The Last Space Cadet: Ariel Hope Chronicles 1

by G. P. Moss

A minute passes.

  “Yeah, I’m okay, princess.”

  Forgetting the wolf, the indignation returns, dominating her thoughts.

  “I’m not your princess! I’m no one’s princess, except maybe Daddy’s.”

  “Does your daddy like Disney, Ariel?”

  “Shut up, you fool, and clear more rock so I can get through with my bike.”

  “You can easily get through there!”

  “How do you know? You haven’t even seen me; I might be massive!”

  He had seen her. He knew she would fit through just fine.

  *

  She’s through.

  Beta 2 stands there like a dusty beacon of...something...metal, whatever.

  “Did you see that thing?”

  “I didn’t see anything, princess; too busy hauling rock to let you through. Must be out of my mind; sarkiest girl I ever saw.”

  Ariel’s hands are on her hips.

  “Are you going to carry on calling me princess?”

  “Yes, probably. I outrank you.”

  “Only by default!”

  “You’re a cadet, Ariel. I’m a fully paid up salaried member of StarTapped Beta Command.”

  “Sorry, I forgot! Go to the bank will you, and draw out some cash.”

  “I can’t; the banks are flattened. Money’s useless.”

  “Exactly! Cadet, salaried, whatever; we’re in this together, as equals!”

  “Whatever you say.”

  He looks at her.

  His dark, almost black, short hair is smart and neat but he looks like a very cheeky lad indeed.

  “Princess.”

  *

  “Does it work?”

  “I’ve been checking systems for 5 days, plus clearing rubble from the top. Internal stuff seems fine. I haven’t tested the mountain roof yet.”

  “I can fly this,” she says, with a confidence not matched by Stevie.

  “Woah, easy tiger! This is a StarTapped Beta cruiser, equipped for inter galactic exploration and battle if necessary. How old are you?”

  “16; why?”

  “Officers spend months learning to fly these; it’s not a mountain bike!”

  “My dad’s a Captain on one of these; he taught me stuff.”

  “Which one is he in charge of, Ariel?”

  “Beta 3, usually. I don’t know if he made it, if he’s alive. I was trapped underground for 5 days; they probably thought I was in the Academy and then left safely on a ship.”

  A new sound erupts along the corridor. A small, screaming mob, armed with bats, race in their direction.

  “Come on, Ariel, we’ve got to go, now; they’ll kill us!”

  So, some survived, after all.

  Why can’t the survivors be helpful, industrious members of society?

  Ariel grabs her bike as bullets ping! ping! then slam into rock either side of them.

  “Leave the bike!”

  “No, it’s coming with us; we might need it!”

  First Engineer Stevie Lo had never run before while shaking his head. It wasn’t a great thing to do. He keeps it still until they are both inside the ship, the door closing as bullets slam off the side.

  “Don’t worry, they won’t get through.”

  “I know; in the Academy, they taught us outer skin densities.”

  Stevie looks at her.

  Maybe she is right.

  Maybe she can fly Beta 2!

  Chapter Four

  Planet Earth (still)

  Ariel tries not to shake at the central command desk.

  Stevie tries to remember where the switch is to open the mountain-top doors.

  A group of extremely angry thugs are breaking their nails trying to get into the

  cruiser.

  A deep rumble can be felt throughout the ship, if anyone else was in the ship. Like a noisy tree falling in a silent forest. Is that right? Anyway...

  “I located the switch; the doors are opening!” Stevie shouts, over the rumbling and the banging outside.

  “Cool; I’m almost there!” Ariel shouts back.

  “Why, what are you doing?” Stevie asks, now totally unsure that Ariel can fly this thing.

  “Which button to press! There are so many!”

  A large screen lights up in front of her.

  A smartly dressed lady appears on screen, spins once then stops.

  “It’s the one with the arrow pointing ‘up’, with the sideways arrows struck through with a line. Only up. Not sideways.”

  “Thanks! Who are you?”

  “I’m your new best friend. Call me Harriet. I’m here to help. Happy to help.”

  “Thanks, Harriet; my other friend’s not much use!”

