It was Tuesday, June 24, 1947. Ruby aimlessly rustled through a cornfield on her family's plantation, unconcerned at her white dress becoming dirty and disheveled. The air was heavy with humidity, and the abrasive cornstalks seemed to close in around her as she wandered through them, her red-beaded pigtails bouncing with each step. As Ruby pushed through the field, her attention was abruptly captured by an ethereal sight.
There, suspended above the ground, was a girl whose long-sleeved light blue dress and matching hat exuded an otherworldly elegance. A curled feather protruded from the hat. The girl's skin appeared untouched by the sweltering heat, its pallor an unusual contrast against the backdrop of the Texas summer. Short brown hair with a plastic-like texture framed her delicate face, while her eyes glowed an intense blue. Vibrating appendages extended from her back, creating a blur of movement accompanied by a distinctive buzzing sound.
Ruby's curiosity overcame any trepidation, and she found herself locked in a mutual gaze with this mysterious figure. The girl descended gracefully to the ground, her movements fluid and serene.
"Hello," the stranger greeted, her voice soft and melodious.
"Ma says I shouldn't talk to strangers." Ruby spoke slowly with a Southern drawl and a kind, curious tone.
The girl introduced herself. "My name is Io. Who might you be?"
"I might be Ruby."
"Now we're not strangers anymore." Io chuckled softly.
Ruby mustered a small smile. "I guess you're right. What'cha doin'?" she asked, relaxing her posture slightly.
"Exploring and gathering information," Io answered. "It's what I was created to do."
Ruby's eyes widened at the revelation. "Are you a robot?" she inquired, her body leaning forward with interest.
"You could say that," Io said, tilting her head slightly.
"Where are you from?" Ruby asked.
"I believe you might know the place as the Triangulum Galaxy."
"Nope. Never heard of it. Is that in outer space?"
"I suppose so, in the same sense that Earth is. Anyway, what brings you here?"
"This is my family's farm."
"What's your family like?" Io inquired gently.
"Ma's really mean, and Pa's off fightin' in the war," Ruby confessed, her shoulders slumping slightly.
Io's expression softened. "Do you have any friends?"
"Nah," Ruby said, her gaze dropping to the ground momentarily before meeting Io's eyes again. "Well, kinda. There's this boy who lives not far away. His name's Henry, but Ma don't want me talkin' to him."
"Why do you care what she thinks?"
"I dunno," Ruby replied, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "I really wanna be friends with Henry."
Io nodded thoughtfully. "I'm assuming you have met him before," she said. "If so, you have disregarded your mother's opinions in the past. Therefore, there are no reasons why you cannot continue to disregard your mother's opinions in the future."
Ruby considered Io's words. "Oh," she simply said.
"So, what's this boy like?" Io inquired eagerly.
"I think he's cute. He's real nice, too," Ruby said, a hint of a blush rising on her cheeks.
"Do you like him?" Io probed further.
"Yup. A lot," Ruby admitted, her body relaxing as she spoke her feelings aloud.
"Do you love him?"
"I dunno. Maybe," Ruby replied, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
"Well, today is your lucky day," Io said with a smile. "I just happen to know everything there is to know about love."
Ruby's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Really?"
"I have a wonderful and charming boyfriend named Ixora."
"I'd love to hear more," said Ruby, "but I should probably be goin' home."
"I would like to come with you," Io offered.
"That's fine with me," Ruby said with a nod and a warm smile, welcoming Io's company.
Io followed Ruby to an opening in the field, and then along a dirt road leading to a large, white, two-story, Greek revival antebellum house with a wraparound porch, a red front door, and green shutters.
"This is my house," Ruby said. "It's a real nice place."
There, standing on the front porch, Ruby's mother was waiting with a shotgun in her hands. She was in her mid-forties, with a long, stringy grayish-brown mane of hair, and a hat that was hung low on her forehead. Her face was stoic and stern, and her eyes glowed with a steady, cold blue. She wore a dark green dress with a high neckline, and old leather shoes.
"Where have you been?" her mother asked sharply. "Did you think I wouldn't notice you were gone?"
"I'm sorry, Ma," Ruby said.
"Who's your new friend?" her mother inquired, her eyes narrowing slightly as she focused on Io.
Io stepped forward, her approach composed and diplomatic. "I am your daughter's guardian angel," she lied. "My name is Io. If you permit me, I will ensure that no harm ever comes to your daughter."
