As well as being a doctor, Dexter also researched with the FLSO, the Flint Lockwood Space Organisation. Their latest project was to find any spacecrafts lost beyond 100,000 light years of Earth. And Dexter was their human guinea pig.
He strapped the electrical wires around his arm and fastened the teleportation belt until it was uncomfortably tight. Two scientists checked all the equipment three times over and made a thumbs-up sign at the people behind the glass window of the chamber.
"Alright, Took. Teleportation is set to occur in one minute and counting. Good luck."
"Th-thanks, sir."
My breathing started becoming faster, I may have been a genius, but this was the most risky thing I'd ever done, and I was extremely nervous. Not that I didn't have confidence in the project, but when you're about to be experimentally teleported 100,000 light years into space to find spacecrafts that have been lost for who knows how long, it really gets to your head.
"Okay, Took. Teleportation in 5, 4, 3, 2,"
I opened my eyes. Everything was black. I felt weightless and then like I was being pulled at an enormous speed by my waist. This time when I opened my eyes I was falling a few metres to a rather dirty floor.
I groaned and got up. "Aww, blast it!", I picked up my glasses that had fallen off and then the little pieces of broken machinery from my belt. "Well, at least it worked, but I'm g-going to have to fix this."
I got up and looked around. It looked like it was just a pointless deck of a ship. I heard footsteps coming from above but stayed calm. I didn't have any weapons so I didn't pose a threat, so what could they do to me?
Instead of getting panicky, I strolled over to the only window in the room and looked out. All I could see were stars, nothing else, except blackness of course.
"Oi! You!", said a man with a strong Liverpudlian accent.
"Yes?"
"How did you get here?"
"I used this.", I dropped my glasses again then pointed to my belt, "But it broke when I landed. It's a teleportation device."
"Are you from Earth?"
"Yes. B-born and raised in Newcastle, England. By the sounds of it, you're f-from Liverpool."
"Yeah. You don't have a Geordie accent, mind."
"I know. I didn't have a strong one to begin w-with, and then I moved to London and c-completely lost it."
"Alright... well, I'm going to have to take you up to the rest of the crew."
"Okay. I'm Took, by the way, Dexter P-Peregrin Took."
"I'm Lister."
We climbed four sets of stairs before I could here talking. It sounded like whoever it was was complaining about how his collar didn't stand out enough in contrast with his red suit.
"Look what I found on the loading deck.", he gestured towards me.
I looked around nervously, trying not to meet the eyes of the two people who I knew were looking me up and down, judging me by my white shirt, bow tie, black trousers and, I have to admit, pretty nerdy hair.
The one with the green trousers and light green shirt stood up first and stuck his hand out. "I'm Rimmer, and what is your name?"
I met his hand with mine and shuck it nervously, "I'm T-Took, Dexter Peregrin Took."
"Nice to meet you Took." He smiled. "This here is Cat, I wouldn't think judging by your appearance and shy personality that you're going to be best of friends with him, but I'm sure you will get along fine."
I nodded once at Cat who stood up and shuck my hand in response, "Listen," He put his arm around my shoulder, "if you ever get sick of, let's be honest here, those dreary, boring clothes, come and see me, and I'll fix you up with something stylish." He chuckled and brushed his suit with his hand.
"Thank you, but I don't think 'stylish' is who I am. I'd m-much prefer these trousers and a p-plain shirt to something you're wearing." I smiled shyly and looked up, catching Rimmer staring right at me.
I raised my eyebrow at him before he realised, shaking his head and looking away. I smiled.
"Right, sirs. I've changed the bulb back to the white one, and I've put the red one in the drawer." He looked at me, confused, "Who is this?"
"This is Dexter Peregrin Took. Lister found him on the loading deck.", Rimmer said, trying to avoid eye contact with me.
"How did he get here?"
"I used a teleportation d-device." I pointed to my belt again, "But it broke."
"Well. It's a pleasure, Mr Took."
"Actually, it's Dr Took. And nice to m-meet you too..."
"Kryten, sir. My name is Kryten."
Suddenly there were alarms and red flashing light everywhere.
"Damn, that's the air seal on floor 2 again. Someone needs to come with me."
"I'll go... I mean... if you want."
"Whatever. Come on then."
I followed Lister down to floor 2 where I stood watching him find out what was wrong.
"Smeg. Quite a lot of it's broken."
"You say smeg too?"
"Yeah...Wait. You say smeg?"
"Yes. I've never met anyone else that says smeg. Everyone at home says 'damn' or 'darn'."
"That's weird. Everyone here says smeg."
"Hmm..."
I stood thinking for a few minutes before Lister interrupted my thoughts.
"Can you go up to Rimmer and ask him for this stuff?" He started to write a list of things on a ripped piece of paper..
"Yes, certainly."
He laughed, "You and Rimmer sound so much alike. Here you go."
"R-really? Okay then..."
I rushed up the flights of stairs while reading the list. He had made so many spelling mistakes it was unbelievable. I got out my pen and corrected every single mistake.
I got to Rimmer out of breath and handed him the list.
His breath seemed to catch in his throat.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes... yes I'm fine. Did you correct all of Lister's mistakes?"
