!!As the elephant-cat hybrid moves slowly towards Riley's bed. The wall-mounted alarm clock bursts into life, scaring it and causing it to hide inside one of the habitat's storage.
"Astronaut Andersen! It's time for you to wake up!" the clock said as Vega, the hab's AI turned on the crew quarter's lamps to full brightness. Causing her to wake up.
"Huh? Is it morning already?" Riley asked.
"Not exactly, but you have slept for fourteen hours after landing. Mission Control has assigned you a task. You are to explore the lunar surface and locate a suitable landing site for one of NASA's spacecraft. The Retribution." He answered.
"What a great way to start my day, all right. Tell Mission Control that I am preparing my spacesuit and the excursion rover!" Riley spoke back to Vega as she makes her way to the hab's airlock. She quickly puts on her spacesuit as she updated her suit computer.
"Astronaut Andersen! The rover is now prepared and I have made contact with Houston. I have also noticed an anomaly inside the habitat, but for now we must concentrate on our primary objective." Vega spoke again after he had finished fueling the rover.
"What's this 'anomaly' you're talking about?" Riley asked.
"It appears that the habitat has been breached by an unknown lifeform." Vega answered.
"Breached? Weird. I don't see anything wrong with the habitat! If it were to be breached there would be some signs of damage!" Riley asked as she exited the habitat and climbed into the rover's cockpit.
"I recommend you made contact to Mission Control in order to confirm that you are beginning your mission." He answered.
"All right then. I'll make contact with Houston. Houston! Comms check, radio check!"Riley radioed Mission Control. No response.
"Houston! Comms check, radio check!"Riley radioed again, this time all she heard was static. But the radio suddenly come back to life and greeted her with weird noises. crackle* *pop*
"This is Mission Control!" *garbled* "Your orders are to help us locate a suitable landing site for the Retribution. We recommend you start your task now." Mission Control radioed back to Riley.
"Copy that, I will start searching for suitable sites on Mare Crisium. Over." She replied.
After Riley replied back to Mission Control, she activated the rover's engines and immediately set the rover's navigation and guidance system to the coordinates of Mare Crisium.
A FEW HOURS LATER"Mission Control! This is Riley Andersen speaking, I've arrived at Mare Crisium. Initiating area exploration now."
"Copy, use the data probes stowed in the rover to send the coordinates to us."
"Got it! Over and out!
"Over and out, Astronaut!"
"Right, where do I start first?" Riley asked herself as she looks around for flat areas.
Back in the HQ, the Emotions are arguing over where Riley should start her exploration.
"I say we should put the probe on that crater, it looks okay-ish for that spacecraft!" Joy spoke, but she is immediately objected by Disgust.
"No way! We are not going to put the probe there! That might cause some damage to the Retribution and that crater doesn't look like it's going to be flat enough for it to land!"
"Or maybe we can just stab the probe on our head! Why do the have to make us do the job for them!?" Anger blurted out in a fit of anger (pun not intended)
"I think we should go further and look for areas that aren't bombarded by asteroids" Sadness said.
Fear however, is hyperventilating in his paper bag.
Back to the lunar surface, Riley began driving the rover around to look for suitable areas. As she drives, she activated the rover's radar in order to avoid colliding against debris of what used to be the LADEE satellite. The radio crackled as Mission Control makes contact with Riley.
"This is Mission Control, we have found a suitable landing zone for the Retribution. Coordinates follow,
Foxtrot-Whiskey Five-Three-Nine-Two-One-Four-Zero!"
"Copy that, uploading coordinates to navigator now!" Riley answered as she typed in the coordinated to the rover's navigator.
A FEW MORE MINUTES LATERRiley arrived at the coordinates and got out of the rover. She then planted the probe and contacted Mission Control and climbed back into the rover.
"This is Riley Andersen, the probe has been planted and is now transmitting data!"
"Affirmative! Return to the habitat now."
"Copy that."She then drove the rover back to the habitat, but as she is halfway to it. She noticed a long rainbow streak heading towards her.
"What the hell is that? Rainbow?" Riley asked herself.
The rainbow streak grew larger as it got closer to the rover. Riley then stopped the rover and gout out of it.
Back in the HQ, the Emotions are perplexed at what they're seeing.
"Is that Bing Bong?" Sadness asked.
"Judging from the rainbow, yes. It's him." Joy answered.
"That can't be true! He was forgotten! Is Riley having a hallucination?" Fear asked after he finally calmed himself down."We might have to wait and see." Joy replied.
Back to the lunar surface, the rainbow streak Riley is seeing became what seems to be a combination of a child's cart, cardboard boxes and two brooms with rainbow coming out of each one of them. The person sitting on it however is nowhere to be seen.
