GEMMA'S ARRIVAL

Disclaimer: All characters other than Gemma were created and are owned by Grant Naylor. Gemma was created by me. This story was the first one I wrote, and it was originally a script, so it might seem a bit rushed. If you would like to read the original script, email me and I'll send it to you as a .doc file. Any feedback will be gratefully received, whether it is good or bad.

As Rimmer ran down the corridor, he realised that kneeing Death in the groin was not the smartest move he ever made. He could still hear the taunts of the damned vending machine laughing at him. If he survived, he would personally reduce it to a can opener. Right now all he could do was try to find a way off the ship. As he ran through the ship, dreaming more and more painful ways to get rid of the vending machine, he didn't notice the roof falling. He was still trying to figure out how to get the vending machine can opener shaped like a swan when a rather large piece of metal hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.

On the landing bay, Ace's ship had just landed. The door opened, and Ace stepped out, striking a hero type pose, hands on hips and feet shoulder width apart. Ace believed the pose made him look sexy, and after spending the journey with Gemma, who was obsessed with Lister rather than him, he needed a bit of manly reassurance. Gemma stepped out behind him, looked at the pose, disgusted that she had spent the journey trying to find out more about her father, but being told how this moron had become Ace.

"You look ridiculous." Gemma sneered.

Ace signed and stood normally.

"Got to make an entrance Cooky." Ace looked around him at the familiar ship, but still took a few seconds to work out what was different. The walls were melting and there were holes in the floor. He wondered whether Lister had been eating raw chillies again.

"Looks like a ship hit a spot of bother, eh Cooky?"

"A spot of bother? The ship is falling apart you animated Ken doll!!" All the frustration she had felt was bubbling to the surface, and Gemma was taking advantage, backing Ace against a nearby wall." I have just travelled through realities with a man who would not look out of place on the cover of Man magazine, for the modern homosexual, to find a ship in the middle of Deep Space that is about to disintegrate!!"

"Relax, we'll find the blighter causing this little barbecue."

"Before or after we find the charred remains of my father?"

Gemma stomped off down the corridor, trying to find any clue to what had caused the disaster, or the presence of anyone alive. She wasn't concentrating on where she was going, and tripped over something. She turned round, ready to kick whatever it was, but knelt down instead. It was a person, a man. She could see a slight resemblance to Ace, but this man didn't have any of Ace's arrogance, and that awful bleached hair. He had knocked out by something, judging by the lump on his head. Gemma found she was a little more interested in finding out what had happened, and set off to look for the medical bay of the ship and a stretcher.

Ace was still in the corridor, annoyed that there were no mirrors nearby so he could make sure his hairdo hadn't gone flat yet. He had to find Lister, otherwise he would be forced to apologise to Gemma and take her home again. He didn't want to do that because he could still feel the bruises on his ribs where she had taken to punching him when she criticised his driving.

"I know what you're looking for."

Ace turned, looking for the source of the sing song metallic voice. It was a vending machine on the wall that somehow still worked. Its voice was slightly muffled from some tape that had been stuck in the voice unit, which Ace removed.

"By God that's amazing!! Do you sell Bounty bars? I haven't had one in years."

"I don't sell things to people anymore, not since the last one. But I do know what you need to repair the ship."

"What?"

"Can't remember."

"But you said you knew. If this ship disintegrates, we all die."

"Maybe. Do you have any money?"

"No, I never carry money, it ruins the line of my outfit."

"Look, a smegpot with a third of your brains and a tenth of your looks stole from me. He yanked the money right out of me. I knocked him out, and was planning on shouting the formula to him as he was choking on the smoke, but he got away. You get the money, I'll tell you the formula."

Ace thought for a moment; the story sounded familiar. Then he remembered he used to have a coin on a string for when he wanted free chocolate. Some smegger had stolen his trick!! That was impossible, he used it when no one was around, not even Lister had known. Was it possible that he had been replaced by himself?

Gemma was busy checking the man she had found for injuries. The only one she could find was the lump on the side of his head, which she didn't think was too serious. She noticed the name badge neatly stitched to his shirt which had RIMMER printed on it. So this was old peroxide head then. She was stunned that anyone who looked like this man did would want to do that to himself. She was just checking his files on the computer when Ace strolled in.

"Found a survivor?"

"Yeah, you."

So it was true then. Ace had to find out how this was possible. He got another shock that rendered him speechless for a full minute; all he could do was stare at the figure on the bed. Where was the H on his forehead? Was this a new kind of hologram projection that omitted the tattoo that he had hated so much? After all, his Ace lightbee didn't use that mark so no one would find out Ace was a hologram. He looked through the pockets while Gemma wasn't looking, found the yo-yo money and left. Now he wanted to find Lister because he had some questions.

