Skybound

by S. W. Gunn

  “You look good,” Mark said in a complimentary tone, “I have no doubt that the Commander will appreciate your appearance. Maybe she might even be willing to consider a well-timed kiss.”

  Johnathan blew air through his lips in frustration. Mark seemed more obsessed with kissing her than he was. Thinking about the idea of kissing her caused him to suffer from a sudden sense of panic. What if she did want him to kiss her? How would he know when he should kiss her? Should he? He had the same sexual education courses everyone else on the eco-ship had but he had no idea about the social aspects involved with getting to the point of kissing someone least yet having sex. His palms started to get sweaty as he continued to feel an overwhelming sense of pressure thinking about it.

  “Are you well?” Mark asked him with a tiny of concern in his voice.

  “No.”

  “What is wrong?”

  “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. Do I hold her hand? Put my hand on her back? And that’s just if it is a casual date. What if she is expecting more? I have no idea what to expect or what she expects, certainly not what I should do.”

  “Johnathan pause and take a deep breath.”

  Taking in a large gulp of air Johnathan attempted to calm down.

  “Just be yourself and I am certain she will like you. If you are not sure just be honest with her.”

  Johnathan nodded. He glanced over at the wall clock and saw that the time was almost 1500. She was due to arrive any moment. As if on cue the door chime for his room rang. It caused him to startle slightly which Mark chuckled at. Johnathan gave him a quick glare before opening the door. His breath was almost drained right out of him when he saw her. She was wearing a dark blue very form fitting dress that had no sleeves. The top had small shoulder pads that caused a slight point before wrapping in a crossing motion over her breasts and then around her. It loosened quite a bit once it hit her hips and then flowed outwards. The design left the top half of her chest, her back, and her sides exposed. It was at this point that Johnathan could see that her sides and chest were covered with the same light tan freckles that were on her face. Her hair was pulled back and loosely hung onto the back of her head. It was heavily curled and was held in place by something that he could not see. She gave him a wide smile when their eyes met.

  “Hello Johnathan.”

  “Hello.” He nervously said to her.

  “You look quite sharp today.”

  “Thank you.” He replied.

  He heard a weird buzzing noise that almost sounded like the word ‘compliment’. It took him a moment to realize it was Mark using a low wave frequency.

  She had a puzzled look on her face but before she could say anything he told her, “You look amazing.”

  Her face shifted to a red color as she said to him, “Thank you.” while placing her right hand tenderly on his left forearm.

  After an awkward pause she asked, “Are you going to invite me in or keep a lady waiting at your entryway?”

  He felt the heat of embarrassment as he stumbled over his words to say, “Sorry, yes please come in.”

  Shuffling to the right he moved to let her enter. She kept her hand in place on his forearm as she entered his quarters.

  Her face shifted to a look of shock as she said, “Oh my, you have a lot of electronics in here.”

  Chuckling Johnathan stated, “I do most of my technological research in my quarters. I could use a normal laboratory but I feel more comfortable here. It is also quiet here, which is important since my hardware tests are complex and interruptions could prove to be an issue.”

  A look of curiosity crossed her brow as she asked, “What sort of research do you do here?”

  He was legitimately excited to have someone ask so he answered, “I work on both software and hardware improvements to increase the efficiency of the computer programs on the ‘Skybound’.”

  “Have you made any improvements?”

  Nodding happily at her he replied, “Yes. I have completely redesigned the entire processor chip set which increased processing efficiency by 78% and my routing and wiring system improvements now provide the entire eco-ship with water proof protection. Plus a few random things here and there as I saw them.”

  Rose looked legitimately surprised before she responded, “That is quite impressive. Why is it that I haven’t heard about any of these improvements?”

  “Oh I didn’t tell anyone.”

  Now she was clearly confused as she asked, “Why not?”

  He shrugged because he did not care about receiving attention so the idea of telling his supervisor about any improvements seemed like an unwise idea.

  After another pause he told her, “It really isn’t something I want people to know about. I’m just doing my job.”

  “Alright, let’s get going. I’d hate to be late for the start.”

  Johnathan nodded at her. She looped her hand that was resting on his forearm under his arm before resting her hand on the inside part of his forearm.

  “It is on the 28th deck in the rear atrium. Please lead on.”

  Stepping towards the door he walked through with her walking by his side. He felt quite awkward and was certain that every single person that they passed was staring at them. She seemed completely oblivious as they walked. He realized that the whole time they were together he had never asked her anything about her.

  He decided to correct that so he asked her, “What do you do for entertainment?”

  She laughed lightly at his question before stating, “I really don’t get to do much entertainment. Either I’m running the command staff, at a variety of meetings, the Board of Directors, acting as the final judge for disputes, or attending events like these.”

  Johnathan felt bad for her. It was no wonder that she decided to pursue someone instead of waiting around. He was still overwhelmed by being there with her.

  Out of curiosity he asked her, “If you did not have to do all of those things what would you spend your free time doing?”