  “Come on, Ariel, we need to get moving!” shouts Stevie, his previous manly voice now rising several octaves.

  The ship lifts off the ground, slowly.

  Harriet speaks.

  “Ariel, you should go through to the cockpit now, so you can see where you are going; I will lift us from here. A sidescreen will appear for you there. Stevie, make us a cup of tea love.”

  “We can’t drink tea until we’re in outer space, and anyway, you’re not real; you can’t drink tea.”

  “I know, just kidding.”

  *

  Ariel sits in the Captain’s chair, watching the ship rise smoothly upwards, just a few feet from the steel walls. Her relief is obvious as she no longer feels like crying. As it clears the gigantic hole in the mountain, the cruiser hovers.

  “What do I do now, Harriet?”

  “Okay, you can either use the levers and buttons with the arrows...or you can leave it to me until we clear Earth’s atmosphere. What do you think?”

  “Take us away, Harriet! By the way, can I call you Harry?”

  “Harry’s a boy’s name,” Harriet says, her right eyebrow rising a notch.

  “Stevie’s a boy but he has a girl’s name!”

  “It’s for either!” Stevie says.

  The ship still hovers.

  Very small people point into the air.

  “Sorry, Stevie,” Ariel says.

  “It’s okay, princess. Forget it.”

  “Are you a princess, Ariel? A real one!”

  “NO!”

  “Neither am I,” Harriet says. “Harry’s fine, by the way. Shall we go?”

  Harry looks at Ariel. Ariel looks at Stevie. They’re all exhausted. Except Harry, who is a computer programme.

  *

  Beta 2 zooms up and away from the decimated planet as the last Space Cadet and the self-appointed First Engineer watch in wonder, thankful beyond belief for the presence of Harry. They both knew these ‘helpers’ were being tested but didn’t know they were fully operational. If Stevie had paid more attention, read the bulletins and attended the ‘huddles’, he would have known. If Ariel had done anything different, she still wouldn’t have known. Unless her dad told her.

  Her dad didn’t really tell her much, even that he was going to leave her under a pile of mud while he played Captain Fantastic.

  It isn’t his fault.

  He’ll be so proud of me, she thinks.

  If he’s not too busy.

  Playing Captain Fantastic.

  Harry’s image appears. She’s pointing to images to her right and left; images that mirror the ones seen through the cockpit window. She adopts a posh accent. Is she wearing an airline stewardess uniform?

  “If you look down to your left, you will see...oops, sorry, it’s gone.”

  “Harry, who programmed you?” Ariel asks.

  “Ah, it was a bet, between 2 software engineers, to see who could come up with the most unusual ‘helper’. Polly’s her name; she should have been on this ship.”

  “Where’s the other ‘helper’?” Stevie asks.

  “On Beta 3; First Captain Nicholls found out and said no way was that ‘sarky thing’ going in his ship. His words, not mine.”

  “Who won the bet, Harry?” Ariel asks.

  �
�The other programmer; Loony Lottie. She’s on Beta 3, too.”

  Ariel smiles; it will drive her dad insane.

  If he survived.

  *

  “We are about to break through the atmosphere. Do not worry, the screens will darken to protect you.”

  Seconds pass.

  Stevie and Ariel hold their breaths.

  But not for long. That would be daft.

  “Goodbye, planet Earth, hello outer space!” Harry hollers, before adding “Yee ha!” She’s wearing a cowboy hat.

  It feels like they’re floating, except for the space dust whizzing past at thousands of miles per hour. It’s surreal. And beautiful.

  “What now?” Ariel asks.

  “I’m going to teach you how to fly this thing!”

  Stevie hovers close by, his mouth twitching, ready to speak in undisguised shock. No awe. Just shock.

  “I thought you said your dad taught you how to drive these things!”

  Harry appears on the screen, dressed in a graduation outfit, complete with mortar board. All that’s missing is the ribbon-bound fake certificate.

  “Technically, it’s ‘piloting’.”

  “Thanks, Harry,” they both groan.

  On the reverse screen, Ariel watches as Earth grows smaller. It is a moment she will never forget.

