January 1, 2050

08:00

I am writing this in the hopes that someone will read this and accompany me on this journey. It started with me waking up. I was in what I can only describe as a glass sleeping pod. I was inside and it was almost pitch black. There was a very dim light that was flickering on and off as if it couldn't make up its mind. This light was to my left. Looking up I saw gray sheet metal that over time I would call home. A question popped into my mind. Where am I and how did I get here? I did not know the answers but would going to find it out.  The glass sleeping pod was an elongated oval shape from what I could tell. Then I saw a very little light to my right. The light was blinking and was also green. I touched it with my right hand and it opened on its own. The lid hissed for a few seconds and then slide up above my head as it opened. As it stopped a clicking sound is what I heard. As I got out I could see more sleeping pods.  I looked around and saw even more glass pods. Then I saw a few more pods that were totally pitch black. Looking around the room I saw that there was lit up with other glass pods. Then a smell invaded my nostrils. This smell was making me gag. I was almost to the point of puking when I found the door. The emotions then washed over me. Terror, fear, and horror all washed over me like a bucket of water dumped on someone. These emotions held me and stopped me from moving. I could not move for about ten minutes. And then a thought came to my mind with another emotion. The thought was go and the emotion was courage. The thought and the emotion began to grow in me. Then the thought and the emotions over whelmed me. Then I moved with an unknowing thought about the door, I did not think about if it would open for me. I just moved to the door.

The door was across from where I was standing. I was there in two seconds. Time seemed to slow down. My hand was on the scanner before I knew it. I then heard the buzz. Had I gotten in? The thought pervaded me and the hiss of the gray metal door. Walking in and then the sliding back of the door did not faze me. I still don't know why. I looked up and seen a mirror. For the first time I have seen myself. The first thing I noticed was my hair. It was royal purple and pulled back with a hair bow. The skin was an alabaster white. My eyes were a mix of three different colors. The pupil was black. The iris was sapphire blue. The sclera was blood red. Taking a longer look I saw that I was female. I was wearing a type of coveralls with a name tag. It read Velvet. Was this my name? I thought about that for a minute or two. It great to me and I liked it. My body was quite fit and I stand five foot five inches. Looking around I saw another door.

I also saw the ever present gray sheet metal. I made my way to the door. It also had a security lock on it as well. I put my hand on the hand scanner and waited for it to open. The loud beep filled my ears. Then the door slide open. Inside I saw a long hallway and at the end of it was a huge room. I made my way without any incident. The huge room turned out to be a galley. Then I smelled something sweet it made my mouth water. Looking around for the source of the smell I saw the food. Like a fly to a light I went to it without hesitation. And then something I saw out of the corner of my eye. It was black and I froze in terror. Then I couldn’t see it. I had no idea where it went. Still I had no clue where food went. The sweet smell was also gone and then a thought came to me. It was a trap of some kind. Continuing to look around I still saw nothing. But then I saw another door. Going up to the door there was another security lock on it. The loud beep once again filled my ears and the door slide open. As I looked around I was very surprised to see five rows of computers.

09:00

Looking around I could not believe my eyes. There were five rows of computers. There were twelve computers for each table. This made sixty computers. Something caught my eye as I was looking at the computers. Looking up at the ceiling I saw movement. Taking a closer look I saw a woman with metallic hair. She was standing on something but she was still moving. The ceiling looked like liquid mercury. It moved back and forth like an ocean current. I was utterly fascinated. Then I saw the face of this odd creature. I had no unearthly idea what it was. The face was feminine in its features. The forehead was high. The entire eye was sapphire blue and glowing. The cheeks were high as well. The mouth was small along with the chin.

The body was very statute like and feminine. I looked at this creature in total amazement. I continued to stare until I heard a voice say something. I didn’t what was said, it did throw me out of my utter fascination. Then I heard it again and this time I could make out the sound of it.

“Who are you?” the voice said. I then realized where the voice was coming from the creature that was looking at me.

“My name is Velvet or at least I think that it is Velvet. I really don’t know what my name is.” I said sadly.

“What do you mean you don’t know what your name is” the creature asked. I then realized where the voice was coming from the speakers in the walls.

