Max Nebulous

Max Arrives

The hatch slid open.  A metallic screeching sound echoed off the dingy walls of the docking bay.  A girl, wearing a wrinkled gray flight suit, sporting a messy mop of hair, and tugging a backpack slung over her left shoulder, stepped out of the transport spacecraft and looked around.

The docking bay sprawled in every direction from the transport’s landing spot.  Heavy red and yellow lines painted on the floor arced in a seeming unnatural way across the floor around and underneath old derelict spacecraft from days past as they rotted in their old age.  Pieces of ships littered the greasy floor underneath the ancient behemoths as their spindly legs strained to keep them upright.

Some of them, she recognized as old mining tugs, probably used back when the StarScraper was the flagship mining vessel of Earth’s resource fleet.  She knew a little about solar mining since she had spent a week onboard the rough jittery transport ship reading about the StarScraper and looking out the hazy portal at the planets they passed on the way to StarScraper, in solar orbit.  It wasn’t an interesting read by any means, but she welcomed anything to get her mind off all of the questions that bothered her.

Arriving on StarScraper brought back the flood of questions she had been so efficiently forgetting over the past couple of weeks since they had congratulated her on her acceptance to StarScraper Academy.  Why had she been chosen out of so many of her fellow orphans on Mars?  What did she do to attract that kind of attention?  Would she be able to keep up with the other kids there who were known throughout the system for their astounding academic achievements?

She looked at the two gentlemen standing at the base of the transport, waiting for her.  One, a tall man with a neatly manicured dark blue captain’s uniform frowned at her from beneath the thick blanket of shadows that reached out from the darkest corners of the docking bay and covered all but his angular frown.

Young lady, if you intend to be a student aboard this vessel, I will not see you again in such disarray.  Full academy uniforms must be worn at all times and hair must be kept neat. Said the man in the blue uniform, his frown bending further down with every word.

Not like she didn’t just get here, what a jerk! mumbled the girl’s backpack.

The girl jostled her backpack uncomfortably, shaking its contents.  Sussh! scolded the girl.  She remembered that she was the only one who could hear Ms. Meow-meow and became flush with embarrassment.  Talking to her backpack on the first day wasn’t going to endear her at the academy.  She was already off to a bad start.

She looked back at the angry man and smiled to relieve some of the tension.  Sorry.  She said apologetically.

Her gaze pivoted to the other man there, a short chubby old man with a big flowing white beard.  He had been smiling jovially since she stepped out of the transport.  In stark contrast to the man in the shadow, the portly man was entirely visible, illuminated completely by one of the few dangling lights overhead.

The old man jokingly slapped the Captain on the back, and said, Pay no mind to the Captain here, he’s a stickler for uniforms and procedures if I’ve ever seen one!  My name is Salmonius Zangfloom, Schoolmaster of StarScraper Academy.  Welcome to your new home Max.

Thanks... She said, taking in more of her chaotic surroundings with a sweeping gaze.  I guess.

She heard a great many things about the venerable StarScraper Academy since her acceptance.  She expected pristine excellence in every regard concerning the academy, but she found herself standing amidst so much clutter and disrepair that it made the Martian ports look perfect by comparison.  It boggled her mind that such wonderful things could be taught in such a place.

The Captain scoffed.  Look at this rodent!  Is this another one of your geniuses Zangfloom?  Can’t even keep itself clean, pitiful thing.  Good luck with this one.  He turned and walked off.  Max heard the metallic scraping of a sliding hatch off in the shadows of the docking bay.

Bah!  Pay no mind to that grumpy old curmudgeon!  He’s about as sour as a bag of Martian puckerfruit.  Come on now, the adventure is just beginning, I’ll show you to your quarters so you can get some rest because Academy starts first thing in the morning!

