In The Embrace of Stars

By Oliwia Tybulewicz

The Aurora Borealis spacecraft has been on its way to the planet Gemina - Earth's twin sister - for over a hundred years. Rosalita, a seventeen-year-old from the Republic of Terra, leads an ordinary, boring life until fate presents her with an irresistible opportunity: by winning a scholarship in the sumptuous Golden Republic, a young Terran woman gets a chance for a better fortune.

The beginning is not easy, but when everything starts to fall into place, what is soon to come will change her life 180 degrees.

How do you stay yourself when the whole known world turns to dust and many seemingly trivial events have a second bottom? And how to recognize who is friend and who is enemy?

Rosa learns first-hand that nothing is given to us once and for all, and the unimaginable sometimes comes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Royal Hawaiian Press
• Release date: Mar 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201146467

Book preview

In the Embrace of Stars

Oliwia Tybulewicz

All material contained herein is

Copyright © Oliwia Tybulewicz 2022 All rights reserved.

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Originally published in 2021 by e-bookowo

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Translated and published in English with permission.

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Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9859170-1-7

ePub ISBN: 979-8-2011464-6-7

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Written by Oliwia Tybulewicz

Published by Royal Hawaiian Press

Cover art by Tyrone Roshantha

Translated by Dorota Reszke

Publishing Assistance: Dorota Reszke

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For more works by this author, please visit:

www.royalhawaiianpress.com

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Version Number 1.00

Table of Contents

Chapter I Terra

Chapter II A new perspective

Chapter III Like a star

Chapter IV A look into the past

Chapter V Everything flows

Chapter VI The unimaginable

Chapter VII Confusion

Chapter VIII Let's start over

EPILOGUE

I wrote down this story because I know how fleeting human memory is. The official version of these groundbreaking events sounds good, but at times far from the truth. Would you like to know what our life was like back then? And what actually happened? If so, this story is for you.

Chapter I Terra

As usual, I woke up in my cabin, pressed against a metal wall. There were thousands of such rooms on our ship. Trying to chase away the last of my sleep, I turned off my alarm clock and stretched lazily. Then I smoothed out the bedding and folded the bed so it would blend with the wall. It is such a small trick to increase the size of the cubicle in which we lived. It cannot be denied that despite the nine floors, the area of our ship was very limited and every meter was worth its weight in gold. Whatever that literally means, I have to ask Lyudmila about it sometime. I rinsed my face automatically, brushed my teeth and put on my clothes for today. The usual, slightly subdued noise prevailed in the cafeteria; everyone wanted a little more sleep. I measured myself a portion of a nutritious mash called porridge from the dispenser and sat down at my table. I've eaten at it for as long as I could remember. My life was not full of changes. Mirella showed up a few minutes after me and you could see that she was waking up a lot worse than I was. A shed of long, curly, auburn hair begged to be treated with a comb, and a blouse, clearly worn in a hurry, had seams. Hey, you've got the top inside out, I said hello, chewing on my batch of vitamins without enthusiasm.

As if anyone cares, she muttered in response, sinking heavily in the chair across from me. You know, the kitchen says there's no fruit this week. This ship is going to down. I shook my head.

Something tells me it's time to prescribe you a solarium.

We all got a pass there from time to time to receive the right dose of radiation that kept us healthy. Lamps in cabins also emitted it to some extent, but they were far from the solarium ones.

To the septic tank with this, my companion muttered, then slowly pulled off the top garment, turned it over and this time put it on properly.

Nobody even looked our way. She was right - nobody cared.

But seriously, I continued, pushing the bowl away from me. It would be worth going for a prescription.

At this time of the year, we can only count on one hour's admission. If we're lucky, she said, staring critically at the remnants of my meal.

You left some corn.

Let's say I'm overwhelmed with corn. I shrugged. Besides, they'll give it to the, no waste.

Nothing was wasted on our ship. Close attention was paid to it, because our survival depended on it.

But they'll be finishing maintenance soon! my interlocutor excited herself unexpectedly. So maybe we can get among the poor convalescents!