  A thoughtful look crossed her brow as she paused to think before she answered, “Honestly I have no idea. I’ve been so busy since the incident that the idea of free time really has not crossed my mind. I do get to do some reading but not much else.”

  “That’s understandable.” He told her.

  She turned to face him and when their eyes met she gave him a broad smile. Her smile was heavenly and it caused him to grin goofily back at her.

  He had an idea from Mark why she chose him but he was overwhelmed with curiosity so he decided to just ask her himself, “Why did you pick me? You’re so beautiful that you could surely date any man aboard.”

  He felt her hand softly squeeze his forearm as she grinned at him and with a little wink at him she told him, “I wanted the best one.”

  Johnathan was not used to people outside of Mark complimenting him. He awkwardly grinned at her. She really did not answer his question but he decided it was best to let it go for now. As they continued to walk from the outer area of the eco-ship to the main areas more and more people saw them and were staring. Rose did not seem to notice it but he was feeling quite uncomfortable. They arrived at one of the primary elevators that would bring them to the 28th deck. From there it was a short walk to the atrium. On entering the elevator Johnathan could smell the perfume that she was wearing. It was a light flowery scent and it smelled wonderful.

  Turning to face him she instructed, “Once we arrive the hostess of the birth celebration will guide us to a table. I already had a seat next to mine placed for you. All you have to do is sit there and smile. I will have to give the baby a blessing and probably say a few words so you’ll have to sit alone there a few times during the event but there is a small party afterwards and I’m certain it will be fun. Can you dance?”

  “A little bit.” He hesitantly told her.

  She squeezed his forearm as she said, “It’ll be fun. I’ll teach you.”

  He looked at her and she smiled, which he rep
lied to by saying, “Thank you.”

  “Of course. I know you’re not used to this but everything will be fine. I’ll be pulled back and forth the whole evening but if anytime you need me just come and find me okay?”

  He nodded at her and then turned back to look forward. He was slightly nervous about the whole event but he was pretty sure that he would not have any issues, after all he was just going to sit there. For some reason even with the uncomfortable circumstance he was about to walk into he felt much better about it with her there. He could clearly see why she was selected to be the Commander as there was an aura of confidence and calm that seemed to envelop her. Sneaking a peek, he took a moment to admire her. She really was quite attractive. Her cheekbones were high and her lips full. He found that he liked the freckles on her face plus her orange hair reminded him of his mother. She turned towards him and he quickly looked away. He felt her hand again squeeze his forearm. He was caught and felt a little embarrassed but she said nothing. The doors of the elevator opened and he started walking. The Atrium was a very short walk from the elevator. The crowd was getting thicker as they moved closer and closer. The crowd parted to allow Johnathan to escort Rose into the atrium. The people around them were slowing moving to their seats and a large number of them stopped to look at Rose. His nervousness built as he could hear a slight murmur build in the crowd once they saw him. No doubt they were wondering why he was with her. Taking a glance at her, he saw that she had a broad smile on her face. There was absolutely no doubt or concern on her face and he realized that she was in her element.

  A young woman, who was wearing a light blue dress and had tightly wound brown hair, approached them before saying, “Commander it is a pleasure to have you here. We set aside a spot at the main table for you and your guest. Please follow me.”

  She turned and began to walk. Johnathan guided Rose as he followed the woman. They walked through the crowd, which parted to allow them passage.

  The woman stopped at a table and gestured before saying, “Here is your seats. Please have a wonderful time. Commander I’ll come when it is time for the blessing.”

  Rose nodded at her before saying, “Thank you Marie.”

  Johnathan led her to the main seat at the table and pushed in her chair as she sat down. He then took a seat next to her. It was the first time that he took a moment to look at the other people at the table. To Rose’s right was the First Officer, who looked very unhappy to see Johnathan. Next to him was the lead navigator of the eco-ship and beside him was the senior environmental technician. Johnathan knew who each one was and he had heard that the three of them were close friends. The First Officer’s name was Roderick Thomasson. He was a large man with neatly cropped strawberry blonde hair and light green eyes. He was wearing a very tight fitting blue tunic and trousers. He was just as large and muscular up close as he appeared to be from a distance. The lead navigator was a slightly smaller man with short brown hair. He too was wearing blue. The last man had jet black hair and lightly tanned skin, Johnathan guessed that he was of Asian descent most likely Korean. All of them seemed very unsettled. The look on the First Officer’s face soured even more when Rose reached out and grabbed Johnathan’s hand. It was not until this exact moment that Johnathan’s hesitation became fear. He was more than a little uncomfortable. There was no way that Rose did not see the looks that they were giving him but either she did not care or it was what she wanted.

  She turned to him and asked, “What do you think?”

  Ignoring the stares of the men at the table Johnathan turned to her and replied, “It’s nice.”

  Giving him a grin before she stood up she announced, “I have to go and bless the baby. I’ll be right back.”

  Johnathan stood immediately and he pulled at her chair to help her move freely.

  “Alright.”

