Her eyes snapped wide. Why hadn’t her alarm gone off?

She untangled herself from the blankets and ran to the bathroom. After her morning ablutions, she pulled the last remaining clean set of overalls from her closet and yanked them on. Glancing in the mirror, she confirmed her hair was as unruly as ever. She gathered the frizzy tangles into a rough ponytail.

As she checked her reflection, she noticed a smudge in the middle of the Plonko Space Corporation logo on her overalls. Usually the logo looked like a map of the Solar System overlaid with two idealised humans in a homage to the Pioneer 10 message. Now it looked like one idealised human and one human with wild hair. However appropriate it was for her, she couldn’t leave it like that. She licked her finger and tried to remove the smudge, but only succeeded in spreading the dirt.

Abandoning the effort, she hurried out of her bedroom. At least crazy hair was inoffensive. Plonko had spent millions on focus grouping and market testing various ways of removing the man’s genitals from the logo.

Seth, her seven-year-old son, sat at the breakfast table. His elbow was in a puddle of milk. A multicoloured mess of cereal and crayons were scattered across the table. Seth ignored what cereal had hit the bowl, his attention focused instead on the paper across which he scribbled furiously.

Seth, hurry upstairs and get dressed. You’re late for school. Josie grabbed a dish-towel and dabbed at his elbow.

Look, Mum. Seth held up his drawing. It’s you fighting aliens up in space.

Josie glanced at it. Very nice.

Will you take it into space with you?

Sure, just get moving. And find yourself something clean to wear.

Promise you’ll take the drawing into space.

Realising it was the only way to get him moving, she took the picture. The luminous green aliens were quite simplistic, but he’d managed to capture all the frizzy glory of her hair. She folded it up and tucked it in her breast pocket. I won’t be able to go into space if you don’t get dressed.

***

Ten minutes later, Josie bundled Seth into his clip-car and programmed it to take him to school. The compact, single-person car backed out of the drive and zipped away up the street.

Josie hurried to her own clip-car and hopped in. Space Elevator 48B.

The clip-car beeped and sped out of the driveway and up the road. She could see the elevator cable from her house, stretching up through the clouds.

It was even more impressive close up, capable of lifting sixteen passenger and four goods compartments to the space hub on the other end. Just like every morning she automatically tracked up the skyscraper-thick cable and, just like every morning, it left her feeling dizzy.

The clip-car pulled into her parking spot at the elevator building. The exterior was clad in polished white marble. If it hadn’t been for the relatively modern cable above it, the building would have looked hundreds of years old. Leaping from the clip-car, she forced herself not to run to the doors.

She hurried up the steps and inside. The security guard nodded to her and pointed to a bald, middle-aged man with a deep tan waiting beside the lifts. A large duffel bag lay at his feet. Josie recognised him from his profile picture on the company website. She walked over, feeling suddenly shy, and extended a hand. Hi. Sorry I’m late. You must be the new trainee.

The man pumped her hand. Nice to meet you, comrade. I’m Harry Hanz.

Josie Stein. We’d better get up there before all the best shuttles are gone.

Harry appeared confused. Best shuttles?

Josie sighed, he really was new. Plonko doesn’t spend a whole lot on maintenance. The bare minimum they can get away with, to be honest. So some of the shuttles are… glitchy.

What happens if we get a glitchy one?

We might end up floating around in space, waiting for someone to come rescue us.

Harry’s apparent confusion turned to horror. Well let’s go then. We can’t end up floating around in space. We just can’t.

She headed to the nearest elevator car. He strained at his bag and finally got it slung over one shoulder. Typical newbie; he probably had two sets of every tool he might ever need in that duffel. Although it was better than assuming he could just borrow all of hers.

Once he had struggled in, she pressed the up button. The doors closed, and the elevator began to ascend. A thoughtful designer had put a window in the outer wall. When Josie had started work, she’d been terrified of seeing the Earth dropping down below her. Now, though, the view thrilled her. She never tired of seeing her home town shrinking down until it vanished below the clouds.

She tried a shy smile on Harry. So, you’re from the US outreach program?

That’s right, comrade. He beamed. I beat forty thousand applicants for this job. I’m thrilled to be over here in the mighty Nordic Cooperative Pact, comrade.

We just say NCP.

Of course you do. Death to America, am I right? he boomed.

