Pretty Things
by Jessie
Part 3
Disclaimer, etc. in part 1.
***
Trance Gemini strapped herself in tightly to the helm of the small ship. Her piloting skills were minimal, and slipstream was especially difficult for her, but she could handle simple maneuvers and reach her destination in one piece. The others had taken it upon themselves to teach her basic piloting techniques, so she did have a vague idea of what she was doing.
She tried to comfort herself with this knowledge, but it wasn't working, and she frowned sadly as she began the sequence that would activate the engines and force the ship away from the station.
Glancing around, she noted the similarities between this vessel and the Eureka Maru. The only major difference was the size. But even that was barely noticeable from the inside, unless you started to explore the back corridors which were fewer and narrower than on the Maru.
But the main deck opened up in a style similar to Beka's ship, and that gave Trance a small sense of familiarity and comfort.
Checking the timepiece at her side, she realized that the Andromeda had most likely already left the station and was heading off to their next planet in the hopes of adding more species to the rebuilding commonwealth.
She sighed, a tear clouding the vision in her left eye. Even if the Andromeda hadn't left yet- even if they were still docked with the space station and were trying to find her and bring her back- they wouldn't succeed. None of them knew about the ship she had purchased. None of them even knew she had the means to purchase anything, and she would be long gone before any of them realized that she wasn't on the station.
She leaned her head back, the frown not leaving her face. She had always had good intentions, but right now . . . This was the only time in her life when she had felt at all uncertain about the ethics of her motives. She would have been slightly frightened by this if she weren't so depressed.
She attempted to strengthen her resolve, sitting up straighter in her seat and pressing the last few buttons that would activate the forward thrust.
The ship began moving, and she swallowed back her emotions.
*
"Dylan." Beka's voice carelessly interrupted his thoughts, but he didn't mind. They weren't very pleasant thoughts any way. "We've got a problem."
"When don't we?" he asked in all seriousness. His first officer gave him a sarcastic smile and nodded to the holo-image of Rommie as a sort of acknowledgement to the fact that the ship had ears and eyes of its own.
"We're missing a vital part of the crew." Beka spoke in her usual mocking tone of voice.
"I don't want to get into this with you again. Trance made up her own mind and I wasn't going to stop her. I know she serves a function on this ship and will be hard to replace- but we'll find some one to take care of it."
Dylan sighed. They had left the space port over an hour ago, and he had thought with their increased distance from the place that the sense of loss he felt would lessen, but it hadn't. The whole crew seemed beaten down. Especially as a result of Trance's strange behavior directly before leaving.
He briefly worried over what kind of continuing effect this would have on the crew's morale, especially that of Harper's, since the young man had seemed the most upset by Trances leaving. But he brushed the thought aside, in search of happier ones.
"And as much as I'd *love* to start that argument up again- that's not what I'm talking about." She shifted her weight and gave him a look.
"It's not?" Dylan looked from her to Rommie and back. Beka tried to restrain her 'I-told-you-so' face, but failed.
*
The young girl's tail folded in on itself sadly as she held onto the controls, but she tightened her features into a look of determination. She had always been sensitive, but it had never been a hindrance in the past. Now, however, she had to harden herself.
She focused on the small part of her that was frustrated and angry with the situation, and hoped that the tiny flame would grow into a fire that would keep her going through the time ahead.
Suddenly, there was a noise from behind her that interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head, but saw nothing, a fear taking hold of her that the noise had come from the engines. She knew she should have inspected things before the purchase, but had been in such a hurry.
Trance switched to auto-pilot and began to unstrap herself from the seat, worrying that the man she had bought the ship from was not as trustworthy as she had thought and might have sold her a broken-down ship.
Being, already, so far from the space station, it would definitely not be a good thing if she found herself floating dead in space.
*
"What?!" Dylan's face contorted into a mixture of surprise and anger. Beka smiled grimly and Rommie only nodded in agreement with the first officer.
"What now 'Oh Wise Captain?'" Beka's voice held a hint more sarcasm than usual, but Dylan ignored the question.
"You're sure?" He asked.
"Of course I'm sure." Rommie replied, her voice, as usual, holding no emotion.
"And why didn't anyone know about this until now?"
"I thought crewmembers were free to leave whenever they chose." Dylan gave Beka a withering look.
"Rommie."
"Yes?"
"Turn the ship around. We're going back."
Beka smirked and the holo-Rommie disappeared. Dylan put a hand to his head and wondered if he would be getting any sleep that night.
*
Trance lifted herself out of her seat at the helm and moved with caution to the back of the room, trying to pick out where the noise had come from.
There was another noise to her left, and she turned her head sharply, walking towards it slowly. As she approached the origin of the sound, it happened again, but this time a panel in the wall fell to the ground with a loud clank.
Trance jumped back a little in surprise.
"Hey." A voice came weakly from inside the hole in the wall where the panel had been.
Of course.
Harper.