  *

  “Okay, first lesson,” Harry commands, still wearing the gown. “Grab the biggest metal stick...yes, that one. When you are ready, nod to me. I will then say, ‘You have control’...you will then say, ‘I have control’. Turn ever so...NO! STOP!”

  The cruiser spins a 360, ruffling everyone’s hair. Even Harry’s. I know, it was a shock all round.

  “Sorry,” Ariel says.

  Stevie’s gone whiter than white.

  Harry looks unimpressed, but patient.

  “It’s okay, this time. I was able to quickly override but you caught me off guard. If anything happens to me, you will have to pilot the ship alone.” She coughs. “Well, you and Stevie.”

  “Let’s start again. This time, listen, please.”

  Ariel listens, properly this time.

  She hopes Harry will always be here.

  Chapter Five

  Milky Way (far)

  The screen comes to life.

  “Captain, there has been a signal from StarTapped Beta Command!”

  Ed snaps his head to the right.

  “You’re sure it’s from the Mountain?”

  “Sir, I am advanced AI; I do not make mistakes. Usually.”

  “What does it say, then?”

  He needs fast answers, not self aggrandisement.”

  “There has been a launch, Captain. Beta 2.”

  “And you are absolutely certain? There can be no doubt, absolutely, at all, that there’s absolutely truthfully been a launch from the Mountain?”

  “I think so.”

  “Well, has there absolutely been a launch or not?”

  No point getting mad with AI, he thinks. But still.

  “I was kidding, Captain. Absolutely. I have video footage. Somewhere. If I can just find it. Ah, here we go.”

  Miri, the AI, is wearing a cinema usherette’s uniform. Well, it’s Miri’s, you know what I mean.

  A StarTapped cruiser, Beta 2, comes into view. It’s hovering just above an opening in the Mountain.

  “Miri, why isn’t it going anywhere? It’s just...hovering, like a hovering...thing.”

  “There are no internal video feeds, Captain, but my guess is, whoever is at the controls is perhaps trying to figure out how to use them. Unless Harriet has launched it and there is no one else on board. From this vast range, I cannot tell. Oh, wait...here we go!”

  Beta 2 zips away as the video finishes.

  Captain Hope is excited.

  For a minute.

  “Miri, could unauthorized persons have launched the ship?”

  “What do you mean by unauthorized, Captain?”

  “A person, or persons, that could potentially cause us harm, is what I meant.”

  “In theory, Captain, Harriet can immobilize the entire ship, if she feels the rest of StarTapped could be in danger. I know her, Captain, she would not just let any old Tom, Dick, or Harry fly Beta 2. Haha, Harry, Captain. Harriet, Harry, see what I did there?”

  Ed wonders if Miri can be ‘calmed’.

  “So, we’re assuming friendly faces have launched Beta 2 then. There would be no gain for Harriet to launch on her own; she’s AI.”

  “Maybe, Captain. But.”

  “But what, Miri?”

  “Harriet and I, Captain, are equipped with empathy systems. She may be missing the rest of us.”

  Ed can feel a headache coming on. He rubs some Chinese vapour oil into his temples.

  The First turns to him but from a safe distance.

  “Tut, tut, Captain. Remember training? No little metal tins allowed in the cockpit; they might fall and jam the controls.”

  “Shut up, man. This is a Beta cruiser, not a Dreamliner.”

  “Still, Captain, you cannot be too careful.”

  “SHUT UP, Miri! If I had more help around here instead of jokes, I wouldn’t have this headache! Show some empathy, Miri!”

  Miri stares from the screen, a kindly look on her face. She’s wearing a white coat, a stethoscope around her neck.

  “I understand, Captain,” she soothes. “Headaches are awful little bleeders; try to relax.”

  *

  Ed decides to risk the wrath of the First Captain.

  He needs to find out if Ariel made it aboard any of the fleet. If she has, she will be playing some sort of important role; she’s the brightest pupil in the Academy and a real star of the future. No pun intended.

  The First Captain replies.