A Short Walk

Right down this corridor and to the left, room number seven twenty two deck D.  The Schoolmaster guided her through a maze of tiny tunnels lined with pipes and wires.  Whatever flowed through the pipes caused an eerie hissing sound that pulsated through the corridors.  Dreary lights peeked out from behind the pipes, just enough to see where you are going, but not enough to see where you have been.  She couldn’t help but wonder what could possibly be hiding among the nooks and crevices, watching her, following her.

In her backpack, Ms. Meow-meow hacked up a fur-ball.

Did you hear that?  Asked the Schoolmaster, stopping dead in his tracks and looking around.  Something made a noise aye?

Nope, didn’t hear a thing.  Max replied nervously.

Ahh, I’m always hearing things in these old corridors.  He chuckled nervously to himself and slowly returned to his lumbering walk.

He stopped at a door labeled 722-D in big yellow letters that looked gray thanks to a heavy coat of dust sticking to heavier coat of grease.

Just place your hand on the scanner and say your name when you want to get in.  He said and gestured for her to do so.

Max Nebulous.  She said as she palmed the scanner.

The door slid open, echoing the familiar screeching sound of metal on metal down the spooky tunnel.  She noticed Zangfloom peering down the hall, as if he were waiting for a response to the echo.  Inside the room, a light automatically clicked on and did a poor job of illuminating the tiny closet of a room.

Everything you need is already provided for you. Zangfloom said, I’ll give you some time to explore your new surroundings.  You’ll see on your desk there, He pointed a chubby finger toward the thin metal slab protruding from the far wall, your assistant.  She’ll help you with anything you need, directions, class work, entertainment and such.  Just slip her into the assistant pocket on your uniform and take her wherever you go.  Don’t forget her alright?  He smiled in a fatherly way.

Okay. She replied as she stepped through the door and into her new home.

Great!  We’re all really excited you’re here Max!  Zangfloom said from the corridor.  See you in the morning, get some sleep!  He said as the heavy door scraped shut.

She could hear his heavy footsteps hurrying down the hallway, back the way they had came.  Max wondered what made him so nervous and how he was able to appear so happy at the same time.

Max’s New Room.

Wow, nice digs you got us into now baby! said Ms. Meow-meow as she slinked her way out of Max’s backpack and leaped down to the floor.  She performed her usual routine of graceful feline stretching exercises and yawned.  Even after a week spent hiding in Max’s backpack, Ms. Meow-meow’s jet black fur shined like it did the day Max found her.

Hey, at least you’re here and not back in the colony.  You would be someone’s dinner if it weren’t for me. Max replied to the ungrateful cat, You can still be my dinner if you keep it up. She added, not actually formlating any plans to eat Ms. Meow-meow.

Max met Ms. Meow-meow a few years ago in the orphan colony on Mars.  She remembered scrounging around the dark halls of the orphanage looking for scraps of food when Ms. Meow-meow emerged from behind an old cobwebbed crate and introduced herself.  Hello little girl, I’m Ms. Meow-meow, nice to meet you.  Now feed me, I’m starving.  She had said.

At first, a talking cat was a surprising spectacle for a girl like Max, but Ms. Meow-meow had been a good, although sarcastic friend over the years.  The cat was kinder to her in more ways than anyone else she had ever met.  So when Max was asked to join the StarScraper Academy, she felt like Ms. Meow-meow should come too, even though she was explicitly instructed that no animals were allowed.  She owed it to poor Ms. Meow-meow for her years of loyal friendship and digging through leftovers together.

If I remember correctly, wasn’t it I who kept you safe?  Recollected Ms. Meow-meow.

Max ignored the question, which meant the cat was right again, instead she continued to survey her room and it was nasty!  Everything in sight was covered with a fine layer of dust, glued on by a sticky coat of grease.  And there was a smell too.  It bothered her.  Ms. Meow-meow said it smelled tasty.

Her new quarters were about the size of a closet.  In fact, she supposed it might actually have been be a closet at one point in time.  Patchwork metal panels riveted together made up the walls and the ceiling.  The heavy lines and bulbous rivets of the tiny room made her feel boxed in, like she was awaiting shipment in some sort of strange package.  A fold up bed with a plain flat mattress was attached to the wall on one side of the room with diagonally attached chains.  Two brown blankets sat neatly folded on the mattress. 