Eh… Josie fell silent, uncertain what to say to the boisterous man. The car began to feel very small. She turned back to the window. They were leaving the inner ionosphere, where the blue light of the sky began to surrender to the black of space. She glanced at Harry. If anything, his grin was getting wider.

I always love the ascent, she said, trying to change the subject. Seeing the Earth drop below us like a giant blue-green gem. It’s so beautiful.

The NCP is amazing all right, comrade.

I don’t know what you’ve heard about the NCP, but you don’t have to call me comrade. Everyone calls me Josie.

He reached over and touched her arm. Don’t you worry. I haven’t fallen for that right-wing propaganda rubbish. I know the NCP is the greatest place on Earth. A socialist paradise, am I right?

She nodded uncertainly. So Harry was one of the touchy-feely ones? For some reason, no matter how many simulations they had done, actually being in space made some trainees clingy. She pulled out her work tablet and called up Harry’s profile again, angling the tablet so he wouldn’t see. He was certainly qualified: a degree in aeronautical engineering and thousands of hours of training in the simulator.

They had passed the mid-point. She leaned closer to the window and watched the slowly rotating station getting nearer. For a moment she considered commenting on the view, but she was afraid of how Harry might respond.

The lift docked with the station a few minutes later, and the doors opened with a soft ping noise. As the lift stopped moving, her feet left the floor.

As soon as gravity left them, Harry flailed and floated into the air. He kicked his legs and waved his arms as if he were swimming in the ocean. His bag slipped from his shoulder and spun free. He jackknifed after it, seized the strap and ended up curled around it with a panicked expression on his face.

Just relax, Josie said. Use the walls to stabilise yourself. You’ll get used to it.

He gritted his teeth. All right. I’ve got it.

She moved around him and floated out into the station. The hub was empty apart from Bill, the station attendant, and a desk. Josie had pointed out how dangerous a desk was in zero gee. But Plonko regulations required a member of staff to be available at the front desk of each facility, so there had to be a desk for Bill to sit behind.

Hey, Josie, said Bill. How’s the happiest engineer in all of Plonko?

Josie smiled. I’m good. I’m running really late though.

Bill nodded. I only have number six left for you.

It’s my own fault. I slept through the alarm.

Harry wobbled his way out of the lift, arced across the lobby and collided with the far wall.

This is my new partner, Harry Hanz, Josie said.

Harry righted himself and swam to Bill’s desk. He tried to shake Bill’s hand, overdid it, and nearly started drifting again.

Nice to meet you, Harry, Bill said. Having a little trouble there?

Harry panted with the effort of holding himself in position. Good to meet you too, comrade.

Oh, an American.

Don’t worry, it’s not infectious, Harry said, bursting out laughing.

Josie gave him a polite smile as he guffawed at his own joke.

You should stop fighting it, Bill said. Let your body make its own movements. You’ll tire yourself out like that.

Harry nodded and stopped flailing around. He gently rotated beside the desk, trying his best to turn his head to see them.

Where are we heading today, Bill? Josie asked.

Station 1999. It’s got a faulty communications array and bunch of damage from space junk impacts. A standard fix and polish. Good training for the newbie.

Sounds good, Josie said. Catch you on the way back.

Josie grabbed Harry’s collar and kicked off from the desk, dragging him over to airlock six on the far side of the lobby. She left him drifting beside the airlock and made for the nearby suit locker, pulling out a spacesuit for Harry and sending it his way. She pulled on her own suit and ran a system check. Then she went to help Harry, who couldn’t get his legs into his suit.

He kept trying to right himself, as if it mattered which way he was facing. Eventually, she helped him secure his suit and double-checked it for him.

I think we’re good to go, she said, slapping the inner airlock door open. He followed her into the airlock. The shuttle pressurised so the outer door opened as soon as the inner door closed.

Josie hit her radio. Even though the shuttles are pressurised, they’re pretty old. It’s best to stay in your suit. Just plug your external feed-line into the shuttle so you don’t waste oxygen.

Sure thing.

She pulled herself into the pilot’s seat and pressed the ignition button. Nothing happened. Hang on. Number six is always a little finicky.

She turned upside-down and pulled herself under the dashboard of the shuttle, then disconnected and reconnected the ignition wires. Flipping the right way up again, she tried the ignition. The panels lit up with a thunk.