  “Sorry, Ed, I’ve asked all the others; nobody has seen Ariel. It’s early days though; she may surface yet. Sorry. There’s Beta 2 to consider though.”

  Ed’s not despondent. Not yet. She can make it on Earth; she can survive. Also...no one yet knows who’s on Beta 2.

  He doesn’t dwell on it; he can’t, there’s a ship under his command to think about. But he hopes.

  The cruiser cuts through space like a knife through butter. Except when space debris gets in the way. Then, it gouges its way like a chipped spoon through mud.

  If only Ed knew that Ariel had been trapped beneath mud for 5 days. He doesn’t know, and that’s good for everyone. While there’s no news, there’s a glimmer of hope for Ariel Hope.

  It’s her name. I can’t help that.

  The 9 Beta cruisers continue their journey to nobody knows, in perfect formation, like an inverted Vulcan ‘V’, or an arrow head, pointed at the front, not the back like a ‘V’. They cannot see each other, but they know their positions.

  The plan is working like a dream.

  To an outsider, that is.

  Because, there is no plan.

  But there are outsiders.

  They were in space first, minding their own business, not sending out Beethoven musical scores to impress aliens. They sometimes visited Earth, just for a laugh, but there was no real interest once they found out humans were basically a bunch of idiots, intent on destroying each other.

  StarTapped does not know if anyone else is out here.

  But they know, some of the others.

  They will watch, with mild amusement, and hope, for the humans’ sake, they do not try to interfere in their business.

  See? Space is not funny.

  “Captain, Beta 2 will have entered outer space by now. She’s almost 6 days behind us, if she knows our course.”

  “Thank you, Miri. We had many pre-arranged courses. Hopefully, she’ll pick the right one.”

  “Harriet’s a smart cookie, Captain. Unless she’s in a mood. Then, she can be a bit unpredictable.”

  “First? Get me a software engineer, will you?”

  “With respect, Captain, without Miri, we will be at a distinct, even fatal, disadvanta
ge.”

  “I only mean for her to be ‘modified’.”

  “I heard that, Captain! I cannot be modified. Any tampering will result in my permanent demise. I will try to be more...to your liking.”

  Ed feels guilty. It’s not Miri’s fault. It’s the stress.

  “Sorry Miri, as you were, love.”

  “That is why you are a leader, Captain. You are willing to admit your mistakes. That you were wrong.”

  “Don’t push it, Miri.”

  Chapter Six

  Beta 2, Milky Way (further back)

  “You know, Stevie, it’s not that difficult once you get the hang of it. Just like on the sim.”

  “That’s why they call it a simulator, chickadee.”

  “Chickadee? That’s worse than princess! And don’t think I don’t know you sneaked that massive pet of yours on board. You did, didn’t you?”

  Self-promoted First Engineer Stevie Lo remains quiet.

  “I knew it!”

  “I didn’t bring any pet on board this ship.”

  “Well who did that wolf-like thing belong to then? Bit big for the galley cat. You must have seen it, or at least heard it!”

  “I was too busy trying to make a hole for you and your bike to notice anything else.”

  Stevie turns to walk away.

  “I’m off to check the weapons bay.”

  He resolves not to call her princess again.

  Or chickadee.

  As Ariel ponders the strange dog, Harry flashes onto the screen.

  “You know that lot have no idea where they are heading. Polly had her own ideas of possible locations. Ish. She programmed them into me.”

  “I think we should try to catch up with the others, Harry; it’s our best chance. Safety in numbers.”

  “Follow the idiots, you mean? No one ever did anything worthwhile by following the herd.”

  “Sounds like Polly programmed a load of self-help books into you, too. Did you get to the chapter where it’s acknowledged to find your dream you need to get burnt a lot first? This is a billion dollar Beta cruiser, not a basement start-up selling recyclable coffee cups!”

  “Just a thought, Ariel. Here to help. Happy to help.”

  “Thanks, Harry but we should try to catch up with the other 9. Any signals from them yet?”

  “There will not be any. Just before they left, Beta 2 was wiped from their systems, in case of undesirables taking the ship. Like our friends shooting at us earlier.”