Ms. Meow-meow leapt up on the bed and busied herself making a cave-like den out of the blankets, scratching and kicking as she molded the blankets into a messy little hole that she could curl up inside.  The thin slab of a desk stuck out from the metallic paneled wall and occupied the other side of the room and a flat black rectangular object about the size of Max’s hand, waited on top.

More exploration revealed a small locker near the desk’s base.  The locker housed a single stack of identical uniforms, all the same, dark-gray and bearing the StarScraper Academy emblem on the back.  She found a pair of regulation boots waiting on the floor by the door, exactly her size.

Max took a few steps and sat down at her new desk, not surprisingly on a very hard and uncomfortable chair.  The only thing interesting in the room was the flat black tablet sitting on the desk.  She’d never seen one before and had no idea what exactly what an assistant was.  When she touched it, the tablet lit up with glowing buttons and a pale blue ghostly face suddenly appeared floating in air before her.  Max could make out the panel junctions in the wall behind the face.  It was like looking through a glass of turbulent water.

Hello. Said the face with a smile.  It was a woman’s face and it made Max wonder about her mother.  Who was she?  What did she look like?  Was her mother even still alive?  She would never know so she turned away from the face and from her thoughts, trying to forget.

The ghostly face patiently waited for a response.  Gentle lines creased her holographic face and curved slightly around her smile before tucking softly into the corners of her nose.

Max forced herself to turn back and said with a quiver, Hi.  You’re my assistant?

That’s correct, I’m Void Pointer, your new assistant.  You can call me Void.  I’ll be helping you during your time here at the Academy.  And you are Max Nebulous?  Her voice was soft and soothing, probably to promote a better learning environment.

Ms. Meow-meow jumped up from her sleeping nest and hissed at the visage.

Yes, I’m Max.  Said Max looking back over her shoulder and frowning at Ms. Meow-meow. So much for secrets. 

Pleasure to meet you Max, I’m sure we’ll have a great time together learning many new things!  Perhaps you would like to start by learning where the locker room is located so you can fix up that chaotic mass of hair?  Then when you get back, you can learn all about how no animals are allowed on the ship.

Max sighed, She’s my best friend.  I couldn’t leave her behind.  Someone or something would have eaten her for sure.

That certainly is a dire prediction, but you should know that I’m not permitted to divulge personal information other than your academic scores to the administration.  I would discourage you from breaking the rules, but of course, that is entirely up to you.  It’s part of my programming you see?  If you would though, please keep Ms. Whatever-you-called-her away from me.  I don’t think I like animals.  Now might I suggest you obtain a uniform and the locker room is located down the hall last door on the right.  Void nodded in the direction of the hall.

Max was skeptical, would the computer tell on her for sneaking a cat onboard, or keep that information private, like she said.  She made a mental note, find a way to get Ms. Meow-meow to a safe location if the assistant tells.  Thanks Void.  I’m sure you and Ms. Meow-meow will be great friends.  Be right back.  Max feigned trust in the assistant and grabbed a fresh uniform from the locker and snatched up the boots.  Ms. Meow-meow, you be nice and make friends with Void you hear?  Max headed out her door toward the locker room.

Void sneered at the cat and disappeared.

The locker room, a new friend, and the pipes

Max discovered a nondescript door at the end of the pipe-lined corridor.  Gray block letters hastily painted on the wall read, Girl’s Locker and was slightly crooked, tilting down to the left.  Upon her touch, the door angrily jolted to life and shuddered against stubborn unseen gears and slowly opened.  It grated against the side of the wall, brushing along a well-worn shiny spot, a testament to its poor alignment and improper maintenance.

Max cautiously entered the room.  The locker room appeared to be darker than most.  One dim light swung precariously on a braded wire lifeline, swaying with the subtle lumbering of the old ship as it made its way through space.  There were other lights dangling from the ceiling, but only one worked, and it cast constantly evolving shadows that danced around the cold, brushed metal floor.

