Lunarly: A Fire Sale Classic

Plight - Bombs Not Hugs

Plight's

"Parental Guide: Bombs Not Hugs"

       She started early.  Tomorrow they would be landing on the moon, her new home.  Plight learned long ago that when her luck was down, she might as well be drunk.  So she could forget her fate.  That made sense.  Plight took another shot.

       She was sitting on her couch.  The screens on her wall were showing the moon as they were getting closer.  She could see the three small dome cities, all together in a tight triangle.  And she could see craters.  Craters in craters in craters.  It was like the moon was full of these grey hollow things.

       And that's all there was to the moon.  There were no trees or oceans.  Not that Plight was too into that nature stuff.  Sure, when she was a girl in the Raising House, she ran in the insta-woods and swam in the quick-drain-lakes that were there.  But at least there were colors.  The moon, the moon was just grey.  To make it even worse, they built the cities on the side of the moon that always faced Earth.  So Plight would always be able to look up, and see what she was missing.

       She looked at her comp.  Its screen was blinking.  And making a really loud noise.  How come she hadn't heard that before?  She stared at the flashing words until the straightened themselves into something coherent.

       "Ro. . . robot woman. . . boot up. . . location. . . somewhere.  Time. . ."  Shit, she was late.  She wanted to see this monster wake up.

       Plight rushed out of her room, stopping only to mix herself another cocktail.  She didn't even bother to grab her jacket.  Why be a proper Captain when she could be drunk?

       The halls were grey and they all looked the same.  The navy used colored notches on the trimming at the foot of the walls; to mark where you were on the ship.  Plight followed the three green stripes to get to the loading dock.

       She jogged -not too quick, though, she didn't want to spill her drink- through the halls.  There were Berginers all over the halls; for some reason they liked to mill out in the halls, like complete unprofessionals.  They blocked the halls for Captains on important business.

       When she was a turn away from the loading dock, she ran into a particularly large Berginer.  He was so massive, he took up the entire passageway, his arms brushing each wall with every step he took.  And muscles, they were everywhere.

       "Excuse me," muttered Plight, before sipping on her drink.

       The massive man turned his head.  "Yes?" he breathed.  This man might have been even larger than that Bloody Jimmy she had seen on the video with Officer Branly.

       Plight straightened her back and hid her drink.  "I am your Captain, and I need to pass."

       He laughed.  The force made Plight take two steps back.  "Captain?"

       "Captain Plight, your commanding officer.  You will address me with the proper respect."

       "Yes, captain."  He turned sideways enough so he could do a slow salute.  A lazy salute.

       "Thank you."  With him sideways, Plight could walk by.  She returned the salute and continued past the giant Berginer.

       "Captain."  A woman's voice.  An old voice.  Plight turned to find an old lady leaning on a metal walker.  Her face was wrinkled and her hair was grey the few places her balding had not spread to.  "A moment, please."

       Plight frowned.  "I'm afraid I have important affairs to deal with.  A Captain's always busy, you know."

       "I will be short.  I don't like talking to people unless they are under my knife."