My only copyright is Shirley.
This was inspired, basically, by a few things, and the lyrics to the title song as well.
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
Chapter 1
Mars, Late night
Queen's Chamber
Silence. The queen is asleep. A guard hovers by outside. Everything is still.
Then, a dark light centers quite suddenly around the mirror. It swirls on the crystalline surface for a moment, before taking the shape of the Queen. The mirror image sneers. "Wake up. Wake up now."
The Queen stirs, turning her head the other way, mumbling something unintelligible.
The mirror image frowns. It fades backwards.
Morning comes, meeting the same routine on Mars as usual. Except this morning, The Queen is still asleep, a look of frustration on her face, hair tangled violently about her.
Outside the door, a centurion knocks. "My Queen?"
She wakes with a start, eyes flickering open at first wide and confused, then they gain semblance of memory.
She groans as she sits up, rubbing the back of her head. "Yes?"
"Are you alright? You havent been down yet."
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just had a rough night."
"Very well." The centurion moves away.
The Queen blinks, and stands up. She casts a glance at the mirror. The silence is interrupted by a low whisper. Her eyes momentarily widen, and she shudders, tearing her gaze away from the mirror to pick up a comb.
She heads to the throne some five minutes later. Nothing is out of the ordinary today. Yet she still felt an inexplainable sense of dread.
"Bring up the location of each of the commanders not currently on Mars."
She is not sure why, but she needs assurance. Instantly a centurion obeys, and a multitude of screen locations flash before her.
It was just a dream, she reassures herself; breathing slowly, calmly.
A dream I cant even remember.
There is no reason for such a feeling of terror.
No reason at-
Her thoughts are interrupted as she views Commander X-2 deep in a heated argument over his monitor with Duck Dodgers.
This sight is a welcome distraction. She smirks, and is tempted to listen in, before a call interrupts the feed.
She views the screen rather blankly, not recognizing the name. A full view with incoming image replaces the text only, and she blinks, startled.
"My Queen." A martian girl, almost as tall as her, bows low, revealing strands of purple hair behind a simple Earthling poet's hat of some kind.
"Sh-Shirley?"
An upturn of the girl's eyes suggests a smirk even at this distance.
"Yes, correct again. Long time no see."
"Indeed." The Queen responds, shocked. She hadn't heard a word from this girl herself in years.
Shirley looks up, grey eyes almost meeting the Queen's own lilac, as she waits patiently for the routine to begin.
The Queen shakes herself out of her reverie.
"Yes, Shirley? What do you have to report?"
A sigh prefaces what's going to come next. Shirley's demeanor becomes a little more vague, a bit more weary.
"I'm afraid it's not good news. Do you remember the Head of the department for Study of Non-Planet entities?"
"Yes.." She responds.
She remembered him well.
Not that he was very outstanding, but that he had a... strange look, every time someone spoke to him, and seemed to be listening to something no one else could hear.
Of course, this would annoy some species.
If anything had happened to him, she could name a few civilians to point her on the right track...
"Yes, something happened." Shirley responded suddenly. "But I don't believe that it was anything you're probably thinking of."
The Queen was taken aback for a moment. She had forgotten how the girl could almost foretell what someone would say next at times, by reading body language quite well.
Then she frowned slightly as a little confusion set in. "What do you mean, Shirley?"
The girl sighed, flicking back an unruly twist of hair.
This time, The Queen could sense what was coming.
"Shirley..."
"But we were working in this big project, and..."
The Queen sighed, and her eyes narrowed, but not in frustration. Sometimes when Shirley decided something had happened the way she thought it had, all you could do was listen. A slight noise announced a call waiting, and The Queen was spared the task of it, for now.
"Hang on Shirley. I have to take this call."
"But-"
"I am a Queen, you know."
"I know, but-"
Shirley sighed. "Can you at least send someone to help me?"
The Queen thought about it, but only for a moment. They were sort of old friends, after all.
"Okay, I'll send someone."
Shirley sighed in relief. "Thanks so much!"
Now, the Queen thought to herself as she switched calls, if only I can find someone who wont complain about being sent to the Non-Planet core...
"Greetings my Queen! I hope you are well!"
"Commander X-2!"
The commander hesitated. He had seen an expression that looked suspiciously like a giant smile.
"Uh, My Queen, I was just calling to tell you that my mission was a success, and-"
"Wonderful, Wonderful! I have a great new job for you."
"Oh! Well, of course, I-"
"Perfect! You'll be working with Shirley for a while, her boss has disappeared."
"Disappeared? Working with Shirley?" The Commander's eyes widened.
"Yes, Yes, but that was an accident, and-"
"Wait...Shirley works in the Department for Study of Non-Planet entities!"
"Yes, she does."
"But if I go there-I'll be- It's- the whole department is a laughingstock!"
The Queen sighed. "Please?"
And looking into those eyes, the Commander knew he couldn't resist.