Excerpt from A Window to the Stars sci-fi novel

“You know what we need Scott?” Sigrid asked.

“What?”

“Do you know what we really need here, what would make this place a lot more habitable.”

“Sure. Better VR, better connections, better food, more people, close…”

“A window.” Sigrid said.

“What?”

“A window, we need a window.”

“A window?”

“A window.”

Scot was silent for a bit. They were in the main room, both of them at their stations, Sigrid reclining in her seat with her legs on the desk, Scott looking at some data from the crabbies.

He turned his seat to face her.

“What the hell do we need a damn window for?” He asked.

“Lots of reasons.”

“You’re insane!

“Probably. But we could still use a window, it would be grand.”

“A window to what? There is nothing to see out there! It’s just a barren rock thousands of miles away from any civilisation. We’re in the middle of fucking space, Sigrid! There’s, literally, nothing to see but outer space out there.”

“Oh Scott, my little friend, mon petit imbecile, that’s just it, outer space is out there as you so eloquently put it, we could have a window to outer space, think about it, it would make this place a lot less claustrophobic for one thing and we wouldn’t feel so much like fish in a fish bowl. We would have a veritable window to the stars.”

Scott just stared at her open mouthed. He didn’t even know what to say or think. Surely Sigrid wasn’t being serious.

“Surely you’re not serious.”

“Seriously I’m serious. As serious as cancer  mon petit chen.”

“Stop calling me those things, you know I don’t speak French or whatever that is. Anyway, we can’t make a window even if we wanted to, which we don’t, for the record, it’s impossible, we’re on an asteroid in case you haven’t noticed and opening a hole in an asteroid with artificial atmosphere is a very bad idea. No, scratch that, it’s a stupid fucking idea!”

“Oho! Impossible you say, mon chartreuse chat? Nothing is impossible when you have ingenuity, fierce will, determination, and technology at your fingertips. I know exactly how to make a window here.”

“Again, you’re insane.”

“Insanely inspired, you mean.”

“Insanely insane! Like loony bin insane, you shouldn’t be here, you should be locked up, institutionalised.”

“Nah. I’m a visionary Scott, a visionary. And with my new window I’ll be able to amplify that vision all the more.” She laughed.

“Even if you could do it, which you can’t, corporate would never let you.” Didn’t this girl understand anything?

“Ah, mon… that has run its course I think. What corporate doesn’t know won’t hurt them is my motto.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that. But they’ll find out Sigrid, how can you hide the fact that you’ll be drilling a hole in this fucking rock? If you survive, that is, I still say you’re crazy and will just end up killing yourself or blowing this whole place to shit. I’m not leaving my sealed quarters while you’re doing this craziness!” Scott didn’t really think she would go through with this crazy scheme but he wasn’t taking any chances and he had learnt that the best way to deal with Sigrid was to humour her rather than contradict her, even in crazy schemes which, surely, she wasn’t really considering doing. Was she?

“Please.” Said Sigrid, “There’s drilling going on all the time, if there is one thing that will certainly not draw anyone’s attention is some more drilling in this place!”

“All the same, you know Corporate will find out. Eventually, one way or another.”

“Well, there’s just the two of us here Scott, so if I don’t tell them…” she stared fixedly at him.

“What? You don’t expect me to keep quiet about this craziness, do you?”

“You tell a living soul and I’ll smother you in your sleep like the craven fool you are and make it look like an accident. ‘Oh poor Scott, he was so innocent, I don’t know what happened to him, officer, he just keeled over in his sleep and never woke up, whatever shall we do?’ Then I’ll have my lovely window all to myself.”

Scott stared at her.

“Sometimes you scare me Sigrid.” Scott shook his head.

“Good, you should be scared all the time, we’re living in the middle of fucking space! Everything here wants to kill you, now including me. Besides, fear makes you more maleable. Now, do you want to hear my amazing plan of how, exactly, I’ll make this window, so you can bask in my glory?”

“No Sigrid, I really don’t.”

“Oh suit yourself then. I won’t rub my fantastic genius in your face, I know you’re sensitive about these things.”

Scott sighed and shook his head again.

“I really can’t think what I did to deserve being stuck in a forsaken rock with a lunatic…”

“Well, you must have done something right to have earned the pleasure and honour of my company.” Sigrid said with a Cheshire Cat grin.