“What I mean is I have no idea of who I am. I have no clue where I am as well” I answered. The creature stopped the movement of the twisting motion that it was doing. The creature turned towards me and looked at me. A beam all of a sudden appeared and passed through me. In a very computer like voice I heard "you are correct in thinking that your name is Velvet. I have scanned you and found you in the personnel files."

I perked up at the sound of the words 'personnel files'. I then asked "What do you mean 'personnel files'? Does this mean that I am a crew member or a passenger?"

"For the first question, I am, what is called a living computer. I have my own special organs and everything. For the second question, I can't access that data" Sapphire answered.

"Why can't you access the data?" I asked before I had even the time to think about it.

"Because I only have limited access to the files" replied Sapphire.

Another thought came to me then. In fact several thoughts came to me. The first was about the limited access. Then the next few thoughts were for navigating the ship or whatever I was on.

"Since you said your access is limited for some reason, where can I access these files?" I asked.

"The closest access is in the library" Sapphire answered.

Then came my response "Do you have a map of some kind, or could you at least give directions?" I asked.

Something dropped into my hand. It wasn't heavy at all in fact quit light. I looked at the thing and was very surprised. In my hand was a very small brown box. Then the thought of what it was came to me. It was a map. Then another thought came to me as I looked at the map.

"Where am I and also, are we going anywhere?" I asked.

"The first part of the question is that you are on a spaceship and yes it is going somewhere. To answer the next question that you have already thought of I don't know the name of the ship and I also don't know where it is going as well." Sapphire answered me flatly.

I swear I saw her silver eyes look pleading. But she still was a computer, wasn't she? I then pondered this thought for a moment or two. It then dawned on me that she had answered an upcoming question before I had thought of it. Sapphire probably had AI or artificial intelligence. She was learning me as I kept asking questions. The thought then occurred to me that this was a good thing. Then I asked "Are there any computers or something to access the computer's mainframe?"

She then answered in the still computer simulated voice. "You can try the library, but more than likely you don't have the access codes"

After she said this I thought of another question "Well who has the access codes?" I asked.

"That would be the captain." Sapphire answered.

"Alright then on the map is it highlighted?" I said.

"Yes it is, along with other important places that you can find. My power level is decreasing the more I talk to you. I must now charge my batteries supply up if you'll excuse Me." she stated flatly.

The ceiling above he opened and what appeared to be a hair net of some kind. The hair net was quiet large. The circumference was about five feet and every individual hair strand turned into the hair net thing. I looked at this for about what I think was ten minutes, but I really did not know.

10:00

As I saw the vision that I had just witnesses my mind almost trembled in fear. Then a thought or several came to me at once. The first was that she had said that only the captain could access the files. The second was that she or it or whatever it is said that it could not access the files because of the limited access that was granted. It then came to me that it was a game of passwords and now I had to guess at it. That I was guessing would take a long time. The first thing that I had to do was find something to eat I was suddenly hungry. Turning around I saw that the room moved or at least where the door was. The door was in front of me now. How it got there I don't know. I made my way to the door in my coveralls and I started to notice a strange sound. Then as I looked up I saw an incredible sight to see. As I looked at this sight I had to remind myself that it or she needs to be powered up and keep going to the door I am famished.

The door opened without a problem. I shut the door and it was like I stepped into another world. It was dark and then it dawned on me I was in trouble. The first that that raced through my mind was like I guess any body’s reaction to the situation. "Oh snap what I did wrong now?" then I felt my body. I could move all of me and felt no pain. Thinking of this I then said or rather asked, "Who, or what are you?" I heard an answer which shocked me. "I am the thing that you will hold you and kill you." I then asked, "Why would you want to kill little old me, or was it something I had done to you?" It then responded with, "These is just part of the test and I am here to help it along." This made me think somewhat and the thoughts again raced through my mind. "So you are telling me that this is all a test of some kind. If it is a test of some kind, what is this test and why am I in it?" There was then no response. After about a minute or two since I still did not have a clock of some kind. There was a response of some kind if you were to call it that. All I heard was a groan of some kind like from a person. I moved forward and almost tripped over something, I think that it was a foot. Since I still couldn't see anything it was totally pitch black. Lowering myself with my knees I used my hands to fell for something, anything. And I felt a shoe then I felt a foot and then worked my way up and found a person that I think was lying down on the ground or hull. Felling the person up so to speak and in my defense I had no choice what so ever. As I keep feeling up I found that it was a woman. The first thought was "Alright I finally have company and we are the same gender." Then I felt more and it was more than one person that was there. There were two to be precise. Both of them were wearing coveralls just like I was. One was male and the other was female. With this knowledge I figured out that whoever or whatever that held all three of us captive must have had a good reason for it. This made me think about what he or what said that this was a test of some kind. I sat right next to them on my right side. I heard another groan, then looking towards the sound I found out that there was maybe another person with us. "What is your name and why are you in here with us?” I heard to my right. I flinched as if being hit by a baseball bat.

