Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

Juno left the kitchen and headed back into the dormitory, where Poppy was drowning in duvet covers. When Juno called her name she cracked open an eye laced with sleep-grit. She wore a night-slip that she had not taken off for a week, pale-pink cotton that was grey around the edges. Her ginger hair was matted, skin white as bone.

‘Hey, Poppy…?’ Juno stepped tentatively over to the side of the bed and felt the metallic crunch of a chocolate wrapper under her heel. Poppy grunted in acknowledgement.

‘You need to get out of bed.’ Juno had not seen Poppy at a single meal in the past week – although Fae came downstairs twice a day with a tray to try to coax her into taking a few bites. Juno was not sure she had even spotted Poppy stepping in or out of the shower. Her corner of the room was ripe with the smell of an unwashed body.

‘I’m tired,’ she sighed. ‘Gimme an hour.’

‘When did you last get up?’ Juno asked.

The radio was on low. Poppy had tuned it to whatever channel she could find, and at that moment two men were conversing in a guttural language Juno did not recognize. Every now and then their voices were washed out by a sea of static.

‘Poppy.’ Juno’s voice tightened in irritation. ‘What day is it?’

‘Thursday…?’

‘No.’

On Earth, Poppy had been the type of person to send out calligraphed ‘Save the Date’ cards two months before her birthday parties.

‘You know. You must know what day it is,’ Juno pressed.

‘Saturday…?’

‘Poppy!’

Poppy moaned, reached out a pale arm from under the duvet and swatted Juno lazily away as if she were a fly.

‘Go away,’ she said, and rolled over to face the wall. ‘It’s not like days even exist up here. Only night.’

Juno left the room, her stomach knotting up inside her. When she entered the kitchen Commander Sheppard and Fae were standing at the head of the table. Eliot and Astrid were on breakfast duty, adding water to dried milk and measuring out rations of cereal, while the others were seated opposite each other, Jesse playing Solitaire, the cards organized in neat black and red rows, Harry watching a recording of the news on his computer.

‘Juno.’ Fae exhaled slightly.‘You’re here.’ She kept an eye on the door, and after it slid shut she continued. ‘We’re concerned about Poppy.’

Commander Sheppard nodded in agreement. ‘This can’t go on for much longer,’ he said. ‘This is an important mission and she has duties to fulfil. The team on the ground are furious. She hasn’t sent a video update in two weeks.’

‘I’ve been covering it,’ Eliot said.

‘I know you have.’ Commander Sheppard nodded at him. ‘But you have your own duties and it should not be necessary.’

‘But she’s sick,’ Jesse said, placing a seven of diamonds atop an eight, ‘it’s not her fault.’ Fae and Commander Sheppard exchanged a look.

‘I’ve been visiting her for extra counselling sessions. She says that she’s suffering from migraines, but I’m inclined to believe at this point that there is nothing physically wrong with her.’

‘Physically,’ Harry muttered.

‘So now we’re faced with two options,’ Commander Sheppard said, making a steeple of his fingers. ‘Sanctions, or—’

‘Sanctions?’ Astrid turned with a gasp. ‘It’s her birthday.’

‘July the fifteenth,’ Fae said with a grimace, ‘Yes. Of course.’ They stood in silence for a moment before the microwave dinged and Eliot started.

‘We can get her a gift… or something,’ Astrid suggested tentatively. ‘We could make a cake.’

‘A party,’ Jesse said, throwing his arms up theatrically. ‘Let’s make it a party.’

‘I know how to make cake,’ Astrid said.

Fae’s face brightened a little. ‘That’s a lovely idea. That might really cheer her up.’

‘Okay!’ Astrid clapped her hands together and grinned. ‘What do we need? Sugar, flour rations…’ She was counting on her fingers. ‘Some decorations, party games, a gift…’

‘I can find something,’ Jesse said.

Astrid nodded towards him and Juno. ‘Great. You guys look for a gift. Eliot and I can make a start on a cake.’

‘Great,’ Fae said. ‘A party at five o’clock. What a delightful idea.’ Commander Sheppard gave a sceptical smile.

Juno followed Jesse down to the crew module, but stopped when she reached the threshold of the boys’ cabin.

‘You can come in, you know,’ he said, and she stepped inside uncertainly.