Pink Planet

Chapter One

Valania and Ampersa go to bed quickly, Valania first with no doubts clouding her mind, and Ampersa later, letting her fears drift off in swells. Initially, Associate Superior's request to change Dencil's position from Associate to Explorer goes through; however, after he leaves his office and packs up for the night, the change is declined and a new ruling set in place.

For Dencil, the upcoming dreams are dense and worried, for Icey they are calm, for Green slow in coming. For Ampersa they are simple but laden with unease. Valania's dreams, however, are very interesting, and she turns in bed more than once during the night.

Valania is dreaming of a purple sky, and running as the ship sets off without her, except she's running the other way, and as the metal supports fall she feels the shock in her feet, then keeps on running with light glinting in her eyes.

She wakes up during the night and almost vomits over the side rail, but quickly regains her composure. Frowning, she puts a wet cloth on her forehead, and when she goes to sleep again she's sitting in the metal frame of the ship, much much calmer but still with something wrong.

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When the five of them rise to light, they raise calmly one by one. That is, except for Green and Dencil. Green's fist thumps against the wall upon awaking from a particularly fretful part of the dream- his forehead is laced with sweat. Dencil wakes immediately, and then the big day begins. They head down for breakfast.

Pancakes and shortbread and french toast strips are laid on plates and syrup and powdered sugar is doled out; Green takes french toast alone and Dencil takes a stack of pancakes with butter. Icey acquires a combination of all options and Ampersa sticks with syrupy french toast sticks and cream. Valania initially doesn't get a meal, but after a few minutes she gets hungry and fills a plate; she eats a good portion of it, in fact, much more than the rest of them. Afterwards the five of them are set to go.

Ampersa and Valania go to one wing of the ward to freshen up their teeth. Icey, Dencil and Green head towards the other. When they're done they collect in the grouping line outside on the sizzling grey pavement of the launching site. Long strips of black-striped yellow caution tape surround the structure, zagging back to form a walking line for them to follow. The five astronauts are jumpy in their hearts or bodies and sweating or simply fluttering in the chest.

"This is it," Ampersa says, "This is it this is it this is it!" and in the morning sky- the same pale purple and pink as the night before's sunset- the five of them grin and shake like uncertain turtles, shifting in and out of earthly shells.

Soon, the sun rises, and sooner, purple moves away to make way for clear blue and yellow. By the time they reach the front of the line the light is gazing brightly down on the spaceship, and the creamy light metal displays rivets on the service panel.

"Okay, so we have Doctor Green as Associate Doctor, Icey Black as Explorer and Mechanic, Ampersa White as Nourisher and Raiser, and Valania North as Clinician and Modifier."

The first four crew are passed through by the dark-skinned lady with black hair and glistening teeth who's manning the small painted booth that bars entry from the shipsite. Dencil Macbeth is left behind, hands in his pockets and anger and confusion on his face.

"What am I?" he asks unsteadily.

"Dencil Macbeth?" she reads off. "I'm sorry, sir, but your name is not on the list."

Flaring anger flashes up and down his spine, and Dencil stares at the mildly horrified to angry associates of his on the other side of the fence. Then he stalks back towards the base, caught by the arm by a guard with a helmet and pulled aside, down the lot to the left.

Fixed the boarding slip my ass. Fixed the boarding slip my ass!

He looks up into the yellow-blue sky in distinct anger, grinding his teeth together. For some reason, he wants to cuss to Green-- I trusted you, Green! You promised they would fix it. You promised!!!

The guard in the black suit and black helmet shoves him along, dragging him by the elbow towards the side lot.

Once Green, Ampersa, Valania and Icey have gone through the lines of entry and are waiting slightly nervous in full space suits. 

It's eight full minutes before Dencil Macbeth, fully unharmed, walks down the line, through the antiseptic gassing chamber they passed through, and walks quietly to his pod next to his friends. Uncharacteristically quiet, he settles in without saying a word.