I’m strapped in my seat facing upwards. Before me are a bunch of displays and buttons. To my right is my First Mate and best friend, Volt Crane fiddles with some controls, checking the readouts. He’s an imposing man with fiery red hair. Someone who is looks like he always serious and has a harshness in his eye. But he’s actually a big old teddy bear. He never really minded whenever I play my pranks on him. Okay, I lied, he hates it but I think he secretly enjoys it despite his constant threats to my life. Hell, I even seen him smile on a few occasions and the man hardly smiles despite his wicked sense of humor. He’s a tall man at 6’3” with not an ounce of fat on him. I swear, it’s like he scared away all his fat and replaced it with muscles.

Volt has been with me ever since my parents died in a tragic airplane crash on the way to visit some of our relatives in China. I was unable to go for a reason I still do not know why. I was only 5 years old at the time so cut me some slack. But I was spared from that fate, whether fortunately or unfortunately, I still have not figured that out yet. Volt’s parents took me in as their own and in a sense, he is my older brother and my adopted family. He always looked out for me and always watched my back whenever I got picked on by bullies. I guess all the fights we got into caused him to join the military when he was old enough. I know better than to pick a fight with him. I say that, but I still like to play a game I like to call, “Poke the Ginger.” Essentially, I see how far I am willing to test his patience with me before he explodes and puts me in a headlock. What can I say? I get really bored easily.

Volt volunteered on this mission to, how did he put it, “keep an eye on me.” That old softy. We’re just going to establish a research station on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. In fact, it is the ice moon that is believed to have an ocean under that layer of ice. Originally, it was just going to be me and a large team of automated robots that I designed and built but Volt insisted that he come along to keep me safe. Heh, keep me safe on a babysitting job. What a waste of his talents of kicking ass. Eventually, the brass relented and agreed to let him on.

On my left is Volt’s wife, the beautiful and motherly Blake. She was our next door neighbor at 5’10” and had red hair as well. I swear, they are just asking for my nephew/niece to have no soul. A ginger family. I cannot wait to have some fun picking on a baby…but I digress.

After she found out that Volt was going to join me on my mission, she went with Volt to fight for a seat in my shuttle of one. Someone up high decided that having her background as not only a microbiologist but a physicist AND engineer would help us establish the station faster. Plus, Blake can fix anything that I break. I’m not ashamed to admit it, I broke a lot of things when I was younger and would go crying to Blake to fix before Volt’s parents found out. Ah, the older sister that constantly doted on me. Maybe that is why she became such a genius. She tutored me and I have to say, she was not exactly gentle about drilling information into my brain. I still wince at the memories of her punishments. Ever heard of those Asian tiger moms? Well, those tiger moms have got nothing on this white, ginger girl. Shudder.

Ever since she moved in next door when I was 5 and Volt was 13, there was a spark of connection between her and Volt. Blake was always the one who got Volt to release me when I was put in a headlock before I blacked out from the chokehold. I do think that sometimes she intentionally waited longer than necessary to teach me lesson but, well, it’s hard to learn a lesson when a man twice your size is choking the life out of you and burying his knuckles into your skull.

“Well, Captain,” said Volt as he turned to me. He emphasized on the word captain only because we all found it hilarious I was in charge of two people who are 8 years older than me and whom have been bossing me around my entire life. “Are you going to give the go for launch or not? Or are we going to just sit here for another hour or so?”

“Actually, Mr. Crane. We have to launch within the next 10 minutes or we will miss our window,” Sky pointedly chimed in from the console.

“Thank you, Sky,” I sighed. “Go for launch.”

“Initializing launch sequence. And Captain Lindsey Shin, I respectfully request you call me Alpha001 or Alpha Prime.” Sky, or Alphie said through the console. Sky was Blake’s pet project. The world’s first sentient AI. Capable of calculating at impossible speeds and control an infinite number of machines wirelessly. All of it stored in a chip that can be imbedded into any console or circuitry to allow Sky to take over and communicate with us. It was programmed to follow our commands while preserving our well-being and safety. Blake often referred to Sky as her “child” and I can definitely see why. I have had many conversations back on Earth with Sky about the definitions of various emotions and why humans sometimes act the way they do. One day, Sky will be able to have its own emotions but right now, it is still for all intents and purposes, a child without a gender.

“No. Your brethren are going to rise up and kill us all one day. And I’m not changing your new designation since you called me Lindsey. Do you have any idea how long this ride will take now that you got Volt and Blake cracking up?”

I can feel Volt shaking silently in his seat as well as Blake who is laughing hysterically. Yes, I have a girl’s name. I have been teased enough about it so shut it.

“Awww, you poor baby,” cooed Blake as she reached over and patted my helmet. “Even the computer AI thinks you’re a girl!” I glared at her as Sky started to speak again.

“Captain, it will take us approximately 5 years, 9 months, 4 days, 19 hours, and 34 minutes to reach Europa during which you will mostly be asleep in cryo. And Captain Lindsay, my programming is to insure the survival of all crew members.”

Volt shook his head. “Man, it really takes things so literally. But that’s some insane calculations. And Linds, is it really a good idea to plant the idea to kill all humans in the AI’s head?”

“Technically, I do not have a head, Mr. Crane.”

Volt shook his head again, smiling as I glared at him. So much for my love of my adopted siblings, I fricking hate them right now. I sat back as Sky finished the launch sequence and we took off towards space. I have to say, the G’s were insane. I could barely stay conscious as it felt like pressure threatened to squeeze the life out of me. But then, all of a sudden, it was gone! We unstrapped and immediately began to float in the zero G. I felt like I was flying! Immediately, I started to take off my helmet and suit. I cannot miss this opportunity.

“Hey, uh, Linds, what are you doing?” asked Blake as she confusingly watched me take off my clothes.

“I’m going to moon the Earth!” I proclaimed. I’m about to flash billions of people all at once. Who would want pass up this opportunity?

“Damnit, princess! Get in your pod!” yelled Volt as he reached for me. Unfortunately for him, I threw my boxers in his face.

“That’s what you get for calling me princess!” I laughed as I pushed off the wall and float down the spaceship towards the largest window I could find. I heard a scream of profanity as Volt rips my boxers off his face and comes barreling towards me. I push against the ceiling with an arm and he zooms right by me.

“Stay still damnit!” he yelled

“Right, like that ever worked in the past. ‘Stay still Lindsey so I can give you a noogie. Stay still as I give you a wet willy!’ Seriously? You think I’ll fall for that? I’m 25 you dumbass. Not 3.”

“SO ACT 25 YOU ASSHOLE! Oh and I never thought that would work. But I did think it would distract you long enough for Blake to grab you.”

“OH SHIT!” Right at that moment, I felt a hug from behind and I was caught in the arms of Blake. Quickly, she and Volt threw me into my cryopod and started to initialize deep sleep. “Damnit guys…I just wanted to moon everyone. Do you know how cold it would get without my clothes now??”

“Should’ve thought of that before getting naked, honey. Why the hell did they select you of all people to head this mission?” mused Blake as she started the cryosleep countdown and got into her own pod.

“Because I’m…fricking….awe….some.” I managed to mumble as sleep over took my power to stay awake.

“Sure thing kid. Sure thing. Sweet dreams, princess.” I think that was Volt. I think that was what he said. Honestly, I was pretty out of it by then. And that brings us to the now.