Calming A Racing Heart

Chapter Twenty Eight

          "Welcome Navigator. Where would you like to go today?"

          Joshua slowly regained consciousness to the sound of a little girl's sweet voice in his head. They weren't spoken words that his ears picked up. The words echoed around inside his mind making him dizzy. He winced as he tried to pry his gummy feeling eyes open. The bright lights in the room pierced his brain through the tiny slits he managed to open his eyes.

          "Too bright," he groaned, clutching his head. The light in the room immediately dimmed and took on a soothing green tone.

          "Is that better, navigator?" The sweet little voice returned full of concern.

          "Yes. Much better. Thank you." Joshua's politeness was rewarded with a giggle of delight. Still not an audible sound, making Joshua wonder where it was coming from.

          He managed to sit up and survey the room he was in. It looked like the medical bay of a spacecraft. He was sitting on one of the two beds in the room. He recognized a lot of the equipment around him from his frequent trips to many medical facilities when he was younger. Attached to his right arm was a device he knew was used to administer intravenous fluids and medications. He was dressed in one of those embarrassingly revealing gowns all medical facilities force patients to wear, as if being poked and prodded wasn't humiliating enough. Even thought he was alone in the room he was glad he at least still had his underpants on under the gown.

          Joshua had no memory of how long he had been here, how he had gotten here or even where here was. His memory was a jumble of hazy images. He and Larcin had a big fight. He'd stormed out. He was drunk when Larcin found him. He remembered that they made up and were waiting for a transport to take them home when they were attacked. His last memory was seeing Larcin on the ground being stomped and beaten. Then everything went black.

          "Oh my dear stars, Larcin," Joshua screamed, terror filing him. Was he still alive? Joshua placed his hand over his heart, feeling its steady beat inside his chest. Larcin had told him he would know if he died. Joshua didn't feel anything but he wasn't sure what he would feel if Larcin died. Joshua convinced himself this was a sign that Larcin was still alive.

          "Don't be sad, Navigator. We can go through the pretty place together to someplace you can be happy. Just tell me where you want to go." The voice was back in his head. Its tone sounded like a puppy, eager to please its master's command.

           "Who are you? How are you in my head." Joshua was feeling panicky. Had that blow to the head he received done more damage than he was aware of?

          "Forgive me Navigator. It's been so long since one of you has been here with me. I've missed having a navigator aboard. I am TDQ 77035." In a lightbulb moment Joshua realized somehow he was communicating with the ship's stardrive A.I.

          "Well TDQ..77 ah whatever..."

          "You can call me Evee. That's the name I took for myself. I think it's a pretty name, don't you?" Joshua got the flash of an image. It was some kind of small furry four legged creature with a bushy tail.

          "Yes, Evee. It's a very pretty name." Joshua remembered what Larcin had told him about the A.I.  They all had the personalities of small children. Talking to Evee was like talking to a six year old.

          "Tell me, Evee are there are any other people on the ship?"

          "No, Navigator. Just you. There were some others but that was fifty-two point three five standard hours ago. They woke me from my deep sleep and set you up here in the med bay. They told me to take care of you until they came back. Then they all left."