“How can you be so excited about such a small room?” Vex asked her with a hint of astonishment.
“Again, I love the view,” Indi said. “But another thing is that I kind of expected it to be smaller.”
“Not all bedrooms are as small as the dorms at Jeokot,” Vex told her. “Bedrooms shouldn’t even be meant to be so small. And I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with the view. We’ll be in space for this whole trip, you won’t be seeing anything out of those windows. They’re just there to put us into the danger.” Indi tilted her head inquiringly. “Look, if they break, we’re dead,” Vex explained, putting her hand on her hip. “If a ship is designed to be in space, don’t make our depressuring a possibility. I, for one, would appreciate not dying.”
“Do you want a room without a window?” Indi suggested.
“Yes,” Vex replied, “but unfortunately, there aren’t any.”
Indi paused. “Is it still up to me to choose a room?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah, whichever one we end up with means nothing to me,” Vex said.
“I choose this one,” Indi said, pointing to the floor with both hands. “But if there are enough rooms, maybe you want a room to yourself.”
“It’s not my choice,” Vex replied. “If you want me out of your way, though, you can certainly take it up with the captain.”
“I just thought maybe you would want to be alone. I’m not trying to get rid of you,” Indi explained.
Vex paused, looking at Indi. She shook her head. “No. It’s your first time, someone has to keep you company.”
“Thanks,” Indi said. “Do you know when we’re getting our baggage?”
“Sort of,” Vex replied. “Some guys who work at the spaceport should be bringing it up soon. That’s what happened my first year.”
Indi nodded. After an awkward pause, she turned to the beds. “Which one do you want?”
“Left one,” she replied without hesitating.
“Okay,” Indi said, moving to the bottom of the bed on the right. She tapped the end board and a screen lit up with a couple of options on it. One said ‘original settings’ and another said ‘anti-grav’. She tapped the latter.
“Do you like sleeping with anti-grav?” Vex inquired, guessing what Indi had done.
“Yeah,” she replied. “Silly, I know. Not many people do like that. That was the only way I would sleep when I was a baby and never grew out of the preference. I can sleep in gravity, but I’d rather not.”
“That makes sense,” Vex said. “I can’t get comfortable in anti-grav. It feels wrong.”
Unexpectedly, a voice that sounded like it belonged to an eight or nine year old rang through the room. “All crew required to report to the relaxation room.” Vex and Indi exchanged looks.
“There’s a child on board?” Indi said curiously.
“I don’t know,” Vex said, “but we should probably report to the relaxation room.”
“Is that the room with all the…” Indi trailed off, searching for the right word.
“Relaxing chairs and atmosphere?” Vex said, finishing for her. “Yeah.”
Indi and Vex were the last two from the J.I.A. in the room, but the engineer was missing. “It sounds kind of eerie,” Oliver was saying.
“No, it sounds really eerie,” Saxton said, correcting him. “Who decided a voice like that would be perfect for a ship’s AI?”
“I’m sure that whoever it was, he used his reasoning when he chose,” the captain replied calmly. “So, eerie or not, it represents a decision made by a professional.” Saxton nodded respectfully. “Now that you’re all here, I’d like to fill you in on a few things,” Captain Fisler said, standing. “As I’ve told Vex and Bulot, because they were conveniently placed, I had meant to assign quarters for everyone, but I hadn’t given myself enough time for that. I chose roommates, but got no further than that. So,” he continued, pulling up a tablet, “Saxton and Oliver, you are together.” The two high-fived. “Rescon, I’m afraid I have you alone because you’re the only female from your branch, but if you’d prefer a different set-up, I can try to get something to work.”
Rescon nodded respectfully. “Thank you,” she said.
“Lan, the same goes for you. You’re the only male from your branch, so I have you alone. If you so wish, you can room with me because I’m a loner as well. Yiluna and Shepill, you’re together.” He lowered his tablet. “I’ve already told Bulot that he’s with J.T. and Vex that she’s with Indi. If any of you want different arrangements, now is the best time to say.” Saxton and Oliver grabbed on to each other, as if to show that they were inseparable and Yiluna and Shepill exchanged a glance which either meant ‘I can deal if you can’ or ‘Just respect my space.’
