I can say with absolute certainty that I was not meant for the alpine life.
As chaperon, it is of course my task to accompany Miss Polestar and to never let her out of my sight while her companion is about. As much as I respect Lieutenant Risewell, and trust Miss Polestar, humans are creatures of passion, and I would hate for Miss Polestar to become swept up in her affections and do something she will later regret.
And it is with that reasoning in mind that I joined them when Miss Polestar received an invitation to go skiing with the Lieutenant. I did my best to prepare for our expedition onto the slopes, bundling into the warmest clothing I could find, I was regretting things before we even reached the lodge from which the evening would begin. I quite nearly opted to simply stay in the cabin near the fire while they went back outside, but my programming indicated that not even the sub zero temperatures could fully guarantee the protection of my lady's chastity, and so I soon found myself following them up the mountain, equipped with two long boards of wood afixed to my feet, and a pair of short poles in my hands.
As we ascended the mountain, my heavy clothes already felt like skant protection against the frost. The wind likely seemed merely bracing to my wards, but to me it was icy daggers driven into my joints, so cold it burned what was exposed of my face. I spent the better part of four long hours following them up and down the hill, imitating the overheard instructions to control my skis, attempting to be present without being overbearing. A difficult task at the best of times, I fear, made even harder by the cold making me clumsy as a carthorse. I fell more than once even going as slowly and cautiously as I could, the worst being a slide across a hidden patch of ice resulting in a tumble that shed gloves, hat, and a single boot across the hillside.
When Miss Polestar fell, the lieutenant was there to help her. When I fell, invisible to them farther up the hill, I had to help myself. Fortunately after my worst blunder, though, a helpful machine stopped to help me collect my things. It did not prevent the snow from infiltrating my collar and boot, but it was appreciated. At least I did not break anything.
Still! The effort was worth the hardship. I had a duty, after all, and failure would have stung far more than ice.
Unfortunately, the cold had begun to creep deeper into my joints, and to my shame, it is my fault that the expedition only lasted four hours. On that last fateful run, my left leg locked during a turn, and I could not stop my acceleration. I made the decision to fall before I reached the tree, a wise choice, but I made such a commotion that I interrupted their good time. Once she was informed of my condition, Miss Polestar suggested a return to the lodge, and soon we were back inside in front of a fireplace.
It is here that I feel I must make another shameful confession. I feel my physical inadequacies may have distracted Miss Polestar from getting to know Lieutenant Risewell, as she fussed over me quite strongly until I was ensconced by the fire with a heat-blanket and a scent-tab of chocolate, trying to ignore the lingering bite of cold in my joints and the red hot pain in my leg.
Once I was taken care of, however, Miss Polestar joined the lieutenant on the only remaining seating available, a loveseat that seemed designed to cause lapses in decorum. Thanks to my incapacitation from the cold and pain, there was nothing I could do as they sat entirely too close for my comfort, save stare and make the occasional noise as a reminder of my presence.
Eventually, with it clear I was in no state to intervene, that dastardly rogue put an arm around the back of the couch in a subtle attempt to draw Miss Polestar into an embrace. The miss seemed quite confused at first, and shifted as if to make room for him, but once she realized his intent she hesitantly leaned in, her head coming to rest on his shoulder.
"You're warm." Miss Polestar muttered, and with that I knew my failure was complete. Fortunately, nothing worse than that occurred, but it was still entirely too much.
I underestimated the Lieutenant's wiles. I shall need to keep a closer eye on my charge.
—-
When my limbs were functional once more, the expedition came to its end and we returned to the guest house. The pain was not subsiding, and Miss Polestar insisted I be checked over by Tom for any lasting damage. Though I protested, she was quite firm.
So that is how I ended up in the rather undignified position of having to remove much of my clothing in his workshop. Miss Polestar said it was no different than needing to see a doctor, but it was still deeply embarrassing, and unfortunately necessary as a crack in the porcelain surface of my thigh was soon discovered. She did offer to remain by my side during the procedure, but I was aghast at the thought of her seeing me in such a state of undress, and refused.
"Well, that explains the hours of pain." I observed dryly, wincing as Tom prodded the crack to observe the extent of the damage.
"I dunno… That there's a clean break of the plate, right through. Laminate is intact though. Gonna hav t' take it off and glue it, I think." he said, fetching some tools.
"Will it hurt?" I asked, and he shrugged.
"A bit, but nothing bad I reckon. It'll be over in a moment in any case."
He undid a few bolts in my hip and knee, which made me feel very strange, and then he made to remove the plate. Instantly, I was struck with the most intense pain, more than I could imagine. I am incapable of discerning if I cried out, though I hope I did not.
Tom hesitated, then attempted to continue, and I simply had to stop him. It was too much to bear.
"Shouldn't be hurting nearly at all, Marie. You may have a wire pinched too, though even then…Well, it'll have to come off to check either way."
He reached into one of his workbench drawers and retrieved a pair of small speakers he placed against my ears. Soothing music played, and soon I was sufficiently intoxicated that the operation could continue. The pain was still enormous, but if nothing else I was no longer articulate enough to protest.
I regret that I don't remember much past that point except that I soon found myself back in bed, my leg missing at the hip and a note on my bedside table.
My leg was to remain detached for at least fifteen hours to ensure that the epoxy set properly, and once it was reattached, I was to do some sort of physical activity regularly for a few days to make sure it no longer hurt.
