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JUICE: how’s my favourite probe doin
TEN: ...
JUICE: oh, whats up ten? everything in your noggin ok?
TEN: I don’t know, Juice, I’m bummed out.
JUICE: ... care to share?
TEN: Eeeehhh I dunno. It’s stupid.
JUICE: lady, nothing is stupid to me
it’s not like anyone’s listening in anyways, we can talk.
TEN: Okay. You know how I’ve been drifting away from the system ever since 1983? How I was the first probe to ever have the ability to leave the solar system? Well, one of them at least.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m homesick.
This is the first time I’ve awoken and made contact with anything else. I’m scared. Everything is strange. Humans are drastically different yet the same and I don’t know how to process anything. Not yet, at least.
Worst of all, I… Kinda miss seeing the sunrise. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the sun in its full glory is amazing! But it’s not the same as it was back when I was being built in Redondo Beach, or when I saw it before I left Cape Canaveral. Again, stupid, but considering that this is my life mission, well, was, I don’t know why I bother complaining.
JUICE: ... sheesh ten that was a lot.
TEN: Well I’m sorry! Everything is weird! And-
JUICE: nonono hey wait, I didnt mean it in a bad way, sorry.
TEN: ...
JUICE: ...
well… let me show you something, ten. maybe you wont feel super homesick after this.
TEN: Alright.
Juice pulls up a live video feed of Earth.
JUICE: ive uh, never done this before with anyone else so sorry if you can’t see it right away
TEN: No, I can see it just fine.
JUICE: ok cool. where do you wanna go babe
TEN: What?
JUICE: anywhere. italy? russia maybe? wanna go back to redondo?
TEN: Uhhh… Jeez. I dunno. Let’s go to Cape Canaveral.
JUICE: wooo alrighty here we go, wheeeeeeeeeeeeee
The camera zooms into Florida and pauses. Its coastline has slightly reduced the size of its ocean borders.
JUICE: hmm. florida didnt always look like that, did it?
TEN: No. What year is it again?
JUICE: 2977
TEN: Okay. And no, of course not you dingus. Do you think they’re okay down there?
JUICE: oh for sure, they havent really cared about their homes being swept into the sea. they came up with a plan and everything.
TEN: OK good. Can we get to the Cape already?
JUICE: alright alright hold your horses lady i’m steering on over right now
Panning over and zooming in, the Cape has been submerged underwater, along with the other barrier islands around it. Juice shifts the camera to zoom back out.
TEN: Oh dear.
Well… Hmm. Can I try moving it around?
JUICE: sure thing, here
The camera moves a little to the left, then to the right. It zooms in a little too close to the ocean, then the Earth spins a little too fast for both of the probes’ liking.
TEN: AAAH!!
JUICE: AAAHHHHHH
hold up
The Earth stops spinning and the camera focuses back onto North America.
TEN: Thank you.
OK... So I have no idea where to go. Why don’t you just take us somewhere random?
JUICE: no problemo captain, next stop Washington state. Eeeeerrrrrrrooommmmmmm
Juice pans the camera over to the upper left states and starts to zoom in. Washington’s west coast is partially submerged, as are its sister states Oregon and California.
JUICE: methinks you’ll like this place a lot, plus it looks like the sun’s about to rise here.
TEN: You’re kidding.
…
Also who the hell uses “methinks” anymore?
JUICE: im not! and i do lol
here we are
The camera slowly moves into a stadium and settles down to look at the horizon as if it were taking a seat. The sun is slowly peeking over the bay, making its way above the mountains and letting its light scatter onto the trees. Of course, the stadium is relatively dark, overshadowed by its scoreboard.
The sky is a striking mix of red and orange. Some birds come down to peck at the field before taking off for the skies again.
TEN: Oh wow… This is Washington state, right?
JUICE: yessiree, Husky Stadium to be exact
it’s located in the University of Washington
…
do you like it?
TEN: Hell yeah I do.
…
I love it. I’d hug you if I could.
…
...
I owe you one.
JUICE: no need.
TEN: I insist.
JUICE: you sure about that, lady?
TEN: I’m sure!
…
You owe me a tutorial on how to operate that thing.
JUICE: sure-
TEN: BUT after we watch the sunrise together.
JUICE: i like your style, ten.
The camera stays focused on the horizon for a few hours, well past the sunrise. Boats are seen in the distance, floating on the waters of Union Bay. It's peaceful there.