Thank you to my one reviewer! You gave me the courage to continue! I hope you like this chapter!
--
"Repeat that?" She asked, certain she had heard him wrong.
"Dead. They're all dead. Everyone."
"You're not."
"I was in stasis as well."
"Well, what happened? Was there some sort of accident?"
"Yeah, It was called, letting Arnold Rimmer onboard." Lister smiled at his own joke. Myra wasn't smiling at all.
"I don't follow."
"There was a radiation leak that killed everyone on Red Dwarf, besides us, cause we were protected in stasis. Holly couldn't let us out till the radiation levels went down…"
"Why do I have a feeling it was longer than 19 months?" she asked by gauging the look on his face.
"…which took about three million years." He coughed and mumbled the 'million' part. Myra didn't reply. The floor had seemed to go out from under her. "Come on now." Lister said holding on to her-and helping her walk. "Lets get you downstairs-I know just the place."
--
"So, what you're saying is…" She began slowly-making sure she had gotten all of it correctly. "…I've been in stasis for three million years and in that time, we've lost Earth. Humanity has died out-as did a race of cat people- that just happened to have feared me as some sort of angel of doom and you their God And, as if that weren't ridiculous enough, the ships computer has fallen in love with me?"
"Basically, yeah." Lister nodded. "You might want to be gentle with him. He's really smitten with ya."
"I think I need a drink."
"That's why I brought you to the officer's lounge." Lister said and jumped up from the table. He walked around to the other side of the bar and grabbed a bottle of gin to begin making drinks. "It's got the best booze."
"Psst, Dave." Holly's face popped up on a small screen behind the bar.
"What is it, Hol?" Dave asked as he began to pour the liquid into two glasses.
"How's it going? She remember me?" Holly asked quietly-the suspense apparent in his eyes-if not his monotone voice.
"I think so-yeah."
"Tell her I said hi." Holly smiled, then his brow furrowed. "On second thought, no, might make me sound a bit eager."
"Why don't you just tell her yourself?" Dave laughed.
"I'm working on it. Got to build up me confidence, don't I?"
"I suppose so." Lister raised his head up from behind the bar and called to Myra. "You take ice?" She was gone. "Where's she off to now?" Lister sighed.
--
Myra was going down the corridor faster than was probably safe. She didn't know where she was headed. She just knew she had to get out of there. Quickly turning left and right as she bounded down the hall, she was soon out of breath and thankfully lost. She saw a nearby bench beside a food vendor and sat down.
"Get yourself together, My…" she said to herself, between pants of breath. "…things aren't that bad."
"There you go…that's the right attitude, love." said the food vending machine. "Care for some soup?"
"No, thank you."
"Suit yourself." the vending machine answered.
"Wooo I am looking fine today-with a capital FINE!" Came a voice coming up the corridor. Myra stood instinctively as the figure approached. "Hey, who are you?" he said as he came up on her.
"I'm My-" she began but was cut off by Cat's loud screech.
"Moriah Smitts?!" Cat had just came close enough to see her face clearly. He dropped to the ground at her feet. "You're Moriah Smitts!!-You've come to punish me! Don't take my suede shoes! Anything but my shooeeesssss-and my extensive jacket collection!!"
"I'm not Mor--" She tried but Cat continued.
"Or my jewelry! I can't live without my jewelry!"
"I'm not Moriah Smitts alright!" she yelled pulling Cat up by his arm. "I'm not interested in taking any of your clothing!"
"Or accessories?" Cat asked still skeptical.
"Or accessories." she agreed.
"Well if you're not Moriah Smitts, then who are you?" Cat asked regaining some of his cool from before.
"I'm Myra Smith-and I'm a geologist."
"In that case, I'm Cat. Nice to meet you.-Now, I got to go. It's time for my sixth nap of the day. See ya." The Cat made his way down the other end of the corridor. Myra watched him go and headed back towards where her quarters used to be.
--
"Lights." she said once she entered the room. She walked to her old desk by the small port window and looked over the few pages laying there.
"Is it how you left it?" It was Lister. He spoke softly so as not to startle her. He was leaning on the door frame, kindly smiling.
"Yes, exactly." She said before looking back down at the papers. "You would think after three million years there would be a ton of dust on everything."
"Good thing about being in space I suppose-not much dust." Lister said before smiling big. "Unless you count star-dust, eh?"
"I suppose." she answered half-heartedly.
"You know, you're going to have to work on that sense of humor, if you're going to get by out here." He said stepping into the room.
"I'm sorry -and about earlier too-running off. I just needed some time alone to process. It's a lot to take in all at once."
"Believe me I know." Lister added.
"Well, yes. I suppose you would. You're in the same boat as me."
"Literally." Lister agreed, looking around.
"You probably handled it better though."
"I handled it the same way I handle everything else..." Lister shrugged. "…with ridicule and sarcasm."
Myra half-laughed.
"There ya go!" Lister beamed. "It's good to see you smiling. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever break, but I suppose after scowling for three million years it's a tough habit to break."
"I'm usually a happy person, honest."
"Good-for awhile there I thought I was going to be stuck with another Rimmer."
"Rimmer? Is he the Cat-person?"
"Oh, you met Cat, did ya?"
"Yes, briefly, but he made a lasting impression."
"Ya, he defiantly does that." Lister nodded. "Rimmer is a hologram-of my old bunk mate. Holly brought him back to keep me company, and to keep me sane."
"Is it working?" she asked.
"At times I wonder."
--
"I can't believe you." Holly said to Lister, once he got back to his room.
"What?" Lister said.
"You were flirting with her. Don't deny it." Holly said.
"I was trying to help her feel better." Lister defended.
"I guess I under estimated your drive to repopulate the human species. What are my chances now then? Why would she want me when she's got your warm body pressing up against her?"
"Holly, I never pressed up against her!"
"No, but you thought about it." Holly frowned.
"I didn't!" Lister yelled. "Listen, Hol, you're my mate. You're in love with her and even though you're a computer and she and I are the last human beings alive-and the only hope of mankind's survival- I still wouldn't betray you."
"Well, I suppose that's alright then." Holly said still looking suspicious.
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