I then recovered quickly and as I did I realized that is was a male voice. "If I scared you I'm sorry about that" he said. I turned and saw the shadow of the male voice. "What is your name?" I asked as I waited for the answer I wondered what he looked like. That thought passed mind with a quickness that I thought that I didn't have it when I knew I did. Then the same voice spoke up and said, "My name is Nightshade or at least I think that is my name." He then continued, "I really don't know what my real name is." "That goes same for me as well," the other voice that was very feminine joined in. She then continued, "I really don't know what my name is either." This I thought was very odd at least in an ordinary setting. Then the words of what or how came back to me. ‘This is a test and I will kill you,’ ran through my mind. Then a very bad thought came to the front of mind and I dared not utter it. Since this was supposed to be a test of some kind then doesn’t that mean they are perhaps a proctor of some kind? Since that thought I have become very guarded with talking to speaking with anybody I will come in contact with. I then said, “Well since all of us don’t remember anything, do you suppose however is behind this has some sick, twisted, or murderous tactic of some kind?” I let this sink in for about maybe a minute or two before answering or throwing so answers out there for everyone to chew on. “I think that this is a test of some kind, what I don’t know exactly.”

11:00

Then Nightshade answered me with this, “Yes I think that this is a test of some kind. Though I don’t know what the test is. Let’s look around and try to find something to get out of here, like maybe a riddle or puzzle or some kind. Hell I don’t know let’s do something just too maybe pass the time. I am just tired of doing and knowing nothing.” The last of this sounded like anger and it also sounded like he had been here for a while, this prompted me to ask, “Just how long have you been here?”

“I have no idea, but I feel that it has been a long time,” he answered like he had a chip on his shoulder. This made me think that he was an angry man that did not know how to control his temper. However he did have a good idea about puzzles or a riddle of some kind.

Then I heard feminine voice say, “Nightshade you do have a good point, let’s all look for something. I then remembered that I still did not know this woman’s name at all. I saw the opportunity and took it by asking, “What is your name girl?” I heard back “The name tag on the coveralls says Celeste, but I really don’t know either.” That statement was very direct I noticed and from this I figured out what maybe personality she had. She was what most people would call a tomboy. I also thought of her being a sergeant of some kind or another. These thoughts felt strange that I was able to interpret and almost guess a person’s personality. I wonder where I got this from, I had no idea but I found at this very minute it was very helpful at this time. Looking around the compartment that we were all in for some unknown reason. I was looking around when I saw light or I thought it was light of some kind. At first I thought that it was not there at all, it was pitch black around me and I seeing or I think that I am seeing light of some kind. Looking beyond the mysterious light I saw that there was no other light. This was very weird and just stuck out as here is your clue stupid!

