A Beginning of Endings (Family, Sci-fi, /r/zootopia #2 anthology entry)
The young rabbit nervously clutched a well-worn book to her chest, the title Igraine the Brave Bunny visible in large, fancy gold script. She scanned the crowded school gym, looking for an adult mammal that wasn't already surrounded by a sea of other children waiting to speak to them. Nearly all the adults were local prey animals, mostly rabbit farmers, with a few store owners and other professionals that had been invited to Bunnyburrow Elementary for Career Day. The most notable exceptions were an elephant and a tiger, both wearing police uniforms and sitting off to one side. Judy bit her lip and looked over at the officers hesitantly, until her teacher walked up beside her.
The elderly armadillo smiled at the young rabbit encouragingly and said, "What would Igraine do?"
As the bunny approached the officers, she heard the tiger say, "If you'd quit pissing off the Chief, we wouldn't get stuck-"
The elephant cleared her throat and interrupted him. She smiled down at the rabbit and said, "Hello, little bunny. What's your name?"
The rabbit nervously stared up at the elephant for a few moments before she quietly said, "Judy."
The officer asked, "Do you like helping other mammals?" Judy nodded. "Well, that's one of the things I love about this job." The tiger rolled his eyes and went back to reading his newspaper. There was an awkward silence, before the elephant spotted the book Judy was holding. "Oh, I loved Igraine when I was a kid." Judy nervously bit her lip and the officer continued speaking. "Even elephants are afraid sometimes. Doing what's right… what needs to be done, even when you're afraid, is important."
The elephant spoke about being a police officer and Judy listened with rapt attention, until her teacher started to gather the students to leave. The elephant said, "Normally we have badges to hand out…" The officer held up a few stickers, each almost as large as Judy's head. The elephant looked puzzled for a moment, and then turned to rummage through a large duffle bag. She found a polar bear doll dressed as a police officer and removed the hat, which she handed to the small rabbit. "There, this should fit you." The elephant winked at Judy. "You'll just have to earn the badge." Judy clutched the hat to her chest and smiled. The elephant returned her smile and said, "Promise me that no matter what you decide you want to be when you grow up… promise me you'll be brave like Igraine and try your hardest, ok?"
Judy nodded. "I promise."
The small rabbit wailed, "I don't want you and Daddy to die!" Holly wept as Judy sat down next to her on the bed and hugged her tightly.
Nick stood nearby, looking uncomfortable. He started to speak, but Judy glared at him before she said, "Sweetie, we aren't going to die anytime soon."
The fox stepped next to the bed and awkwardly patted Holly on the back. "It's true, kiddo. I didn't mean… well, it won't happen for a long time."
The small rabbit wiped tears from her eyes. She looked at her dad and said, "But you'll both die someday."
Nick and Holly turned to look at Judy as she spoke. "It's true. Death is a part of life. My great aunt Gertie used to always say, 'Everything has an end, otherwise there's no room for new beginnings,' and she was right."
Judy went on to explain that as long as someone remembered you, you're never really gone. Nick smiled when Holly's eyelids drooped lower and lower while Judy droned on and on, until the little bunny was fast asleep. Nick and Judy kissed her goodnight and crept out of her room. They closed the door, and the fox braced himself for the impending conversation.
Judy pulled her ears down in frustration. "Sometimes Nick, I swear you drive me crazy-"
"That's why you married me, right?"
Judy frowned. "Just remember, she hears everything you say." Her ears flew straight up, and she pointed at them. "These things aren't just for looks, you know. Being a good role model is a full-time job." Nick fidgeted and Judy closed her eyes. A few moments later she said in a calmer voice, "At least Holly didn't ask where we go after we die. I don't think I'm ready for that conversation yet." She opened her eyes and looked at Nick. "You know, it's weird that you and I haven't really talked much about that either, even though we've known each other for so long."
Nick shrugged. "Honestly, I want to believe in reincarnation."
Judy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, because I don't think one lifetime with you and Little Carrots will be enough."
Judy laughed nervously and walked over to hug Nick. "How can you be such a doofus all the time, and then say things like that?"
"It's a trick, to get more bunny hugs." He returned Judy's hug, and she closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest.
Her voice was muffled when she replied, "I'm still mad at you."
Nick gently stroked her ears. "I know." They held each other quietly for a few moments before Nick added, "You wanna tell me what's really bugging you?"
Judy pulled back slightly and gave Nick a sardonic smile. "They should dedicate the new library in Bunnyburrow to someone like you. At least you have a book with your name on it."
