ONE

The spaceship was deceptively huge. Standing in front of the entrance, I could only stare straight up into the ship like a large skyscraper building in Old Earth's big cities. The ship was like a flying city.

Windows adorned the entire side of the ship, like shining jewels on a Christmas ornament. The metallic covering of the ship was flat, smooth, and reflective like a mirror. Walking up to the ship, I could see my own reflection.

An ingenious design, it camouflaged the ship, yet was able to reflect the intense heat that radiated from the surface of New Earth during the daytime. I couldn't tell what material the ship was made of, but despite traveling such a tremendous amount of distance, it held up remarkably. From where I stood, it looked like it was in excellent condition.

But inside? There was no telling what it was like inside without exploring.

Despite wearing a suit, now deflated, and a bubble helmet, I was lean, athletic, and of decent height for a 13-year-old. My long dark brown hair and hazel eyes gazed into the mirror to see the weariness on my face behind my helmet's front cover.

On Old Earth, they would consider me attractive because of the perfect symmetry I had between my facial features. My mother, herself, was considered attractive, and my father, according to my mother, was a "hottie". Although I had never met my father since he died before I was born, I always pictured him as a handsome movie star. That was how I pictured any good-looking person, since I spent most of my years in the Shelter, devouring all the films I could find from Old Earth.

"How do I get in?" I asked Sally. "Can you scan the ship to find some kind of entrance?"

"Already on it," Sally said.

I looked around, trying to see if the disk-like structure had any seams that would be an opening.

"Found it," Sally said. "Take 10 steps to your right."

"Okay," I said, following her direction. When I took the steps I faced the ship, wondering how I could get in.

"Now put your palms on the ship, both thumbs touching and fingers apart."

I did as Sally said and waited.

"Are you sure this is right?" I asked.

Sally said, "Yes."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because" Sally said. "Your mother Jana, the most brilliant engineer and scientist ever, built me. And… surprise surprise, Evie, she built this ship, too. My system has already recognized the ship's system. I'm syncing in."

"Wow, Mom built this ship?" I asked.

"Yes," Sally the Suit said. "Your mother, Jana Gee, is classified as a genius. Her IQ level is much higher than the average human. She is particularly skilled at technology, engineering, science, and problem solving. She built this ship, the Shelter, and me," Sally said.

"And had me, to boot," I said proudly. "Mom is a total badass."

"Language," Sally said.

"Sorry," I said.

"Your mother is not only a badass," Sally said. "She programmed me to guide you when she's not available. That includes guiding you according to your age and experience level."

"I'd say you are a ‘smart' suit," I said. "If I didn't leave the Shelter and gone off looking for Mom, I wouldn't have discovered you."

"Like I said, Evie, your Mom is a genius. She thought of many things including me, if you decided to go outside of the Shelter."

"I know. She told me to stay at the Shelter and don't go looking for her until 5 years," I said. "How can I follow her instructions and not look for her?"

"Like I said, your mother is a genius. Most geniuses have a method to their madness. Your mother must have a reason."

"Okay. This is Mom's ship so maybe we can find something here to find out what that reason is. Come on!" If this is Mom's ship, I would be proud of her role in designing it. Much like the way she had designed my current suit, Sally, despite how Sally came across.

There was a click and a door appeared, opening wide. I waited for the stairs to appear, but Sally just pushed me indoors.

Then the door shut close.

I turned to try to open the door behind me, but the seams of the door blended into the walls of the ship until the walls were seamless. The door simply disappeared.

"What now?" I asked Sally.

"I'm tapping into the system," Sally said.

"Do you detect Mom anywhere on this ship?" I asked, looking around. I switched on the headlamp on my helmet and began walking forward.

On the first step, there was a whirling sound as though an engine had turned on. The path ahead of me lit up like a lighted flight path. I walked ahead following the lighted pathway until I came into a massive open space.

My mouth dropped open as I wondered at the beauty of the space. Like an atrium in the center of the ship, as large as a football stadium, in the center was a garden with lush tropical fruit trees, flowers, and colorful plants. Up above were bright lights shaped like diamonds.

"There's so much food here. Orange trees, peaches, cherries, apricots, even pineapples," I said. "And the flowers… they're beautiful."