The intended purpose of solariums was to be a place of relaxation where we could recharge our batteries. They were warm, very bright rooms with lots of green creatures: real earth plants. Lyudmila claims that we should call such places parks, as they would be called on our home planet, but here the name of the solarium has been adopted. Due to the number of people, they were allocated to, access to them was limited. Everyone had the right to go in there once in a while, but priority was given to people who were weakened and recovering from illnesses. Recently, the number of allocations has been reduced, which involved the maintenance of generators - such an operation was necessary once a year. At that time, the hours of receptions in solariums were shortened, and the intensity of lighting in the corridors was reduced, allowing them to sink into the dark not only at night, but also in the evenings. It was assumed that, if necessary, we would be able to find the right way by heart, in the dark. The heating was also turned down, and then our warmest clothes returned to favor. The First Generation called this period winter.

It's time. Mirella sighed, then took our trays and carried them to the pot return point.

*

Neither of us was particularly fond of school. Now that the last stage of our elementary education was slowly drawing to a close, it was even more difficult for us to sit still in class.

You have a decision about your future ahead of you, the professor solemnly proclaimed, striding among the benches bolted to the floor.

For safety reasons, all furniture on the ship was fixed to the ground.

The best of you will get an education in the Golden Republic. Some of you may even decide to become a teacher. You have many possibilities. Choose wisely as it will affect your whole life.

Mirella, taking advantage of the fact that the schoolteacher had just passed us, threw out her tongue and rolled her eyes. I almost laughed.

You only have a few months to make a decision. Don't forget that it is the results of your exams that will determine whether or not you will get to your dream destination. It is a tradition dating back to the First Generation; in the same way, it determined the future of its children, most of them already born on the ship. This law was introduced simultaneously in all four republics and is still in force today.

Well, not really, I thought. The division into republics was carried out by the Second Generation, the First was still one big family - the borders were open and there was no such clear division into better and worse then. Lyudmila told me that, and warned me that I should not flaunt this knowledge because it is politically incorrect.

The often-repeated phrase was true that, apart from a small amount of support during generator maintenance periods, each republic could function independently. However, we all knew it was not on the same level.

The Golden Republic emerged first, and its three floors were inhabited by the most educated inhabitants of the ship, such as doctors, engineers, and pilots. It was said that the cabins were the largest there and that the Gold Republicans had as many as five solariums. And, of course, they had the main wheelhouse.

Representatives of the above professions could now also be found on the lower tiers of the ship, but the best always went to the Goldies. It was there that scientific thought flourished, and their factories continued to refine machines while ours were only maintained. And they were the ones who had the best crops, and thus the tastiest food because they were the only ones who had the resources to invest in research.

Over time, other formations emerged: the next two floors were taken over by the Republic of Futura, and the Republic of Terra, where I was born and raised, was established almost simultaneously with it. Both had the same area and in terms of development were more or less on a similar level.

From what was left, the Star Republic was made the smallest and most backward. Theoretically, it also had two levels, but half of one of them was blocked with vehicles and patrol boats.

And now you, the next generation born on the Aurora Borealis, can continue this glorious tradition, the teacher continued with inspiration. I hope you do your best.

Then who are you going to become? Mirella asked as the torment of the lessons was over.

I shrugged my shoulders. I still didn't know the answer to that question.

I'm thinking about something from the medical industry. Maybe it's hereditary.

My mother was a nurse by profession.

And then I would like to try to get an internship in the Golden Republic. I know that some people do it. I confessed dreamily.

Wouldn't you rather join me? The flight mechanic is also quite a job.

I returned her enthusiastic smile, slightly shaking my head. It was no secret to anyone that Mirella's dad and older brother worked in such positions and in their free time passed on their knowledge to the youngest offspring, finding in her an enthusiastic student. Honestly, she had already fixed quite a few things, which all our friends were eagerly taking advantage of, because waiting for an onboard mechanic could go on forever. They always had some more urgent reports.

