Mirabel Hargrove was not having a good day. She had been assigned to investigate a cluster of planetoids that had come into view just a few days prior. It seemed simple enough, travel to each said planetoid, explore its atmosphere, gather a few samples, look for life, move on to the next one. But oh no, a wonderful, orange, extremely rare menace known as a time hole decided that Mirabel should grace it's presence. She was a skilled pilot, but it was like the time hole had actually taken control of her vessel and she was sucked in. Through the chaos she tried radioing the Astriaos for help, but the time hole had shorted out her communication links.
Mirabel was in big trouble.
As the time hole ejected her, she found herself still in space.
And about to go head first into a large asteroid field.
Grabbing her controls she tried everything she could to avoid impact, but she felt the right side of her vessel crumble as it seemed to collide with one of the asteriods. Without its right wing to keep balance, and Mirabel was going down. Where, she did not know. Suddenly a planetoid came into view, a very rocky planetoid.
"This can't be the end." She uttered. "Not now!"
She braced herself as much as possible, glass flying everywhere, electrical sparks dancing across the control panel. But in the end it was no use. The vessel crashed and Mirabel was tossed from it. In her space suit, aside her decimated craft, the exploration officer laid motionless.
"I got something!" Holly said. "Whatever hit us before, I got it's trajectory. It was heading west!"
The crew looked at her excitedly.
"Well, where did it go!?" Rimmer asked.
"I lost it." She said dejectedly.
Rimmer shook his head. "IQ of 6,ooo and she can't keep track of a runaway vessel."
"Well let's see what it's about!" Lister asked. "Let's retrace it's steps."
"Why?" Cat asked.
"Why not?" Lister said.
"But sir, it could be lightyears away by now." Kryten pled.
"Possibly." Holly said. "When I said I lost it, I didn't mean I lost it, lost it. It seemed to have fallen off the radar, might have landed somewhere."
"If it got into that asteroid field and hit us, it might have gotten damaged" Lister said. "We should check it out!"
"Of course Listy!" Rimmer said sarcastically. "Let's investigate this new life form that could possibly be another polymorph or dispair squid. Or some flesh sucking, bone crushing alien. We should just walk right up to it and say he you don't know us, but if you are craving emotions or human body parts, well bon apetit!"
"Says the man who thought a garbage pod was spaceship made up aliens he had made up." Lister said. "Well I'm going, anyone with me?"
Cat shrugged and got up, Kryten programed to obey human commands too went with Lister. Rimmer just sighed. No one ever listened to him. But curiousity got the best of him and he too followed the three to the smaller vessel Star Bug.
"Picking up anything Hol?" Lister asked as he navigated the small ship.
"Nothing yet." She said.
"What about you Cat?"
"Nose is still negative." He said. He may have been part human, but his feline senses were much sharper making him a second navigation system in his own right.
"I still say this is a waste time." Rimmer said. "I bet it's just grit again."
"Wait a second guys." Cat said. "I'm smelling something! Turn just a bit left."
"Scanner is picking up something, near that planetoid."
"Doesn't smell good guys." Cat said.
"Not good as is, we should turn back now before we are killed?" Arnold asked.
"No, something else." He said. "Smells like trouble, like, blood and fuel."
"Which way guys?" Lister asked.
"I'm picking up life signs." Holly said. "Very faint."
"We're going in." Lister said.
"Fantastic" Rimmer said annoyed. "If we all die from this, I'm blaming you Lister!"
The terrain on the planetoid was very rough, almost mountainous. Landing Star Bug proved to be a bit of a challenge. Kryten descended from the ship first, Lister and Cat behind in space suits. Rimmer would stay on the ship and watch from the video monitor. In reality, the man had a spine like a jellyfish.
"Man this planet is rough." Cat said. "These rocks are killing my feet."
"I told ya not to wear wingtips when you have to wear your space suit." Lister said. "Don't you own a pair of trainers?"
"Trainers? With my silk socks? I think not buddy!"
Lister rolled his eyes.
"You got anything Kryten?"
"Not yet sir." He said looking down at his scanner.