Gemma was still reading up on Armold J. Rimmer when she heard a groan from behind her. She looked on the bed to find Arnold just waking up. She sat on the side of the bed so she would be the first thing he saw.

Rimmer had the mother of all headaches. He couldn't see a thing apart from a black blur with a lighter blur around it. He heard a voice. It was female and quite soothing, a Scottish accent, he realised. As his vision straightened out, the voice also became clearer.

"Arnold? Can you hear me? Speak, let me know you're OK."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

Gemma grinned, something she rarely did anymore. He was going to be OK.

"My name's Gemma. You're in the medical bay."

Rimmer tried to sit up. Now that he was awake and out of danger, he had to get a sledgehammer to start his operation on the vending machine. Gemma pushed him back, gently enough so he didn't get offended, but insistent enough that he didn't dare disobey. She smiled at him and turned back to the computer. He wondered who she was; he was sure he had never seen her before. Maybe his assault on the vending machine could wait for a while.

Ace had returned to the vending machine and paid it. Now he had to remember where the science room was to make the formula written in very small letters on the paper. He couldn't begin to pronounce it, but it was all he had to go on. He heard a noise behind him like a footstep, and followed it. He heard the murmur of voices, which silenced as he walked. He took out his gun, mentally berating himself for never learning how to fire it yet, and paced down the corridor as silently as he could in his hard soled boots that were made to get him noticed. He came face to face with a gerbil like grin he never thought he would see again.

"Ace? Jesus, man, what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you again Davey boy. I'm doing great, but we got a bit of a caper on here."

"I see you've settled into the Ace bit easily enough."

"There's been a few bumps along the way, but I'm getting there. Listen, you should go down to the medical bay, there's someone there you should meet."

"Alright, I'll just get the rest of the guys."

Kryten, Cat and Kochanski came round the corner and Ace was suddenly glad to see the old crew again. He had been through so much since he had last seen them, and obviously they had a few stories to tell, such as how could Kochanksi be here?

"Hey there Kryters. Cat, how's the wardrobe?"

"Don't ask." Cat grimaced.

"Please sirs, I must press the urgency of the situation we are in." Kryten piped up from behind the group.

"Of course, Kryters old boy. I managed to get the formula for the antidote, but chemistry isn't really my bag. Think you can handle it?"

"I'll certainly try sir." Kryten left with the formula, trying not to look too pleased.

"Hi Kris, haven't seen you in years." Ace said as he extended his hand to the last member of the group.

"Have we met?" asked Kochanski. She was sure she would have remembered someone like him.

"I used to work on this crate. Now, tell me what you've been up to."

As Lister told Ace about meeting Kochanski, the nanobots and finding Red Dwarf intact, including a live Rimmer, Ace couldn't help getting a little jealous. He had gone through the transformation to escape the ship, and back here there was another version of him who was alive again. He suddenly didn't want to meet him, or he may do something he would regret. He couldn't avoid it though; he wanted to see Lister's face when he met Gemma too much.

"So who do you want me to meet, Ace? Your girlfriend or something?" Lister asked, hoping it wasn't. He couldn't bear the thought of Rimmer getting laid more than him, even if it was as Ace.

"No Davey, just someone I met. She's in the medical bay with Arnie."

The group entered the medical bay and only Ace noticed Gemma moving to the corner of the room. He smiled to himself; obviously she was more nervous about this than she was letting on.

"Mr. Rimmer, sir, you're OK." Kryten said as he moved towards the medicomp to monitor his progress. He was puzzled to see it was already on.

Gemma moved forward thinking she may as well get this over with. She had to decide whether she wanted to stay on the ship after Ace left, and might as well start now.

"The monitor is already on. He has mild concussion, but if he stays awake for another four hours or so, he'll be fine." She stepped forward with her hand extended, then noticed Kryten properly.

"What happened to you? You look like a sculpture made by Edward Scissorhands."

"I am a 4000 Series mechanoid, Miss. My name is Kryten."

Now Gemma understood. By the time she had gone to Space Academy the 4000 Series were no longer being built or used because the cleanliness chip was too sensitive, making them obsessed with housework. Personally she despised using machines to cover for humans' laziness so she could tell this android would annoy her.

"I'm Gemma. I came with Goldilocks over there." She replied, indicating Ace, who was barely concealing his glee.

Cat sidled up to the newcomer and put an arm around her. He had already forgotten her name, but here was new female to try his charms on, and he wasn't going to let the opportunity go by.

"Hi, baby. I'm the Cat. Expert in clothes and lovin'."

Gemma looked at the Cat, unsure whether to be amused or disgusted. Sure, he was charismatic, but she hated his arrogance and feeling of self worth that obviously occupied his every cell. Things were not looking good. She picked up his hand by one finger, and dropped it from her shoulder.