Then I said, “Can you two please look up where I am looking up?” Everyone other than me turned and saw it. “There is a light up there?” the both of them said together in unison I might add. And then I said, “Yes there somehow a light up there and I have no clue why that is.” This felt too much like a comedy act or at least it felt like this to me.  It then hit me as odd that I was the only one that that thought this was funny in some way. The problem. That I then saw was the height of the ceiling. I guessed at fifteen to twenty feet total. I stood about five foot four inches tall. "Nightshade how tall are you?" I asked. He responded with, "I about six foot two inches tall, why do you ask?" Before I could continue a very strange and very foreign sound was heard by all. At first no one knew what the sound was. And because of this no one moved. When the sound came again it was louder and came with the ground movement. This throw off alarm bells in my mind immediately. "Everyone get down!" I yelled as we waited for what was coming. The third time was when it was louder and it shook the ground. The fourth and final time was when damage was done. I looked up and did not know what to see. I saw the bulk head was gutted in the middle. This let in a lot of light which blinded us momentarily. I had to cover my eyes with my hand and then I saw a second remarkable sight so far. It some kind of monster that was moving somehow. I then saw a silver tentacle wrapping around the middle of the darkness somehow. Then more silver tentacles started to wrap around the strange dark thing. As if from a wrestling move on WWE Smack down the darkness was picked up and thrown like a rag doll. To a bulkhead. Then the darkness slammed into the bulkhead with a crash and then started dispersing like water draining in a tub. Then it was gone just as fast as it had showed up.

The silver tentacles showed up again and Sapphire was there and almost gliding in. The tentacles were shortened to and came back to her hair. Her form came into my view and asked “Is anyone hurt?”

12:00

My response was “No I know that I not I don’t know about anyone else. So is anyone hurt?”

“No I’m not,” said Nightshade who was to my right.

“I’m not hurt either,” said Celeste who was to my left.

I turned to see both of them looking at me almost staring at me in a way of what some might call shock.

“Just how did you know that that was coming?” asked Celeste.

“I don’t know I just thought that it would be in everyone’s interest to still be alive at all cost. That was what you might call instinct of some kind or another,” I answered and then I thought about it. How had I known what to do, all I could come up with just instinct of some kind.

“Ok, we thank you for what you’ve said,” said Nightshade with genuine gratitude.

“Same here,” said Celeste with gratitude in her voice as well.

Getting up all of us saw the wreckage that surrounded us. Bits of the bulkhead was gutted was the best way to describe it. The metal looked like someone had just taken an ax a got ‘happy’ as in an ax murder ‘happy’. Looking around and seeing that that was the only damage that was done made me at least feel happy. “Well I will begin looking for the unknown creature. Also I have noticed that all of you need a shower, food, and to sleep,” said Sapphire in that computer like voice.

This made me happy but a thought intruded my mind. I had no idea where it was. Then as if on cue Sapphire spoke in that computer like voice, “Let me give you a map to find your way around this ship.”

Then that word ‘ship’ made everybody look and take notice. Immediately the rise of voices became apparent and at once and rising in anger and rage. This made everyone yell over one another until finally I yelled, “Quiet! Now let me ask the questions here I have been here I think longer though I really don’t know.”

“Why should you ask the questions instead of me?” asked a now hot head Nightshade.

To which I replied with, “First girls are smarter than boys and this is any day of the week, everyone knows this. Secondly if you want to get into any argument over something this stupid and trivial then I suggest to shut your damn mouth!”

“What if I don’t want to you prissy assed bitch. No one died and made you Queen. In fact why should we listen to you?” he spat.

Then I knew that we going to get nowhere with this train of thought, so I would have to shut him up in a hurry. “If you think that you are better that me bring it on!” I roared. With this it was like throwing the gauntlet to anyone. That started the very first fight on this supposed ship. He came at me with murder in his eyes and in that very instant had no brain what so ever. As if to prove his manhood he tried to knock me down to the ground with his fists, but still he wasn’t thinking. I squatted down and slammed my fists into his groin. This made him almost double over and made him ever madder. “You are one prissy assed bitch, you just went for my junk with not a care in the world.” Then I responded with, “I am a woman and you are a man. Your junk is just more open than mine is. Mine is all internal you jack ass piece of crap for a man.”

Then I heard a small applause from behind me. I turned around to see that Celeste was clapping almost dramatically. Then she started to laugh that started slow then built to a roar of laughter. This made Nightshade feel up with rage. His face I noticed started to turn light shade of red then it became a darker shade together. As if on cue Sapphire who had been watching the whole time did something to help me. The first thing that she did was wrap those tentacles around him and pick him up. Then she turned him to her and stared at him. Then after a minute she spoke in that computer like voice, “Fight on this ship is a very serious offence. What do you think that I should do with you?” The voice was computer like but did have that menacing feel to it.