After wandering what seemed like hours, they started thinking maybe Holly had indeed been wrong. Maybe the life signs was just some sort of space insect, like a weevil.
"Hey what's that!" Rimmer's voice called out from the communication piece.
"What?" Lister called. "Where?"
"To your right, there, over that ridge, I think I see smoke!"
The trio turned and sure enough a faint plume of smoke was seen coming from just over a hill. They quickly raced over in that direction, then stopped. They saw what appeared to be the newly destroyed ruins of a small space craft and next to it a motionless body.
Lister was about to go charging for it, but Kryten grabbed him.
"Allow me to go ahead sir." He said. "In case of danger."
Lister hated when Kryten tried to sacrifice himself for the good of his humans. The ridiculous programming mechanoids were given to serve humans without the same return. But Kryten proved to be able to take care of himself so Lister gave him the go ahead. From outside appearances, nothing looked ominous.
The mechanoid made his way down and approached the wreckage. After a quick inspection, he found no being inside. He then made his way to the creature beside it. If mechanoids could gulp he would, as he took a chance and gently pushed it onto it's back.
"Oh, oh dear!" He exclaimed. "Sirs, sirs, come quickly!"
"Kryten what is it, what did you find!?" Rimmer yelled.
Lister and Cat meanwhile raced down the hill.
"Smegging hell." Lister said aloud when he saw what Kryten was looking.
"Is it really!?" Cat asked excitedly.
Kryten took his scanner and waved it carefully down the figure.
"It's human." He said in shock. "Barely alive though. The scanner is picking up immense injuries."
"It's a lady!" Cat said gleefully.
"And she's going to die if we don't move now." Lister said. "Come on Cat, there's a stretcher on Star Bug."
Within a span of less than half an hour, the injured woman was lying on a cot in Star Bug with four eyes looking at it carefully. Kryten carefully took the helmet off the woman's head. Amazingly it had stayed in tact to preserve her breathing. But her head had been jerked so much it looked like she had fought with a boxer (not the kind that Lister watched) and lost, lost badly. Evidence of blood and broken bones were also noticeable.
"We have to get back to Red Dwarf." Lister said.
"Think she'll be alright Kryten?" Cat asked.
"I won't know until I truly examine her." Kryten said. "I fear though that her injuries might be too advanced for me!"
"Well that settles it." Lister said. "Let's go!"
He ran to the cockpit and started the ship.
"Hey if you need help examining her, I'll be glad to assist!" Cat said with wiggly fingers.
"Thank you sir, but I do not think that will be necessary." Kryten answered.
"Aw come on!"
Rimmer had been completely silent through the whole tirade. He didn't think much when the being was brought onto the ship, in fact he was ready to turn tail and run if this woman was just another G.E.L.F like Camille or some other disgusting creature in disguise of a beautiful human woman to try to kill them.
Did he just think beautiful?
She wasn't a super model like Sabrina Mulholland De-Jones (that lucky bastard Thickie Holden), but she was, average. She had shoulder length, soft brown hair that framed her face. Her mouth pink, cream colored skin even though it was mottled with bruises right now thanks to the crash. She looked to be in her thirties.
Suddenly she shifted and Rimmer jumped back. A light moan of pain escaped her lips and she shifted her head to the side, her hair falling over her cheek.
Suddenly Lister gave the shuttle a good jerk and Rimmer nearly fell on top of the cot, his hands gripping the cold metal sides. Between the sweat, the debris, and the dirt, he could pick up another scent, was she wearing perfume?
Rimmer couldn't help himself. With a slight shake of his hand, he moved the woman's hair off her cheek. Suddenly she shifted again and he found himself looking into deep green eyes. Hazy and delirious eyes, but still a lovely shade of green.
Did he just think lovely?
She was looking up at him, but he could tell she was in a state of confusion and pain. She closed her eyes and moaned, tears coming from her eyes.
Before Rimmer could do anything, Lister, Kryten and Cat had come and lifted the woman out of the room.
Rimmer had been so lost in looking at the woman, he had not realized they had docked back onto Red Dwarf.