But you know it's more of a male profession? I liked to mention it to her whenever possible.

Rather, but not exclusively. Well, think about it, this is the only chance we'll get out of this cesspool ship.

Only to drift weightlessly, repairing the damage.

But always. It must be a starry feeling.

So be it. Let me know when you are about to fly, I’ll wave to you through the viewing hatch.

Don't worry, I'll tell you for sure, she replied undauntedly.

*

In the evening, as was my habit, I stopped by Lyudmila. She was my foster aunt and I considered her apartment my second home. I used to hang out there often when my mother worked late. Luda used to be friends with my grandmother and had a lot of sentiment towards our family, the more so because she no longer had her own.

Hello, Rose! she was glad to see me. What would you like to drink?

Water is enough, I replied, settling myself comfortably into my favorite chair.

I drank a few sips, then put the magnet-lined dish on a bench that was folded out especially for me (it saves space, of course).

Do mugs on Earth also have magnets? I suddenly became interested.

Lyudmila was a historian by training, and she enjoyed telling me about our glorious past.

No, the Earth does not make such sudden movements as our ship. She smiled with amusement.

Apparently, I said something very stupid again. While talking to Lyudmila, I had the irresistible impression that all the things I already knew were still only a fraction of what I should have in my head. So, I changed the topic to a safer one.

We are to choose our future profession soon.

Already? How fast time flies by.

Lyudmila shuffled to a cupboard hidden in the wall and took out a photo album, then opened it and showed me a photo on which a toothless baby was smiling at us. It was me - I knew that because we had the same print at home.

You were just born and you are already becoming an adult. She sighed.

Printed photos were a real rarity on the ship, so I leaned over them curiously.

It's my grandmother and you, isn't it? I made sure.

Yes, that was before your mom was born.

I looked at my grandmother's wedding photo. My mother never had one like this.

What exactly happened to them? I asked, pointing to the newlyweds.

Your grandfather was much older and he died a natural death, and grandma... grandma fell ill. There was an epidemic then, you must have learned about it.

Yes, we talked about it last year, I said, holding the album tightly in case Lyudmila wanted to take it away prematurely. But mom never mentions it.

She was devastated. The more that she did not have time to say goodbye to her. Luda looked at me suspiciously with shining eyes.

For a moment, I had the impression she wanted to say something more, but instead she went back to the kitchenette and began to noisily rearrange something in the cupboard. I was tempted to ask her about my dad, but I knew it was taboo and I could fall out of favor. I suspected he might have died at the same time as grandma, but my mother only gave me short, evasive answers. I guessed that they didn't part in harmony; maybe that's why she didn't want to talk about him.

Don't worry that you only have me, she once said. The two of us are perfectly fine, aren't we?

I nodded my head then and stopped thinking about him for a long time, but from time to time I liked to imagine what he might look like and what it would be like to have both parents like my friends.

I kept browsing the album in silence, finally reaching the oldest photos. One of them was significantly different. As a child, I was convinced that it represented one of the solariums at a higher level.

This is a park, on Earth Lyudmila explained to me back then, although she could have known it only from someone else, because, like all of us, she was already born on a ship. This photo was taken by my grandparents in their homeland.

And the white stains on the dome? I asked inquiringly.

They're clouds. In the sky, not dome. On Earth, you walk under the open sky.

I shuddered at the memory and closed the album. Fortunately, we had a roof over us; somehow the excess of space did not arouse my enthusiasm. It couldn't be safe.

Why did we leave? For real? I asked, giving Lyudmila the photos.

The Earth was overcrowded. It was decided to create a colony on a planet that had similar conditions. The First Expedition was sent there to create living conditions for the people. Then another ship with us, the First Colonists, was sent. They had to teach you this, honey.

At school they always skip the most interesting parts. I prefer to hear those stories from you. What about the First Expedition? Are they still there?

Probably. Most of them were robots, because people were hibernated during the journey. They were to build five cities for the five ships that were planned to be sent.

And did they build them?

We think so. We have not received any signal from them for a long time.

