174th Entry

April 4^th, 2037

0830

Dear Space Diary

Are you decent?

“I’m never that.”

Are you dressed?

“Yes.”

Ok, I’m coming in now.

“I gathered that from the knock on the door and the questions as to my nature of dress. What do you want?”

Mary’s ready to go into suspended animation. Are you still keen to go?

“Yeah definitely. Been an unpleasant few months. You know, the whole living in a tank, being kidnapped by an automatic spaceship, falling in love with a total heartbreaker –“

Hey!

“ – and then falling into a coma and then going back to living in a tank. So I’m pretty keen for to end this as soon as possible.”

Sounds to me like you’ve spent most of your time floating around not doing much.

“…There was the whole repairing the spaceship while outside it thing.”

Again. Floating around.

“Oh shut up. Yes, I want to go into suspended animation.”

Let’s go, then.

“You gonna be ok?”

I’ve spent weeks alone in space before.

“Yeah, and you didn’t do great. I’ve seen the entries. You’ve… you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you.”

…You’ve read my diary?

“Wasn’t much to do while floating in a tank all day. So I loaded  up your entries from the computer.”

My entries are on the computer?

“Mary backed them up. She thought they might be important.”

What for?

“I don’t know, in case we needed a laugh?”

Hey! That’s my life you’re mocking.

“Sorry, habit. I was trying to be sympathetic.”

Trying.

“Anyway, I’m just saying, we’re going into suspended animation. But we’re worried about you. If you want to come with us…”

…I’ll think about it.

“Good. You’ve got ten minutes.”

Ten minutes?

“Ish.”

0839

What am I looking for Mary?

“Some sort of confirmation that the power’s on.”

There’s a light. Lights need power. How’s that?

“That’ll do it.”

So I think we’re set.

“Excellent.”

So you can go in suspended animation.

“Yup.”

Right now.

“Indeed.”

…

“…”

Oh well, best get on with it then.

“No point hanging around.”

…

“…”

“Oh for heaven’s sake will you guys just hug or something? The awkwardness is suffocating.”

We were having a moment.

“A stupid moment.”

Shutup. Bye Mary. See you in five weeks.

“Bye! Thanks, for, you know, everything, and all that.”

Believe me it was my pleasure.

“No it wasn’t, you hated most of it.”

Yup. But I’m glad to have been of help.

“You’re either a gentleman, or just kind of weird.”

“I just said that before!”

“Did you really? Cool!”

You’re both weird. Ok, you ready?

“Yep.”

“Yep.”

Alright. Comfy?

“Yeah it’s not too bad. Mind, we won’t really notice.”

You’ll still be in there for 5 weeks tho. Don’t want to wake up with a neck ache or anything.

“True. But it’s comfy. We’ll be fine.”

3.0, you ready?

“Freeze me!”

Ok, I’m pressing the start button.

“Thanks. Oh, and hey. That pod over there is ready to go. Just sayin’.”

Sweet dreams.