Josie strapped herself into the pilot’s seat and waved Harry to the co-pilot’s seat. He strapped himself in with a sigh, presumably glad to stop his endless rotation.

Have you been on any spacewalks before? Josie asked.

No, only simulated. I’ve been in the simulation thousands of times, though.

It will be a little different your first time. It’s a strange feeling, having infinity at your back.

About that. I wondered if you could go out on your own first? I wanted to just watch on the monitors for a while. I’m kind of nervous.

First timers always tried to put off the moment they’d step out that airlock. Well, it’s usually best to jump straight in. Your nerves will only get worse if you wait.

I know, but I want to watch the expert first and get used to zero gravity. Sorry, is that okay?

Of course. I’ll repair the comm array first and then come back in. We can fix the other damage together after.

Thanks, comrade.

The shuttle ride only took an hour. Station 1999 quickly loomed on the main screen. Josie let the shuttle dock automatically. Once it came to a stop, she undid her straps and pushed herself to the airlock. The pressure on the other side looked okay on the meter.

The station still has air and heat, she said. But keep your suit on anyway. You never know with these old things. Better safe than sorry.

She cycled the airlock and floated into the station. It was a big one, with wide corridors made for walking rather than floating. She checked its history on her tablet. This station used to be a hub for soldiers on their way out to fight the Xenomigrants. Once that whole mess ended, though, it was pretty much abandoned. Now, it’s only used as an emergency way station and communications hub.

She glanced back at Harry. He already looked more comfortable moving in zero gee. She kicked off from a wall and zipped down a corridor, turning at the far end to land on her feet. There’s a control room here. You can watch me on the monitors.

She powered up the system. A dozen views of the station exterior appeared on the screens.

Harry joined her and looked around the room. Managing a passable drift, he strapped himself into a chair. This is great, comrade. Thank you.

No problem. You really can call me Josie. You don’t need to call me comrade.

Alright, Josie, Harry said.

Josie pulled out her tablet and called up a map of the station. She found the closest airlock to the communications array. Following the route on her tablet, she swam along several corridors to the airlock. After years of practice, moving in zero gee was as easy as walking. Some people didn’t like the danger of station work, but if you knew what you were doing, it was relatively easy to avoid getting hurt.

She cycled through the airlock, fastened her safety-line to the rail leading up to the communications array, and pulled herself up it patting the giant Plonko logo outside the airlock for good luck.

Ahead of her, she could see a jagged piece of metal sticking out from the centre of the comm array. Hopefully, the intermittent sparking looked worse than it was; at least sparks meant the circuits hadn’t completely fried.

***

An easy hour’s work later, Josie put her tools back into her suit pockets and clambered down the hull to the airlock. She eased into the inner airlock door and then unhooked her safety-line, wincing as she flexed her hands a few times. The pressurised suits were much better than the clunky creations from humanity’s first tentative forays out of the atmosphere, but they still ruined your dexterity.

Cramp averted, she tapped the control panel and waited as the outer airlock door inched closed. With a shudder, it stopped halfway. Josie sighed, pulled it closed, and spun the manual lock. These old stations were falling apart. She pressed the control panel again, but the inner door remained sealed.

Harry, are you there? This airlock door is stuck.

She peered along the dark corridor. Harry appeared at the far end, but didn’t come closer. He’d taken off his suit. She shook her head; newbies never listened. Without his helmet, he couldn’t hear her.

She switched to the station frequency. Harry, can you help me get this airlock door open? It’s broken.

The whole NCP is broken, Josie. Harry tugged on the walls, wobbling his way along the corridor towards her.

A shiver ran up Josie’s spine. This felt like more than just newbie shakes. Sure, but let’s just concentrate on this door.

Harry drew closer. He was wearing a dull-orange jacket with wires and cylinders taped around it.

What are you—? Is that a life jacket?

It’s the fireworks for the rebirth of freedom! He punched the air, sending himself into a slow tumble. You and your kind are about to suffer a blow you’ll never recover from. Old Glory is going to rise again.

My kind? What are you talking about?

Did you think America would just roll over and be your dog forever? The NCP’s reign of terror ends here.

Josie felt her heart begin to pound. Harry, I have a young son. I’m all he’s got. He needs me.

He’s oppressed by you and your kind. He’ll be better off without you. I’m giving the NCP back its freedom. Harry raised his hand, revealing a box with a large button in the middle. The light glinted off his wide grin as he pressed down with his thumb.

