Stranger To Myself (Ongoing + R R R R E E E E A A A L L Y SLOW UPDATES)

12

I was beginning to enjoy sitting, talking and eating with Mark.

"Who are you? I have checked all profiles of every voyager on this whole colonisation ship"

Colonisation ship ?! 

"and I haven't found your name or something that mentions you in any way."

My name?!

"And according to Siren's logbook, no one has entered or exited this ship while we were travelling...well...except that one time you threw yourself out of the airlock and I had to get you back in as fast as I could. Did you smuggle yourself onto this ship?"

Woah, that's a good question. Why did I not think about it? Isn't that like the first thing to wonder about when waking up on a starship and not knowing anything...

Well...How should I know that I'm  not registered? No wonder they had to ask me all those questions when I woke up...

"Hey? Is everything alright? Are you okay?"

I must have swallowed the wrong way, my airways are blocked. Out of reflex, my body tries to breathe even though I know that gasping for air will only make it worse than it is

At least it's not one of these throwback-coma-for-a-week-things that seem to happen quite frequently...

I try to cough and spit the food -that was nearly killing me- out but it doesn't work.

Why do the things I love always turn on me and hurt me?

Is this the way I'm supposed to die?

Can't I just fall asleep and never wake up or something?

After an agonizingly long time I feel whatever-is-stuck-in-my-throat loosening and with the next rock I cough it out.

Mark doesn't hesitate for a second and hurries to get me a glass of water.

But what lays in front of me is no food, just a little undefinable piece of metal. Mark hasn't seen it yet so I decided to put it into my pocket and find out what it is by myself. I feel like betraying Mark's trust by not showing him what nearly killed me but I have a feeling it would be smarter to keep that thing for myself until I know what it is, what it can do and how it got into my airways.

Having returned, he hands me a glass of cold water. "I'm glad you didn't pass out again"

"Yeah, me too... Thanks." I give him a weak smile and sip my water slowly in order not to almost die again.

"Sooooooo are you gonna answer my questions or shall I be doomed to eternal silence from you?"

"Oh yeah right, but you'll have to answer a few questions of mine too," I say with a little smug smile just to unease him.

"Agreed"

"First of all, I don't know who I am and I already told you that, I'm not a liar", I'm just not a truther ..."Second thing: I don't know my name, otherwise I would have introduced myself, the polite living being I am, aaaand I don't have a plan how I got here.  I hoped you'd know...but Sally or Siren or Whoever-she-it is told me that I had a spaceship and it should be here somewhere so there might be some information..."

"I should have known that you don't know...We're going to find everything out, promise."

I could hear the disappointment in his voice but I have to admit I'm disappointed too. They could have come to the idea to open my ship by themselves -on the other hand- I'm happy they didn't. Who knows how the inside of my ship looks like? Maybe there are embarrassing photos or wall posters.

"Okidoki, now it's my turn to ask a few questions," I say after a thought filled moment of silence.

"Yup, shoot," he says, leaning back and trying to look relaxed.

"Soooo, you said we were on a colonisation ship?"

"Yup, the plan is to land on LHS11406 soon, by the way: would you mind helping me find another name for the planet?"

"Hmmm, yes I'll help you."

"That's great, thanks," he grins like a little child that was just promised sweets.

"Okay, I have another question: Why haven't I seen other people than Sally, you and about five people eating here?"

"Most people are still laying in their pods, waiting to be woken up when we safely arrive at the planet's surface and the people who have already woken up are going to land this ship and help build a few  provisional houses before the passengers are to be woken, I hope you are willing to help?," he scratches his back head again.

"Yeah of course," I say, wearing a big grin. This is going to become quite adventurous.

To be one of the first people on a planet, that must be awesome...

And then something else comes to my mind... "You don't have laboratories here, do you?"

"I think we have a big one, somewhere in this unbelievable huge ship...Just go ask Siren," he shrugs and seems to think that this conversation is at its end, "By the way: you should try to get some rest, we're going to arrive at our destination in abooouut..." he looks at a small timer attached to his left wrist, "four hours," looking at me, he grins, stands up and winks. "See ya later alligator!"

Mark Troy, the agent with unnatural green eyes,  leaves the cafeteria, pushing the door wide open, not even looking back once.

He forgot to bring his food tray away. Well, he can thank me later.

I have some possibly important things to find out. The countdown of four hours started. I yawn and consider going to sleep but answers are more important than sleep.