"Jesus Christ! That can't be! It's Bing Bong! But why is there only just the rocket? Where is he?" Riley stood up and started "walking" towards it. It grew larger and larger as she approached it. At last, Bing Bong appears to be sitting on the wagon, singing his song. The rocket then stopped as it got within Riley's reach.
"Who the heck is that?" he asked, not knowing that the figure of a person standing in front of him is Riley herself.
Riley however, noticed him first and waved to him.
"Hey there!"Bing Bong, still perplexed. Asked her back.
"Who are you?"
Riley lifted her helmet's sunlight protection shield to reveal her face.
"It's me! Riley!"
Bing Bong shouted as he realizes that the person in front of him was indeed, Riley.
"Riley? RILEY! IT'S YOU! IT REALLY IS YOU! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR A LONG TIME! And what are you doing here?"
"Uh, I'm here to, you know. Help NASA pave a path for humanity to be able to col- OOF!"Just before Riley could even finish, Bing Bong pulled her in and hugged her tightly.
"I'm glad to see you here, do you still remember me?" He asked.
"Well, yes. I guess?" She replied
"Anyways, where are you going?"
"Back to the habitat! Would you like to come? There's still some room left in the rover!"I've got a better idea! How about we use my rocket?"
"The rocket? THE ROCKET!?""Haha! Yeah! We're using the rocket! Can you remember the song?"
"Well, uh. Who's your friend who likes to play?"As Riley began singing, the rocket wagon's "engines" lights up with a sparkle of rainbow.
"Yes! That's the song! But you're bigger than I thought, maybe you won't fit in the wagon!"
"Well, it's okay! I can still fit in it though. I'll be fine!""All right then! Hop in!" Bing Bong called Riley to get in the rocket wagon.
"Okay!"
Riley hopped up to the wagon and sat in front of Bing Bong, like the way they used to do in her childhood.
"So, who's singing? Me or you?"
"Together. We're going to sing together!"I'll start first, okay?"
"Sure!"Riley grabbed the cart's handle and pulled it towards her as she smiles brightly."Who's your friend who likes to play?"
"Bing Bong, Bing Bong!""His rocket makes you yell "Hooray!"
"Bing Bong, Bing Bong!"As they sing, the rocket starts flying higher and higher.
"Who's the best in every way and wants to sing this song to say"
"Bing Bong, Bing Bong!""Louder Riley, sing louder!" He shouted.
As he shouted, Riley sang faster and louder. Causing the rocket to hover above the lunar surface. The rocket then raises its altitude as they both sang as fast and loud as they could. Riley realized that the rocket is taking them both away from the moon, but she didn't care. They stopped singing after Riley realized that they are approaching the habitat at breakneck speed.
"Uh, Bing Bong? I think we're nearly there now! Maybe we should slow down?""Maybe. But how?"
Riley didn't answered him but instead she used her suit's thrusters as a retrorocket to slow them both down.
"That was weird but, at least you slowed us down! We're here now, aren't we?"
"Yup, we're at the habitat. What should we do next?""Uh, I don't know. Maybe we should just relax?"
"Let me contact Mission Control first."Riley then radioed Mission Control after talking with Bing Bong.
"Mission Control! This is Riley Andersen, the probe is planted and the data is transmitted. What's the status of the Retribution?""Retribution is currently on its way to the moon, thanks for your help Astronaut. We've received an update that you are expected to remain there until the Retribution arrives. Now go get yourself and that imaginary friend of yours some well-deserved rest."
"Roger, wilco. Riley out. How the hell did they even know that you're here?""Uh, I was inside the habitat for a long time. You know, long story."
"It's okay, let's get some rest.""Okay"
They walked in the habitat. Bing Bong ran to the crew quarters as Riley sealed the airlock.Riley then made a beeline to the habitat's pantry, ate dinner and went into shower and cleaned herself up.
A few minutes later she came out of the shower already dressed in her sleeping "suit"
"Phew! It's been a long time since you were gone, Bing Bong! I'm glad you're here.""And I'm glad to see you too! Shouldn't you be sleeping by now?"
"Oh right. I might as well just go to sleep."Riley plopped herself down on the bed and fell asleep a few seconds later, Bing Bong's body then slowly fades away as he reforms himself inside Riley's Headquarters.
Back in the HQ, the Emotions are shocked to see Bing Bong inside the HQ. Joy and Sadness however, hugged him tightly and tearfully. Leaving the other three perplexed.
Back in the habitat, the lighting inside the crew quarter's dimmed and are turned off by Vega as Riley falls asleep.
"Have a good dream, Astronaut Andersen!" Vega spoke as he too, goes into sleep mode.
End of chapter two.