Orin coughed and straightened his posture. “You have other human colonies to choose from in Alaran space. There’s no need for you to return to your Earth-Moon,” he stated matter-of-factly.
A smile spread across my face as he mashed the two words together. It was evident that his patience with Avery was waning.
Avery let out a frustrated sigh as he kept on walking. “I don’t want to go to ahuman colony. I wanna go back to my life on the Moon...where I have a job...and my parents.”
My heart went out to Avery. It was clear she was struggling with everything and I hoped for her sake she got to return home.
Orin came to a stop at one of the doors and smoothly glided his hand over the panel, causing it to open.
As I entered the room, I could feel the coolness in the air, mirroring the temperature of the rest of the ship. It made me ponder if this was a common trait among all spaceships.
It was impressive to see quarters of such an enormous size.
A brown wall-to-wall carpet covered the floor. Sparse decorations on the beige walls included a couple of moving images, featuring a planet with colorful trees and a soft pink sky. They added a personal touch to the place.
There were also a couple of tall plants with large, thick green leaves similar to houseplants that we had back on Earth, that stood along the wall.
The room contained four brushed metal framed beds, a desk and chair. There was also a small table with four more hard-backed chairs around it.
It had a sleek and minimalistic look, despite being basic. The décor gave the room a warmer feel compared to the rest of the ship that I’d seen so far.
There was a sliding door across the room that I planned to investigate right away.
When I looked back at the doorway, Avery was standing there with folded arms and a fierce expression, refusing to budge for the formidable warrior.
Orin’s gaze wandered until it settled on Olivia, and a faint smile briefly graced his lips before vanishing. “I’ll be right outside.”
Olivia’s cheeks turned a rosy shade as she settled down on one of the beds.
It took several long minutes, but I finally convinced Avery to come into the room.
Just like I had come to expect, she was all grumbles and curses; her face contorted with frustration.
I glanced back at Orin, offering a sheepish shrug of apology.
He inclined his head and moved back, letting the door close.
Riley walked over to the desk and picked up a tablet that looked similar to the ones we had back on Earth and began looking it over.
I hurried to the door on the adjacent wall, searching for a bathroom.
When I approached it, the door slid open to expose a smooth, shining silver floor, walls, and ceiling. What appeared to be a high-tech shower jutted down from the ceiling in one corner of the room.
A toilet and a large mirror were positioned in another corner. I quickly used it and washed my hands before exploring the room further.
Exploring, I stumbled upon a small alcove, which had space for storing clothes and other items.
Clean tunics and pants were stacked on a shelf. I picked up a tunic and held it to myself. It fell past my knees but would have to do.
While I heard the others chatting in our room, I wasted no time stripping off my filthy clothes and approached the shower area.
I stepped closer, and cool water poured down from the large square shower-head in the ceiling. I hissed through my teeth as goosebumps rose on my naked flesh from the spray.
After a bit, it started to get warmer, so I stood under it and enjoyed the water on my skin for the first time in who knows how long.
When I pressed a button on the wall, a shelf popped out right next to me. There were three bottles of colored liquid.
The scent of cleanliness filled the air as one of them, colored in a soft shade of pale green, exuded a faint aroma of mint.