I blushed and shuffled, embarrassed, "Yes, I can't s-stand grammatical errors."
"Me neither. Infact I'm usually the one to correct Lister's writing."
"Oh, sorry I-"
"No, no. It's fine. I like that someone else cares about it.", he laughed awkwardly, "Err... Oh yes! I'll go and get these things."
"Okay." I smiled nervously and watched him leave. I suppose we did have a lot in common. I wonder if he's gay...
"Here you go!"
"Thank you. Oh, this means I'll have to r-run back down there again." I sighed.
"I can take them if you want." Rimmer said, avoiding eye contact again and shuffling his feet.
"Err... we could go together?"
"Excellent idea! I mean err... yes, that's a good idea. But it still means you'll have to go down there again."
"It doesn't matter, I'll have c-company."
I followed Rimmer down this time and couldn't stop staring at the back of his head. Maybe I was falling for him. He seemed nervous around me too, but I don't know if he's gay. Why is everything so complicated?
"I like your n-nose." I facepalmed, why did that slip out of my mouth?
"What? My...nose?"
"I have a thing for noses." I was still shaking my head in disbelief.
"Really? Who's noses do you like then?"
"Let's see... Stephen Fry's, Matt Damon's, Antonio Banderas'. And a l-lot of others I can't think of r-right now."
"So what is it about my nose?"
"I'm not sure. I just like it."
"Thanks, I guess.", he looked nervous, "I like your stutter."
"Really? I've heard it g-gets on people's nerves."
"I don't see why. It's..."
"It's...?", I pressed.
"Nothing." He blushed.
We finally reached floor 2
"Here you go, Lister." I said. He didn't look up at me, he just grabbed the box in my hand. "You're w-welcome then."
"What? Oh yeah... thanks."
"Don't mind him." Rimmer shot an evil look at Lister, "When he's busy he ignores people completely, and then when he's not, he expects all the attention."
"Hey man, I can still hear you, y'know."
"Yes Lister, I know."
I chuckled and gestured for Rimmer to go up the steps first.
"So, Dexter, I mean Took, I mean... what do you want to be called?"
"Just Dexter's fine. Or Took, whatever m-makes you happy. Some people called me Pippin at school, because of my middle n-name. I don't mind if you call me that either."
"Pippin sounds like a name only people close to you would call you though."
"Well... we could get close..."
He went red and seemed to stand up straighter.
"I've got to go." He ran out the door.
Lister came back in, "What was all that about?"
"I don't know, we were just t-talking and he had to leave."
"He's a weird one, he is."
"That's why I like him." I muttered under my breath.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing."
~~~~~
I sat alone for what must have been about twenty minutes before Rimmer came back.
"Hello.", he said.
"Hello.", I smiled.
He sat on the chair opposite mine. An awkward silence followed.
"So what exactly do you do for a living?"
"Well I graduated Medical School early, so I'm a fully-qualified doctor. But I also work for the Flint Lockwood Space Organisation, the people that sent me here."
"That's marvelous." He stared at me with his mouth open.
"I'm glad you think so."
"I would love to do something like that with my life, but I've been stuck on this bloody ship for who knows how long."
"And it's looking probable that there'll be an additional crew member for a while."
"I hope so. Not that I'm saying it's good that you're stuck here! I just... like your company. All the others don't have, let's say 'the brains' to have a decent conversation with."
We laughed and continued our decent conversation for what seemed like hours before Rimmer said goodnight and headed off to bed.
Lister then came in to find me sitting by myself again.
"Hey it's late. All of us will be going to bed soon, we've got a spare room with a bed, but none of us sleep in it 'cause there's vents that blows out old air all the time."
"That's fine. You may be used to the w-warm temperature of the Red Dwarf, but a few hours ago, I was in England. I think I'll be used t-to the cold. ", I was too tired to comment on his grammar.
He laughed, "Alright then, come on."
"Here it is. You'll need new clothes for tomorrow, won't you?"
"Well, I could j-just make do with these."
"You could borrow some of Rimmer's, you'll probably fit and prefer his clothes over mine or Cat's."
My heart fluttered and the thought of wearing his clothes, "Yeah, that's fine."
"We'll get them now so they're ready for the morning."
I followed him up to his and Rimmer's room.
"Hey Rimmer," Rimmer jumped and quickly put some boxers on, I blushed, "Can Dexter borrow some of your clothes?"
"Yes, certainly."
Lister went over to his drawers and pulled out a pair of trousers, a shirt and boxers, "I told you you sounded like him, that's what you said earlier, remember?"
"Yeah." I coughed at the realisation that Rimmer and I were pretty similar. Yet I was shy and had been told that he was quite arrogant most of the time.
"Here you go."
"Thanks."
He leant towards me and whispered, "He's not usually like this, you know. He's usually an annoying smeghead, but ever since you arrived, he's been quite quiet and well, not a smeghead."
I didn't say anything, I didn't know what to say anyway. I just smiled and walked out of the room, but then popped my head round the corner and said "N-night Rimmer! And Lister."
"Night Pi- I mean Dexter."