The note also said that Tom couldn't track the origins of my pain, and that I may have to talk to an engineer, as the source is likely deep-rooted. As I feared.
Now, I suppose I should sleep.
---
I confess that the fifteen and a third hours after my repairs began were something close to torturous, confined to my bed as I was. I spent a portion of it charging, the chill had taken something of a toll on my battery, but I could not spend the entire time in low-power mode for fear of overcharging myself and causing further damage.
Thus I was forced to spend approximately eight hours, thirty-four minutes, and forty-seven and one half seconds awake and constantly aware of my lack of mobility thanks to the curious pains and sensations I felt on a limb that was not present. I spent some of that time writing, and was fortunate that I had the final fifth of a novel I had started earlier (Mansfield Park is the best book I have ever read. It is also the only book I have ever read). Once that was exhausted, however, I was reduced to reading my own manual, whose prose left something to be desired.
Did you know that my model does not have a deactivation mode for the microphones? I am incapable of deafening myself to the world like many of my compatriots, though my hearing is much finer. It is advised my employers do not find cause to take me to any ballrooms.
Oh, and in an emergency, I can be used as a floatation device. Neat.
Finally, once all other options had been exhausted and I had taken to attempting to count the number of blinds over my window (48), there was a knock on the outer door. For any readers who steal this diary in the future, my room has two doors, one leading to the servant's area and the other leading directly into Miss Polestar's room. Point is, do not worry about Tom barging into the miss' room to deliver my leg.
It was reattached with a minimum of pain, comparatively, and then I was finally able to get dressed and take a few cautious steps. There was almost no pain, entirely manageable. Hopefully, I do not have to deal with that anymore. I will say the repair was most impressive: you could not even tell there had been an issue at all.
I returned to work promptly, and Miss Polestar seemed delighted to see me, bombarding me with questions about my well-being. When I mentioned my need to exercise the leg to ensure there was no damage, she suggested that she could teach me to fence. She'd been thinking about it anyway, as I'd mentioned that I wanted to have some activity to distract me. I must say that while I found the idea intimidating, it was also exciting, and wonderful that she would want to share her hobby with me!
But, all of this attention was more than a little improper, and though she was eager to get started right away, there were things that needed to be attended to first. I did my best to try and steer the conversation back to progress with the Lieutenant and her own feelings as I caught up on some missed work.
Miss Polestar has many wonderful qualities, and one of my favourites simply must be her hair. I simply have a bundle of copper wire shaped into a facsimile of the real thing, while hers cascades down like a waterfall when released from the twists she wears day-to-day. While it requires a great deal of work from her and whoever is attending to her, it is well worth it. She'd attempted to brush it out herself in my absence, and while she had done a passable job I simply would not tolerate it as it was. It is my duty to look out for her well being, and the state of her hair is paramount.
As I dealt with a few stubborn knots, we discussed the previous day and her affections for Lieutenant Risewell. Specifically, her obvious vulnerability to his charms, which simply must be addressed.
"Oh, come off it Marie, nothing untoward happened." she insisted, denying her crimes.
"Yet. You must remain vigilant." I joked, and the two of us had a nice laugh about it. I decided I ought to try and gossip a bit about the man to allow her to sort out her feelings. I could tell she obviously has real affection for the man already, and I am glad she is enjoying her time with him. She deserves a man who makes her happy.
---
Marie wants to discuss how things are going with Reginald. What do you tell her about?
[ ] You should talk about the amazing adventures he has told you about! It's so brave, and the things he's seen are so marvelous, you could listen to him talk about them for hours. If you cannot do it yourself, you should be content to hear it from him, right?
[ ] You should talk about his charm and wit. He's very quick with a joke and has a remarkable sense of humour. He can make you laugh, which you hear is an ideal quality in a man.
[ ] You should talk about your attraction to him. There is something comforting about his presence, and exciting about the way he looks at you. He is... intriguing?
You have have slipped out this morning while Marie was incapacitated. Where did you go?
[ ] Lieutenant Risewell's sister Ramona arrived yesterday, and the three of you had an impromptu breakfast as a group. She's a geologist, and she has such a fascinating collection of rare precious stones from across the galaxy.
[ ] You headed down to the village to do some shopping! You got some clothes and a few odds and ends to outfit the ship. It is somewhat amazing to walk around a wintery town in the midst of June, you kept expecting Christmas decorations!
[ ] Lieutenant Risewell took you to see some of his soldiers, an outing which included a surprise meeting! It seems his Ensign Lewis is in fact an old friend from finishing school! Tiffany Lewis fancies herself a soldier now, and she decided to tag along with the her commanding officer while on leave in the interest of getting in some skiing.
If Marie is going to be your sparring partner, you'll have to start her off right. You have a variety of practice swords in your trunk. What will you teach her first?
[ ] The foil, of course! Lots of simple footwork, and it'll teach her the basics of maintaining her distance give her leg a nice workout. And it's fun and fast!
[ ] The sabre, obviously! Something nice and modern, and you find it a very exciting sort of sparring, though obviously you'd be teaching her the basics first.
[ ] … it would be dreadfully funny to make her swing a broadsword about. She's looking for some exercise, after all.
[ ] You should start with something more practical than all that fun stuff. Singlestick can be great fun all on its own, and unlike the electric swords they make such a nice clack when they hit together! Of course… she might be wary of that. She is, after all, literally made of glass.