“All right,” Fisler continued after a pause, bringing his tablet up again. “Bulot, you’re my second officer. You’ve been on a few missions before joining the Academy, so you’re the most experienced. Indi, you’re our main pilot. If you need to sleep and we need someone at the wheel, so to speak, Lan is to take your place. In case of any medical emergencies, our doctors are Bulot, Shepill, and Yiluna. You don’t need to report to the medical bay unless something happens, just keep in mind that you are what we have for that. J.T., I have you as an engineer. You’re to help Phillip if he needs assistance or to just be down there so you can learn a bit more. Saxton, I don’t see this likely to happen, but if we go off course or find ourselves in an uncharted asteroid belt, your our weapons officer. You can handle that?”
Saxton nodded. “Yes sir, I’ve got it.”
“Good man. In case worst comes to worst, Indi, Oliver, and Yiluna, you’re my security officers. That doesn’t mean you have to be uptight and paranoid, by the way. Just to be safe. J.T., Lan, Rescon, Saxton, and Vex, congratulations, you’re astronomers now,” he looked up, wearing a grin. “Really, though, we may need you there if the navigation goes down. Main purpose of this whole voyage is still for education, but I’m not so optimistic that I won’t prepare for anything negative. We’re still going into deep space, and that can be dangerous at times. Last of all, we have botanists. You may not learn anything else about botany, but those plants and algae are our best source of oxygen for this, so we need someone to care for the. Oliver, Shepill, and Vex, that’s you. So as a review, Bulot, you’re my second officer and a doctor.” Captain Fisler looked at each person as he said their assignments. “Indi, you’re our pilot and security officer. Lan, you’re the backup pilot and an astronomer. Shepill, you’re a botanist and a doctor. Yiluna, you’re a doctor and a security officer. In your case, knowing your medical studies, - you probably should spend some time in the medical bay unlike the other doctors, but you are welcome to join the botanists or astronomers if you so wish. J.T., you’re an engineer and an astronomer. Saxton, you’re weapons officer and also an astronomer. Oliver, you’re a security officer and a botanist. Rescon, you’re an astronomer, and Vex, you’re an astronomer and a botanist. Has everyone got that?”
Everyone nodded, some more hesitant than others.
“All right, good,” the captain said. “Your luggage should be being brought up now, so you can go to the first level, gather your things, and choose a room on the second level. After that, I, in fact, have some uniforms for you, so come back up here. I’m excited that you’re all here and even more excited to be your captain. You seem to me to be a fantastic crew, I appreciate that. You can go get your belongings now, I’m done taking up your time.” He winked at them all.
Vex turned to Indi as they made their way to the staircase. “Do you want me to grab the luggage while you keep claim on our room?”
“That’s a good idea,” Indi said, “but I’ll go fetch our luggage, you can hold claim on our quarters.”
“Okay,” Vex agreed. “All my bags are black, which may mix in, but I have name tags, so that should help.”
The suitcases and variations thereof were still being brought up when Indi got down to the first floor. The students had to wait for the lift to go back down before lowering the stairs and reaching the luggage, at which point they were told that there was only one more trip to go. During the wait time for the last load, there was a bit of rummaging as everyone separated their baggage from each other’s. Soon after, the lift came up with the last load accompanied by an Asian young man whom Indi recognized.
“Tyland?” she said disbelievingly. “What are you doing here?”
Tyland looked back at her with spite. “I work at the spaceport, is that so crazy? Oh, and you’re welcome for bringing up your luggage.”
“How gentlemanly of you,” she said sarcastically. “It’s not like you’re being paid or anything: I’m sure you’re just doing it because you felt it was proper.”
“What if I said you weren't far off?” Tyland asked in a hostile manner.
“Easy,” Indi replied. “I wouldn't believe you.”
“I hate you so much, Indi,” Tyland stated.
“Mutual,” Indi replied savagely, gathering as much of hers and Vex’s baggage as she could.
“Relaxing chairs and atmosphere?” Vex said, finishing for her. “Yeah.”
Indi and Vex were the last two from the J.I.A. in the room, but the engineer was missing. “It sounds kind of eerie,” Oliver was saying.
“No, it sounds really eerie,” Saxton said, correcting him. “Who decided a voice like that would be perfect for a ship’s AI?”
“I’m sure that whoever it was, he used his reasoning when he chose,” the captain replied calmly. “So, eerie or not, it represents a decision made by a professional.” Saxton nodded respectfully. “Now that you’re all here, I’d like to fill you in on a few things,” Captain Fisler said, standing. “As I’ve told Vex and Bulot, because they were conveniently placed, I had meant to assign quarters for everyone, but I hadn’t given myself enough time for that. I chose roommates, but got no further than that. So,” he continued, pulling up a tablet, “Saxton and Oliver, you are together.” The two high-fived. “Rescon, I’m afraid I have you alone because you’re the only female from your branch, but if you’d prefer a different set-up, I can try to get something to work.”