"But I'm not half as cute and fluffy as you are, Carrots." He paused. "You know, the library is just a gleam in the mayor's eye right now… I mean, they haven't even broken ground yet, so if you wanted to write a book-"
"What would I possibly write about?"
Nick rolled his eyes. "Gee, I dunno. You've had such a boring life." He counted the accomplishments on the digits of his left paw. "First bunny cop, saved Zootopia, married a handsome fox in one of the first pred/prey marriages that you worked hard to legalize-"
"That we worked hard to legalize. You and me together, you dumb fox. Anyway, what do I know about writing?"
Nick laughed. "Seriously? You write in your diary every day!"
"I swear, the next time you call it a diary-"
Judy raised her fist to slug him in the arm, and Nick jumped back. "Hey, role models, remember?"
Fifty-one years later, Holly unfurled a blanket on the grass and gingerly sat down. The elderly doe placed the small carrot-shaped cake next to her, and closed her eyes to bask in the morning sun. Every year for as long as she could remember, Holly celebrated their "Familiversary" (as her dad used to call it) with both her parents, and she didn't see why this year should be any different.
She smiled and cut the cake into five pieces before using a plastic fork to slide one of them onto a paper plate. Holly leaned back against her parent's shared headstone and took a bite. "I can't wait to introduce your first great grandkit to both of you. We just found out he's a boy." Tears glistened in her eyes. "And I can't wait to tell him your stories."
Holly looked up to see her son and his very pregnant wife walking towards her and returned their wave.
Sixty-two years later, a small bunny kit waited excitedly while his dad opened the time capsule in the Bunnyburrow Public Library. Inside, there was a metal badge along with two folded pieces of paper and several other items.
The buck picked up the note and unfolded it. He could barely contain his excitement as he spoke. "Stuart, guess what? It's from your great great grandma Judy." He read the note aloud:
Many mammals, both real and imagined, have inspired me.
Brave Igraine, who taught me to find courage when I needed it.
Dearest Nick, who tore this badge from my chest and ended up writing a book about it.
And beautiful Holly, who taught me almost as much about patience as Nick did.
Judy Hopps
His dad pulled another piece of paper from the time capsule and looked at it. "Aww, your great grandma Holly put something in here too." He handed it to Stuart.
The small bunny looked at the crayon drawing of an elephant, two rabbits, and a fox flying in a rocket ship through space. Stuart's eagerness quickly turned to disappointment and he sighed and his ears drooped. "But only little mammals get to fly in space."
His dad nodded sympathetically and ruffled his ears. "You never know though, Squirt. If great great grandma Judy taught us anything-"
Stuart laughed. "I know, we shouldn't give up."
His dad chuckled. "That's right."
Stuart picked up the metal badge. "Why did great great grandma Judy put this in here?"
His dad lifted a stack of worn Moleskine notebooks from the time capsule. "We'll just have to read her journals and find out."
Forty-eight years later, Cadet Elin Wilde shifted slightly while she stood at attention. An older rabbit stood with his back to Elin and looked out the viewport in the wall of his office at the partially completed hull of a massive spaceship. The vixen glanced curiously at a small metal badge and datapad in a tray on the Commander's desk next to a nameplate which read CDR Stuart Hopps, Z.S.N. in large gold letters.
Elin had a pretty good idea why she was there, since she'd spent the better part of an hour that morning using a plasma torch to burn her name onto the inside of the aft access panel of one of the brand new landing shuttles. It wasn't as good as actually going, but at least some part of her would leave on the next ship bound for the new colony.
The commander continued to stare out the window while he spoke. "Cadet, why are you always getting into trouble?"
"Sir?"
He turned to glance at her. "You seem to have issues with other mammals, especially rabbits. That's particularly ironic, given who we both are."
"I don't understand-"
The commander shook his head. "Of course you don't." The rabbit sighed and continued. "You were at the top of your class, perfect scores in astronavigation. Hell, given how many hours you spend in the simulator, you probably know more about the capabilities of that ship out there than I do, and that's saying something. You've got so much potential…" The rabbit wistfully looked back at the partially completed ship and shook his head.
Elin was surprised the commander knew she'd been sneaking time on the simulator, but before she could ponder how he'd found out, the rabbit spoke again. "Why are you here?"
"I assumed you called me in for defacing landing craft #3-"
The commander interrupted her. "No, why are you on this station?"
