U.S.S.A Alice

Chapter 1 A new beginning

The bed sheets were cold when I woke up, cold and empty. He's always gone for so long, that it gets quiet and lonely. I got out of bed to get some coffee, I needed it. "Good morning, what would you like?"  A feminine voice came from the coffee machine to greet me. - "Hey, I'd like a macchiato please."  I hope I remembered to fill it this time. I went to go clean myself up as it was making my coffee. "God I look terrible,"  I groggily mumbled to myself as I looked in the mirror, my hair was a mess and I looked like I hadn't slept in days, I guess that's what happens when you hate your job and you've been all alone for months without even a pet to keep you company, stupid landlord. I wish Damien was back, even if he wasn't the most cheerful person in the world, though I think it's starting to rub off on me. I stepped into the shower and turned it on. "38 Celsius"  I stood there as the hot water sprayed out onto me, It felt so strange to shower alone, day after day for so long, I'd stood there for so long that I almost forgot to wash myself. After snapping out of my trance, I did my hair and got dressed in my green and blue uniform. As I was walking out, I felt as though I was forgetting something...my coffee! "Oops almost forgot."  I've always been a bit forgetful but jeez, now I'm forgetting the one thing that keeps me awake, maybe I should start taking stim shots.

I quickly made my way to my car, I wished the automatic doors on this thing would open faster, I was in a rush. I told the car's computer to take me to work. I breathed a sigh of relief as the car began driving itself out of the parking lot, I never understood why Damien insisted on driving manually, autopilot was so much more relaxing. I looked out into the Seattle skyline, I could see all the reflective glass buildings and even the rebuilt space needle. The car made a loud ringing which nearly gave me a heart attack, I must've passed out while gazing out the window, It seems I got here in one piece. I stepped out with my bag and drink in hand;  I made my way into the building, I saw Ricky, the security guard, sitting behind his desk. - "Good morning Alice, good to have you back."  He said as I put my things on the scanner.- "Morning Ricky, how're you?"  The monitor blipped green.- "I'm doing good, though not as much as the boss it seems, he came in with the biggest smile I've seen on his face."  He seemed genuinely surprised.- "What could he possibly be happy about? He's usually pretty grumpy about everything". - "I haven't the faintest clue, you'll have to ask him yourself, well have a good one Ms. Sarris."  I gave him a  kind smile; it's a shame, he was quite handsome, but I'm already taken. As much as I liked the style and artwork in the office, it get's really stale day in and day out. I saw Mr. Scott walking my way, he had the biggest dumb grin on his face which curled his gray mustache, he noticed me walking down the same lane. "Good morning Alice," He said, leering at me.- "Good morning Dwight." After that I finally got to my office, the one place other than the lab I could feel relaxed, I noticed an email from Mr. Scott directed to everyone.

From Dwight Scott

Hello Mr./Ms. Due to our very profitable Q1 earnings and promising findings, we have been approached by the military in partnership with the Aerospace advanced systems applications corporation to recruit members to go on the U.S.S.A. Umbra's next trip to the famous little black planet in the great rift nebula. We here at Hector & Dwight Research & anthropology Ltd. are honored to be one of the few companies to have been employed to help in the study of Umaran artifacts brought from Umbra. Unfortunately, only a few employees can be accepted to join the Umbra on its voyage, but fortunately, you may bring family members/ partners. Please feel free to sign up if you wish to go on a career-defining experience to go and study ancient Xeno ruins and relics, I will call you in for an interview at your earliest convenience. P.S. And no this is not an April fool's joke. 

Sent 2734/4/1       

I couldn't believe it, did I read that right? No wonder he was so happy, other than to see me. I've dreamt of being on the Umbra since I was in junior high, and now I have the chance to live out what I thought was only a dream, I signed up as fast as I could and set the interview for today, and now I just had to get accepted, that was the part I was worried about the most. After a few hours of cleaning up pieces of old 21st-century technology and doing some paperwork, I got a message from the boss saying to meet him in his office, I got my lab coat off and went to go meet him for possibly the most important interview of my life. I opened the door to his office and saw him sitting in his chair. Dwight was an overweight man in his early sixties with mostly gray hair and looked about as much like a professor as one could expect, except he was one of the co-owners of the company. "Hello Alice, I knew you were eager but I wasn't expecting to interview you today, you and Lilith are the only ones I will be interviewing today, in fact, I had finished with her just a few minutes ago."  Lilith was the only other person who wanted to join as much as I did,  hopefully, we both get picked to go.- "So how many of are being hired to go?"  I said in a cute naïve voice.- "Uh well they didn't tell me that part, just to interview the applicants."  He sputtered out, it was fun to make him red in the face. 

"Well, we should get on with it. Mmmhmm so how would you describe your childhood?"  I was taken aback, What kinda question was that?- "Uh well I'd say I had a pretty happy childhood, I grew up Greek Orthodox, so religion was kind of a big part of growing up, although I'm personally agnostic."  He nodded as I answered.- "Do you have any strong male role models in your life?"  Okay, these questions are getting pretty weird.- "Well I guess my father is an obvious one, but honestly I'd have to say my boyfriend Damien, he's...usually always there when I need someone to look up to and he's just the strongest person I know."  The questions became more normal afterward, then all I had to do was fill out a written test.- "Sorry If the questions were a bit personal, It's all part of the test."  I told him It was alright and finished the interview, those questions were bizarre though. After that, I called Damien to tell him about the news.- "Hey Babe, how's It going?  You haven't called in a little while?"- "Ah crap, I'm sorry, things have gotten so busy lately. But I was going to call you with some good news, I'm coming back home."  I'm sure he could see the look of excitement on my face.- "When?"  I almost blurted out loudly.- "In a few days, I'll be leaving today, FTL only goes so fast...Is there something you wanted to tell me?"  God, I was so excited, I felt like I was going to explode.- "Well It's just that I might be serving on the Umbra and I could bring you with me...maybe, If I passed the interview"  He stood there like the stoic statue he is, processing what I had told him. - "That's amazing news; If you get the job, it'll be a new beginning for us."