Ruby's mother's skepticism was evident. "How do I know you ain't really an agent of the devil?" she questioned, crossing her arms defensively.
Io's response was unyielding. "Jesus said I was his close, personal friend," she asserted. "And you know you can trust him."
"Good enough for me," Ruby's mother conceded. "Take good care of my daughter."
Ruby's mother walked through the open door into the house. Io and Ruby followed. The parlor was a large, airy, open room with a high ceiling dominated by a large, ornate chandelier that cast a soft light over the room. The floor was a dark hardwood, covered in a thick, soft, purple carpet, and the walls were white, covered in ornately carved wooden panels. On the other side of the room, there were several couches and chairs, and a large fireplace next to a staircase.
"Wow," Ruby whispered to Io, her voice filled with awe. "I didn't think that'd really work."
Io's response was confident and self-assured. "I did. And that's all that matters."
"So, did you really know Jesus?"
Io's answer carried a sense of familiarity. "You mean Yeshua of Nazareth? Indeed I did, but enough about him. Tomorrow, I would like to meet this Henry you were talking about."
"But Ma don't want me bein' 'round him," Ruby said with a touch of worry.
"I don't care what she thinks," Io stated firmly. "You should have the freedom to associate with whoever you want."
A trace of agreement emerged in Ruby's voice. "You might be right."
Io's certainty remained unshaken. "Of course I'm right. If your mother tries anything again, I'll handle it."
Ruby's mother walked upstairs, only coming down again when dinner was served, and promptly departing again when she was finished. The evening was largely uneventful. Io and Ruby mostly just talked. Occasionally, Io would explain a concept or idea that Ruby was curious about, or Ruby would ask her questions about herself or the world in general. Io spent the night with Ruby. Io didn't sleep, though, and instead simply stood and waited while Ruby slept.
The next morning, Ruby directed Io back through the cornfield, eventually reaching the broken remnants of a fence, which had been reduced to wooden posts sticking from the ground, partially connected by loose pieces of metal wire. Passing this obstacle with ease, they emerged from the field into the blazing sunlight. Nearby, a small tree stood alone, providing a meagre amount of shade to Henry as he sat quietly beneath it, reading a book.
Ruby's voice carried across the open space, a cheerful greeting that resonated with warmth. "Well, howdy there, Henry."
Henry's eyes lifted from the book, and a welcoming smile graced his lips. "And a good day to you, Ruby," he responded, his voice reflecting a genuine happiness at their unexpected meeting. "What brings you here? And who might that be alongside you?" he asked, his curiosity directed toward the companion at Ruby's side.
Ruby introduced Io with a touch of excitement. "Io. She's an alien robot."
"Io?" Henry inquired, showing his intrigue. "Like the moon of Jupiter?"
"Pure coincidence, but yes," said Io. "I've been there, and it's boring. Nothing but volcanoes."
Ruby looked to the Sun, then blocked out the light with her hand. Intermittently, she moved her fingers apart to watch the light shine through, only to be obscured again when she put her fingers together.
"I dunno if you noticed this or not," Ruby said, "but the Sun is really bright. Really really bright. It's so bright it's hard to look at sometimes."
Henry chuckled at her observation and smiled, nodding in agreement. He then turned his attention back to Io. "I have long imagined that life should be plentiful in the universe," he mused. "Why have we never been visited before?"
"I've been to this planet many times, in fact. I can blend in easily enough. All I have to do is retract my wings. But as for why no one else visits, space is really big. For a society that only has chemical rockets, interstellar travel doesn't even begin to qualify as futile. For societies that can manipulate space-time itself, they might give very little thought to a place like Earth, and even for those that would take interest in a place like Earth, there are so many other such places of interest that it is absurdly unlikely that Earth itself would be selected. Anyway, I've been having technical difficulties in need of repair."
"Why are you here?" Henry inquired.
Io's response was rather unexpected. "SYSTEM ERROR. FILE NOT FOUND."
"What?"
"Not important." Io swiftly changed the subject. "How do you feel about Ruby?"
"I am quite fond of her," Henry replied honestly, with genuine affection in his voice. "However, I absolutely despise her mother."
"Ruby," said Io, "wasn't there something you wanted to talk to Henry about?"
Ruby took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?" she blurted out.
Henry's response was straightforward, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Sure. However, we'll obviously have to leave Texas first."
