by Nate Johnson
“No planets, weak red dwarf,” the voice said.
“Damn,” Brenda Crawly said, mimicking Jonathan by slamming her hand on the table. A laugh went up from the class, and the tension subsided. They weren’t going to become famous or rich, at least not today.
Chapter Four
Erik looked out over the students grouped together going over incoming data, squealing with new discoveries, and working to outdo each other. “Aren’t you interested?” he asked Nora.
She shook her head and said, “I’m hoping to go into xenobiology. When they find a planet with life on it, then I’ll get hyped up. In the meantime, it’s wait and see.”
Erik nodded.
“All Clear, return to normal ops,” burst from the loud speakers. A simple statement that sent a visible wave of relief through his body. The phrase - normal ops - was his ticket out of there.
“Well, if there aren’t any more questions, I’ll get back to work,” Erik said. He noticed that she was a little startled, and he wondered if their might have been a hint of disappointment. God, he could only wish.
“How long until the next jump?” someone asked. Nora broke out in a huge smile.
He pulled his eyes away from staring at Nora, probably not a good thing, and addressed the other young woman, - A tall red-headed girl name of Brenda, if he remembered correctly
“That depends, usually a day or two.”
“Are there always new worm holes?” Nora asked him, looking like she was interested.
“Usually. They are like branches on a tree, always splitting off into two or three new ones. If so, we’ll pick the closest and move on. If there isn’t anything within easy range, then we’ll go back and try another one.”
She nodded her head in understanding. Other questions started to pour in, “How far would the Captain be willing to travel before he would head back?” “What was the worst thing that had happened on a jump?” And, many more. Nora asked him how long he had been doing this.
He patiently answered their questions, surprising himself by enjoying it. The questions were honest and intelligent, and a little surprising. When the questions finally petered out, he nodded his head to Nora and left so that he could get back to real work, instead of babysitting a bunch of kids.
.o0o.
A starship is too small by definition. It wouldn’t matter if it was the size of a small moon. Nothing we can make will ever compare to the cosmos itself. It is a never-ending reminder of our limitations.
A naval patrol into new space only makes it worse. The constant roller coaster of emotions, the brief moments of Russian roulette, known as new space jumps, punctuated by long reams of boredom, twists and stresses a person. Constantly pressing in, reminding them of their smallness, their false sense of self. It strips everything away, all secrets are exposed, all flaws highlighted.
When you put a bunch of scuffed personalities, -and which personality isn’t scuffed? Some more than others, - into a hermetically sealed climate controlled steel coffin, a tin can filled with cold steel and vulcanized rubber, you start to get … issues, shall we say.
People bump up against each other like merging stars, they can’t avoid it. Former best friends become arch enemies. What would have been a funny joke only a few weeks before, is now seen as a cruel insult meant to cause permanent injury.
People grow quiet, like technicians defusing a bomb, worried that the wrong word at the wrong time will set it off. Others become loud, obnoxious, ever trying to break monotony’s deadly grip.
Nora thought she was going to go insane. If not, she would probably end up killing someone, preferably Brenda, but either Jo or Bethany would do. Hell, a weak mouse would do if she could get her hands around its neck.
The boredom was overwhelming and felt like a thousand wet blankets holding her down.
She lay on her rack for the umpteenth time, her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. God, will something please happen soon? Anything to liven stuff up. The classes were boring and meaningless.
The other students were all dumber than a bucket of rocks and just as useless. - Not really, but it’s what she wanted to think just then -. Her roommates seemed to make very unnecessary noise, always coming and going.
The damn bathroom heater wasn’t working again and whined in protest whenever someone forgot and turned it on in the morning, - usually Brenda. Why had she ever thought this would be an adventure?
They’d lied to her. All those story tellers, full of that heroic, romantic, bullshit about traveling across the stars. Those …. Those …. Idiots, she thought, slamming her hands into the bed.
It was all becoming too much. Three months of this and she was done. Three months, seven days and four hours to be exact. But hey, who’s counting. Only one more month to go, then they would turn around and head home.
Sighing, she slowly let out a breath. They hadn’t found a thing. Two barren planets, circling less than exciting stars, is all they had to show for all of this tedium.
She knew that everyone else was going through it too. She’d skipped class today, claiming a headache; Jo had been all concerned, that fake motherly attitude driving Nora up the wall. She didn’t need a mother; she needed to be left alone.
Thinking about her roommates caused her stomach to clench up in worry.
The Captain's mandate about no fraternization was being tested. Dania had several different guys, both students, and crew on short strings, sniffing around like lost wolf hounds.
She was going to have to start following through on some of her innuendoes or start a small riot.
The male students resented the hell out of the crew. They were all older, more knowledgeable, and much more interesting. The crew resented the hell out of the male students because they were more privileged, but mostly because they got to spend more time with the female students.
A picture of a certain ship’s coxswain popped into her mind. Tall, rugged, those gray eyes that never missed a thing. That totally awesome and fascinating tattoo that told the universe to screw off. Everything about him was different and pulled at her insides like a star size magnet.
