CORONIS: Miranda Part Two
A/N: As the title states, this is the sequel to Miranda. For those who haven't read it, it's not absolutely vital to understanding this story, but it would sure help you enjoy it a lot more ;) But that's up to you. If you don't want to then here's a quick synopsis of the first story.
Synopsis: On a desert planet the Dwarf crew saved a girl called Miranda (a hard-light hologram) from ghostlike entities she called 'Eaters'. The only way to save her was to switch off her holo-disk and bring it back to Red Dwarf. Before turning her off for the final time Lister promised to find a way to bring her back for good.
This story takes place a few weeks after they switched off Miranda.
PROLOGUE: The dream.
They stood facing each other across an infinity of white light, that surrounded everything and glowed brightest where it framed her silhouette. Dave Lister tried to move but he couldn't, he was frozen to the spot. He couldn't even reach out an arm. He tried to call out to her but there was no sound. Time seemed to have stopped in this vast white cathedral of light. The only noise he could hear was a low, faint rushing in his ears, like the sound of the sea crashing onto a distant shore.
She walked towards the light, to the core of it where it glowed brightest. It fanned around her in gentle beams, like sun streaming through a cloud. Then she stopped and turned back.
She had tears in her eyes. They looked like green opals, flecked with blue, and they were so clear he could almost see himself in them, even though he was standing metres away. She just stared at him and her eyes were immeasurably sad, and so full of fear that it hurt his heart. The light glinted in her tears and they glittered like jewels on her cheek.
Then she turned away and walked into the light. It grew impossibly bright, fanned out more brilliantly for a moment, and then it swallowed her.
And Dave knew she was dead.
He opened his mouth in a voiceless scream.
His eyes snapped open and he stared, uncomprehendingly, at the curved metal ceiling of his bunk recess. He examined the rivets in the wall as his heart slowed down and the cold sweat on his forehead dried. It was the third time he had had the same dream. The third time in a week. He felt like he might be going mad. He wondered if he had cried out this time and decided he hadn't. Rimmer hadn't woken up and started shouting at him to "shut up, shut up for smeg's sake!"
Which he had done on the previous two occasions.
With a soft groan, Lister turned over onto his side and stared hard at the wall, willed himself not to sleep and waited until morning.
