Writing Prompt: “You are a human on a spaceship crewed by aliens. As your hair dye begins to fade, your crewmates start to worry about your health.”
“Please have a seat, Morgan,” Dr. Tell said to me.
“Yeah, sure, Doc. What’s this all about?” I asked.
I walked into the medical bay and took a seat on the padded chair.
“There have been some concern about your well being among the other crew mates and I just want to make sure you are alright,” Dr. Tell said as they pulled up my medical information on their holographic screen.
“Really? Already? I’ve only been here a week,” I said with a bit of a laugh.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. Just not used to having humans aboard the spacecraft,” Dr. Tell said.
“Yeah, sure,” I nodded. “This whole thing is kind of new to me too.”
For the longest time, humans weren’t sure whether or not they were alone in the universe. Space exploration was limited to our own solar system and we were obsessed with finding water on Mars or establishing a base on the moon. Now over 200 years have passed since we established our first space colonies and made contact with the greater universe. Hundreds of different species have made left their own planets and lived among the stars. At first many species, including humans, were reluctant to work together, but strides have been made to have more diverse space crews working together for space exploration and scientific research.
I was one of the lucky few to be put on a new, diversified spaceship. The only human on a spaceship crewed by “aliens.”
Dr. Tell or Dr. Tellium is an alien-robot hybrid which speak to each other using mind waves. Usually Dr. Tellium’s species are used as medical professionals or engineers on space vessels.
“Now, Morgan, have you been eating?” Dr. Tell asked.
“Yeah I’ve made sure to eat my rationed food. Every meal,” I said.
“And how are you sleeping?”
“Fine. Bed is comfortable enough. I was a bit nervous being on the ship, but still sleeping fine,” I said.
“Hmm,” Dr. Tell tapped a few things on their wrist. “And how are you getting along with the other crew mates?”
“Fine. No problems,” I said.
Dr. Tell looked at me and then back to their wrist.
“It says here that you didn’t have any prior health concerns before arriving here on the SC-Rising Star, is that correct?”
“Yeah, that’s correct. Just a history of heart disease but I’m sure you can just whip up another heart in a second if I needed it,” I said with a laugh.
Dr. Tell didn’t laugh. Maybe humor wasn’t a thing his species had.
“You know that cloning was banned by UPA over 100 Earth years ago,” Dr. Tell said.
“Right. Sure. I didn’t mean. Never mind,” I said before getting back on topic. “Doc, what’s going on? I feel fine. No problems. What has everyone else been saying about me?”
“The crew have noticed that there is a problem with your pigmentation,” Dr. Tell said.
“Pigmentation?”
I looked down at my hands. My dark brown skin looked fine to me.
“I don’t understand,” I said.
Dr. Tell noticed my gaze.
“Not your skin pigmentation, Morgan. Your hair pigmentation,” They said.
“My hair pigmentation? You mean my hair dye?” I asked.
“Hair dye?” Dr. Tell asked me.
“Yeah Doc,” I said shaking my head. “My hair is naturally black, but right before I got my assignment here, I dyed it blue. I thought that space would give me an opportunity to reinvented myself, you know? I couldn’t do anything crazy while I was a recruit, but now that I’m on an actual crew, I went blue.”
As I said these words, I could tell that Dr. Tell was very confused.
I leaned forward a little bit and showed Dr. Tell that crown of my hair.
“You see that? That’s my black roots growing in. Plus the dye isn’t forever. It eventually fades,” I said. “I’m not sick. The color is just washing out.”
“Your hair is not naturally blue,” Dr. Tell said.
I looked at them and nodded.
“Right,” I said. “I’m just a black man with blue hair. Well black hair I dyed blue.”
“So the color is naturally leaving your hair through bathing and will eventually return to the natural black state?”
“That’s right.”
“This information will be added to your bio information,” Dr. Tell said as they tapped on their wrist. “I was unsure if humans were able to change pigment colors based on external factors like other species in the universe.”
“Not that I know of. But maybe there is someone special out there that I don’t know about.”
Dr. Tell nodded.
“More testing required,” They said. “For now you are free to go, Morgan. I will let the rest of the crew know that you are in good health and have no reason to worry.”
“Yeah sure, cool,” I said.
“Please come to me if you do start to feel unwell,” Dr. Tell said.
“Right, will do, Doc,” I said.
I stood up and left the medical bay as I chuckled to myself. On one hand I felt a bit silly telling the Doc about hair dye, but on the other hand there was probably a lot of stuff I didn’t know about their species. Plus my crew seemed to care about my well-being. Can’t be too mad about that.
I made my way to my room in the housing bay and sat down on my bed. Only a week in to being a crewman on the SC-Rising Star and I was already experiencing things I didn’t think I would. I mean their was a whole crew of different people from all over the galaxy and it’s possible none of them knew about hair dye.
“Well Morgan, what have you gotten yourself into,” I said to myself as I stood up.
Maybe I should make my way to the mess hall and spend more time with my crew mates. The more they learned about me, the less misunderstandings like this would happen. Furthermore, it would also give me a chance to get to know them. If we were going to spend the next few years together, it only makes sense that I get to know them.
I ran my hands through my blue hair instinctively and then made my way to the food bay.
Header Photo Credit to Wallpaper Access
https://wallpaperaccess.com/sci-fi-ship
Writing Prompt submitted to r/WritingPrompts by u/K-Far
Allen The Writer 