SOLVED. Science fiction: young girl is alone on a sentient spaceship that is taking care of her. [s]

[Emily]

This is a sci fi book or short story probably checked out from a library in the U.S. sometime in the 80s. A young girl (like perhaps 6-8 years old) is alone on a spaceship that is taking care of her (it can talk to her through the intercom). She visits her parents, who are moldy and unresponsive, and the spaceship talks her through taking a bath. This seems to be a routine she and the spaceship do every day.

Light mid-story spoilers:
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The ship makes contact with other humans, and it turns out the girl is actually several decades older than she seems and has been stranded alone on the ship for decades, but somehow got stuck as a seeming small child both mentally and physically as a side effect of the plague that killed everyone else on board.

End of story spoilers:
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Although the sentient spaceship is not functioning well any more, the girl is eventually able to be brought down to a moon or planet with some orbital shenanigans that I think may have ended up killing the spaceship (?). She is put in quarantine due to fear of the plague that had struck the ship, people are interested in studying her because of the eternal youth thing but the quarantine was imposed in a one-sided way, forgetting that her immune system has not been exposed to most diseases. She ends up dying of the flu or something.

[Rainbowheart]

Was the book for kids, teens, or adults?

Could it be the same as the one Amanda is looking for here?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Emily]

I was probably a teen when I read it but I honestly couldn't say what aged audience it was aimed at. Older sci fi is a little vague to me that way. I think the main distinguishers from this other thread are that the girl character was ostensibly younger (I think more like 6-8 years old in maturity/appearance) and wasn't ever in suspended animation or had an "awakening" type experience. She lived as a child being taken care of by the spaceship and going through their daily routine the entire time until they made contact with the others. I suppose it's possible there was some amount of surprising technology when she got down to the planet that I don't remember?

[Amanda]

Thank you. It could be, there are a lot of similarities, but it seems Emily remembers more and I do think the main character seemed to not understand really what was going on. I would be interested in reading this, if Emily finds it, to see if it jogs my memory.
Rainbowheart wrote: "Was the book for kids, teens, or adults?

Could it be the same as the one Amanda is looking for here?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/......"

[Emily]

The novella is Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo, by John Varley, 1986. It's available used as a Tor double with a Samuel R. Delany title. It is great.

[Emily]

(Coincidentally, this quarantine themed story is also nice and topical for reading while in shelter in place :) )

[Rainbowheart]

Glad you found it!

The Star Pit / Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo for the link.

Looks it was pubbed as a double novel.

[Bargle]

It's also collected in The John Varley Reader.