Invaders And Traitors

• Alana Murphy, Grade 7, Corinda State High School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

The judge walks into the courtroom, my identity papers in his bag and a recyclable coffee cup in his hand. His large size hinted at what the paper bag in his briefcase contained, but as he sat down a hint of kindness flashed in his eyes. “These papers-“, he paused for effect, “Pass.”
It’s funny how when isolated from humanity your worries don’t slip away - they grow.
The white metal is cool on my hands, curved rungs less of a ladder and more a banister of sorts along our hallway. AI-103462; the spaceship of Earth’s dreams - and nightmares. Our mission: to restore peace, destroy alien plans to end earth and struggle through three years of isolation on a space shuttle as a pair.
In simpler terms, a death sentence.
But so far I’ve survived, and we’re due to land at the Dolsan airbase tomorrow. As I float into my room I automatically turn off the light and turn on the gravity before plummeting onto the soft mattress of my bed. As I close my eyes I see nightmarish images before everything fades to black.
Leaping out of bed I grab my spacesuit before floating down the corridor. Our spaceship suddenly falls a kilometre, and before I can even think, Belle floats to me, panicking and terrified. “Anastacia!” she screams. “The engines have shut do-“is all she can say before we’re pinned to the ceiling as we drop to the mountains below. I vaguely register that Belle’s passed out beside me before impact jolts my body, and I fall to the cream-coloured metal that I had floated along not long ago.
Though my eyelids feel like they’re made of lead I jump up instantly, assessing my situation. We’ve landed 30 odd kilometres from the main city of Dolsan, and I figure I’ve been unconscious for almost an hour. That doesn’t leave much time for me to work out an alibi – and I’ll need one considering – so I have to do something fast.
Dolesan has oxygen, so I rip off my spacesuit before my human disguise falls to the ground. I throw my identity papers to the ground before grabbing my Dolesan papers and smooth my metal casing into a matte green. I’m not human. I’m not Dolsan. I’m an Android humanoid. But I’ve programmed myself to be one hundred percent Dolsan at will – and it might just save my life right now. With stolen identity papers that are genuine I figure I’ve got a while before they can figure it out.
When the Dolesan authorities come for our wreck they’ll see one of them, with a prized human astronaut pinned beneath her. As Belle stirs underneath me the emergency hatch opens from above, and I know.
I will survive.