  As she strode away Johnathan sat back down. He watched her approach the main table of the parents. Sitting on their table was a small basket that he could see their newborn baby lying in. Johnathan guessed with all of the blue that they had a boy. Rose reached into the basket and picked up the small infant. She began speaking but he could not hear what she was saying from this distance, even with the room being perfectly silent. She straightened her arms and lifted the child up so that everyone could see him. Johnathan could not see the baby very well but he could tell that the baby had brown hair and light skin. Rose continued talking for a while longer before tenderly placing the baby back in the basket. Again she started talking to the couple at the table.

  A harsh voice at the table spoke, “Why are you here?”

  Johnathan turned to see the person speaking was the First Officer.

  He was confused by the question so he asked, “What?”

  The First Officer seemed to get even angrier as he replied, “You’re not one of us, just some computer technician. How dare you even come here?”

  Johnathan was stunned and could not think of anything to say.

  The lead navigator then commented, “You should leave and go play with your computers. The Commander is out of your league.”

  The First Officer nodded before stating, “Maybe I’ll need to find you some more computers to play with. The Commander will be mine and you’re out of your place.”

  Although he did not say a word beforehand the Environmental Officer finally spoke up, “If you’re a smart technician you’ll disappear now. I’d hate for something ‘unfortunate’ to happen to you.”

  Glancing from side to side Johnathan started to get very nervous. The three men began chuckling.

  “Indeed,” The First Officer said and after a pause continued, “As the First Officer I can make sure that no one will know or miss you.”

  Johnathan seriously considered leaving while he could but after taking a glance over at Rose something struck him. Rose herself considered him special, why should he run? She wanted him here and her opinion is what mattered. He was struck with a sense of stubbornness.

  He looked directly into the First Officer’s eyes before firmly stating, “I think that you’re confused First Officer.”

  A puzzled look crossed the First Officer’s face and after a moment the man asked, “How so?”

  Smoothly Johnathan replied, “Well you see, every single system on the ‘Skybound’ is run by computers. From the food we eat to the daily tasks we receive. All ran by computers. There is one man on the eco-ship who controls them all. That man could accidentally cut people’s rations to nothing. Heck he could even assign people to work in the sewage sanitation detail for ten years. Even the Commander herself follows the protocols laid out by the computers. Imagine having your clothing ration removed, random strikes on your service records, and maybe even finding yourself accidentally locked in a closet when you went to change clothing.”

  Johnathan would never do these things to anyone but he had to do something to get these men to leave him alone. A look of hesitation crossed the First Officer’s brow. The other two men’s facial expressions changed immediately to what Johnathan could only consider fear.

  “You wouldn’t dare.” The First Officer said angrily.

  Chuckling at the man Johnathan replied, “Why not? If you’re going to threaten someone you don’t know because he went on a date with someone who wouldn’t have you then shouldn’t that someone be in their right to defend themselves? I know more about these computers and how they work than the entirety of the whole population of the eco-ship. I could erase everything you have with a snap of my fingers. Do you really want to test me?”

  Suddenly the Lead Navigator stood up and declared, “I have to go.”

  He turned and exited before anyone could say a word. The Environmental Officer stood and left. Johnathan looked back to the First Officer who appeared even more confused. Huffily he rose from his chair and walked away.

  Right after he got out of view Rose returned to her seat and as she sat down she asked, “Where did everyone go?”

  “I believe they all had
something urgent they needed to attend to.”

  Rose looped her right arm around his left arm and then pulled herself closely before squeezing tightly.

  “I’m glad they left. While he does an excellent job overall it’s so tiring to deal with the First Officer.”

  Nodding at her Johnathan did not say a word.

  She continued to speak, “He’s been trying to get my personal affection for so long but honestly I find him unbearable. Who really wants to listen to someone brag about how great they are for hours on end?”

  Johnathan chuckled at her. He was not the type of person to brag about himself. A woman walked up and set a tray down on the table.

  She asked, “Are the other guests returning?”

  Before Johnathan could say a word Rose interjected, “No. It’s just me and John.”

  The woman nodded at Rose before walking away.

  Rose turned to him and asked, “You don’t mind me calling you John do you?”

  No one had called him ‘John’ since the incident. It was how his father referred to him. He shook his head at her.

  With a chuckle she stated, “It’s just easier to say.”

  “Okay.”

  “How are you feeling?” She asked.

  He was extremely nervous at first and the incident with the First Officer was unsettling but at this point he had calmed down. Now he was just enjoying her company. She was quite pleasant to be around. Much kinder than he had thought that she would be. He realized that her position probably required the sternness that he always seen from a distance.

  “I’m doing wonderful thank you.”

  “Me too. Usually these things are so dreadful, especially when Roderick sticks around.”

  Johnathan chuckled. He could only imagine how overbearing it would be to have someone hounding you for attention if you were uninterested. In the corner of his eyes he saw someone gesturing at them. Turning to look at them he recognized the person as the same young woman who walked them to her table.