MyraK, Twilight Zone Child: Part One
By me, Leah
"Yes, Commander, I will remember to be more careful at helm. I'm sorry. But hey, it didn't do any harm or anything. We're all alive and well and it wasn't that that big a meteor storm," Harlan said, blushing.
The Christa had narrowly escaped death because Harlan had been goofing off at helm.
"Maybe you should take a rest. Go have a nap, Mr. Band. I hate it when you goof off. Elmira, take his place until I feel like giving it back. What are you waiting for, Mr. Band? GO!" The Commander was in a rotten mood.
Harlan left and Elmira smiled smiled. "Finally, they trust me with a job. I thought they'd never get over that 'Oh, you're a Spung; you can't be trusted' state of mind. I guess my status on this ship finally got up to normal. And gee, they do it with HELM, too! Maybe that STARDOG isn't that bad after all."
They were flying smoothly when the radio crackled to life.
"Somebody help me, please. I'm trapped here-all alone-and I want my mommy!"
Elmira scowled and pressed a communications button. "I've heard this joke. As a matter of fact, I've played it before. Get a life, kid."
"What do you mean? Please help me! I'm all alone and I really want my mommy and my daddy. And the ship that I'm in doesn't like me."
"Oh really? What's your name and race?"
"My name is MyraK and my dolly is Dotsie. My mommy is Sarah and my daddy is Bill. I am an Earther. I am 6 Earth years old."
The Commander frowned. He asked, "How long have you been out there?"
"I don't know. You sound like my daddy. Is he over there?"
"Look, we'll help you out, OK?"
"Oh, thank you mister."
There was a lot of static and then the connection was cut off.
"This is not a good idea, Commander, I'm telling you right now. I've got a feeling about this," Elmira hissed into the Commander's ear.
"Keep your 'feelings' to yourself, Elmira. Be nice for once in your life. It couldn't hurt."
"I am nice, Commander. Who says I'm not?"
"It's not important."
"Wait a second. Someone said I was not nice? I'm a kind, sweet, usually gentle teenage girl--"
"No one said you were mean. Or evil. Just that you had a nasty streak."
"Doesn't everyone?"
"Yes, but yours tends to show up more. It's the years on the killcruisers. We'll fix all of it. Don't worry."
"Does it look like I'm worrying? And no, I like my personality just the way it is. I want to know how you plan to change it."
"We'll come up with something. Oh, get Harlan and go check up on the little girl who's landing now."
"You're making a mistake."
"Now, Elmira."
"Just when you figure you're getting some respect, from the whole crew, you discover that someone thinks you're evil and the STARDOG thinks of you as a Spung slave -- why me?"
Moments later, Harlan and Elmira were getting the airlock to connect with the caller's ship.
"I was not the one who said you were mean. I swear, Elmira."
"I'm afraid it was Catalina anyway. It's all right. Look, I've got to get the girl in here. And so do you, because the STARDOG jerk said to. But I have a terrible feeling about this little girl and her doll."
"You're pariniod, Elmira."
"I'm a psychic. Chances are I'm right, Harlan. But the Commander says to let her in. So, fine, I will. If anything happens, I'll say, 'I told you so.' "
The airlock slid open and a very young looking girl jumped out. She had masses of chin-length red curly hair and lots of freckles.
"You people are so kind," she said with one of those annoyingly cute smiles. She pulled out from behind her a doll.
"Meet Dotsie. I think all of us will be friends, don't you, green girl?"
Elmira scowled. "I have a name. It is Elmira. If you call me 'green girl' again, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"
The girl frowned. "You're mean," she announced after looking at Elmira angrily for a while.
Elmira grinned. "Yep. Did you know that all of the green people like me are meaner. Back where I came from, I am considered a bit too nice. So chill out. What was your name again?"
"MyraK. And this is Dotsie, my best friend."
Harlan half expected another girl to step out, but then he realized that she was holding up the doll.
The doll was very fancy and it seemed a bit alive. It had blonde straight hair and blue eyes. It was pale and it wore a denimn dress, similair to the one that MyraK was wearing.
Harlan snickered. "And is that your only friend?"
"And people were saying I was mean! Geez, Harlan, give the kid a break. That was full-fleged nasty!"
