Disclaimer: I hold no rights to any of the worlds depicted within, only the content of my own dreams.

"Oi, who are you?" The floating head questioned, "How'd you get on board? I'm not complaining really, it's a bit dull here lately, with the crew having kicked the bucket and all."

Rose bristled at his words, but curiously responded, "They're all dead?"

"More or less," The head appeared to shrug, but she couldn't be certain, considering he WAS just a disembodied head and all, "I've been kickin out here on my own, haven't I? S'not all bad, I feel like a bachelor again."

"A Bachelor?"

"Course, I never really stopped bein' one," The head considered, "Maybe this is just like a bit of a holiday then? Course I would have opted for something more populated and all. Still, could have been worse- I could've ended up in Leeds."

Rose eyed the balding head suspiciously; it was painfully obviously he had more than a few screws loose, but he was certainly cheerful and harmless enough. It was rare she met someone who could actually be crazy, without the apparently murderous side effects.

"Right; so what happened to the crew anyway?" She questioned hesitantly, flicking her blonde hair behind her shoulder and tugging her pink jacket closer to her body. She half expected the head to answer something along the lines of 'oh, I acidentally shot them all out the airlock'.

"Radiation leak," The head seemed to shrug again, "The drive plate wasn't repaired properly; I've been on my own for about 3 million years or so. To tell you the true, I think it's making me a bit daft."

"Oh," Rose's eye widened, "3 million YEARS? You've been on your own 3 MILLION YEARS? Don't you feel lonely?"

"Poppycock," The head scoffed, "I've been reading a book in the main library- I've almost finished reading Pride andPrejudice."

"You've been reading a book for 3 million years? One book?"

"Well, it doesn't have pictures, does it?" The head retorted, "Besides, I'm getting through it."

"Oh; where are you up to?"

"Chapter 2."

"Huh," Rose responded, for lack of a better word to say, "So, I'm Rose by the way."

"Holly; I'm the ships computer of the Mining Ship Red Dwarf," The head- Holly- responded, "Been a while since I saw your sort round here. But now you're here- up for a game of charades using only your nose?"

"I think I'll pass," Rose smiled back, "Why're you on your own? I mean, hasn't anyone come looking for you or anything?"

"Nah; I set a course far from Earth, didn't I?" Holly responded cheerfully, "The radiation was a tad strong for living tissue and all; you know humans- you accidentally irradiate a planet and suddenly they get their knickers in a twist."

"Radiation? Isn't it all gone now? It's been 3 MILLION YEARS," Rose paused, "I suppose all of the human race is gone now, anyway."

"I would guess so. Technically," Holly paued, "The Radiation is just reaching safe levels now. I can probably let Dave out sooner or later. Blimey that'll be fun."

"Dave?"

"He's stashed away in Stasis," Holly blinked out, and then returned just as quickly as he left, "Yeah, he's still there. He got put in stasis before the radiation leak, didn't he? Everyone died and I kept him in there so he didn't get himself snuffed."

"Oh," Rose paused, "He's going to get lonely if you let him out. People don't do well on their own."

Holly considered that, "Strike a light, I think you're onto something. I suppose I can ressurrect a crew member as a hologram; still there were a few people around, which one do I pick?"

"Who did he talk to the most?" Rose questioned, "Usually whoever you talk to is the person that you need the most."

"Uh, Arnold Rimmer; Technician second class," Holly responded, then grimaced, "He's a real twat that one. A total git. If anything he'll smeg it all up."

"Friendships are strange like that," Rose smiled, "But him a little credit, okay? Give him a chance. Don't underestimate us humans."

"I hope you're right," Holly responded, after a period of deep thought, "Either way, it's a laugh, innit?"

Read and Review