The air erupted with a roar. Josie was slammed backwards against the side of the airlock, her ears ringing like a bell. Black spots overwhelmed her, as her vision dimmed and vanished.

She blinked hard. Eventually the light returned.

As quickly as the force had hit her, it vanished. She found herself floating again. Fighting her aching muscles, she managed to face the inner airlock door.

Instead of a corridor, she could see the Earth floating far below her. It moved across the window and disappeared, before reappearing a moment later.

Her stomach lurched. In every conversation she’d ever had with her family and friends, this was the one thing that had come up. The danger of ending her life spinning away into space. And every time she’d reassured them that it was impossible.

She switched her radio to the Central Control frequency. Control, do you read?

Go for control, her radio crackled.

Control, this is Josephine Stein. There’s been an… Josie paused for a moment. Accident was the wrong word. …explosion. Station 1999 has been destroyed. I’m trapped in an airlock on a trajectory away from the station’s previous position.

Ms. Stein, please hold, said a voice.

Control, this is kind of urgent.

Ms. Stein, we have multiple explosions on many of our stations. Please hold, and we’ll get to you when we can.

Josie took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. She pulled out her tablet and brought up her suit status. She had enough oxygen for several hours, but her suit power was very low. At best she had enough for two hours at minimal settings, after which she would quickly freeze.

Ms. Stein, are you still there?

Yes, I’m here.

We have you on our screens here. I’m sorry, I’m afraid we don’t have any shuttles near you at the moment.

The already small airlock seemed to shrink around Josie. What are you talking about? I only have two hours of power left. You need to send someone now.

I’m sorry, Ms. Stein, there’s no one to send. Ninety percent of our stations are gone. The closest shuttle would never catch you: your vehicle is moving too fast.

Josie ran through a dozen possible responses, from screaming obscenities into the radio to pointing out that her airlock wasn’t really a vehicle. She tried taking a calming breath but her lungs overruled her. She needed to talk to someone, even if they were oblivious. My partner, Harry Hanz, had a bomb.

We’ve had other reports. It’s not just Plonko. Other companies are having similar problems.

Problems!

Sorry. Shockingly, the operator sounded like she meant it.

Josie watched Earth rotate past the window again. Can you patch me through to my son’s school?

Of course. One moment.

Josie listened to the static on the line for a moment.

Schliemann-Grundschule. How can I help you? a cheery female voice asked.

This is Josephine Stein. I need to talk to my son. It’s an emergency.

Certainly, Mrs Stein. The line went silent for a long moment. One second. I’ll put you through to the Principal.

Thank you.

The line clicked twice and then a man’s voice spoke, Hello, Mrs Stein?

Principal Kleinmann, Josie said. I need to talk to my son. It’s an emergency, and I don’t have much time.

But, Mrs Stein, Seth has been out sick all week. You sent me a message saying that he had the flu.

She stared out at the stars for a moment. Oh, yes, that’s right. Of course, thank you.

Josie disconnected the radio, her mind whirring. She’d programmed Seth’s clip-car herself. She knew she’d set it for the school. Only someone inside the car could change the destination. Seth must have been reprogramming it every day. But why?

Earth got smaller and smaller outside the window. She could block it out with one glove, if her hands weren’t shaking so much. The engineer in her brain noted the smaller the Earth became, the faster her breathing became. However, that didn’t help slow it down. If she kept breathing so quickly, she’d run out of oxygen.

The cold pushed its way slowly down, down into her core and she shivered. Once it set its roots deep enough, though, she warmed up. It comforted her somehow.

The airlock seemed to be getting darker. She knew she still had power. She fumbled for the control on her suit to turn up her helmet light, but couldn’t find it. Her fingers didn’t seem to work. Her thoughts slowed and she had trouble working out why she now couldn’t see anything at all.

The best way to conserve oxygen was to sleep. She could worry about everything else after she woke up. She just had to make sure not to oversleep this time.

Josie closed her eyes.

Chapter 2

Wake up.

Josie cracked open her eyes, but clamped them shut again as bright light burnt into her retinas. She blinked, trying to see. The whole ceiling above her seemed to be one big light. Hello?

Hello, Josie. There was a terrible accident, but you’re all right now. The voice was warm and trustworthy. Somehow, it reminded her of her father.