I ran forward, eager to reach the fruits, the flowers, the plants, eager to touch and hold them. I was starved, haven't eaten for days. I felt my stomach rumble in hunger, as it reminded me I haven't eaten anything since I left my underground shelter home when I last left in search of Mom.

Mom! Could she be here? She left to go get supplies when we were running low in the underground shelter. She didn't return. But she had told me to stay put in the shelter and to wait for her. We had enough supplies there for a few more years but…

"I am searching for any movement on board," Sally said. "I am detecting movement on the top floor."

"Who is tending the garden?" I asked. "How is this going on without anyone in sight?"

As if to answer my question, as soon as the lights turned on over the garden, water showered the plants in a gentle mist. A robotic arm went out over each tree, checked the fruits, and if ripe, plucked it from the tree, depositing it into a basket on a track. When the basket was full, the basket rolled off like a small train into the wall that opened, then closed.

I followed it along until I stopped at the closing wall.

"Where would this go?" I asked Sally.

"Open the wall like you did coming onboard this ship," Sally said. "Do the sign."

I put my hand into the symbol and placed it on the wall and stood waiting.

The wall opened and I walked into an area like a clean processing center where the fruits were washed, cut up, freeze-dried, and packed into silver packs. They were then placed into storage containers and stacked into a corner.

"Wow, this is so efficient," I said. "But where are the people for all this food, Sally? Is there anyone here?"

"Top floor," Sally said. "There is movement."

"How do I get there?" I looked around, walking back out of the processing center and into the atrium. Then I saw a glass elevator that looked like something out of a high-rise hotel from Old Earth. I tried walking as fast as I could through the atrium, but the bulkiness of my suit made it difficult.

I finally had to sit down to get out of my suit. "I assume the air in here is breathable. Oxygen?"

"Yes, the air in here is breathable for you," Sally said.

"Good," I said, about to take off my helmet.

"Take me with you," Sally said to me as I shed my suit. "You'll need me to guide you around."

"How?" I asked. It was the first time I had worn this suit, had even realized that one of the suits Mom left behind in the shelter had a built-in computer system named Sally in it.

"I pack neatly into a compact backpack," Sally said. "Get out of the suit then press the button on the left chest pocket. It will automatically deflate the suit into a backpack. Wear the backpack, pull out the inner hoodie attached to the top of the backpack. Wear the hoodie as a cap. You can hear my voice through the sides of the cap. I will continue to work as your computing system. I will also monitor your body's temperature and heartbeat."

"Okay, Sally," I said, glad Mom had thought of everything when she created Sally.

I followed her directions and was set. Then I headed to the elevators, which looked so much like the ones in the films and videos I have watched hundreds of times in the shelter. I pressed the button to the top floor, 12 floor, and waited for the elevator door to open. The lights of the elevator lit up as it descended to the 2nd floor, where I stood. I marveled at the engineering that went into the design of a simple elevator. I could imagine how a well-lit elevator would work in an underground shelter like mine.

In a matter of minutes, I was on the 12th floor. The elevator door opened, and I walked out with Sally on my back.

"Turn left," Sally said. "Then right into the Captain's Quarters."

I walked in the direction of Sally's instruction and reached a door. "How do I open this?" I asked Sally. "No, don't tell me. I think I know."

I made the hand symbol and touched the wall like the other times I needed to open a door. It opened.

"Bravo," Sally said. "You've learned quickly."

"Yes," I said. "There is a logic to how things work around here."

"You know who designed and engineered this system," Sally said.

"Mom," I nodded. "I'm beginning to understand how this ship works. Just like the shelter she built."

"Yes," Sally said, "You think like her. You have her DNA. Hence, Evie, your handprint opens all the doors on this ship."

"What?" I asked. "I thought I had to do a special symbol with my hands."

"That's just for my amusement," Sally said. "I was joking with you. Just your handprint is enough."

"Unbelievable," I shook my head. "Sally, you are such a prankster."

"Enough joking," Sally said. "Pay attention. There was a movement in here. Keep alert. My system could not pick up what it was exactly, but if there is some movement, it could be anything, including something that can be hostile."

Hostile? I had trained in martial arts with Mom ever since I could walk. I knew how to fight and protect myself. If there was anything I had to fight inside that room, I was as prepared as I could be. "Okay, let's go," I said, opening the door with my hand.

In a blink, a door appeared, and I slowly walked into the room.