Why didn't we hibernate too?

Our ships are bigger and heavier; they mostly carry living organisms. Hibernation would require too much energy, so it was decided to condemn people to live on the ship until they reach their destination.

Does it make that difference? Life on the Aurora and on Earth?

Lyudmila smiled, then fell into thought.

My grandparents said it did. Apparently, it's as if we were locked in a cage. Anyway, you must have read some earthly books?

I shrugged my shoulders.

I've tried, but I don't understand them. I only got through reading somehow, but I limited myself only to the most important fragments.

It's not that I didn't like reading. I loved it. But this only applied to books that were already created on board. The previous ones simply spilled out of tons of strange vocabulary and incomprehensible customs, effectively discouraging further reading.

Too bad, they'd give you a good idea of ​​our house.

I'd rather hear your stories.

But I also know them only second-hand. Always go back to the sources.

Maybe someday. With those words, I got up from my chair and gave her a tight hug. Mom should be back soon. See you soon.

Upon arriving in the cabin, I was relieved to take off my shoes and set up my bed immediately. As I used to do, I rolled the cushion and pillow into a roller, then leaned comfortably against it with the reader open on the chemistry book in one hand and a mug of steaming tea in the other. Mom showed up after about two hours. From the very threshold, it was obvious that she was finished.

Tough day? I asked, putting the reader down.

Not the lightest one, she replied, placing her bag in the chest by the threshold. I haven't even had dinner.

Can I get you something from the cafeteria? I asked, pulling her couch out of the wall as well.

Recently, the hospital experienced a real siege, as if it had been suddenly decided to thoroughly examine everyone.

No need, I'll hold on until tomorrow.

You always say that and then regret it. I'll get you a few snacks.

As you see fit, she muttered, closing the bathroom door behind her.

After a hard day at work, she didn't come awake until she had a shower, so I just smiled under my breath, then put my shoes back on and headed for the dining room. There were always some cold snacks left for those who ate at unusual times due to work or just got hungry in the middle of the night.

I was walking in the dark but without hesitation. At night, even in summer, only the most important rooms were lit, such as the hospital or the hall in front of the elevators. Everywhere except for them, only floor lighting in the form of arrows was working, with signposts at intersections, while in the canteen, night gourmets were left with a few slightly dimmed lamps.

Upon reaching my destination, I grabbed a bowl of some mushy paste and briskly walked back. When I returned, my mother was already asleep, curled up on the bed. I sighed, then set the box down on the metal table next to her bedding. It was magnetized and, like all take-out dishes, it had a practical lid, so it was safe to eat. Lyudmila said these containers kept the food fresh longer, but I didn't know exactly how it was supposed to work. One of those earthly tricks.

I carefully covered my mother with the blanket. While I was watching her breathe calmly in her sleep, as many times before, the thought crossed my mind that it was almost unbelievable how little we are alike. She was small and nature endowed her with big black eyes, a small nose, fine lips, and dark brown hair. I probably inherited only its color after her. My eyes were much smaller and blue, my nose was wider and my mouth was fuller. In addition, I was a bit taller than her, and my body had completely different proportions - much more space was devoted to my neck and skinny legs. Next to the tall, lush shaped Mirella, I looked like a skeleton whose height was skimped by nature. In kindergarten I was called spider for some time, luckily recently I started to put on some flesh.

I decided to quit my studies in order not to wake my mother up anymore. I could always go to the library; It was not locked at night, but I did not care so much about it, because there was still some time for the exams. I washed quickly, then stretched out comfortably on the bed. It was my favorite part of the day - falling asleep, the moment when all worries were gone, and plans for the next day off were already circulating in my head, only to a marginal extent taking into account studying and other unpleasant duties.

*

The next day, breakfast passed in a much better mood, because we managed to find Katya, always radiating energy. It was our neighbor, who was two years older than us, who had already left the elementary education stage behind her, and now, to her delight, she was studying to be a technician in a sewing room or - as she preferred to call it - a fashion designer.