"Indeed," Io interjected. "I was just about to suggest that. I need to get to California, and both of you are coming with me. I won't hear any objections."
Henry raised an eyebrow, curious about Io's motivation. "Why do you need to get to California?"
"My teleportation system malfunctioned, and at the same time, I sent out an error signal, just before my transmitter cut out," Io explained. "My receiver still works, though, and right after I ended up here in Texas, my creator sent me a transmission instructing me to meet him in Fresno."
Henry's curiosity was piqued, and he probed further, "Why did he go to California? Why did he not just go to where you were?"
"Because he's an asshole," Io replied bluntly.
Henry chuckled at her straightforwardness. "Next question," he said with a smile, "how are we going to get to Fresno?"
"We need a shiny black 1936 Ford pickup truck."
Henry questioned her reasoning. "Won't any vehicle be adequate?"
Io's reply was clear and unwavering. "No. I want to travel in style. It's the only thing that fascist ever got right."
Ruby chimed in with a piece of information. "Pa's got a pickup. I don't know the brand, but I know it's American. He said he don't want nobody touchin' it while he's gone, though."
"That's nice. When did he get it, and was it new?"
"He said he got it brand new in '36."
"What color?" Io asked.
"Red," Ruby answered. "But it's shiny."
Io's response reflected her determination. "Then it doesn't matter."
"I believe I saw a vehicle of the type you are seeking for sale in town a few days ago," Henry informed them. "It was black, but the paint was a little faded."
"I suppose that could work," Io considered. "How much was it?"
"Four hundred dollars."
"That's outrageous. So, is there a bank in town?"
"Yes."
"Good," said Io. "I need to get some money. Both of you, stay here. I can get there faster by flying."
As Io flew away, the confused children stood and waited, uncertain what to do or what to expect. After a period of anticipation, Io returned to the scene, now behind the wheel of a black pickup truck. The vehicle's powerful engine idled, and Io looked out the window toward Ruby and Henry, her expression a mix of confidence and determination.
"Get in," Io instructed.
Ruby's response was eager. "Okay!"
"Wait." Henry's skepticism emerged as he addressed Io with caution. "Io, why should we listen to you?"
Io attempted to sway them with a playful gesture. "I have cookies."
"Yay!" Ruby's excitement was infectious as she responded to the promise of cookies.
Henry, however, remained resolute. "Io, you're not answering my question."
Io attempted to disarm his concerns with a lighthearted reply. "Does it matter? It's Texas."
Henry had to admit her point had some validity. "Good point," he conceded. "But we still have no reason to trust you."
In a surprising and unsettling move, Io produced a large gun from her sleeve, aiming it at the two children. The sudden threat left Ruby and Henry momentarily stunned. "Just do what I say. Now, get in," Io's tone was firm, her demand unyielding.
Feeling threatened by the display of force, Ruby and Henry complied, their unease palpable as they reluctantly entered the truck alongside Io. The atmosphere was tense, an undercurrent of uncertainty casting shadows over their earlier camaraderie. Io attempted to defuse the tension, handing them a box of cookies to lighten the mood.
"I also have some antifreeze," Io remarked, her tone oddly casual. "It's good. Wanna try some?"
Ruby's response was spontaneous and carefree. "Sure."
Henry's voice carried a sense of warning. "No, it'll kill you."
"Suit yourselves," said Io. "More for me."
"You really drink that?" Henry asked in disbelief.
"Sure do, but I guess it's an acquired taste," Io nonchalantly replied.
The journey unfolded as the trio embarked on a road trip from Texas to the California Republic. Their drive took them across vast landscapes, through plains and mountains, with occasional stops for necessities. Time passed uneventfully as road trips are not very exciting and don't make for much in the way of storytelling. However, their relatively uneventful journey took a dramatic turn when the truck ceased functions in the expanse of the Mojave Desert. Io stepped out to check the engine, then kicked it repeatedly before hitting it with a wrench and shooting it. "Well, it's definitely broken now," Io remarked, her tone surprisingly nonchalant.
"I told you it needed to be refueled again," Henry pointed out.
"I didn't think these things were quite so inefficient," Io replied, her concern seemingly minimal. "No matter. I have a backup plan."
"What's that?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Now, we hitchhike," Io declared with determination. "Henry, there's a duffel bag in the back. Please retrieve it."