Flopping over onto her side, she stuck her hands under cheek and huffed out a breath in frustration. The man treated her like a toxic dish towel. Hands off, and as much distance as a starship would allow.
Several times she had quietly approached, only to have him quickly, but gently, excuse himself. Work, watch, or some other small emergency claiming his attention. You’d think a girl might have a chance, locked up in a tin can with a guy. But No! Not this one! Grinding her teeth, she turned to her other side and punched her pillow. This is what you get for trying to sleep in the afternoon.
.o0o.
Erik pulled the part from the replicator and sighed in frustration. He was doing that a lot lately, he thought, as he grabbed the work order and headed out. He’d been putting this off for a week, but it couldn’t be avoided.
He could have had one of the other guys do it, but for some reason, he had hidden the work request as soon as it came in.
Okay, he knew the reason. That didn’t make it easier.
Sneaking past the classroom, he turned towards the female berthing area. He always felt a little uncomfortable coming down this passageway, even when on his rounds during his watch. Swallowing, he approached the door, then quickly pulled out the heater core. He rapped his knuckles on the ceramic door and announced himself.
“Hello, this is Petty Officer Tanner, I’m here to fix the heater.” Then, he slapped his head. They’re not here, they’re in class. You can’t go in, no way. A shiver crossed his spine thinking of explaining to the Captain about why he was found sneaking around in one of the female rooms. He turned to go, shaking his head at his own idiocy, realizing he wasn’t going to be able to avoid coming back when they were there.
The berthing door slid open, and she stood there in red flannel Pajamas. All soft curves and sleepy eyes. Her chocolate colored hair was mussed up, making
him want to reach out and smooth it into place. She looked like she’d been pulled from a deep sleep. He wanted to kick himself for waking her.
She looked at him, her eyes narrowing in confusion, then a smile that could light up a solar system greeted him.
“Yes?” she asked.
Erik scrambled to gather his thoughts, marshal his resources, and figure out what was what. Everything, except remembering why he was there.
“I… Uh…. I’m here to uh... To uh fix the heater,” he said holding out the new heater core and showing her the work order on his data device.
She looked down at them and then back at him, as if trying to figure out what he was talking about. The lights went on in her head, and she smiled again. He thought for sure his insides would turn over, the Captain’s speech ran through his mind, every damn word.
Swallowing hard he indicated inside, as if to say, I can’t fix it from out here.
Nora nodded and moved back, waiving him into the room.
Erik stepped inside and gulped. A faint scent of perfume and soft soap wafted through the room. Everything was different from the typical spaceship Spartan crew quarters.
Sure, they had the same furniture, the normal military issued metal cabinets and stacked bunk beds. The kind of things that could be found on any army base or state prison. But, it had been made softer, more colorful. Homier. The room was basked in a soft yellow light from a lamp on the far dresser. Where the hell did they get a lamp?
The far wall had been turned into a colorful mural of a picturesque meadow with horses and a flock of crows on the wing. A distant blue mountain reminded him of home and made him want to reach out and touch it.
He stood there in the center of the room looking at the painting. Blown away by the talent that had painted it. A tall, stately bird, much like the eagle on his neck, was perched on a fence rail, looking like he was getting ready to set off. The entire thing was really overwhelming.
“Don’t worry, it’s all washable, we’ll clean it off before we get home,” Nora said, looking at him from under her brows, as if worried about what he might say.
Erik rubbed the side of his neck, his guts clenching at the thought of this ever being washed away. It didn’t seem right. He knew that regulations would require it, but still. It wasn’t right.
“Did you do this?” he asked.
“We all did. The first couple of weeks. Jo started it then we all pitched in,” Nora said, obviously pleased with his appreciation of her and her friend's work.
“Which part is yours?” he asked, walking up to get a better look at the Eagle on the fence rail.
“Oh, different parts,” she said with a shrug.
Her face was turning red, he noticed when he looked back at her, and then again, at the bird. His hand started to reach out and touch it before he caught himself and shook his head. Remember why you’re here, he thought. ‘Mind your row,' his dad used to say.
Looking around the room his eyes grew in surprise, each of their bedding, sheets, and blankets were a different pretty pastel. When/how had they done that? Hell, they even had a rug. He bent down and ran his fingers over the speckled fabric, his brow creased in concentration. Turning the edge over, he blanched in surprise.
“Where, how?”
Nora smiled at his shock, “The Captain gave it to us. He had the pieces made for us in the replicator. We just had to sew them together and voila,” she said, spreading her arms. “We liked the back better than the Imperial shield.”
“But, how… I mean, why did the Captain give you guys a rug?”
“Because we asked him,” she said, as if that explained everything. “And, this was the only pattern in the replicator’s library.”
Shaking his head, trying to reorder his world, he looked at the young woman across from him. She stood there as if asking an Imperial Captain for a favor was an everyday occurrence. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards the bathroom, and the heater, continuing to shake his head in bewilderment.
