Skybound

by S. W. Gunn

  As he strolled out of his room he was greeted by the sound of Mark’s voice, “Good morning Johnathan. Did you get enough rest?”

  “Yes thank you.” Johnathan answered as he walked into the small restroom.

  He took care of his personal hygiene before stepping back out into the small living room of his quarters.

  “How was your evening?” Johnathan asked Mark.

  “It was pleasant. I spent the time reviewing some technical specifications for the navigation of the eco-ship. I also utilized the opportunity to run a simulation practicing navigation. I believe in the event of an emergency I will now be able to navigate the eco-ship efficiently.”

  “That’s a great idea. Mark, I’m going to go get some breakfast. What would you like to do once I come back?”

  “Actually I have something new I would like you to try.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Based on a theory of mine I believe that one of the most socially important skills a young man of your age should know is the ability to dance.”

  Johnathan laughed before stating, “That’s a skill I won’t need anytime soon.”

  “Perhaps but I believe it is in your best interest to be a fully rounded person so I am going to help you. I have prepared a series of lessons involving both the modern style of dance utilized by the population of the eco-ship and of course a more classical style since we both agree that everything of the far past was more interesting.”

  Johnathan had no interest whatsoever in learning how to dance, even if he did agree with Mark’s assessment of humankind’s cultural history.

  “Mark I really don’t want to do that.”

  “Do it for me.” Mark implored.

  Johnathan caved. He really had no interest in dancing but he just could not say no to someone who was really worse off in the experience of life than he was.

  “Fine but I don’t want to hear any more about the Commander from you in exchange.”

  What could only be described as a slight chuckle emitted from Mark’s speaker before he answered, “Agreed.”

  “I’m going to get some breakfast and then I’ll be back.”

  Johnathan walked out of his room and headed towards the primary cafeteria. Normally he liked going to one of the smaller cafeterias for his meals but today the primary cafeteria was serving protein omelets. Since there were no animals on the eco-ship, except a small population of cloned pets, everyone had to get their requirements in proteins and other minerals usually found in meat through a special protein bar. It was specially designed to cook in the same manner as meat would so the eco-ship’s cooking staff could use it in a variety of ways. Johnathan found the protein omelets to be his favorite way that they cooked it. As he walked into the cafeteria he was not surprised to see that it was full. He guessed that maybe a good third of the entire population of the eco-ship was present. At full capacity the eco-ship could hold around five thousand people after the incident with Thaddeus Morgan the population fell to around 2000 people. Since the launch of the ‘Skybound’ the geneticists have maintained slow population growth by controlling the birth rate. On the whole eco-ship there would be anywhere from one or two births every few years. The geneticists theorized that the nanotechnology that Morgan released on the population slowed down the aging process for the surviving crew to about one day per year. Since the incident the only curiosity in their aging was pregnancies. For some reason the developing fetus did not age at the same pace as everyone else. In fact up until the child hit about one year old they aged normally. The scientists aboard theorized that it took that long for the nanotechnology to fully replicate within the child’s body. Due to the slow aging process afterwards the Command staff had put a stringent policies on the numbers of authorized children so the ‘Skybound’ has only had about fifty or so births since the incident, most of which were women who were already pregnant when the incident had happened. Each birth was a major event for the population since every woman on the ship was kept on a birth control and it was only removed when she was authorized to have a child. Johnathan got in line and when it was his turn to get breakfast he had his omelet made with protein cheese, some spinach, tomatoes, and onions. He also requested some potatoes and a glass of orange juice to go with it. Each item was grown in the hydroponics bay with genetically modified plants. Johnathan grabbed his tray and after a glance around the seating area he spotted a singular table furthest away from everyone. Walking quickly he sat his tray down before taking a seat. Reaching to the middle of the table Johnathan grabbed the salt and pepper before sprinkling each on his omelet and potatoes.

  Just as Johnathan took his first bite of the omelet a female voice behind him asked, “May I join you?”

  The person was close enough that Johnathan knew that they were talking to him. He turned back to see who it was and he was shocked to see that it was the Commander.

  Stumbling to stand up Johnathan replied, “Of course Commander.”

  He was extremely surprised by her arrival but the realization that Mark might be right hit him. He took another moment to look at her. She looked quite lovely with a simple blue tunic and a loose fitting long matching blue skirt. It was the first time that he had seen her out of uniform. She circled around him and set her tray down in front of him before taking a seat.

  “Your name is Johnathan right?” She asked him.

  “Yes Commander.” He answered still standing.

  “Have a seat.”

  As he sat back down he said, “Yes Commander.”

  “Call me Rose. We aren’t working.”

  Johnathan paused for a moment before nodding at her. She started to eat her breakfast so he took it as a clue to start eating. The orange juice was delicious with a bit of a tart bite to it. Orange juice was easily his favorite drink. He smacked his lips in pleasure without even realizing it.

  “You like orange juice?” Rose asked him.