Rescon nodded respectfully. “Thank you,” she said.
“Lan, the same goes for you. You’re the only male from your branch, so I have you alone. If you so wish, you can room with me because I’m a loner as well. Yiluna and Shepill, you’re together.” He lowered his tablet. “I’ve already told Bulot that he’s with J.T. and Vex that she’s with Indi. If any of you want different arrangements, now is the best time to say.” Saxton and Oliver grabbed on to each other, as if to show that they were inseparable and Yiluna and Shepill exchanged a glance which either meant ‘I can deal if you can’ or ‘Just respect my space.’
“All right,” Fisler continued after a pause, bringing his tablet up again. “Bulot, you’re my second officer. You’ve been on a few missions before joining the Academy, so you’re the most experienced. Indi, you’re our main pilot. If you need to sleep and we need someone at the wheel, so to speak, Lan is to take your place. In case of any medical emergencies, our doctors are Bulot, Shepill, and Yiluna. You don’t need to report to the medical bay unless something happens, just keep in mind that you are what we have for that. J.T., I have you as an engineer. You’re to help Phillip if he needs assistance or to just be down there so you can learn a bit more. Saxton, I don’t see this likely to happen, but if we go off course or find ourselves in an uncharted asteroid belt, your our weapons officer. You can handle that?”
Saxton nodded. “Yes sir, I’ve got it.”
“Good man. In case worst comes to worst, Indi, Oliver, and Yiluna, you’re my security officers. That doesn’t mean you have to be uptight and paranoid, by the way. Just to be safe. J.T., Lan, Rescon, Saxton, and Vex, congratulations, you’re astronomers now,” he looked up, wearing a grin. “Really, though, we may need you there if the navigation goes down. Main purpose of this whole voyage is still for education, but I’m not so optimistic that I won’t prepare for anything negative. We’re still going into deep space, and that can be dangerous at times. Last of all, we have botanists. You may not learn anything else about botany, but those plants and algae are our best source of oxygen for this, so we need someone to care for the. Oliver, Shepill, and Vex, that’s you. So as a review, Bulot, you’re my second officer and a doctor.” Captain Fisler looked at each person as he said their assignments. “Indi, you’re our pilot and security officer. Lan, you’re the backup pilot and an astronomer. Shepill, you’re a botanist and a doctor. Yiluna, you’re a doctor and a security officer. In your case, knowing your medical studies, - you probably should spend some time in the medical bay unlike the other doctors, but you are welcome to join the botanists or astronomers if you so wish. J.T., you’re an engineer and an astronomer. Saxton, you’re weapons officer and also an astronomer. Oliver, you’re a security officer and a botanist. Rescon, you’re an astronomer, and Vex, you’re an astronomer and a botanist. Has everyone got that?”
Everyone nodded, some more hesitant than others.
“All right, good,” the captain said. “Your luggage should be being brought up now, so you can go to the first level, gather your things, and choose a room on the second level. After that, I, in fact, have some uniforms for you, so come back up here. I’m excited that you’re all here and even more excited to be your captain. You seem to me to be a fantastic crew, I appreciate that. You can go get your belongings now, I’m done taking up your time.” He winked at them all.
Vex turned to Indi as they made their way to the staircase. “Do you want me to grab the luggage while you keep claim on our room?”
“That’s a good idea,” Indi said, “but I’ll go fetch our luggage, you can hold claim on our quarters.”
“Okay,” Vex agreed. “All my bags are black, which may mix in, but I have name tags, so that should help.”
The suitcases and variations thereof were still being brought up when Indi got down to the first floor. The students had to wait for the lift to go back down before lowering the stairs and reaching the luggage, at which point they were told that there was only one more trip to go. During the wait time for the last load, there was a bit of rummaging as everyone separated their baggage from each other’s. Soon after, the lift came up with the last load accompanied by an Asian young man whom Indi recognized.
“Tyland?” she said disbelievingly. “What are you doing here?”
Tyland looked back at her with spite. “I work at the spaceport, is that so crazy? Oh, and you’re welcome for bringing up your luggage.”
“How gentlemanly of you,” she said sarcastically. “It’s not like you’re being paid or anything: I’m sure you’re just doing it because you felt it was proper.”
“What if I said you weren't far off?” Tyland asked in a hostile manner.
“Easy,” Indi replied. “I wouldn't believe you.”
“I hate you so much, Indi,” Tyland stated.
“Mutual,” Indi replied savagely, gathering as much of hers and Vex’s baggage as she could.
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