He worked quickly under her constant scrutiny, perfectly aware of how un-heroic he looked on his hands and knees fixing a bathroom heater, and just how sexy she looked.
Slipping the new heater core into place, he asked her to hand him a screwdriver from next to the sink. She stepped inside and handed him the tool, then squealed when she got a look at herself in the mirror. Her hands went to her hair, trying to smooth it into place.
Scurrying back into the room she returned brushing her hair, her eyes boring into him daring him to make a snide comment.
He looked down at the busted heater coil and fought to hide a smile. The part appeared to have broken through normal wear and tear. No sign of intentional damage.
Sighing, he put his tools into his work belt and started for the door. The hallway seemed bleak and cold after the warmth of the quarters.
He turned to say goodbye with a heavy heart, it didn’t seem right. Smiling reluctantly, he said, “That should do it, let us know if you have any more problems.”
Nora smiled up at him and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Thank you, it will be so nice to not freeze when we step out of the shower.”
He smiled again, as his mind flashing to the picture of her stepping out of the shower. He looked down at her hand on his shoulder. His heart was racing more than it should be. A feeling of warmth spread out from her touch.
Suddenly, a loud cough from up the passageway interrupted them, bringing them both back to reality. Professor Combs stood there with a deep scowl and perplexed expression.
“Nora, is everything okay? I was told you were sick.”
Erik’s stomach dropped, and his face blanched. He could imagine what this looked like. A strange crewman stepping out of a female berthing area, the sexiest woman in this part of the galaxy standing there in her pajamas. Caressing him as she said goodbye. Combs was going to jump to the wrong conclusion so fast his head would hurt.
A pang of regret followed her hand as it jumped off his shoulder. Her face turned a bright red confirming her guilt. He could see it in Combs' eyes. A flash of green jealousy. But, you had to give the man credit. He reigned in his emotions and presented a detached look, as if he was above it all.
Erik wondered if he practiced that look in the mirror every night before going to bed.
He stiffened as he crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed. He felt his heart rate pump up, and the blood rush into in limbs. He squared his shoulders and stared back at the man. How dare he assume such an air of possession? Especially with this woman.
Every part of his fiber yelled to attack. He could see that Combs was a little disconcerted that his reproachful look had no impact. Chuckling to himself, Erik turned back to the young woman and held her hand.
“It was as real pleasure, Nora. Please call us if there is anything more we can do.”
He was tempted to bring her hand to his mouth for a chivalric kiss, he could see that she could read his thoughts about this, and she looked frightened. Instead, he slowly ran his thumb across her wrist. Then turned and smiled at Combs before walking down the hall.
It took all of Erik’s will power not to turn around when he heard Combs say, “Nora! I am surprised at you.”
“Whatever are you talking about, Professor?” Nora said with the innocence of a new born babe. Erik smiled to himself.
“You know why. Don’t get all innocent with me. You had that man in your room, alone. You skipped class to be with him. I really must report this, my dear. We can’t have you associating with the wrong type. It just can’t be allowed.”
Erik’s jaw dropped at the arrogant bastard’s remarks and turned to confront him. But, before he could get a word out, he watched Nora explode.
Her hands, clenched in fists, were on her hips, her eyes narrowed like laser beams focusing on the man in front of here.
“You arrogant bastard! How dare you presume to tell me what I can and cannot do? I’ll have you know that Petty Officer Tanner was repairing a broken heat
er in our room, and for you to assume otherwise is both an insult and a personal attack. I will not have you going about, spreading vicious rumors all based upon some sick supposition on your part.”
Combs looked like he had been hit by a fully loaded steamroller. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and his mouth worked like a beached fish gasping for air.
Nora continued to stand there, hands on hips staring him down.
Erik barked out a suppressed laugh at the man’s discomfort.
Combs glanced back and forth between the two of them, registering the anger on the woman’s face and the pure joy of the crewman’s expression. Raising up to his full height, he looked down his nose.
“Of course, my dear, if you say nothing happened. We will leave it at that. I can see that you are ill, and I will leave it at that for now.”
Erik would have let the incident rest without piling on, but that damn haughty look dug under his skin like a prairie burr.
“Tell me, Combs, does your mother know?” he asked.
Combs looked at Erik with that continued holier than thou look of distant disdain. A slight confusion on the brow. “Know what?”
“That she raised such a jerk!” Erik said, before nodding to Nora one last time before leaving the passageway. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.
Chapter Five
The competition between the bridge and the students had long since died of antipathetic neglect. Thirty plus jumps with nothing to show for it had left a sour taste and frustrating grip on everyone.
Grouped randomly, the students sat at the tables, head in their hands staring off into nothingness.
Only Jonathan Pearce showed any interest in the sensor readings. Buried neck deep in his computer, his fingers flew over the keyboard while he mumbled commands like a wizard working over a steaming cauldron.
