by Beth Hoyer
told me to go. I undid my coverall and underwear and went. Maureen turned her back to give me privacy. She took the pan out the hallway and came back in the room without the pan. She woke Bruce up. She told us we're on a ship sailing to another continent. I asked Maureen about exploring the ship. Maureen told us it wasn't a good idea. She was told to tell us that we have to stay in the room. I asked her how many days by boat it will take us to the continent. Maureen told us about a month. Wow. I asked her if they had baby stuff in case Bruce and I have sex. Maureen told us in sign language that it was a bad idea. They didn't have baby stuff aboard. Maureen stopped and touched her wrist watch. I think it was a watch. She spoke something
I lip read her saying "Their both up and awake. What do want me to do?"
She stopped talking then looked at me and then she turned around and left the room. I went to write in here. The light is dimming. I don't know why. But I think I'll go to bed now. I'm tired. Yawn.
Yours,
Eliza
July 28, 2384
Dear Anne,
Maureen woke me up. I asked her why we were chained. She explained that it was to keep us from having sex. They don't have a thing for babies. She keeps reminding Bruce and me that. Then she left the room. Christian came with Maureen. Maureen interpreted what Christian told us about staying in the ship for a month. We were to stay in the room. There were people aboard who did not like us. They think we're going to the continent to be punished for crimes. Christian reminded us not to have sex. I made a joke by asking for a condom. Maureen and Christian were confused. I explained about condoms the best I could. Maureen and Christian got the joke. Bruce was confused about condoms until I explained them. Maureen and Christian left the room. I went back to bed. Oh I forgot to ask them to teach me how to read the foreign language books. I can't wait. It'll be interesting. I think I'll go back to sleep. Bruce is on the other bed asleep. Hmm, Maureen and Christian didn't leave any food for us. I hope their not starving us. I went back to sleep.
Maureen woke me up again. She gave me food which was the same, bread and milk to drink. She woke up Bruce and left him food and drink then she left the room. I'm got up from the bed and stood after eating from the pan. The bread is in milk. The bread is quite soggy. I'm annoyed. I can't believe there is milk on the ship. I can't wait for the ship to reach the continent. I'm excited. I really can't wait. Bruce and I talked about having sex once our chains were off. We talked in sign language. I told Bruce that it was best we wait until we're off the ship to have sex. Bruce agreed with me. He pulled the book from the bookcase and is trying to read it. I can't wait for someone to teach me the foreign language. I stamped on the floor and bruised my foot. Maureen came with a book and food. She explained the book would teach us how to read the foreign language in the books in the bookcase then she freed our chains. She told us not to have sex. She made us promise. Bruce and I read the book and discussed it. It explained the language. The Language is like Japanese. A person reads up and down not sideways. We're taking a break from the book. Bruce is nuzzling my neck. I'm trying to write in here. I reminded Bruce about our promise to Maureen. I don't want to be punished for this. I slapped Bruce on the cheek. Bruce wasn't happy. I told him about our promise to Maureen not to have sex. Maureen told us that they didn't have anything for babies here. Bruce and I finished the book. It helped us read the other books. Most of the books were like the books I read in the twentieth century. Bruce was fascinated. He started reading one book and he's so engrossed that he ignored me when I waved at him. I think it's a good idea for him to read. It'll get his mind off having sex. I can't wait to have sex. I can't wait for Maureen to come and I could have some girl's talk. Maureen came to see how we were doing. I signed her about how I was feeling. Maureen told me to come with her. I left Bruce engrossed in reading a book. We went outside the room to the hallway. We went to another door to another room. The room seemed to be a medical bay. It had three beds with monitors on them. Maureen told me to lie on the bed. I picked a bed and lay down. Metal arms scanned me and prodded me with pinpricks. After that I stopped feeling on fire. I told Maureen that. She explained I was giving a birth control drug that seemed to work. I told her to give some to Bruce. She explained it only works on females when they're in heat. It doesn't prevent pregnancy. Maureen took me back to the room. I found Bruce still engrossed in reading a book. I asked Maureen how long will the ship trip last. She told me by the speed it was going about a week or less than that. Oh really then why did she say a month