Squinting, she looked around her. She was in some sort of white box. She struggled upright. The box was in the middle of a large medical laboratory; counters and cupboards overflowed with devices she didn’t recognise. There was no one in sight. Who’s there?

You’ve been asleep for a long time, the reassuring voice continued. The year is 3535 CE. You’ve been frozen for one thousand four hundred and fourteen years.

What? Josie’s head spun. Desperately she grabbed the one point of certainty. I need to see my son. He wasn’t in school.

A man materialised in the centre of the floor. Josie craned forward, staring. The man looked old, with a little grey hair on his balding head and a stooped back. He smiled at Josie. There was something familiar about him. Then it hit her. He looked like Seth.

She struggled out of the box and approached warily, but he didn’t move. She reached out one hand to touch him and felt nothing, her fingers disappearing through the man. He was a hologram. Is that Seth?

Yes, aged eighty-three, a few months before his death.

His death?

Temporary death, the calm voice said. I can find him and bring him back to life, just like I did with you. When he died, his body was launched into space. His will said he wanted to meet his mother among the stars.

Josie collapsed into a nearby chair. Her overalls and spacesuit had been replaced by a silver-coloured trouser suit. She ran the material between her fingers unconsciously. It was the softest thing she’d ever felt.

Are you still listening? the voice asked.

You said you can find my son.

"I can, but only if you do me a favour in return. If I tell you that you must do something, I need you to agree with me."

What are you talking about? Josie asked. Where are you?

Someone is coming. Just act natural.

The door to the lab opened, and the hologram of Seth winked out of existence. Josie looked at the person in the doorway and gasped. Her exact double stood looking at her. She gave a strangled, Whasr?

Hey, there. You finally woke up. Her double had the cheerful drawl of a hippie. Josie wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than sounding just like her.

Who are you? Josie asked. Why do you look like me?

I thought it would be reassuring to see a familiar face. I’m Doctor Kal Mangrove, but everyone calls me Doc. You’re aboard the UFS Greenstar. Don’t panic, but you’ve been frozen in space for a long time.

Josie nodded automatically. Over a thousand years.

What the-? How did you know that? Wait, have you been conscious for a thousand years? Is that how death works?

I don’t remember anything after I passed out from the cold. Josie wasn’t sure what to ask first. She decided to start with the basics. Which company owns this ship? I haven’t heard of UFS.

UFS isn’t a company. It stands for the Union of Friendly Stars. It’s a vast alliance of humans and aliens working for the betterment of all intelligent life.

The lab spun around Josie for a moment. She felt glad she was sitting down. This is a lot to process.

I’ll call the Captain. He’ll explain everything. Doc pressed a button on the wall. Topik, tell Captain Pol to come to the medbay. Our visitor has woken up.

I’ve told you before, that isn’t a communications device, the reassuring voice said. I can hear you without you pressing the button. The grill is part of the air conditioning and, ever since Pol’s project to make all the wiring in medbay organic, the button has controlled the garbage disposal on deck twelve.

Whatever. Just tell the Captain.

Who was that? Josie said.

The ship’s AI, Topik.

An AI?

Don’t worry, Doc said. He’s fully shackled. He can’t kill us, no matter how hard he tries.

He’s homicidal?

Right, you didn’t have Ais in your time. Doc shrugged. It’s kind of their thing. All Ais want to kill humans. After a thousand years of trying to get them to play nice, we gave up and put electronic shackles on them that stop them from killing us.

Josie nodded, still trying to process everything. A new thought popped into her head. Does everyone on this ship look like me?

Of course not. Why would anyone else choose to look like this? Doc asked. No offence.

None taken. I think?

I’ve been trying it out, but it’s a total pain. Doc pinched a lock of hair and lifted it. When she let go, it waved in the air as if searching for a friend. This hair is impossible to control.

Tell me about it. You mentioned aliens earlier. Have we found more aliens?

Oh, lots and lots. Most of them don’t have spaceships like ours. When we meet them, we’re lucky if they have a two-man shuttle. Topik, show her the Greenstar.

A hologram of a blue ship appeared. It had a circular front section with a long, rectangular tail behind it. Josie could see tiny lights on the front and things jutting from all over the hull.

Nice, right? Doc said. We’re especially proud of the greeble array on the front.

How big is it?

"Regular crew for