13:00

Before he could respond she silenced him with a look and a word. This time it came out loud and from everywhere at once. “Silence, you have already shown me that you are nothing but a hot head who cannot think on his own think on his own and does not like taking command for a female. In order to give commands you must first learn to take commands from other. Because of this I am going to put you into the brig, or if you don’t know that is jail. You will also get sea rations.” With this she took him and throw him into a wall that was first solid and then in a few seconds became translucent and formed a hole. When he was just nest to the hole that had formed the bottom grabbed him and then the hole became a wall. Celeste and I stared for about a minute or two in shock and almost horror. After about a minute to both of us looked at one another. There were something like oh God how can this happen, and then the answer dawned on me. Sapphire must be the master at arms or the police. The question was what was she really, I had only known Sapphire for maybe a day. After a while the encounter that I had with Sapphire made me think. Several thoughts came to my mind as I was looking at Sapphire the living computer. The first of these thoughts will quite dark and grizzly. The first thought that came to my mind was that whoever was running this damn test must've have made her like a principal at school. The questions was why had I already know the protocols and people's jobs. I still do not know the answer to the un-asked questions that still plague my mind. All I could do was just run with it. And run with it I did. Sapphire turned back to us as she did a feeling of uncertainty and fear came to me. Sapphire's body which was made of a totally unknown metal to me was almost alive and I damn near the thought that it was of being of unknown something. The moment that she turned towards us she reminded me of a mother caring after her young. She had such gentleness in her silver eyes. Her face and her eyes along with her hair had almost a mothers carrying in it. Then she said to us, "The ship's laws are for everyone including you. If both of you try to the law I will also have to put you in the brig with sea rations. And before you can say anything I will give you both the law that rules the ship. And I will give to you Celeste a map of the ship. I have also highlighted on the map the galley and the head to which both of you can eat, and get cleaned up after this I will highlight on the map your sleeping pods." I was almost flabbergasted, and then something dropped into my hand. As I looked down I had a weird feeling that there would be something for me which was the ship's law and the map which was highlighted as well. Opening the map I and saw that the head and the galley had been highlighted. Turning around I saw that me and Celeste had begun to move towards the head as we made our way I saw something very odd and also intriguing. The head was not for where we were. The distance between the head and where we were was about a mile so away. As we walked together the bulkhead was still the metallic gray that was everywhere. A thought then accord to me. If we had to take a shower then where would our new coveralls be I wondered? Right before we got to the head there was a locker room in which something very odd and intriguing happened. I noticed as did Celeste that the lockers had nameplates on them. I thought this was odd because there will only to lockers with our names on them and I would say that there are about 250 lockers. Not all the lockers had name plates on them only two of them the rest of them were left blank. I went to my locker and found that not only did it have a fresh pair of coveralls but also showering shoes, a sponge, and body soap. Celeste and I both found this intriguing and odd at the same time. Both of us stripped and then showered together, then put on our new coveralls and wondered what to do with the old ones. After much thought we both came to the conclusion that we should put the old coveralls in the dirty hamper that was right on the wall. Then we had to make our way to the galley in our newly pressed coveralls which had our names on them. The galley was about a half a mile from where we were. As we made our way to the galley another thought came to me. What in the world, were we going to eat and who was going to cook it? As we entered the galley the smells of food came into my nose and it was like night and day. Both of us was surprised when we saw Sapphire was waiting on us in all of her glory. The light that came from ceiling was almost blinding due to Sapphire's body. The light was so bright in fact both of us had to turn our heads. That is when I said, "God it's so bright in here can you adjust the light Sapphire?" Then she replied, "Yes I can do that for you Velvet." The lights then dimmed.

14:00

The lights had dimmed considerably to the point in which both of us could see Sapphire who was still in all of all glory. Looking up without having to shield my eyes I could see that there was a feast on the table. I then said, "Where did all this food come from? And will you viewed me any answers to my questions?" She then said, "I will answer all the questions you have to the best of my ability Velvet, but first you have to eat. I have noticed that you are losing some weight due to not getting enough calories. In order do what I was assigned to do I have to look at the health of everyone, on this ship this includes your weight and if you have any health problems at the moment." She then continued with, "You both will be happy to know that no one needs any medical attention at this time."