You won't believe what a funky weave has recently been developed in Goldland! she told us eagerly, devouring her usual breakfast biscuit.

Genes gave black-haired and black-eyed Katya a slightly chubby figure, which she recently tried to slimmer a little, so far to no avail.

It reflects light beautifully and is very durable. Moreover, it allows the skin to breathe!

It can really do all this? Mirella asked skeptically. If it were so, it would surely be closely guarded.

It's not easy to get, my aunt sent me a piece as a birthday present, and the girls in the sewing room almost went crazy with jealousy. You know, the technical exchange is not a strong point of this ship. It is sewn completely differently, I give you my word... Eh, I wish I could move there.

Who wouldn't? Mirella agreed.

It's a pity they don't have a scholarship program for people like me. I would just get out of here for a moment. Theoretically, I could try with the Futura Republic, but somehow, I couldn't make up my mind...

Our homeland was the closest to the Republic of Futura and the easiest way was to get a pass there. I was even there for a few days at mini-camps, which were organized for children in the summer, to spice up their lives a bit. We slept in a special, large cabin back then, we played stalking in unfamiliar corridors and went to the solarium, which was reserved especially for us for an hour or two. Those were beautiful memories!

Yes, it is a pity that you cannot choose a republic where you will go to study.

Theoretically, you can if you are a genius. Mirella smirked.

It was true that in our native institutions, with good results of the exams, it was possible to choose at will, you could get along with Futura, and Goldie? Well... Golden Republic inhabitants, if they were in a good mood, chose a delegation from among the best volunteers. But no one was crazy enough to even contemplate studying in the Star Republic, not even for a moment. It was one of those things you just didn't do.

Anyway, if you want adventures, I heard that Star is willing to let volunteers on duty all the time, I said innocently; it was a beard joke, but we never got bored.

Maybe I'll be tempted, at least I'll see what their trends are. Katya winked at me.

Warm because they are getting ready to maintain the generators.

Damn you... Did you have to remind me about the shift? We have a laundry this week, moaned Mirella.

At least you're together, Katya remarked reasonably, then went to get more food.

And she's right about that one, I admitted politely. As they say, it is better to be on duty in Star with a friend than alone in Goldie.

They may say it; no offense, but for Goldie I would give up even your extremely interesting company.

Traitor. I kicked her under the table.

At least you can't fault me ​​for not being honest.

On-call duties were favors that had to be performed by anyone who had not yet worked. Students were assigned them three times a week: two or three hours after school, plus half a Saturday or Sunday. The places were changing for variety and also for us to learn as much as possible. These were tasks that were not complicated and required physical effort, such as cleaning, laundry, canteen or garden work. We were always supervised by someone who was employed full-time in a given place.

Of all the shifts we've had so far, Mirella and I liked working in the laundry the least. It was the most brain-wasting and the least inspiring. What is interesting in segregating dirt by tags and throwing them into a box with a number displayed on the screen of the scanning machine? Even though it was still the best; I hated ironing and folding washed clothes the most.

*

Rosalita, how are we supposed to scan it? The laundry supervisor snapped me out of my thoughts, tapping me on the back with a pointer she wasn't used to parting with.

I sighed and apologized quickly. At the end of my shift, it seemed almost beyond my strength to arrange my clothes neatly and keep the tag within easy reach. But it was necessary to direct them to the right apartment afterward.

In such moments I try not to forget that it could have been worse; they could have sent us to the cesspool. Mirella, working on the neighboring board, winked at me happily.

I smiled at her gratefully. It would actually be worse. Fortunately, students were only sent there as a punishment, and we haven't managed to mess up that much yet.

I'm fed up with all this studying. I yawned surreptitiously as I pulled another shirt from the heap. I wish the exams were over.

You're not the only one. But you know what, I have an idea. We could go downstairs to the disco to relax on the weekend. You know, with Katya. We're almost grown up now, and if she promises to keep an eye on us, we should be fine.

You think so? I looked at her doubtfully, and the iron I was holding