The girl began to cry. "See, two more people who don't like me. Nobody likes me. I am all alone. Only my mommy and my daddy and Dotsie love me. I am all alone in the universe."
"Harlan, you and your big mouth. I've heard you say stuff like that to Radu, too, and it makes him feel awful about himself."
"Look, I'm usually nice to Radu nowadays. Let's help the girl, OK? Look, MyraK, I have 5 whole fingers! Wow!"
"Excuse me, Mr. Earther sir, but I have five fingers too. So it's not all that cool. But the green - er, Elmira, is cool because she has 3 fingers."
***
It was later that night and Catalina was her short rainbow hair. Elmira was half awake and in a daydream state and Rosie was asleep and was snoring loudly like she always did. Catalina walked to the far side of the room to check on MyraK, but she was gone.
TO BE CONTINUED . . . .
MyraK, Twilight Zone Child
Part 2
By me, Leah
"MyraK, where are you, sweet child? Please come back here," Catalina whispered, walking down the hallway.
"Cat, what's going on? What are you talking about? Who are you talking to?"
Harlan stepped out of the shadows, with Bova following him.
"MyraK left. I am trying to find her. Will you help me out. You know, I used to be paid for babysitting. But now I'm doing it for free. Yuck. From now on, Rosie can handle this. She actually likes MyraK. Hurry it up. Let's get the brat."
MyraK stepped out of the hallway. "You hate me too, don't you? And I thought you were my friend. How can you do this? You'll pay, Catwoman. You'll be sorry. Me and Dotsie say so."
***
" . . . . and she says that that doll of hers talks to her. And she threatened us, too, Elmira."
"I doubt that, with her size, she'll be able to do much. But we should make her leave, just in case."
Harlan was talking to Elmira and Radu, who was sitting beside her. (They'd been kissing, but Harlan had come down the jumptubes and they'd jumped apart.)
Radu finally spoke up. "Look, guys, I think you're jumping to conclusions. It's an angry little girl who's lonely. She just wants friends." He blushed and whispered, "I sort of know how that feels."
Elmira gave him a hug.
Harlan rolled his eyes.
Later that day, the Cases shipped the young girl off of their ship. She was crying, but her tears looked unnatural.
It was a big mistake.
***
"Are you alone, Rosie? Truly alone? Don't count on it. I want a friend, but you don't like me. I'll have to kill you, Rosie."
Rosie whipped around. There was no one there.
"Radu! Radu, did you hear that? Radu, get down here! I think I heard MyraK"
she shouted.Radu came down the jumptubes. "Huh? We just sent her off, moments ago. Oh, look, here's Dotsie, that doll she was always carrying around. Anyway, are you sure you're feeling all right?"
He took her to the MedLab, where Bova checked on her.
"She seems all right, Radu," Bova eventually declared. "Maybe she was hearing things."
Radu silenced Bova with a motion of his arm. "Shhh, I think I hear something."
Somewhere else on the ship, Elmira let out a desperate cry for help.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
MyraK, Twilight Zone Child
By me, Leah
Elmira was standing in the engine room, doing a security check. She was wondering how the heck MyraK had gotten back onto the ship.
"Well, the ship senses her. But they can't scan her place. Why not? I guess I'll have to find her myself."
"You talk to yourself, green girl? You're my insane enimy. You should have become my friend while you still could. But it's too late, green girl. Prepare to die."
Elmira whirled. There stood MyraK, holding a knife. MyraK lunged. Elmira screamed.
***
Radu and Harlan came in at the same time. MyraK had already cut open part of Elmira's arm and Elmira was quickly losing blood.
Radu punched MyraK in the stomach while Harlan got some cloth to stop the blood.
MyraK was lying on the ground. She got up, but Radu heard her.
He whirled around and jumped onto her. He slammed her onto the floor onto her stomach.
"How did you do that, MyraK?" he asked her. "How did you get back up?"
Then MyraK's head spun completely around so she faced him even though she was on her stomach.
He was so startled that he jumped off of her. Then he was terribly frightened. "What are you, MyraK? How did you do that?"
"I am a robot. I am invincible. And I plan to kill you all."
Harlan, who had finished bandaging Elmira, leaped up and yelled, "No, you're not!"
He did one of those famous karate kicks on the girl/robot. She fell over and her body slammed into the regulator console.
And then her head came off.