"Well that is good, at least for now," said Celeste in an almost sarcastic way. I turned to look at her and saw that she had a look 'get on with it'. I on the other hand felt like was at some in the future about to have a fight with her. Or at least sometime soon.

"But first let us eat" Sapphire said with almost Susie home maker air about her, it was at least I thought faked. Both of us sat down at the table in which both of us had assigned seats for some reason or another. This again struck me as odd and intriguing. My assigned seat was at the head of the table. Ok I thought to myself, just roll with it. Celeste's seat was in the middle. There were trays that were already prepared for us. Both of had the same thing. The prepared tray had turkey with yellow gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, a vegetable meddle which did not look that all appetizing, and for dessert was a brownie.  It looked very unappetizing as I began to eat it became delicious. The turkey and gravy a long with the rest of the meal was for a surprisingly delicious. When we will both done a conversation had to begin, that I did not want to have in front of anyone really, but it had to happen. I began with, "Why are we here?"

"I don't have access to those records," said Sapphire.

"Well what do you do if you don't have to access to those records?" asked Celeste rather angrily. I looked at her and saw that she was rather angry over something what I have no idea.

15:00

Sapphire then answered, "My functions are as follows, keep or go (or the law of the ship) maintain the health of the occupants of the ship, and to complete the mission."

"Then what is your mission," I asked after perking up after I heard the word "mission".

"As to answer your question I do not have access to records for what the mission really is. Unfortunately I do not have the access codes to access that information, but that is one of my objections," said Sapphire who gave an expression of deep regret or sadness to me and Celeste.

I thought about the next question for a while and then it came to me, "why are there so many nameplates in the locker room that are blank, also what is your batteries life, in other words, how long does it last?"

"I think that my batteries life is 24 hours. However I am unsure of this because just like both of you I have awakened with no memory whatsoever, I'm just now learning what my functions are on the ship. Over time more details come to my mind and I began to find a way to access all of these records. But it appears that I cannot access all of the records there is some kind of block that is not letting me see all of the records. I am trying everything I can to access all these records including the classified and the personnel records. I've also been trying to access navigation, I know that we are going somewhere but I still do not know where. I know that were in space, but I do not know where exactly in space we are. I apologize for this in advance it would seem that my programming has either some errors, or someone has programmed me to not see anything," said Sapphire lowering her eyes as if she were human.  This gesture really did make her somewhat human like but then I had to remember that she was a living computer. This thought made me somewhat sad. It took me a few moments to think up of some questions. Until Celeste asked one of her own.

She asked it with angry tone in her voice. "When did you wake or do you remember?"

I had hoped that Celeste was listening to the conversation that was going on but this action proved me wrong, go figure I thought to myself. Sapphire answered her as if she were an idiot, "Did you not hear me, or did you just forget? Or are you just special?" This response made Celeste even madder. She looked as if she was going pop Sapphire in the mouth, but I stopped her by saying, "Enough already! Do you want to wind up like Nightshade? Just sit back shut up and listen, if you have a question just calmly as it when there is a moment free. Got that are we OK? Celeste can you understand me?"

She answered me with a nod of her head. "Well that is good." I said out loud. This made me forget what I was going to ask. I sat back in my seat and thought about what I wanted to ask Sapphire. This took a bit longer than I thought it would. "You said that we are in space, do you know how fast we are going?" I asked now looking up at Sapphire. When I did so I saw it in her face. The answer was no she did not know. This almost saddened me a little. However I was getting use to this.

Then I asked the question, "When I first awakened I found that I was in a room full of sleeping pods, how did you wake up Sapphire?"

"When I woke up it was totally different than your experience. When I as you say 'was awakened’ she was using air quotes, I was just here and then my programs began to run. I you would call it 'awaking from a dream', she used air quotes again. Again I sat back in my chair and began to think. As I did so in my mind’s eye I saw a puzzle with the pieces forming. One here one there and more missing pieces that I didn’t know about. If fact it was like a chess game that someone or something was trying to manipulate to whatever they wanted to with us. In fact they could be watching us right now. That thought struck fear into me as it were a bullet piercing my chest, though I dared not show it.

