Chapter 31
Alice
Rubbing at her eyes, blinking them open as she stretched her shoulders, Alice leaned back and looked up at the sun above.
While it was never a good idea for a soft-fleshed race to stare up at a bright sun, it didn't bother Alice in the least. She stared and she stared, her eyes open wide, unblinking, and fixed on that fiery ball above. Even though the weather field around the docking ring blocked out most forms of radiation and kept in an artificially-generated atmosphere with its own wind, air, and heat, Alice fancied that the sun above pushed through for that moment and heated her up with its rays.
She was standing in what looked like an abandoned section of shops, just beyond the promenade that led down to that incredible view of the ocean below.
‘This section is currently undergoing repairs. According to the ICN, it will be abandoned for the next two weeks. There has been a problem with radiation leaks from an unsealed conduit, and for this reason it is out of bounds not only to soft-fleshed races, but to robots too; radiation may alter their neurological circuits, after all.’
Alice gave a small smile and nod. She knew all of this. But she wouldn't stop Helper from speaking; the sound of its happy little electronic voice kept on hammering home to Alice that she was no longer alone.
Sighing, stretching her arms again, and really allowing herself to feel the freedom of the movement, Alice let out an enormous breath. It resounded and rang around the empty shops around her.
It was so good to be able to make a noise, to make a movement, and to not be scared that someone else might pick up on it. She could, presumably, run around dancing throughout this entire section, screaming and singing at the top of her lungs, and nobody would ever find out. Helper had already logged onto the ICN to ensure that the local scanners in this area would not pick them up, and knowing him, he would be constantly monitoring the rest of the entire docking ring system to ensure it would not suddenly alert people to Alice's presence.
‘Feel free to explore this area, oh great one,’ Helper began.
Alice quickly put a hand up. ‘Just call me Alice,’ she said. While it was fantastic to have him around, Alice really didn't know if she could put up with being called great one all the time.
Helper buzzed a yes, then presumably got on to computing possibilities and whatnot, leaving Alice to wander around the abandoned section of shops and promenade.
The shops were all large, clean, semi-open buildings with wide walkways between each other. They were crammed full of consoles and technology, though any goods had probably been taken out for fear of radiation contamination. Still, that did not stop Alice from spreading her fingers wide and letting them travel over the thick console closest to her.
She didn't give one hoot about the radiation, and neither did Helper. They were both immune. There were, after all, certain advantages to being Old Ones in this galaxy and universe. Though the disadvantages outweighed them immeasurably.
Humming to herself, possibly for the first time in years, Alice kept on exploring around her. Once upon a time she had often danced and twirled around, her imagination and natural exuberance and cheerfulness unstoppable. But years and years of being on the run had all but burnt that cheer up.
There were potted plants, strangely enough, dotted around the area, and Alice found herself inspecting them closely. Some were green, lush, and obviously from temperate worlds like earth, yet others were strange and wonderful-looking, not possessing leaves or branches or stems, but a collection of latticework, crystals, or something else equally as wonderful.
The universe, after all, was a very big place. And on planets like this, rich enough to bring together all the best bits, you got a smorgasbord of everything unique and incredible.
As Alice explored, she let her guard drop. Why not? Helper was with her, and she really, really needed to have some time to de-stress.
Though she did not know it at that point, those few precious hours she took to wander around that section, staring at the plants and shops and windows, would be the last rest she would find that day.