Elin spoke in a crisp monotone voice. "I'm part of the construction team building the first interstellar spacecraft, designation IS-Z01, and training the extra small mammals…"
The vixen trailed off when the commander shook his head and chuckled to himself. He ignored Elin's sullen look and said, "Sounds like something right out of the recruitment manual. So that's it then? You think all of the colonies will be for extra smalls only? What about when the Z01 heads out of spacedock in a few decades? Do the stars belong to the mice too?" The room was silent for a few moments before the commander continued in a quiet voice. "I fought tooth and claw for twenty years to relax the size restrictions on space travel. Two decades ago, the only way you and I would ever see that ship out there is through a telescope." The commander picked up the tray from his desk and held it out to Elin. "I want you to read everything that's on this datapad. Report back here at 18:00 hours tomorrow, and tell me why you're really here. Dismissed."
Later that evening, Elin lay on her bunk and stared at the shiny badge in her paw. Police Officer, Trust, Integrity, Bravery. She was surprised by the books, and realized after reading them she might even be related to the commander by marriage, which the vixen thought was odd indeed. But what got Elin really excited were the technical reports that had also been included on the datapad. She carefully considered the implications of the newly developed cryochambers and the next generation space drive, and it hit her like a jolt of electricity: when the Z01 was finally ready for launch, mammal size wouldn't matter anymore.
A voice shouted, "Lights out," and her fellow cadets hurried to climb into their bunks before the room was plunged into darkness. As it grew quiet and the other mammals settled in, the vixen grinned to herself. Elin knew exactly what she would tell the commander tomorrow.
Ninety-four years later, Captain Elin Wilde finished engraving Judy Hopps and Commander Stuart Hopps next to her name on the inside of the aft access panel of the landing craft. Even though her recent awakening from cryosleep meant the plasma torch was a bit unsteady, Elin was able to put the final touches on the names without too much trouble. She carefully fitted the panel back in place and smiled. Elin wondered how long it would be until someone found the datapad she'd hidden in the box welded to the airframe behind the panel.
The silence of the landing bay was broken by an all-hands announcement whistle from the nearby intercom, followed by the voice of the XO. "All officers to the bridge for final approach briefing."
Elin trailed her paw across the sleek lines of the landing craft. If all went well, in just under 48 hours, she would be riding down with most of the flight crew to be the first mammal to set foot on New Zootopia.
The vixen's hand slipped into the pocket of her flight suit and she touched the small metal badge the commander had given to her so long ago. Before Elin moved to leave, she whispered, "Thank you, Commander. And thank you, Judy."
Two hundred and ten years later, a group of rowdy teenage mammals went on a field trip to the Founders Museum in Capital City, the largest population center on New Zootopia. They were excited to get a day away from school to see the newest exhibit, created from the information on a datapad that had been hidden in one of the original landing craft. They fidgeted quietly at the entrance as the gazelle docent finished explaining how the newly added exhibit was relevant to the recent news announcement from the government. "Since Homeworld hasn't responded to our last two transmissions, the newly established space program is working to repair the starship in orbit and send a few adventurous mammals back to re-establish contact."
An older fox casually leaned against a wall at the back of the room and watched the rambunctious teens. While most of them were barely listening, one rabbit excitedly raised her paw when the gazelle asked a question.
After the gazelle had finished speaking, all the mammals scattered, except the young rabbit who stood and stared in awe at the new exhibit. The fox noticed she was holding a brand new book, Judy Hopps, First Rabbit Officer. The image on the cover was the same image used in the exhibit, an old photo of Judy receiving her badge. After a few minutes, the fox stepped up next to the rabbit and said, "Not much for crowds? Me either." She glanced at him and nodded. He pointed at the hologram of the old city of Zootopia in the neighboring exhibit. "Would you want to go back and visit?"
The rabbit bit her lip and shrugged. "I've thought about trying to be an astronaut, but I dunno if I could do it."
The fox pointed at the book she was holding and asked, "What would Judy do?"
The rabbit nervously looked up at the fox and gave him a quizzical look. "Who are you?"
He grinned. "Nobody important, though my sixth great grandmother was captain of the ship that brought us here." He reached into his pocket to pull out a small metal object and hold it up. "I've got something you might recognize." The rabbit gasped; despite being very worn, there was no mistaking the faint outlines of Judy's badge. The fox offered it to the rabbit. "I was going to donate this to the museum, but it really should go back to Homeworld. Think you can take care of that for me?"
The rabbit smiled and nodded vigorously before she took the badge and clutched it to her chest. "I promise."
