“Ask Computer if you need anything.”His disappearing footsteps confirmed his abandonment.
“Right,” she huffed.“Cake, then whatever this is.”She stood still, listening, with only her breathing filling the space.With her limited sight, she caught vague shapes and not enough to reveal their purpose.
Was this what her life would be like?As shitty as working at Celestial had been, she’d gotten to interact with people.In space, with the expanse of nothing around her, she’d never been lonelier.
“Um, Computer,” she said, raising her chin to address the ceiling.
“Yes, Tiny.”
“Give me a breakdown of the equipment in the med bay.”
“Certainly.”While the computer droned on, guiding her from machine to device, the full responsibility for the crew’s well-being settled on her shoulders.
“Anything medically wrong with the crew that I need to know about?”
“Trent’s recovering from a fix addiction.He hasn’t lapsed in four months, twelve days, seventeen hours—”
“Anyone else?”
“Leah’s allergic to penicillin, and Captain has a weak heart.Grunt should be wearing his eyeglasses, but he doesn’t.But in general, they all suffer from the usual degradation from anti-gravity on human physiology.”
“Thank you,” Tiny said and moved between the machines, running her fingers over them to familiarize herself.
Exhaustion burned her nostrils and irritated her eyes, making them gritty.She’d gone from finishing her dancing shift to packing her bags to being interviewed and eating cake on theMula Pesada.Who ate cake in the small hours of the morning?Or had ‘morning’ been a Lunar Base construct?
“Computer, what time is it?”
“1400.”
“Ah,” Tiny moaned.“That makes sense.What time’s my shift over?”
“You have no shift.When medical aid is needed, then you are on call.”
“Shit,” she whispered.Serves her right for not asking.And with a somewhat healthy crew, hours and hours of doing nothing loomed.“That means I can take a nap.”She winced.“One hour on the job and I’m caught sleeping.Besides, where?”
“Your assigned cabin is in the staff quarters.Shall I lead the way?”
“Please.”A beep came from her left.She followed it.“Are my things there already?”
“Yes.Dieter delivered them.”
From beep to beep-beep, she strolled along the passages with her one hand touching the wall.She counted how many steps were needed until the computer told her to turn left or right.Too many changes in direction generated a low-key stress headache at the base of her skull.
She dismissed the fear knotting her stomach.Her first time heading to her cabin wouldn’t be easy, and she shouldn’t expect herself to grasp it right away.Besides, like Dieter said, she had Computer to guide her.
“Your cabin is to the right.Mind the step down.”
She grinned.Yes, she had Computer.When her foot slipped, she shrieked, throwing out her arms in a flail.Smacking her forehead on something metallic drew a cry, with the throbbing agony summoning tears.She sniffed, splayed her fingers on the wall and banged her knuckles.Despite the sting twitching her fingers, she stroked the offending thing and realized it was a handwheel.She gripped and spun it, the whirl so satisfying that it almost distracted her from her heartbeat pulsing in her temple.With a hefty pull, the door didn’t open.So she shoved, and it thunked as it swung wide.
Stale air with a hint of sweat hit her nose.She’d hazard a guess the previous occupant was a man.
“You okay?”Grunt asked from behind her.
She jerked back.“Sorry, didn’t mean to—”
“Scream?Bang your head?”He chuckled.“I’d say get that checked out, but that would be pointless since you’re the doctor.Your bag’s at your feet.”
She laughed.“My thanks.I’d have tumbled over it for sure.”
