■ 2 A spaceship made of plastic

I couldn't believe what I'd done． I'd run away—me！

I'm not very brave and I love my parents very much． I never thought I could ever disobey them．

I was afraid． And I felt sad for my parents． Poor mother and father！

But I had to live my own life． I couldn't get married to a horrible old man like Buffalo！

I knew they would follow me quickly so I told the spaceship to take me to a very quiet part of the Galaxy， a long way from any planets with people on．

The spaceship went．

How can a spaceship travel across the Galaxy in no time at all？

Well， I learnt the answer to that in school． There are a lot of little black holes in space． They are about as big as a potato． A spaceship goes into one black hole and comes out of another black hole on the other side of the Galaxy．

Don't ask me how a big thing like a spaceship can go into a thing as small as a potato． I was probably asleep when the robot teacher told me the answer to that！

Nobody could find me now． I was in the middle of the Galaxy in empty space．

There were stars above my head， stars below my feet， starson my left hand， stars on my right hand．

Strange． I knew all these stars were a long， long way away but they didn't look far away． They looked very close； I wanted to reach out my hand and touch them．

And the silence． So very， very， very quiet．

The Book of Remembering says how I felt： 'Their hearts were empty． '

My heart was empty． I saw millions of stars but there was no life in the Galaxy except us humans． Well， there are potatoes and wheat and rice but you can't talk to vegetables．

We are alone．

The Book of Remembering says we did it． We polluted Earth and so killed all the animals． We ran away from Earth and we're still running． That was twenty thousand years ago and we still can't forget．

The Book of Remembering gives names for thousands of animals． Fantastic！ Could there really be thousands of animals？ The idea of animals is so strange． What did they look like？ The Book of Remembering has no pictures， but says there are birds that fly， and fish that swim． There are animals with no legs， and animals with lots of legs—ugh！ What a horrible idea！

Can anybody believe stories like that？

And now I was running away too． Perhaps I was wrong to run away．

Suddenly the spaceship went'PING！ '

'Yes， what is it？ 'I asked．

'There is something near us． '

'Oh！ 'I said． 'I thought we were a long way from anything out here． Take me closer． '

We moved closer， but I couldn't see anything．

Then one star disappeared， then another star， and another． It was too dark to see what the thing was． It was just a big black shape between me and the stars．

It was probably just a big old rock， which had broken off a moon or a planet．

Well， perhaps it contained gold or something． Then I could show the Star Council I was doing important work． Perhaps that would be a good reason not to marry Buff．

I said， 'Find out what it is made of． '

The spaceship shot a laser at the thing and said， 'It is not natural． It may be a spaceship， although it is moving too slowly to arrive at a star． It is made of plastic． '

A spaceship made of plastic？ You can't make spaceships out of plastic！ And spaceships don't travel slowly．

I was a little afraid， but this was something really important； nobody could make me get married after I had discovered something as strange as this． I was afraid but also excited． Most girls just get married once a year and have another baby． That's enough excitement for them． Not me！

I was going to visit this spaceship and meet…the people inside it．

'Show me this plastic spaceship， 'I said．

My spaceship shone out light． The thing was big， big， BIG． Who would build a spaceship so big？ The plastic was full of holes and the spaceship looked old and dead． Would anybody be left alive inside？ I didn't think so．

The spaceship was round like a ball． It turned slowly， which made things inside just heavy enough to stay on the ground．

I saw a door on it and said， 'Land there． '

My spaceship landed． I put on a spacesuit， went outside and moved to the big round door． I pulled and pushed and hit it． At last something moved and the door opened．

Inside， there was a tunnel． A long black tunnel． I climbed in and the door closed behind me．

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