SPACESHIP ZOMBIE CRUISE

FILE ENTRY 9.0

Bella Starr

After the evening of fine dining, I excuse myself from the table and my friends. Caprica and Astra want to hit the dance floor on the Atlantic Deck, and I don't blame them. They're already off to a fast start after downing two or three flutes of champagne during dinner. All they want is to dance the night away, and they promised to refrain from alcohol for the rest of the evening. Halo offered to stay with me, but I shooed him away and told him to watch out for Caprica and Astra. They can take care of themselves, but if they drink anymore, it could be a problem.

I return to my room and change into my black exercise pants and my favorite purple tank top, the same thing I wore under my Kendo gear while training with Halo. The wardrobe combination is comfortable and decent enough to wear in public.

Alone with my thoughts, I wander back up to the Sea Breeze Deck to unwind. With the top deck darkened except for the shielded lights at the floor level—which provide optimal viewing through the clear canopy—I see a multitude of stars like I would on Earth. From this perspective, I can't make out the constellations, only pinpoints of starlight. Back toward the rear of the ship, I recognize Neptune's blue orb and the shimmering space station hanging above the massive planet, catching a sparkle of distant sunlight. The view makes me feel insignificant, but it's still mesmerizing to behold.

The ship cruises under mild acceleration, yet to engage its antigravity engines. That will change soon.

I walk by the kidney-shaped pool, passing a closed down burger and pizza shop that serves those relaxing under a holographic sun during daytime hours. I enter the casual cafe, which offers a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are two cafes, one on the stern and one on the front of the ship. Seeing its nighttime according to the ship's clock—set to Pacific Standard Time—and it's after dinner, only a few people sit in the stern cafe. A family plays holographic cards over at a corner table. I've never held a deck of actual cards, only saw a box in a museum as a kid.

On the other side of the cafe, a teenage boy and girl, probably thirteen or fourteen, laugh and poke at each other, and then they kiss. Good for them.

I stroll by the ice cream machine, think about snagging a cone, but decide against it. I'm still full from dinner. The Imperial Dining Hall was a wonderful experience. Something I'll never forget. Who knows if I'll ever be on a ship like this again?

I could go through the back door to a viewing deck on the ship's stern, but I have something else in mind. From what I know about the Celestial Sea's layout, I take a side stairwell that goes down to a lower level. From there, I push through double doors and enter what's known as the Serenity Deck, a place where they don't allow kids. A sign prohibits anyone under the age of twenty-one. I scoff. I don't care. No one is around to ward me off, and if all of my friends are old enough to drink on this ship, then I'm old enough to enjoy the Serenity Deck.

I ease up to the guardrail and lean over the edge—a clear canopy provides a shield that extends up and runs over my head. I peer through the canopy and inhale a calming breath through my nose. This is nice. The gentle blue of the rear exhaust glows from somewhere down below. A mild rumble from the engines sounds peaceful with no one else around. I allow my mind to ponder the next step ahead of me: officially graduating from high school, university life, and the next step after that, graduating from college, and eventually applying for the officer's school of the Interstellar Navy. Maybe I can finally get my life back on track? The sideshow of going to class and working at the resort has been a life experience and a means to an end, but I wouldn't trade it for the universe. I met my new friends at the resort and I wouldn't take that back for anything.

Can't help but think about my father, how I'll never get to say goodbye. I chide myself for not being there. Now my mom, and even Rigel and Betti, my brother and sister, hate me for it.

Then I remember. At the space station, I couldn't make a video call because the communication arrays were down, but I can now. When I get back to the stateroom, I'll try to patch a call through on the data stream. Since boarding, my friends and the ship's splendor have distracted me, garnering most of my attention.

A group of people enter the Serenity Deck behind me, the same family who were playing cards in the cafe. I do a double take. It's the same mom and dad with the little girl, Adrianna, the girl that Dr. Mintaka had consoled and convinced to take the AG Sickness inoculation. Earlier, I didn't notice the girl with them at the table. They're with an older couple, likely Adrianna's grandparents. Guess they don't care about the ship rules either, or they didn't pay attention to the sign on the door leading to the Serenity Deck.

I smile at the seven or eight-year-old Adrianna. The little girl glances back at me with a shy grin. Our gazes lock for a fraction of a second, and I see recognition in the girl's eyes.

The dad ushers the family over to the far side of the deck, but I still have a line of sight and can hear them talking, although their words are in hushed tones.

The mom clutches her stomach. "I feel worse suddenly. I'm dizzy and nauseated and my head is killing me."

The older woman, likely the grandmother, comes to her side. "Love, let's get you back to the room so you can rest. Maybe it was something you ate?"

"Now that you mention it." The father frowns. "My stomach is queasy. Maybe it was the food? The fine dining was delicious, but maybe something was sour."

"I feel fine," Adrianna says.

I hope it wasn't the lobster or the steak, but I feel fine too. Maybe it was something else on the menu? Or maybe it wasn't the food? It might be Artificial Gravity Sickness, but the new drug injections are supposed to prevent that... but maybe not?

During the inoculations, I recall hearing Dr. Mintaka say that the drug was called Vestazine. I heard it on the TV commercial too, and I remember reading about it in that news article on the data stream. Surely, they'd tested it thoroughly before approving it for use.

I watch as the family exits the Serenity Deck and leaves me alone once again. I tut my tongue against the roof of my mouth. Maybe it was the food after all, something the parents ate that's making them sick? At least Adrianna is okay.

As I start for my stateroom, a jolt rattles through the ship. A rumble shudders under my feet, and the stars above my head—visible through the clear canopy—blur into a thousand streaks of oblivion. The ship has ignited the antigravity engines, accelerating to a small percentage of the speed of light, or about six million miles per second, blistering speed. Luckily, I don't feel the g-forces because of the gravity well provided by the drives. I know the Celestial Sea is on a fast track back to Earth, past the point of no return.