A row of sinks lined one wall.  Each one looked as if it were used to dump toxic sludge as hairy tangles of hair were affixed permanently to the side.  The faucets all dripped, drumming an unknown echoic rhythm, intensifying the gloominess.  Max noted the lack of girls in the girl’s locker room.

The rest of the room was covered with boxy booths, aligned haphazardly with a skinny tiled path meandering in between.  The chaos of the booths’ placement made it impossible for Max tell just how big the room was and created a Maze of unoccupied showers, a maze she did not want to get lost in. 

The shadows changed thanks to the perpetually moving light and the familiarity of the room vanished leaving Max with an increasing terror of the unknown.  The shadows were dense in the locker room, and every movement would be covered by the constant dripping sounds emanating from the sinks.

Max remembered a song she had hummed to herself on Mars to calm her nerves down.  She wondered if it would have the same effect now, in the unfamiliar scary place.  She closed her eyes and concentrated on the tune.  Slowly, she began to hum and she felt the tension slip away, perhaps down a drain somewhere.

SHHH!! came a voice from the back of the room.

Max stopped in the firm grasp of terror and she felt her muscles freeze.  Is someone there? Max asked meekly.

I said Shhh!  Working here. Answered the voice, mildly annoyed.

It was a feminine voice, not monstrous or evil.  She felt her arms and legs relax a bit and managed to stammer out,  Sorry?

That’s okay, just can’t concentrate very well when people are carrying on like that.  A small girl stepped out into the faltering light.  She was wearing the standard Academy uniform and contrary to Max, she had very short white hair. I’m Tinker, but you can call me Tink, everyone does.  Oh, and I didn’t mean your song was bad, actually quite good in my opinion, but you know, some people need quiet and all.  You must be the new kid?

The sight of the tiny cute little girl standing in one of the bleakest places Max had ever seen made Max completely relax.  Yea, Max.  So what exactly are you working on in the locker-room Tink? Max asked, feeling more comfortable.  She noticed Tink was carrying a black tablet just like Void in her hand.

Oh this?  Tink said glancing down at her personal assistant,  Just tying to figure out where the water from the showers goes after it drains.  Rumor is that it’s recycled and we end up drinking it again later.  So I’m trying to figure it out with a camera I designed to navigate the drainage system.

Oh, so did you find anything?  Max asked.  The trivial facts that were accumulating about StarScraper since she arrived were not encouraging.

Still working on it, want to see?  Tink asked enthusiastically.

Sure.  I guess.  Max said, not too sure she really wanted to know the answer.

Okay, keep it quiet though, if Zangfloom hears that I’m sending robots into the drains again, he’ll have me moping the corridors this time.

Again? Max asked.

Well, yea.  I tried it a while back and the results were inconclusive, and the whole backing up of the toilets thing happened.  Tink looked embarrassed, then confessed, It was kind of embarrassing.

Tink sat down cross-legged in the shower farthest from the door and propped the assistant up on one leg.  Max knelt down next to her on the cold, damp floor.  Some water soaked through her old flight suit and chilled her.

Sally, display the camera view again please. Said Tink talking to her personal assistant.

Right on Tink, A pink translucent head appeared floating before them.  Sally looked younger than Void, with very short hair and a metallic ring hanging on her nose.  Max noticed the excitement in the holograph’s voice.  She wondered if her assistant Void would repeat some rules to her or something if she were there.

My assistant’s name is Void, and she’s not as friendly as yours.  Mentioned Max.

Yea, Sally wasn’t as personable as she is now when I first got here either, after a while they learn to talk to you how you like them to.  I even changed Sally’s name, it used to be Null.  Tink explained without looking up.

Aren’t you worried about your assistant telling on you?  Telling Zangfloom what your doing?  Max asked, a sneaky way to probe Tink about the trustworthiness of Void.

