180th Entry

April 9^th, 2037

1100

Dear Space Diary

Maybe something’s happened.

“They’re fine.”

They’re meant to check in by 11.

“It is 11.”

Exactly. Where are they? Has NASA got there already?

“As far as we know NASA hasn’t even left Earth.  They’re fine. They probably just slept in a bit.”

I’m worried.

“I’ve noticed. Hey, to distract you, should we be waking up 3.0?”

Hmm. I don’t know. Thoughts?

“Well, there’s not much she could really do to help. Heck, there’s not much we can really do.”

Apart from be on time for our daily meeting.

“Let it go.”

Hmph. Fine.

“So… Nah. Let’s let her sleep. At least one of us can.”

She won’t be angry to have missed out on all this?

“Why are you asking me? Ask her.”

You are her.

“True. Hmm. No, I think I’d be ok with it.”

<INCOMING TRANSMISSION>

__

SORRY GUYS, SLEPT IN A BIT.

__

“Next time we’re betting.”

1113

“After that,  you’re going to need to open the left rear engine panel. Absolutely not the right. Then find the blue wire. Please confirm once located.”

Where are we up to?

“We’ve got plenty of rocks. They’ve put the biggest ones into your pod and into the Zubrin.”

The Zubrin?

“Well thanks to our impromptu departure, it’s fully fuelled and ready to go. We may as well take advantage of it.”

It works?

“Yeah. But it doesn’t have autopilot, it’s too old for that. It’s kind of a good thing though. Means we can cover a wider distance.”

Is that why they’re fiddling with the engines?

“No, they’re fiddling with the engines on your pod.”

Why? We know they work.

“Exactly. We’re breaking them.”

…I don’t understand.

“The Zubrin doesn’t have autopilot. Yours does. It’s the same as ours, so it’ll home in on it’s destination, but NASA can manually try to control it. So we’re making sure the ship keeps on course.”

Pulling out the antennas like they did on the Escape pods?

“Yup. But the Mary’s found a back up. A kill switch for the engines. So we’re removing it. And the break valve, just to be sure.”

…So in other words you are creating the very fault that NASA claims got me stuck here in the first place?

“Thought you’d appreciate that.”

So what’s the plan?

“We fill the ships with rocks. We launch them. We open the doors once they’ve taken off, the rocks fall out, neatly scattering the rocks across bits of the galaxy. NASA, with their ultra high-tech tracking systems, can’t get a fixed signal on Marysvilletopia. We go home, everybody’s happy.”

Except NASA and their evil benefactors.

“Except them.”

The people we’re heading towards.

“Yeah.”

So we’re going to be in some trouble.

“Yes. But we save the clones. Do you care?”

…No.

“Good. Besides, I reckon they’re bluffing.”

Bet your life?

“As it happens, yes.”

Bet my life?

“Far more readily.”

Gee, thanks.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Thank you.

“You wuss.”

Hey!