It wasn't actually gross or anything. Broken wires were coming out of her neck and there were buttons and tubes and a variety of other electronic things popping out.
"She's gone. But we're all OK. That's one android with an attitude," Radu whispered after a moment of staring at what was left of MyraK.
The boys were helping Elmira in the MedLab when the intercom crackled. "I'm not gone yet, boys. Don't you worry about me. You weren't my friends. Now you must die."
To be continued . . .
MyraK, Twilight Zone Child
Part 4
By me, Leah
"It's impossible!" Radu shouted. "Her head snapped off. How did she - - "
"Let's go check it out! Hurry! To the engine room!" Harlan yelled as ruldely as ever, interrupting Radu's logical track of thought.
"Now, Harlan, wait a second here. She wants us dead and she's loose on the ship. Either one of us could probably take her on, but what about Elmira? She's weak from blood loss and if MyraK had a weapon . . ."
"Good point, Hairdo."
"I told you never to call me that again!"
"Yes, sir. Look, you gaurd your little girlfriend here and I'll go and stop the brat. I'll dump her in the Protomix. That'll end her for good."
"Be careful."
"You are talking to Harlan Band, here, Radu."
"I know. My point exactly."
Radu sat on a chair beside the unconscious Elmira. Harlan went to go and get MyraK.
Harlan shot himself down the jumptubes and was utterly shocked by what he saw when he got to the engine room.
There, lying on the ground, was MyraK, dissassembled the way she had been before.
The intercom system started making clinking sounds. Then came, "Are you scared now, Earther boy? You could have been a cool friend. But now you're a dead enimy. What's the difference? But Rosie will go first. I have her right here, with my knife to her throat. Or rather, my newest robot slave does!"
Then it dawned on Harlan: MyraK was a machine. And something else had been telling it what to do. But what was the something else?
He went back to the MedLab, where Radu and Elmira were kissing again. They didn't notice him come in.
"Excuse me!" he yelled.
They jumped apart and started blushing madly.
"Did you two hear the intercom, or were you too, um, busy?"
"No, we heard it. But it didn't make any sense. Where is Rosie and what does MyraK mean, slave robot?" Radu asked.
"Look, I told you so. No one listens to Elmira around here. They should, no doubt about that, but do they? NO. Where's the Commander? If we live through this, I'd like to rub it into his STARDOG face," Elmira complained crossly.
"Elmira, this is serious. Yes, you were right, and yes, we should listen to you more. You two would be suprised about what I found was in the engine room."
"What Harlan? Amaze us with your with your intellect and knoweledge," Elmira retorted sarcastically.
"The robot - MyraK - was still there and her head was still deattached. I am supposing that she was just a slave, like the person on the intercom said. But then who would the person on the intercom be? What do you suppose is going on?"
"I like Rosie. She's always been really nice to be ever since I got here. Let's go save the little pink person," Elmira whispered.
"What about your condition? You just lost blood. And you're weak. So lock yourself in here. We'll handle whoever and Rosie."
"Oh, no you won't. I am going."
"Spoiled little Spung brat."
"Dumb STARDOG wannabe."
Radu interrupted them. "Look, you two. If Elmira wants to go, then let her go. Elmira are you sure about this,
pretty one?" [Leah Note: He is not cursing at her, he's saying "pretty one" in Andromedian.]"What did you just call me? Well, I suppose it does't matter. I'm sure. Let's go."
The three friends started walking down hallways. Each second counted. Rosie was in danger.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
MyraK, Twilight Zone Child
Part 5
By me, Leah
"Please don't kill me, THELMA. I don't know what has gotten into you. And please take that knife away from my throat. What are you doing?"
The door flew open. Radu, Harlan, and Elmira jumped in. "Rosie!" Elmira shouted.
Radu's eyes widened. The new `robot slave' was THELMA!
Elmira finally understood. She realized what Radu had realized. "Who is your leader, THELMA?"
"I am not supposed to answer you in any way. My leader says so."
"I don't believe in your leader's powers. Take me to your leader."
Radu grabbed her green arm. "What do you think you're doing,
pretty one?" [Leah note: He called her "pretty one" in Andromedian again.]"I am Sorola Elmira, Spung Princess. I'm not afraid. I want to see the stupid leader. I can kick his butt out the door," she said. And they left, leaving the relieved and forgotten Rosie behind.