Oh no.  The assistants are completely trustworthy.  It’s in their code.  I’ve looked over it myself to make sure.  That’s how I figured out how to change her name to Sally!  Tink smiled.

Sally smiled too, That’s true, it’s in the code, and besides, Sally sounds much better don’t you think?  Don’t worry, Void’s nice, once you get to know her.  Okay, bringing up the camera view now.

The pink three-dimensional materialization of Sally abruptly disappeared and was replaced by a whitish globe, the fish eyed view of the camera heading though the pipes beneath them.  The particulate swirling around in the water along with the camera gave off a whitish haze when accosted by the camera’s bright light.  Every once in a while, a bubble would appear then rush by, allowing Max to realize just how fast the camera was traveling.

This is the view from the camera.  We’re headed down the pipes. Tink explained.

About three kilometers now.  Sally added.

I’d say we’re out near the bulkhead somewhere.  Tink noticed the confused look on Max’s face, Oh, is this your first time on a ship?

Max nodded her head embarrassed by the fact, but it wasn’t often orphans on Mars get chances to ride on spaceships.

Oh, no problem, the bulkhead is the outside skin of the ship, so our robot camera is near the bottom edge of the ship.  There’s nothing down there.  That part of the ship hasn’t been used since this was a mining vessel.  Nobody ever goes down there unless something breaks.  Tink explained.

Suddenly the image turned dark, the particulate matter suspended in the pipes was extra thick now.  More and more debris became churned up as the robot struggled to make it through some sort of blockage.

Hmm, stuck in some nasty glob!  Tink tried to free the camera, Full reverse on the robot Sally.

The brown murk turned black as little robot twisted and turned, a vain attempt to extricate itself from the mass.  The image became deep black and the camera was firmly lodged in the pipe blockage, unable to move.

Nothing doing Tink, looks like we’re stuck.  No motion detected. Sally said.

Hmmm, looks like were done for today, have to try a different drain later, after I make a new robot.  There was disappointment in Tink’s voice.  Hope this doesn’t cause another back up.

That’s okay, maybe it’s better if I don’t know what I’m drinking anyway. Max smiled, Thanks for the sewer tour!

Tinker shut down her assistant, stood up, and slid Sally into the pocket on her arm, No problem, glad to meet you.  They shook hands and smiled. I suppose you need to clean up anyway.  I’ll get out of your hair. She smirked, glancing at Max’s ratty hair.

Ok, guess I’ll see you at Academy tomorrow.  Maybe we’ll be in some of the same classes.  Tink said.

Max was starting to feel a little better about her situation.  Things weren’t going too bad if she already had a friend!  Okay!  Max felt a bit of enthusiasm creep up on her.

Oh my... Tink?  Sally appeared again, breaking through the shadows with a gently pink glow.

What’s up Sally?  Tink pulled Sally back out of her pocket with a smooth motion, polished after years of repetitive action.

The camera, it’s moving again.  Sally said.

Oh good!  It loosened itself?  Tink sat back down and motioned for Max to do the same.

No, someone loosened it, it’s not in the pipes any more.  Sally said.  There was a long pause as Tink furrowed her brow and displayed a bewildered expression.  Max watched Tink, wondering about the explanation.

What?  Can you replay that?  Tink finally said.

Sure.

Tink’s bewilderment turned to apprehension as video started to play.  Sally narrated.  Here we are, a few minutes ago, still stuck in the clog.  The familiar black murky video played on the tablet’s three-dimensional projection.  Then, now this is the weird part, the pipe separates.  The black image turned to brown as the clog dispersed, then it jerked a little bit while the image went back to black.  Something swiped back and forth across the camera lens, as it was jostled around and unable to focus.

Someone’s wiping it off. Max said.

Tinker looked pale, There’s no one down there Max.  Her tone had changed, her speech sounded monotonous and unbelieving.

The image cleared and the camera focused, its light was still functioning because they could make out a metal wall, pipes angling in every direction creating a complex pattern,