“Well I think that it is time for bed,” I said and almost cringed with remembering the smells that I woke up in. Then Sapphire said, “The sleeping pods that you woke up in you will not sleep in.” I looked at her quizzically. She then answered the unanswered question with, “Both of you with sleep in a more comfortable sleeping pods. By the way don’t worry there is now smells to what you woke up in. In fact it is even better than what you woke up in.”

16:00

Celeste then turned to me and asked, “Did you wake up in a different way than I did. All I remember is that it was dark and you were there, how I do not know. That is what I remember.”

Then I answered with, “When I woke in a very cold and almost frigid atmosphere that smelled of death and decay. It was so bad that I almost gaged trying to get out.”

“That sounds terrible, but did you see any of the people that were alive,” Celeste asked curiously.

“No I did not stick around that long, all I knew for some reason was to get out of there or I would become like them in some way or another. I don’t know how I knew this but I did, “ I answered.

. Then after a minute of thought I asked Sapphire, “So where are the sleeping pods located and also what happened to the room that I woke up in?”

“The sleeping pods that you need to go to are highlighted on you map, and the room you woke up in is still there but I can’t seem to find it,” answered Sapphire. I looked at her with a quizzical expression on my face. She then answered with, “It seems that whoever or whatever is running this ‘test’, she was using air quotes now, “has somehow misplaced or hidden that information from me. I have no clue where it is and cannot find it on my map at all.” She took a moment and then added, “I know that it exists but just can’t find the room itself. I am sorry.”

I then said, “That is ok, let us make our way to the sleeping pods then. By the way is our new friend Nightshade being took care of.”

“Yes he is,” said Sapphire.

“Well then let us both make our way to bed, that sounds good to me,” I said getting up from my chair and starting my way towards the sleeping pods. I took out the map from my right front pocket and held it in my hand. It stretched out my hand as it offering food of some kind. The ball that was the map started to glow. Above the now glowing sphere was a map of the ship. It had my location at the moment with the words ‘Velvet’ and ‘Celeste’ and ‘Nightshade’ all on the map. Looking up I saw that in deed the sleeping pod’s location was highlighted. I rolled the map into my other hand and stretched it out as well. Using my right hand I taped the sleeping pod’s location and it gave me a rote to go though. All we had to do was follow it. So I started only because I had the map. I wondered why Celeste had not done the same thing and wasn’t on her way. Looking over I saw that she was watching me as if she did not know how to use the map. Then it slowly dawned on me, she did not know how to use it, I was showing her how to use it. I said nothing as I then played follow the leader with me as the leader.

The walls were the ever happy and ever present sheet metal gray. Still with my arm stretched out we made our way to the sleeping pods. That room was totally different than any room I had seen so far. The walls were a color of a bright pink which threw both of us off when we both saw it. On the outside of the hatch was a sign that read FEMALE ONLY. It even had a drawing of a woman in a dress. Celeste am me looked at one another for a few moments. Then we saw even more sleeping pods, by this point we were getting used to this. The two pods that were on and glowing both had our names on them. I walked out to one of them and saw that it was not mine, so I continued on to the next one which was mine. Inside there was another color that was different from the previous one that I had just seen. My color was royal purple and the other sleeping pod was dark blue an almost midnight blue. This was once again odd and also intriguing at the same time. Saying nothing Celeste was the first one to get into the sleeping pod. Then I followed suit. I got in and at first I thought that I would not be comfortable at all. Laying in it proved me wrong. It was like laying in an old fashioned bed that had very fluffy wool for the covers. After a few minutes of feeling the inside of the bed the lights in the room turned off. The light around the lid of the sleeping pod were still on but it was dimmed.

I then had trouble trying to go to sleep. Well it was a long and eventful day. I was laying in my pod when I began to think about the day. I wonder a lot of things that were what I was considering to be weird and intriguing, some might say odd. I thought about from the time I had awakened for some odd and unknown so far reason. As I sat back and thought about the day’s events it was like a puzzle that was forming in my mind. But I still did not have the whole piece just some of the pieces, this was incredibly frustrating. I then noticed that then inside of the sleeping pod was pitch black. I then heard a voice that said, "I have noticed that you are have trouble going to sleep. How can I help you fall asleep Velvet?" At first I did not know who or what was the voice. Then it came to me. This was Sapphire checking up on me. That was so sweet. "Well what can you do for me?" I asked.