***
Elmira was lead into the lounge. There sat Dotsie, MyraK's doll.
Elmira could not resist giggling. "You are busy worshipping a doll? That is really sad, just to let you know."
To her extreme suprise, the doll's mouth opened.
"You don't get it. All I wanted was a friend. MyraK was my dolly. All of my friends would have talked to me through her. I, Dotsie, could have pretended to be a doll while I secretly controlled MyraK. And those of you who weren't my friends would be killed and my friends and I would have lived happily ever after. But you didn't like that. None of you wanted to be my friends. So you must die. It's very simple, really."
"Were you really nerdy in your past life? Are you a ghost trapped in a doll? Did you ever see the movie *Child's Play*? Or what?"
"Mean kids did it. I wasn't their friend. They put slippery stuff on the ground and I fell and died. But I got into Mary, my doll, and decided I'd be friends with everyone and those who didn't like that idea would die."
"No wonder no one liked you. You are a psycho control freak."
"I am not! I am the ultimate friend! If you would give me a chance - -"
"You little freak! You'll never have friends!"
"THEMLA is my friend. Aren't you, THELMA? Aren't you my friend?"
"Yes, Master Dotsie."
"You little brat! You just programmed her to say that! If she were a true friend, she wouldn't have called you master."
"THELMA, dispose of this pest. She is not wanted here."
THELMA walked over and grabbed Elmira, who began yelling out all of the worst curse words she knew. (Warlord Shank cursed a lot, so Elmira knew every curse in existence, just about.)
THELMA dragged Elmira into the engine room. She was about to dump Elmira into the Protomix when Rosie jumped out of the jumptubes and burned the wiring in THELMA's back.
Back in the lounge, Dotsie shrieked. "I'll get the awful green girl for this!" she hollered.
She jumped down with her tiny doll body and hid in the girls' bunkroom.
***
"I've searched the whole ship. I'm telling you, Dotsie must be gone. Elmira, when are you and Commander Goddard going to rewire THEMLA?"
"Cat, when we're sure that she's off the ship. And let's not go into the bunkroom right now."
"Why not?"
"Because Dotsie's in there. And she's got a gun. We have to wait until she goes to sleep or we get bulletproof, whichever comes first."
"How can you be sure she sleeps?"
"I just sort of know."
"I wish I had your powers. I'd be a lot luckier. And a lot happier."
"Don't count on it. I've seen a very gory future too many. Many warlords have had me tell them how they're going to die and when the vision comes, it's not pretty. You're the lucky one, Cat, not me."
The two of them were walking around the ship in silence.
"She's asleep," announced Elmira without warning. "Let's go. Be very quiet. We'll pop her in an escape vessel and send her to the Zigret Empire."
"Why the Zigrets? I'd like it better if we sent it to the Spung."
"Welcome to the universe. I am a Spung. And I hold a personal grudge against this one Zigret warlord, Warlord Zilu. He captured me once and tortured me. Let's send her there."
"Let's send her to Warlord Shank!!"
"We are not going to send her to my father."
"Whoa, that creep is your dad?"
"Yeah. We're not sending Dotsie to him."
"I'm sorry. It's cool, though. I mean, cool with me."
"No, actually it's not. I can tell. You're completely shocked."
"Turn off your psychic powers for once in your life. Look, we're here. Let's get her."
"Yeah."
"Look, Elmira, I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
"You're mad at me, aren't you, Elmira?"
"Look, let's just go and get Dotsie."
They stepped into the door and there sat Dotsie. The two of them picked her up and pulled the gun out of her hands. That caused her to ``wake up" and open her eyes.
Elmira grinned. "You poor innocent girl with a mental problem. Prepare to go and give the Zigrets a suprise visit."
"They won't be my friends, either."
"No kidding."
The doll made a sound and her blue glass eyes closed.
"Elmira, was that a trick? Elmira?"
"No, Cat. Shush. I think she's crossing over."
"Why now?"
"Because she's accepted the facts."
"Wow."
"Didn't I tell you to shush?"
"Sorry."
There was a flash of light and the doll went completely limp.
"So, um, it's just another doll now, isn't it?"
"Yep."
"Are we going to keep it?"
"It doesn't matter."