A Road Less Travelled

The Intro

Two ships hung motionless before a dying sun. It’s rays shimmered and glinted off of the field of asteroids that stood ready to envelope the ships. To the casual glance the asteroids appeared stationary, but a second look revealed their slow and deadly dance. The ships hung just on the edge of the field, looking small and fragile in the unholy light. Radiation from the sun put some static into the comm link that opened between the ships.

Ty sighed deeply and looked across the black at the other ship.

“Well, Anna,” he said, “It’s been fun.”

He turned his ship and ducked into the field between two slow moving asteroids. A broad smile grew over Anna’s face.

“Looks like it’s time to play,” she said and turned her ship to follow.

*********
Ty Bodock was too excited to sit still. So he wasn’t. He tapped out a rhythm on his desk with a pencil and listened to the instructor explaining basic flight. Ty listened, but was sure he knew this part already. So he let part of his mind wander off and contemplate exactly how good he would be in a cockpit. His pencil tapped on the desk tap tap tap.

Ty was jolted from his thoughts by a hand slamming down on his desk pinning his tapping pencil under it. Ty looked from this intrusion to the owner of the hand. Two fine eyes set in a very pretty face were glaring at him.

“Do you mind?” the woman asked in a sharp whisper.

Ty let what he was sure was a winning smile play over his face.

“What, do you have a request?” he teased.

The woman’s jaw set in a hard line and just as Ty was realizing that maybe jhe’d ust taken on more than he cared for the instructor’s voice broke in.

“Pleasant conversation?”

Ty looked up at him and fished for something to say, but he was saved the trouble.

“Well, Bodock, Kraus, since the two of you are so keen to get to know one another I think some extra duty is in order. Report to the sergeant for your assignment.”

And then the class went on and Ty tried to both smile confidently as if nothing had happened and hide his face. The glances he snuck at his new extra duty partner revealed nothing of what she was thinking. He pretty face was set into a hard mask. Ty began to wonder what went on behind that mask.

Anna was furious. It was the very first day and already because of this loser she had extra duty. More time spent in this short, annoying man’s obnoxious company and a mark on her record. She hefted the two heavy pails of water and refused to stagger under their weight.

He was talking about something that no doubt he was fascinated by, but Anna just ignored him. What was his name again? Right, Bodock. A ridiculous name.

They reached their destination and stared, Anna with what she hoped was a bored expression, Ty incredulous.

“They want us to do what?”

Anna glared at him. “What, weren’t you listening to the duty sergeant? Or was there some flat surface that you just had to tap on instead?”

“I heard what the duty sergeant said,” Ty said slowly. “I just wasn’t expecting this when he said latrine duty.”

Anna looked at their assignment and secretly agreed with him. These latrines had malfunctioned and a week’s worth of filth, stench and yuck needed to be scrubbed off. Anna set her buckets down and got to work.

I just won’t think about it, she told herself. It’s merely something that must be done. So I will do it.

Beside her Ty opened up the door of the stall next to the one she was working on. She looked up just in time to see him turn white and stagger away to throw up loudly and messily. Anna shook her head. Really, they let just anybody try for pilot these days.