  Without thinking he responded, “Yes.”

  It took him a moment to realize that he was talking with the Commander in a casual manner and he felt a sudden nauseous feeling.

  “I do too.” She told him as she took a sip of her own juice.

  Johnathan was very nervous and had been surprised that she was even there. His mind kept wandering back to Mark suggesting she had an interest in him, which still made no sense to him but she was sitting here next to him and he could not even think of what to say to her.

  After another long pause she asked, “What else do you do for entertainment outside of your drawing? I’ve never seen you at any of the social events held aboard the eco-ship.”

  Almost stumbling over his words he answered, “I do a lot of reading and some art. I like to experiment with computer technology and pretty much anything else Mark wants.”

  Immediately he realized that he made a mistake by mentioning Mark.

  “Who is Mark?” She asked with a tint of curiosity in her voice.

  Wanting to cover his tracks he replied, “Just a friend.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath before saying, “Listen Johnathan I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

  Looking up and into her eyes Johnathan swore that she looked a little nervous.

  “Sure.” He replied.

  “I’ve been invited to a party tonight and I’d like it if you could join me.”

  He fought his reflex to react strongly as he mumbled out, “A party?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well,” He started, “I really don’t go to parties.”

  “I know and I understand if you don’t want to go.”

  He had to admit that he had no desire to attend some party but honestly he could not think of a way to say no, especially since he found himself suddenly very interested in her.

  “What would I do there?” He asked.

  “You’d be my date. They have food and music plus dancing after.” She told him.

  “Date? Well I ummm… I don’t really go on dates.” He stuttered ou
t.

  She flushed a bright red color before stating, “I’m sorry. It was presumptuous of me to just assume that you’d be interested in me.”

  Collecting her tray she started to rise from her seat.

  “I’ll leave you al.” She started to say but he interrupted her by grabbing her left arm and firmly telling her, “No that’s not it, I’m really not used to people wanting to spend time with me.”

  Sitting back down she asked with what sounded like hesitation, “So you’re interested in me?”

  Johnathan flushed heavily which she responded to by laughing heartily and saying, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  She paused again before standing up and grabbing her tray.

  As she began walking away she instructed him, “I’ll come to your quarters around 1500 hours.”

  Johnathan watched her as she walked away. It was then that he noticed several of the other people in the cafeteria were now looking at him. He turned his head back down to his plate and continued eating. After he finished he moved as quickly as he could to escape the prying eyes of the people there who he knew were watching him as he left. Johnathan made a beeline to his quarters. It was crystal clear to him that Mark knew what was going to happen. As Johnathan entered his quarters and before he could say anything Mark started to laugh.

  Johnathan was quite flustered as he stated accusingly, “You knew!”

  “Of course. I read her journal and she stated that she was going to approach you because she thought that you might be too shy to pursue her, especially with her position on the eco-ship.”

  “I’m really confused by all this. Surely she could find someone more suited to her.”

  Again Mark laughed and after a long period of laughing he said, “Based on her assessment you are the most suited for her. The amount of research that she went through to pick you was quite impressive, although it appears in the end about a month ago she saw you drawing on your datapad and that was what pushed you ahead. Honestly her selection methodology was almost robotic, like nothing I’ve seen as the normal mating ritual of humans. Usually there is a flow of random emotions and such. The Commander broke down a series of specific requirements that she wanted in a mate. Intellect scored high on her matrix. She had physical requirements such as height and weight, along with general attractiveness. Oddly enough was genetic matching that was her first priority. She only included people on her list who have a genetic possibility of having children with the same hair color that she has. I believe she desires to continue the genetic legacy of her hair color.”

  Johnathan was indeed quite surprised by everything Mark was saying, although his mother had the same orange colored hair that Rose had so at least that part made sense to him.

  Mark continued, “What made your comment about the First Officer especially amusing was the fact that he has the same genetic marker but she removed him from the list before she even started her search. Her logs make it quite clear what her personal feelings about him are and they are not positive.”

  “Go on.” Johnathan told him, hoping to squeeze more information out of him.

  Chuckling Mark stated, “No. I have already told you too much.”

  “Mark!” Johnathan wailed.

  “Let us get started on your dance lessons. We do not have time to babble about things that I am not going to tell you anyway.”

  “I hate you.” Johnathan muttered.

  Mark laughed through his speaker before proclaiming, “I love you as well. Trust me; I am doing you a favor.”

  “Please tell me Mark. I have to know everything.”

  Mark’s holographic projector flickered before projecting an image of Rose, wearing a light green dress. She began spinning slowly before she started to dance. Music started to play.

  “It is time for your lesson.”

  Johnathan surrendered by saying, “Fine. I’ll get my revenge though.”

