Work Text:
Incoming spacecast, accept YES / NO?
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Subject: RE: I’M DONE!!!!!!
Time: 2056, July, 20, 14:30:22
Location: Earth Terra 1, Eurasia, United Kingdom, South Downs. Coordinates 50°55′N 0°30′W / 50.917°N 0.500°W / 50.917; -0.5000
Hi Alice! Thanks for sending me your thesis, I’m excited to read about those Space Mushrooms of yours, lmao. Will there be recipes? A nice stew that makes you hear colours? Hehe, sorry. Couldn’t resist. We’re really proud of you. Truth is stranger than fiction and we live in an amazing time.
Don’t worry about the late reply. I‘ve been too tired to even look at my inbox as well. As they said back in my day, big mood.
You asked if I remember more about our neighbors, so here you go. So they moved in when I was a little girl, right. They looked middle aged back then. Well, me and your mother are over here creeping into our fifties, and meanwhile those fuckers look the same. There’s no botox or super vitamins that could save them from being, what, 95?
What else… You probably remember their garden. Always immaculate. Flowers grow there that simply should not be thriving in this climate zone.
Mr. Crowley is still driving that ancient car. Even though fossil fuels have been prohibited since I don’t remember. I don’t think he has stocked up barrels of the stuff in their basement like you said, because the thing is... It doesn’t smell anything. Makes the most awful puttery noise as if it’s slurping down mud, like those old things do, but it doesn’t smell of those nasty fumes I remember. Here’s the kicker. Last night, I saw John, you know, the mechanic, Steward’s boy. Middle of the night, I suppose he was mighty curious and opened up the hood on that old car. It was empty! No motor, no machinery, no nothing! It’s basically a moving sofa in a metal case. Anyway so while John was standing there trying to figure out what he was looking at, the hood comes down and there stands Mr. Crowley, wearing the finest silk pyjamas. And sunglasses, of course. I asked John about it, but he has no memory of it. Claims he had a nice evening in, and that he found delightful pastries in his fridge that he had no memory of buying.
The way they look at each other, it’s… so familiar, open and relaxed. And full of wonder, like they can’t believe what they’re seeing. And how they laugh. It’s almost nauseating sitting on the patio this time of year. There’s this constant giggling and straight out hollering at whatever it is the other said. It’s incredible.
I don’t know what to make of them. Whatever they are, I know they’re very happy.
Hope you’re doing okay, sweetie. Send some more videos of those singing plants. We’re coming over in June! Whatever that is on Ceres. Love you lots.