As Henry retrieved the bag, he wondered aloud, "What's in this thing?"
"The money I forcefully reappropriated from the bank," Io replied unapologetically.
"What now?" asked Henry.
As they waited by the side of the road, Io's acute awareness detected the approach of a car. "Both of you, assume your positions. There's a car coming."
A car pulled up beside them, and an elderly man leaned out of the window, expressing genuine concern. "What are you three doing out here? This is no place for children."
Io's approach shifted abruptly. "Get out of the car!" she yelled, drawing her gun. "If you want to live, get out of the car now!"
The driver, taken aback, complied with her demand, his demeanor resembling that of a bewildered child. Ruby and Henry watched in fear and uncertainty as the events unfolded before them.
Io's instructions continued, revealing her intention. "Get in the trunk. We're not going to hurt you, but we need your car. You can have it back when we're done with it."
The man climbed into the trunk as instructed, and Io closed it. "Ruby, Henry, get in the car," Io commanded, her tone leaving no room for debate. "Let's go."
Nervous and unsure, Ruby and Henry got into the car, their minds racing with conflicting emotions, while Io got in the front and started driving. After several hours, Io realized that she did not know where she was going. Fortunately, after running over a person with the car, she exited, her gaze falling upon the person she had hit. It was none other than her creator, Nathan, a small, blond-haired, pale-skinned humanoid in a blue hooded sweater. He briefly spun around, disoriented, until his large green eyes focused themselves upon Io. His cat-like ears first stood up, then flattened, as his tail puffed up with frustration.
"So," Io began, attempting to justify her actions, "I robbed a bank, stole an automobile, and kidnapped two children, just like you wanted. However, the first automobile stopped working, so I had to steal this one. It's ugly, but it's working just fine."
"All I asked you to do was get the children," Nathan replied with frustration.
"I would have been here earlier or at least contacted you, but my transmitter and teleportation system aren't working," Io explained.
"I'll get Ixora to fix you soon. We need to get off this planet first. After I landed, I was arrested for entering Californian airspace without authorization, and my ship got impounded, so we need to go steal it back. I'm driving. It requires my full attention, so all of you, be quiet."
"Do as he says," Io told Ruby and Henry. "After we steal back Nathan's spaceship, we're going to offer the two of you as a gift to Nathan's ex-girlfriend, Mara, in hopes that she will take him back."
Henry's curiosity prompted him to inquire about their history. "What happened between them?"
"Mara wanted children," said Io. "That's why Nathan made me and my siblings. A lot happened and then she made him leave. It's a long story and I don't really care. Anyway, they haven't spoken to one another for over fifteen thousand years."
"That's awful," said Ruby.
Io shrugged nonchalantly. "I suppose so," she said. "My siblings and I visit her regularly, though, so she doesn't get lonely. Anyway, what's far more important is that after we steal back Nathan's ship, we can have Ixora come and fix me."
Curious again, Henry asked, "Why do you need this Ixora person to fix you? Nathan built you. Can't he fix you?"
"Nathan can't fix shit," Io replied bluntly.
"Hey!" Nathan screamed. "It's not my fault! Ixora has made too many modifications to you, so I don't know where anything is anymore."
Io was dismissive. "Just drive."
Again, road trips are boring and not worth describing, but eventually, they arrived at the impound where Nathan's spaceship was being held. Io used her gun to fire a burst of plasma, destroying a sizable portion of the fence, which Nathan drove the car through, approaching an enormous metallic disc-shaped object and slowly coming to a stop in front of it. Io exited the car and opened the door to the craft, which pulled down and turned into a ramp.
"We'll leave the car and the money," said Io. "That's more than a fair trade for this thing."
Curiosity got the better of Henry, and he asked, "How'd they bring this thing here?"
"Don't know, don't care," Nathan replied dismissively. "Anyway, it has multiple redundant life-support systems of the highest quality I could obtain at a moment's notice. It has air and water filtration systems, an airlock, sleeping quarters, and so many other things that I added for your benefit. You'll be safe."
"I'm hungry," said Ruby.
"Do you have food?" Henry asked Nathan.
"I knew I was forgetting something," Nathan admitted. "Don't worry. I'll take care of that soon enough."