  Mark chuckled before he started instructing Johnathan on how to stand and move. He found the whole lesson painful, the only redeeming aspect was the fact he at least got to see Rose dancing. She was quite graceful as she moved and he was finding her more attractive every time that he saw her. Thoughts of an actual relationship foolishly began to flicker into his mind. There was simply no way one of the most attractive women on the eco-ship was interested in him. He just could not figure out what her motivation for approaching him was. His luck with people overall had been wretched and he quickly flushed the thoughts away. While he was clumsier than most of the population of the eco-ship Johnathan was still able to learn the moves Mark was showing him. They kept at it for several hours with Mark showing him a variety of modern styles of dance that was popular on the eco-ship and a few styles that Mark just liked from pre-twentieth century. Johnathan found ‘The Charleston’ quite a bit of fun.

  “Alright Johnathan you have got maybe two hours before the Commander arrives. I think you should go and acquire something nice to wear. Your normal fair, while utilitarian, I do not believe will be appropriate for a birth celebration.”

  “So that’s what the party is for?”

  “Yes it is. I believe that the Commander is required to attend every single birth celebration.”

  Johnathan nodded. It made sense to him that someone in her position would have to attend such an important event on the eco-ship. He believed that she also was required to attend every special event that popped up. It was at that moment that Johnathan realized if he did get into a relationship with her she would probably expect him to attend all of those events with her. It was not something he was particularly fond of doing, so much that he seriously considered trying to back out of meeting with her. Something inside his mind dismissed that idea immediately.

  “You better get to the tailor Johnathan. I will be here when you come back.”

  Johnathan nodded at Mark before turning and briskly heading out of his room. The corridors of the eco-ship were a smooth white color and well lit. They were designed with series of grid like patterns throughout the ‘Skybound’ with elevators placed every few sections to allow someone to move up and down. In the center of the eco-ship was a main area where an auditorium, a variety of clothing stations, and other optional entertainment venues. The eco-ship had everything from sports to dance clubs. From his research of the past Johnathan found out that humans used to require a barter of initially other items but then money for each of these things. There was no need for such things on the ‘Skybound’ since everyone worked for the common goal. There was a set of restrictions on items to keep people from hoarding unnecessarily in the form of rations. The citizens were run by a board of directors, who was headed by the Commander. A small security force was in place to secure the eco-ship but thankfully there was no crime aboard. Johnathan entered one of the many tailor’s offices on the promenade near the auditorium. A young lady was standing there. She looked around the same age as Johnathan. She had light green eyes, blonde hair, which was braided into a complex looking knot on the back of her head, and a flowing sleeveless yellow dress that had a sun pattern embroidered into it.

  “Hello there. How may I help you today?”

  “Hi,” He said nervously glancing from side to side and then continuing, “I ummm... I have to get a nice outfit for a party tonight.”

  “Which party are you attending?”

  “A birth celebration.”

  “How exciting! Usually the guests dress in a color chosen by the new parents. Do you know what color they chose?”

  Johnathan shook his head.

  She gave him a slight frown before saying, “That’s unfortunate but I think if we go with a white or a darker color I think that you will be fine. What is your favorite color?”

  “Orange.”

  “Oh no. That would not look good on your light skin tone with your blonde hair. Perhaps we should go with a dark color instead? How about a rustic green with white accents?”

  Johnathan just nodded. She knew more about clothing, color, and styles
so he decided to trust her.

  “Come to the measuring room and we’ll get it started. This should only take about an hour or so.”

  He followed behind her. She poked and prodded at him, moving her tape measure about the key points of his body. He found her reaching the tape measure around his groin a little uncomfortable but otherwise everything went smoothly. After they were done she left the measuring room before gesturing that he should go back into the lobby. He waited for about half an hour and she returned with a bag.

  Passing the bag to him she said, “Here you go. I hope that you have a wonderful time.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Johnathan trekked back up to his room.

  Once he got to his room Mark said immediately, “Let me see it.”

  With a nod Johnathan pulled the tunic out and showed it to him. He then showed him the trousers and matching boots that the lady gave him.

  Mark told him, “They look good. Go take a shower and shave. You need to look and smell your best so I put an order for some cologne for you and they delivered it while you were at breakfast. It is sitting on your bathroom counter. Use only a tiny amount on your chest.”

  Johnathan chuckled. Mark seemed to be taking this more seriously than he was. After setting down the bag he went into his bathroom and stripped off his clothing. He spotted a small bottle sitting on the sink. It must have been the cologne because it was new. After a quick shower and shave Johnathan followed Mark’s direction and rubbed a small amount on his chest. It had a unique musky smell but was not very strong. He grabbed some clean undergarments and slipped them on before stepping back out into his living room. He had to dodge several piles of various pieces of equipment but he made it through without nicking himself on something. Reaching into the bag he pulled out the trousers and slipped them on, followed by the tunic, and then finally he slid on the boots. The whole outfit was a bit tighter than what he was used to wearing but as he peeked into the mirror he saw it looked very good on him. The only thing out of place was his hair, which was a bit longer and looser than the cropped style preferred on the eco-ship and in his case was messy.