TBC
by Jessie
Part 3
Disclaimer, etc. in part 1.
***
Trance Gemini strapped herself in tightly to the helm of the small ship. Her piloting skills were minimal, and slipstream was especially difficult for her, but she could handle simple maneuvers and reach her destination in one piece. The others had taken it upon themselves to teach her basic piloting techniques, so she did have a vague idea of what she was doing.
She tried to comfort herself with this knowledge, but it wasn't working, and she frowned sadly as she began the sequence that would activate the engines and force the ship away from the station.
Glancing around, she noted the similarities between this vessel and the Eureka Maru. The only major difference was the size. But even that was barely noticeable from the inside, unless you started to explore the back corridors which were fewer and narrower than on the Maru.
But the main deck opened up in a style similar to Beka's ship, and that gave Trance a small sense of familiarity and comfort.
Checking the timepiece at her side, she realized that the Andromeda had most likely already left the station and was heading off to their next planet in the hopes of adding more species to the rebuilding commonwealth.
She sighed, a tear clouding the vision in her left eye. Even if the Andromeda hadn't left yet- even if they were still docked with the space station and were trying to find her and bring her back- they wouldn't succeed. None of them knew about the ship she had purchased. None of them even knew she had the means to purchase anything, and she would be long gone before any of them realized that she wasn't on the station.
She leaned her head back, the frown not leaving her face. She had always had good intentions, but right now . . . This was the only time in her life when she had felt at all uncertain about the ethics of her motives. She would have been slightly frightened by this if she weren't so depressed.
She attempted to strengthen her resolve, sitting up straighter in her seat and pressing the last few buttons that would activate the forward thrust.
The ship began moving, and she swallowed back her emotions.
*
"Dylan." Beka's voice carelessly interrupted his thoughts, but he didn't mind. They weren't very pleasant thoughts any way. "We've got a problem."
"When don't we?" he asked in all seriousness. His first officer gave him a sarcastic smile and nodded to the holo-image of Rommie as a sort of acknowledgement to the fact that the ship had ears and eyes of its own.
"We're missing a vital part of the crew." Beka spoke in her usual mocking tone of voice.
"I don't want to get into this with you again. Trance made up her own mind and I wasn't going to stop her. I know she serves a function on this ship and will be hard to replace- but we'll find some one to take care of it."
Dylan sighed. They had left the space port over an hour ago, and he had thought with their increased distance from the place that the sense of loss he felt would lessen, but it hadn't. The whole crew seemed beaten down. Especially as a result of Trance's strange behavior directly before leaving.
He briefly worried over what kind of continuing effect this would have on the crew's morale, especially that of Harper's, since the young man had seemed the most upset by Trances leaving. But he brushed the thought aside, in search of happier ones.
"And as much as I'd *love* to start that argument up again- that's not what I'm talking about." She shifted her weight and gave him a look.
"It's not?" Dylan looked from her to Rommie and back. Beka tried to restrain her 'I-told-you-so' face, but failed.
*
The young girl's tail folded in on itself sadly as she held onto the controls, but she tightened her features into a look of determination. She had always been sensitive, but it had never been a hindrance in the past. Now, however, she had to harden herself.
She focused on the small part of her that was frustrated and angry with the situation, and hoped that the tiny flame would grow into a fire that would keep her going through the time ahead.
Suddenly, there was a noise from behind her that interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head, but saw nothing, a fear taking hold of her that the noise had come from the engines. She knew she should have inspected things before the purchase, but had been in such a hurry.
Trance switched to auto-pilot and began to unstrap herself from the seat, worrying that the man she had bought the ship from was not as trustworthy as she had thought and might have sold her a broken-down ship.
Being, already, so far from the space station, it would definitely not be a good thing if she found herself floating dead in space.
*
"What?!" Dylan's face contorted into a mixture of surprise and anger. Beka smiled grimly and Rommie only nodded in agreement with the first officer.
"What now 'Oh Wise Captain?'" Beka's voice held a hint more sarcasm than usual, but Dylan ignored the question.
"You're sure?" He asked.
"Of course I'm sure." Rommie replied, her voice, as usual, holding no emotion.
"And why didn't anyone know about this until now?"
"I thought crewmembers were free to leave whenever they chose." Dylan gave Beka a withering look.
"Rommie."
"Yes?"
"Turn the ship around. We're going back."
Beka smirked and the holo-Rommie disappeared. Dylan put a hand to his head and wondered if he would be getting any sleep that night.
*
Trance lifted herself out of her seat at the helm and moved with caution to the back of the room, trying to pick out where the noise had come from.
There was another noise to her left, and she turned her head sharply, walking towards it slowly. As she approached the origin of the sound, it happened again, but this time a panel in the wall fell to the ground with a loud clank.
Trance jumped back a little in surprise.
"Hey." A voice came weakly from inside the hole in the wall where the panel had been.
Of course.
Harper.
TBC