Nathan, Ruby, and Henry exited the car and followed Io up the ramp. Nathan pulled a lever on the floor that closed the entrance. Lights then turned on. The interior of the craft had a mostly metallic finish, albeit somewhat dull. Walls surrounded the four of them, with no other noteworthy features except for a reinforced metal door with a single circular window. Following the loud clanking of locking mechanisms, the door opened outward. Inside, flashing lights, metal scaffolding, gears, dials, buttons, switches, and loose wires were to be found in seemingly random locations. Nathan and Io guided the children forward.
Henry couldn't help but express his concern, asking, "Is this thing safe to fly in?"
"That depends on what you mean by safe," Nathan cryptically replied.
Eager to understand the mechanics of the spacecraft, Henry pressed further, "How does this vehicle even fly at all?"
"It's complicated," Nathan replied evasively. "Don't worry about it. Now, everyone get ready. Let's leave this planet."
Curiosity lingered, and Ruby voiced her query. "Where y'all takin' us?"
"To the Triangulum Galaxy," Nathan disclosed.
"Just so you know, the life span of most humans is less than a century," Henry said. "Even assuming constant acceleration, within the limits our bodies are physically capable of withstanding, and even taking time dilation into consideration, we'll be dead long before our arrival."
Nathan smirked smugly. "Your assessments are correct, but depend on assumptions which are incorrect."
"Do you mean to suggest that you have some means of faster-than-light travel?"
"You could say that," Nathan affirmed.
"Approaching the speed of light, time slows down, and surpassing it would cause time to reverse, correct?"
"That's right," Nathan confirmed.
"Then you have a machine capable of time travel," Henry stated.
"If you mean one-way travel into the future, yes, that's always been an option," Nathan replied. "Your line of questioning demonstrates a failure to consider that for most of this trip, we won't be moving through space at all. Rather, upon leaving Earth, we will generate a negative energy field to warp the space around us into a bubble disconnected from the rest of the universe, expanding space behind us while compressing space ahead. Shorter space, shorter time."
"Wouldn't the relative nature of space-time mean that such a system still creates the potential for causality-breaking temporal paradoxes?"
Nathan stared blankly. "Not if you don't think about it."
Henry continued to probe the complexities. "And if you're disconnecting the space from the rest of the universe, you'll necessarily be trapping us inside an event horizon, so how do you turn it off?"
"I just flip the switch to disengage," Nathan replied plainly with a simplicity that contrasted with the complexity of the question.
Henry sought further clarification. "No, I mean how is it even physically possible to undo it once it's done?"
"I don't understand your question," Nathan replied. "I literally just have to flip a switch. It's not that complicated."
Io grabbed onto a metal bar protruding from a wall, then faced the two children. "You should both probably hold onto something."
"Why?" asked Ruby.
"Nathan's a worse pilot than I am a driver," Io replied.
"Shut up," Nathan retorted.
"I'm starting to wonder whether it was really worth it to go along with all this," said Henry, who then turned to Ruby. "What about you?"
"I'm just happy to spend time with you," Ruby replied with a warm smile, her sentiments radiating simplicity and affection.
Nathan kicked a computer, which then ejected a control panel. He pushed some buttons and flipped some switches, and then slapped the wall twice. A panel slid open to reveal a window. Looking out the window and handling the controls, Nathan flew the spacecraft upward. Following a rough jolt, the inclination stabilized. The entire vehicle shook violently, then abruptly blasted into Earth orbit. Naturally, the passengers started floating. While Ruby playfully bounced off the walls, Henry did his best to stay in place.
"So, have you ever been to Earth before?" Henry asked.
"Yes," Nathan answered. "I've been around quite a bit. For billions of years, Mara and I visited many magnificent places in hopes of finding a planet that would be suitable as a home, before settling on what Mara proclaimed as 'Mara's Planet.' Despite having found our new home, we still wanted to explore the universe. From time to time, we would find interesting life forms that we would then take with us to populate Mara's Planet. Mara and I first visited your planet five hundred and seventy million years ago. It wasn't much at the time, but we saw its potential. We returned many times to check on its progress. The most recent time we visited together was sixty-eight million years ago. It was a much nicer place back then, and so much prettier. After I created Io about twenty thousand years ago, I told her about Earth. She has visited it thousands of times. I come here occasionally, but always try to keep a low profile."
"Could you tell us more about you and this Mara person?"
"You just don't stop asking questions, do you? It's a very long story. Let's just leave it at that."
"I'm in no hurry," Henry stated plainly.
