“You thought you’d be okay.”
“At first, I did tell Gryphon it couldn’t be done—not at such short notice. He said he would find another captain. Personally, I don’t think you can trust anyone who would jump at that kind of offer, especially with a child onboard.”
It doesn’t surprise me that Dominik had thrown the gauntlet down.
“And the two crew members you’re without; that’s the engineer and who?”
Tanisira sighs. “Our mechanical engineer, Mabel, and our security officer, Chen. Both are working other jobs right now and had planned to end just before theMidaswas supposed to launch. I couldn’t order them back to Telluria when they had followed protocol, especially because I couldn’t guarantee Gryphon would reimburse them.”
“He put you in a really shit situation,” I say quietly.
“Even so, I’m glad I was here instead of another captain. I don’t know that they would have seen Vee as little more than cargo, and at the very least, your presence would have been reported.”
A shudder rolls down my spine at the thought. I’ve heard horror stories of forged licenses, crashes and thefts, and dubious cargo smuggled onto cruise ships. Things can escalate, even in space.
I place my hand over Tanisira’s and look right into her eyes, trying to convey just how much I mean it when I say, “So am I. I don’t know if I thanked you—” And then, as an idea bursts into life, I end up blurting out, “I’ll help with the damages.”
Tanisira hesitates and I swear all the blood leaves my head. I’m not good with heights. I know nothing about ships. I know even less about spacewalks. Offering to do this is insanity, but it’s the look in her eyes that confirms I need to. Because my son is onboard, yes, but also because I can helpsomehow. Being an engineer doesn’t mean I know how to fix spacecraft, but there is an overlap in the discipline and with guidance, I think I can at least fix the sensors.
Heights and I don’t go well together when gravity’s a factor. Maybe I’ll feel different about it when that factor is removed. And although the very idea of me—me—donning an EVA and going out there is terrifying, I’m gonna do it anyway.
“Are you sure?” Tanisira asks gently.
I look down to find I’m gripping onto her arm for dear life. With a nervous laugh, I pull away. “Yes. I owe you big time, remember?”
For the first time, the captain looks uncomfortable, like she wants to wilt under my attention. I turn back to my plate, glad for a moment to recentre. That’s what makes her squirm? A little gratitude?
She clears her throat. “I accept your help as payment. Then we’ll be even.”
I shake my head, smile playfully. “We’ll never be even, Captain.”
It’s a really lovely evening. Despite my bodily aches, the worries nagging at the back of my mind, and the inevitability of my upcoming spacewalk, I enjoy myself. In the end, I don’t need Vee to bridge the gap between the crew and me; they’re easy to get along with.
Beau apologises several more times throughout the night, even though I tell them we’re good as long as they don’t do it again. They oscillate between grovelling and shameless teasing. It’s been months since someone has so much as flirted with me, and it’s nice to have a gorgeous smile aimed my way all night.
Beau is primarily the navigation and communications officer, while Devyaan is the ship’s cook and hospitality manager. It sounds like a lot of work to juggle, but Kit’s an immense help. Vee and I listen to countless tales of their travels in wide-eyed wonder. Although humans have been interplanetary for a long time, it’s still expensive and inaccessible for many people. I’ve never considered it—a son and a job takes up all my time—but it soundsfun.
“What about relationships?” I ask, looking around the galley. Vee has checked out of the conversation, but the rest of us are still very animated, if you can call Tanisira’s quiet, watchful presence that. “You guys are on and off a ship for most of the year. How do your loved ones feel about it?”
Beau hikes a thumb, grinning a little too hard after a few glasses of the wine Devyaan had paired with the meal. “I always warn people before they tumble into bed with me.”
Khrys makes a sound of disgust and throws a napkin at them. It hits them in the face and slides down into their lap. “Go to jail,” she laughs.
“What? She asked!”
Khrys rolls her eyes before shifting them to me. “We tend to have long periods off to balance the long periods on. Otherwise, star sickness is a dangerous possibility.”
Devyaan’s head lolls to the side of his arms, and his eyes glitter with amusement in shades of onyx. “Usually, my family are more than ready to see the back of me.”
“Speak for yourself,” Beau titters. “No one ever wants to seemego. I’m a delight.”
“Youarea delight,” Devyaan coos. “But I wouldn’t want to date you, even if you weren’t away for half the year.”
Khrys bursts into laughter, slapping his shoulder before glancing at me. “Sorry, it gets kind of silly once the wine comes out.”
“That’s the whole point of wine, right?” I share a co-conspiratorial smile with her.
“Right! Although, some of us definitely shouldn’t be drinking due toconcussion.” She raises her pitch, along with her eyebrows, and slants a glare towards Devyaan. “To answer your question, we don’t really date all that much. Not seriously, anyway; this lifestyle is hard on relationships, and the romantic ones tend to suffer the hardest. Well, I know I speak for us three when I say that. Don’t know about the captain—we’ve only known her for a few weeks.”