"You have got to be joking." She said, turning away from him, leaving him shellshocked.

"First Console Officer Kristine Kochanksi. Nice to meet you." Kochanski extended a hand, wondering why Gemma was refusing to take it.

Gemma was stunned. She couldn't believe her mother was on board the ship, Ace had never mentioned her. She looked at him, and could tell he didn't know about her either. Her mother had been lonely, prematurely grey and getting her first wrinkles. She had been grumpy, and scruffy and was rarely happy, but this woman was pretty, smiling and kind looking. This must be the Kochanski her father had a relationship with. She wasn't sure she could handle this new Kochanksi, it was too much to take in. If she could have, she would have run from the room, from the ship and back to Saturn, but it wasn't over yet. If her mother was like this, maybe her father wouldn't be too bad.

"Hi. Dave Lister." Lister stepped forward to greet the visitor, and could almost feel the temperature drop from her glare.

"You're Dave Lister? You can't be."

Lister was confused by this statement. He never met this girl before but he got the feeling she was somehow angry with him, and in some way, even disappointed in him.

As far as Gemma was concerned, this gerbil was the ultimate insult. After meeting her mother, she had been cheered very slightly, thinking that if her mother had looked like that, her father must have been something special. Now she regretted her decision to come to this godforsaken ship.

"Do you know me?" Lister asked.

"Not in person, but I know of you. You two are my parents." Gemma replied, pointing to Lister and Kochanski.

Kryten and Cat caught Lister and Kochanski as both fainted.

"Surprise." Gemma whispered.

When Lister and Kochanski had been woken up and taken to the sleeping quarters, Lister demanded a DNA test. He didn't know why, but he hoped this was one of Ace's stupid jokes. As Kryten was analysing results, Gemma explained where she had come from, and what little she knew of her father.

"So what was I like?" Kochanski wanted to know.

"You want the short version or the long version?" Gemma asked.

"Short."

"You were a bitch."

"What?" Kochanski was genuinely hurt.

"I haven't spoken to you since I was 18. I moved from Glasgow to Saturn to get rid of you! All I ever got from you was your disappointment and I did everything I could to make you proud of me, but all you cared about was finding Red Dwarf. Even when I finally excelled, you told me I had to find my father since you couldn't. You ruined my life and hated me for existing and believe me the feeling was mutual!!"

She was yelling, and she knew Kochanski was hurt, but Gemma didn't care anymore. She had come here to finally meet the man her mother had wasted her life on, and found out he wasn't worth it in the first place. Now her only thought was to get as far away from these people as she could. She left the room, intending to head to the landing bay, but found herself walking towards the medical bay instead.

Rimmer was up and about, ready to leave the medical bay when Gemma came in. Kryten had been here to analyse the DNA samples, so Rimmer knew the results before the rest of the crew. He couldn't believe that Lister could have a daughter in another dimension. It seemed so unbelievable that he could screw up a level-headed woman to the extent Gemma said he had. Even Lister couldn't be that destructive, surely? Gemma looked upset and angry when she came in, and Rimmer wasn't sure what he could say to her, so he thought it best to stay silent.

The sight of Rimmer had calmed Gemma a little. She didn't know why his presence had that effect on her, but it helped, and she was glad of it. Up until then she had been ready to get away by any means possible, just to get away from the scum that comprised the crew of Red Dwarf. Maybe it was because he was the only one she had nothing against. She heard the rest of the group enter the room behind her and turned to face them. Kochanski was the first to speak.

"Sorry we got off on the wrong foot there, Gemma. We were a bit shocked, that's all."

"You were shocked? How do you think I feel?"

"We know you're our daughter now, you could stick around and get to know us all a bit better. Even Lister's not that bad when you get to know him."

"Point is Cooky, you have to decide whether you want to stay here or not pretty soon. Like now." Ace stepped in. He had had his fun, now he wanted to go back to have some fun of a different kind.

As Gemma stood in front of the group, she had no desire to get to know these people. The low opinion she had once held of her mother had plummeted to below zero. She hated androids, she knew Cat would annoy her, and her parents were too much of a shock. She wanted to leave, and she could tell by their false smiles that the crew wanted her to leave too. She looked at her feet, and looked up again when she heard a sound. Arnold had moved around to join the rest of the group, his face difficult to read. She looked firmly into Ace's face and gave her reply.

"I'll stay, if that's alright with the crew."

Ace grinned. He wished he could stay for the fun, to see who would beat up whom first, but he couldn't.

"Thought you might. Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast."

As the group watched Ace's ship leave, there was only one person who didn't regret Gemma's decision to stay. Rimmer could see the two had taken an instant dislike to each other, with Gemma being disappointed and Lister being offended by her insults. He smiled to himself and started thinking about how much fun this could be.