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"What are you counting?"
I opened my mouth to explain that this was yet another idiom when Atina laughed.
"I'm just teasing you. We use the same expression."
"That's fun. We've finally found one that we both know."
We grinned at each other. It felt so natural to talk to Atina, like we'd known each other for much longer than just a few days.
"Let's get some snacks," the pilot suggested. "I have some in my cabin, if you don't fancy the standard meals from the lounge?"
She was inviting me into her cabin. Was there an underlying reason for that or simply because she stored her snacks there? Was this going to end in more than just us having a meal?
Maybe I was overthinking things. Atina had seen how I hadn't been impressed by the ship guts from the food hatch, so here she was being nice and offering to share her snacks.
"Is something wrong?" she asked when I didn't respond right away.
"No, sorry. Abby and Sahra invited me to dinner in their cabin, so I shouldn't eat too much now. What time is it anyway? I took off my controlband when I had a shower and forgot to put it back on."
"I do that all the time! And you still have a while until dinner. Days are longer here on the ship than they are on Kyven, which is why we usually have at least four main meals a day. Did nobody tell you?"
I shook my head. "No, they must have forgotten about that."
"How about I tell you everything you need to know about life on the P0TA-2 while we nibble on some crica crisps?"
She led me away before I could protest and overthink again.
12
Atina
Jiji was sitting on my bed, honking in excitement that I'd brought Heather with me. The little qoark really seemed to like the human female. I understood why. I'd taken my shower in record time just so I could return to Heather's cabin and spend more time with her. Unfortunately, I had to go back to work soon. My next shift started in less than an hour. Even though we were still stuck on this planet, the captain had assigned a rota for someone to be on the bridge at all times.
I kicked some rubbish to the side. I should've tidied before inviting someone here, unless Heather's species enjoyed being surrounded by mess. I wasn't entirely sure. There was a lot I didn't know about the aliens living on Planet #47283 but I was eager to find out more.
Jiji completely ignored me and bounced up against Heather's feet, begging to be picked up. She was lucky that Heather obliged with a crooked smile that lit her whole face up and made her eyes sparkle. She was really pretty and I found her five fingers and a pinkish complexion, that made her look slightly poisonous according to Kyven standards, endearing.
"You're so fluffy," Heather cooed, discovering how much Jiji liked being thrown up in the air.
My qoark shrieked in delight as it soared up and down and Heather laughed in return. They were so cute together.
I caught myself staring at them like a creep and got some crica chips from my secret stash as promised. "Here."
Heather took a packet, our fingers brushing together. She held my gaze and smiled, a warm smile that felt like a sunrise. "Thanks. If I'd known how bad the food would be, I'd have brought my own snacks. And here I thought airplane food was bad."
"What's an airplane?"
"Oh, umm... Kind of like a spaceship but it doesn't actually travel to space. Just from city to city," Heather replied. "It's made of metal and it flies but don't ask me how it works. Science was never my thing. To be fair, school wasn't my thing. Do you have school in Kyven?"
"Ah, education. Yeah, I didn't like that either. That's why I became a pilot. I have all the freedom in the universe, I get to see cool places, and no responsibilities beyond making sure everyone arrives safely at their destination." I said it with a smile, as always ignoring the hollow ache in my chest. It was great having a life with no dependents or attachments, where I could do as I pleased. I loved it, most of the time. But every now and then, the idea of having somewhere to call home and someone to come home to didn't sound so bad.
Heather gave me a smile that didn't reach her pretty eyes. "I can't say I relate. I loved having the farm, a place that was my own, having animals to take care of that needed me. Even my silly cousin who doesn't need me anymore, the reason why we moved to Kyven."
"You don't like it on Kyven?"
She shook her head. "Kyven is great. I still have my animals, a farm of sorts, but it feels like a weird replica of my old life. There's no banks chasing me for money, so that's great, but there's also nobody to buy wool or eggs or milk... No purpose. Just me and the animals and routine." There was a deep-rooted sadness in her voice that echoed some of the feelings I could never put into words.
I ate a few crisps, enjoying the way they crackled and exploded in my mouth before deflating into a soft powder. "Is that why you're travelling home?"