Sapphire answered with, “This sleeping pod comes with a radio, and a massager that I can activate with just one word.” This made me wonder about Sapphire all the more. It also made me raise my eye brow up. Then I said just for my entertainment, “Could you turn on the massager I think it might relax me.”

With that she did, and at first it was a strange feeling, but then I slowly began to relax.

17:00

Then in only a few minutes I fell asleep.

In my sleep I had a most ponderous dream. Because you have gone with me at the beginning let us go through every bit of this tale. The first thing that I had noticed was I was seated in a very odd looking chair. My eyes then found the lights which were bright and everyone around that I could see were looking directly at me. I had no clue what or why they were all looking at me. I to my knowledge had no idea what was going on. All of the people who were looking at me, I noticed that they all were wearing some kind uniform. I had no idea what was going on and knew, from some reason I just knew that I had to watch was about to happen. I still didn't know what was about to happen but I had to watch.

All at once the uniformed people turned the other way up to the other side. It was like a play that was going on and all I could do was watch was important event that was about to happen. The uniform's colors were gray, red, black, and a little yellow. The uniform was mainly gray. The uniform had a trim of red with black on the buttons and sleeves. The little bit of yellow on the shoulders. In fact I think that it is called shoulder boards. Though I don't how I know that I know that. But before I could wonder or ponder about it, before me a scene had started. I just had to watch was about to happen. A door that I had not seen opened all of a sudden. I didn't even see it in this dream. A very large and imposing man entered followed by another important man who shut the door. There was a large dry erase board at the front or at least what I thought as the front. In truth from it was because I was sitting was the front. If you walked in from the door it would be on your right. It was set up like a meeting room. I had the feeling that this was a meeting room of some kind even though I had no clue what kind of meeting was about to happen before my very eyes.

I watched in wonder and fascination of what was about to happen. On of the important people faced the room and pushed a button on the table that I had not seen before. Instantly a map of some kind was brought up to the dry erase board. I did not recognize it at all but, just knew that it was important some how. As I watched something odd happened the speaker was talking but I could not hear him. I don’t know why but, I just could not hear him for some unknown reason. I was straining my ears but, still could not hear anything. Then it hit me I was only supposed to watch what was about to happen. I could not see the map of some kind it was just blurry for some reason, I still did not know why. This thought just agitated me some to the point I was almost upset.But still I just watched what was going on in front of me. After the first important person that walked through the door was done talking, the second one was standing up for his turn. Again he pressed a different button and another map appeared on the dry erase board. I could just see a little bit of this map. It looked like a topical map of somewhere. This type of map is used for making decisions about where to land and where it would be best to go in case it rained. How I knew this I still did not know. But I was able to hear something from the important man that was speaking. I heard the words ‘all of humanity it counting on us’ and then it was like was deaf, I just could not hear anything else.

After the second important man was done speaking, everyone stood up and left the room but me. The first and second important men stayed behind and looked at me. I could only think, I hope I can hear them and I also that I must be some kind of important person as well. This is when an idea or thought popped into my head. I must be someone important. I wonder what I am. Both of them looked at me and there was a look of pain on there faces as if they thought something was wrong with me. So I thought to get up and leave, as I tried to do so, both of them looked at me and said something and I froze were I was. I sat back down and waited. The look of pain was still there but it was fading. One of them, the second man pushed a file folder to me and slide it across the table to me. I could only see one word it was Top Secret. I had no idea that it was anything like this. And at that moment the scene ended. I thought that was very disappointing, I didn;t know how it was to end.

Then the scene changed for some yet unknown reason, I sure I would have not known it anyway. This time I was in a hallway of some sort with men and women standing at each end. There was a light at the other in of the hallway, and all were saluting me. This confirmed it I was some type of important person, but what kind I still had no clue. And then abruptly I woke up.