It was almost a funny sight, all of the senior officers of the Galaxy Garrison dressed up and attempting to be social. It was like prom but for adults in their late forties or fifties. I was mainly people watching from my seat near the back of the room or taking in all of the decorations. There were banners just about everywhere congratulating the crew they had all been gathered to celebrate. There was even a message on one of the cakes. I thought it was kind of overkill but history was going to be made tomorrow. The Kerberos mission would be the farthest mankind had gone in our universe. The crew was going to collect ice samples from the planet, which was apparently a very big deal to the science factions of the Garrison.
The members of the crew were seated with the Director of the Galaxy Garrison and other important members of the program. Their table was on almost the opposite side of the room from the table I was at. Just about the entire senior medical staff of the Garrison was seated at the same long banquet table near the back. I wasn't complaining though, that meant we were closer to the food and the exits. Besides the free food (which I made a habit of never turning down) there wasn't much for me to be excited for at this event. All of the senior staff was required to attend and since she was the apprentice of one of the Garrison's best doctors, that meant she had to attend as well. Even if that meant being one of the few people under forty. I had wrangled up a simple cocktail dress and tried to look presentable, or at least as presentable as I could be in the middle of my final exams.
"Well don't you look miserable." A kind voice said from behind me.
"Nice to see you too Karl." I turned and gave the man a quick hug. At nearly 50 years old Dr. Karl Fletcher was one of the most respected doctors at the Garrison and over the past two years since I had started my apprenticeship he had become a second father to me.
"Is Martha coming?" I asked hopefully. Karl was a kind, friendly man but his wife was a lovely woman who helped make these Garrison events pleasant enough to sit through.
Karl frowned. "No I'm afraid she managed to avoid this one. Lucky duck."
"I'll say." I pursed my lips as I continued to people watch. It was always weird to see the usually serious Garrison Senior Officers actually enjoying themselves. It just looked...off.
"Lily," Karl pointed at the guests of honor, more specifically the attractive, young pilot. "Aren't you two in the same class?" He adjusted his glasses to get a better look.
I rolled my eyes. "Don't remind me." I'm pretty sure our entire class felt the same way about the Garrison's Golden Boy. Takashi Shirogane, or Shiro which is what he usually went by, was the most accomplished pilot and graduate the Garrison had had in years. It was no surprise that he was picked for the Kerberos mission. Lily, along with more than half their graduating class wanted to hate Shiro but that was pointless. He was just such a genuinely nice and pleasant person it almost made you hate him for that too.
"Oh don't feel blue kiddo." Karl put a hand on her shoulder. "There's still plenty of time for you to feel unaccomplished in your career, no need to start now."
Karl's words did help me feel a little better but I still needed a break. I asked Karl to save me a seat and went to find somewhere quiet. I stopped into the ladies room to use the mirror and just sighed at what I saw.
I looked tired, that was obvious. I'm sure if I had properly slept in the past weeks the bags under my eyes would be less noticeable but there was little I could do about them right now. Besides that I didn't look terrible I guess. The light blue dress I borrowed from my roommate was simple but flattering. It had long sleeves, a neckline that wasn't too deep, and a cinched waist. I paired it with white dangly earrings and black heels that made me look like I had my shit together (which was pretty rare). I had even taken the time to curl my long brown hair. I reapplied some lip-gloss and braced myself to return to the banquet.
Seconds after walking out the door I was stopped by something solid and very tall in my path.
"Oh I'm so sorry-" I started, looking up at whoever I had just walked into. A very familiar face looked down at me, the same face that had been on every single press announcement about the Kerberos mission.
"No really it's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going." Shiro gave me a kind smile. I had to crane my neck a little bit to look at his face. "Damn he was tall." I thought. I hadn't noticed that before or how lovely his dark grey eyes were upclose. Dressed in his formal Garrison uniform he looked like the poster boy for what a Garrison cadet was supposed to be. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Uh yeah, other than being bored to death I guess." I shrugged, attempting to act casual and not like I was freaking out. "Be cool. Be cool." I thought to myself. "He's just a person. An extremely talented and attractive person, but still a person."
Shiro smiled. "Yeah these events can be pretty lame huh?"
"Extremely." I glanced down the hallway leading back to the banquet. You could still hear the boring jazz Director Sullivan probably asked for. Why anyone let him be in charge of music I'll never understand.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Shiro asked, leaning against the wall behind him. "You look pretty familiar."
I nodded quickly, shocked he remembered me at all. "Yeah uh...we were in the same graduating class." I stuck out my hand. "I'm Lily."
"Shiro." He reached out and shook my hand firmly but gently before letting go. "What do you do at the Garrison now?" he asked.
"I'm training to be a doctor actually." I leaned back against the wall behind me. My feet were already killing me from these heels.
"We could always use more of those." He replied earnestly.
I smiled at that. "I could ask you what you do here but its pretty obvious." I waved my hand towards the main room.
Shiro chuckled. "If I knew I had to sit through something like this I may have never taken the assignment."
I smiled and we were both silent for a second. I tucked some loose hair behind my ear "I'm not sure it's polite for me to keep the guest of honor in the hallway for too long. I'll let you head back." Shiro looked down the hallway and sighed. "I should probably head back before they decide on a new pilot." He turned back to me. "It was nice meeting you, or re-meeting you I guess. " He gave me another smile before starting down the hallway.
"Hey Shiro!" I called out, feeling a little braver. He turned to look back at me and I smiled. "Be safe up there." He nodded and smiled back.
A few months later I saw Shiro's kind smile again. He was on the TV, next to the local news Anchor. The broadcast showed pictures of the whole crew of the Kerberos mission, announcing they had all presumably died on their mission. The entire Galaxy Garrison stood still that day.
If only they knew what was coming...