which she ignored my question. She added there's a chance they might knock some Amula out. I asked her who the others were. She clammed up and wouldn’t tell me. She left the room in a hurry. I went to the bed and lay down. Bruce is still reading a book. He's engrossed. He ignored my waves. I think it's a good thing. My head itches. I have white stuff under my nails. Some of the white stuff seemed to be moving. I think I better go to the door and yell. I went to the door and yelled that I got lice. Christian came and saw my head. He examined my head and confirmed I got lice. Then he took me to the medical bay. As a result all of my blonde hair was shaved off. Maureen got Bruce from his book and shaved his hair too. I'm surprised that they don't have any shampoo for lice. I don't believe this. Maureen told us to stay in the medical bay while they inform the captain. Bruce wanted to explore the ship. I told him the ship might be booby-trapped to keep us from exploring. He took my suggestion lightly. He looks funny being bald. We laughed at each other. I really can't wait for my hair to grow. Just my luck my hair will probably grow fast like pregnancies too. Maureen came back with Jella. She examined my head and Bruce's head. The she told Maureen that we were fine. They gathered up the hair on the floor and carried it in a bag out of the medical bay. Christian came by and gestured for us to come along. We followed him back to our room. I pulled out my diary. Bruce went back to his book. I can see him touching his head. I can't wait for my hair to grow. It's a good thing there aren't any mirrors. I'm glad about that. I'm not fond of seeing my bald self. Maureen came by and told Bruce and I to go to the medical bay. I had to drag Bruce to the medical bay. He sat on the bed. I sat in his lap. He ignored me and read the book. I got off his lap and sat on a bed. There's smoke coming from the ventilators. I loosen my collar. The air is making me sleepy. I think I'll look out the porthole.
Yours,
Elizabeth
August 12, 2383
Dear Anne,
I found someone wrote the date in my diary. I wonder why. I'm in a white square room. Three walls are curtained. The fourth wall has monitors. I'm feeling there's a camera. I'm not sure. But I'm sure there is a camera. I'm wearing my coverall. My journal was next to me on the bed. I opened it and found the date in it. I think it was nice of someone to write the date in it. I checked my head. There's some hair. I wonder if I could get up and wander around. I got up and felt dizzy so I sat down. I still felt dizzy so I lay down. I don't know why I'm feeling dizzy. It is very weird. I think someone read my diary. The pages are a little crooked with folded tabs. Someone left a clock on the monitor. The clock says 6pm and so does my watch. I got up and felt a little bit dizzy I opened the curtain and I could see a curtain hallway in both directions. I moved the curtain on my right and I could see Bruce in bed reading a book. He was too engrossed to see me wave at him. Humph I don't know who's rude, Bruce or me. I felt a little dizzy so I lay down on the bed. I'm writing in here. I don’t know if there are any people around here. I wonder where we are. The wall looks like painted rock. The air smells like a cave.
Then a nurse came and checked my blood pressure with a wrap around thingie that had a needle. It hurt. Ooh. The nurse was wearing a white coverall with a hat on her head. I could see that her eyes were brown. The lady examined my head. I asked her what was wrong with me. She told me I was reacting from the knockout gas. She's checking to make sure I'm fine. I asked her for her name. She wouldn’t tell me. Then the nurse left. I went to check on Bruce. I saw her trying to unzip Bruce's coverall. She left u
s. Bruce was annoyed that she interrupted his reading. He lost his place in the book. I told Bruce to scan each page and check them out. Bruce checked each page and found his place. I wonder where we are. I hope were someplace nice. I think we're in a hospital. I'm not sure. It seemed to be underground. I said that already. I don't know what to do now. I'm bored. I don't have my twentieth century stuff. And to top it all I wonder where the restroom is. I have to go throw up. I feel sick again. I think I'll throw up. I threw up on the floor. I left a mess. The same nurse came back and cleaned the crap up. She handed me a pan and told me to barf in it. I asked her for the restroom. She led me down the hall to a door and opened it. It was a restroom. I threw up in the toilet. The toilet feels different from any toilet I've seen. It is very weird. I wonder where we are. The nurse led me back to the room. She seemed to know where. There were markings on the curtains. I'm in curtain room numbering twenty one. Bruce is in curtain room numbering twenty two. I hope Bruce finished his book soon. I felt sick so I went to sleep and