"I wanna know, too," said Ruby.
"Fine," said Nathan. "I guess we have time. But seriously, it's a tedious story. I won't tolerate any interruptions, so save all questions and comments, no matter how important you think they are, until the end."
Nathan gave a long and tedious explanation of past occurrences to Ruby and Henry while the ship orbited Earth. While it was of course a prolonged story, most of it was entirely irrelevant, so to summarize, complications arose when Mara wanted a more intimate relationship with Nathan. She proclaimed that she wanted children. She did not know if she and Nathan would actually be capable of producing offspring, but she figured it would be worth a try. Nathan was unfamiliar with the concept of sexual reproduction, so he decided to make children the only way he knew how: engineering. Mara loved them, and because of their presence, Mara was no longer concerned with having children, and what she really wanted was to just have sexual intercourse, but Nathan did not understand. She figured she could have simply directly told him what she wanted, as he was not very good at taking a hint. Mara was too annoyed with Nathan to explain sexual intercourse to him. While she would ultimately regret her approach in time, she made the decision to confront him about the issue with extreme hostility. After he was content that he had explained everything important, Nathan prepared the ship to leave orbit.
Nathan posed a question to his captive audience. "Now do you understand?"
Henry offered his perspective. "To be honest, it was hard to take any of your story seriously. But if what you say is true, then it appears that Mara became frustrated with your inability to comprehend her desires, as well as your generally unpleasant personality. Despite this, she accepted the children you created for her."
Nathan acknowledged Henry's insight. "That is correct."
"So, you're the problem," said Henry. "Kidnapping us and taking us to her will not solve anything. She didn't have a problem with the children. She had a problem with you."
"Oh. Huh."
"You really didn't think this through, did you?"
Nathan's admission was candid. "I did not. However, I suppose it's too late to turn back. We've come this far. We may as well see this through to the end."
Henry suggested a pragmatic solution. "We're still in Earth's orbit. You could just take us back instead of complicating matters by taking us to another galaxy."
Nathan's determination persisted. "We've come too far. I refuse to give up. I'll be taking us out of orbit shortly, and I need to focus to ensure we stay on course. I haven't gotten around to fixing or replacing the automatic pilot yet."
Io couldn't resist adding her input. "Because you're a failure at everything."
"Hey!" Nathan's response was defensive. "It's on my to-do list. And who are you to criticize me? I mean, how many times have you wrecked your interior by eating things?"
Io replied matter-of-factly. "Three million, two hundred and twenty-four thousand, nine hundred and seventy-eight.""You don't need to eat! You know it damages you, but you still do it!"
"So what?" asked Io. "You can complain all you want, or you can shut up because you're the one who made me the way I am. It was your idea to give me the ability to taste things."
"You're right," Nathan conceded before turning his attention to the children. "Now, humans, before we go, I need to let you know the rules around here. They're pretty simple and there aren't many. Just don't bother me, don't hurt yourselves or others, and don't touch anything."
"Why?" asked Henry.
"Because what's mine is mine," said Nathan. "Also, you could hurt yourselves. What I must mention, and cannot stress enough, is that if improperly managed, many of this ship's systems can cause great harm, so don't touch any of the controls. I'll teach you how everything works later."
"Why?" asked Ruby.
"Just in case. For now, though, just trust me when I say this ship is dangerous."
"Also, don't touch anything that belongs to me or my siblings," said Io.
"Now, Io, please entertain the humans."
Io offered an idea. "How about a movie?"
"Sounds fun," said Ruby.
"Good," said Io. "Just to let you know, the film is extremely flammable and we're in a confined, pressurized, high-oxygen environment. I will not assume responsibility for any deaths or injuries. Now, any requests?"
"I wouldn't know," said Henry. "I've never seen a movie, aside from a few war propaganda reels."
"Ma once took me to a screening of The Birth of a Nation," said Ruby. "I didn't really understand it, and it was really boring. So not that one."
"Since neither of you has a request, I've decided that your in-flight movie shall be Fritz Lang's 1927 masterpiece, Metropolis. It's one of my favorites. It's a silent film, and I'd like both of you to be silent as well."
"Do you mind if I read the words to Ruby?"
"I'd like that," said Ruby. "I can't read, you know."
"That's not my problem," said Io.
"Are we there yet?"
"Everyone, shut up and let me focus!" screamed Nathan.