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Atina
Watching multiple versions of Heather on the path with a moving sea of white fluff was a bemusing and confusing sight. The sheep reminded me of rashipis with their dumb bleating and vacant stares, albeit a little cuter and fluffier. They seemed totally fooled by the holo projections of Heather and were happily trotting along.
It was a lovely sight and I could tell Heather was in her element, just like when we dealt with the rashipis. She was confident and calm, with slow movements and a commanding voice that would have even Captain Ellabee do her bidding.
It was easy enough to know which version of her was real, too. Besides her having that spark of life that the others missed, whenever one of the copies stood in the sunlight wrong, they slightly shimmered. A weird side effect that I hadn't expected. The sunlight must have different properties than the sun on Kyven.
Heather's voice came through the shuttle's audio feed. "Someone's coming, quick, turn the clones off."
I shut the holo generator off and the other versions of her vanished without a trace just in time as a group of humans came jogging around the corner with some barking four-footers. A male with silver hair and a leathery face raised his hand in a greeting. "Hey! You found my sheep!"
Heather waved back. "Hello, Jeff. Why am I not surprised that they got out again?"
Surprise bloomed on the man's face. "Heather, is that you? My goodness, it is. I thought you left the area. Well, where the devil have you come from?"
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you," Heather joked, looking at me and winking.
The older man shook her hand. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise. You should really get those gates repaired. They got all the way to Three Point Crossing already."
"Really? And you herded them all this way back already? Just on your lonesome?" another member of the group said.
Heather pointed at me. "I had a little help. We used the van to our advantage."
Not wanting to make any more blunders, I stayed safely put where I was. Besides, the sheep were kind of scary. There were so many of them and it was weird how they moved as a single organism.
"Well, we'll take it from here," the old man said, whistling on his fingers to jolt the others in action. "You should come back with us, we'll treat you to a nice hot meal."
"As lovely as that offer is, we have to get going, I'm afraid. Good luck with the sheep, Jeff." Heather came back to the van and climbed in next to me, a strange smile on her face.
"Everything okay?" I asked, trying to decipher her mood. She seemed elated and sat at the same time.
Heather gave me a small nod. "Yes, just... trying to work some things out. Jeff and his sons should be able to get the herd under control in no time, then we can get out of here."
"You're good at that." I gestured to the moving flock of cloudlings. "No wonder you did so well with the rashipis."
"Thanks. I've been herding sheep for as long as I can remember. It was Granny Elise who taught me but it was my mum who did it on the farm. She was amazing, always leading from the front with a gentle voice and a hand full of food. When they passed... I took her place and it's in those moments that I can feel her with me, in here." She gingerly touched her chest. "I could never give it up, there's no doubt about it, but it's only a part of me. There are so many other things I want to do in life, things I want to see. My bucket list was long when I still lived here, but now that I've seen how vast the universe is, there are infinitely more things I want to try. I'm just not sure how to combine those two."
I nodded quietly, better understanding now why she said before that we lived different lives or why it would be hard to be mated without either of us giving up our home. But where did that leave us?
Sensing there was more on her mind but that she wasn't ready to share it yet, I waited until the path was clear and set the shuttle in motion again. It would only be a short drive back to Leeds to pick up the other two passengers and then it was almost time for the P0TA-2 to depart. I had no doubt Captain Ellabee would put everyone non-essential in stasis again which meant I'd be all alone again.
I never minded that much on past flights but the idea of not getting to enjoy Heather's company made my gut clench uncomfortably. Once we arrived on Kyven, she would go back to her farm and I already had another job with Captain Ellabee lined up that would take me galaxies away from her.
My hands tightened in my lap as the shuttle continued along its route on autopilot. I desperately wanted a solution for how we could stay together but it was time to face reality, the adventure was almost over and I'd have to say goodbye soon.
We got back to the P0TA-2 far too quickly. Most of the crew were on shore leave and Sahra and Abby were still with the human's parents, but Captain Ellabee sat on the bridge. I didn't think she ever took a break. In all the time I'd worked on the ship, Ellabee had never taken a single holiday. She only ever left the P0TA-2 to meet with suppliers and clients, but not for pleasure.
"Atina, I'm glad you're back!" she said as soon as she saw us enter. "I've been plotting our route and could do with a second opinion."
I shot an apologetic glance at Heather, but she just smiled at me. "I'll leave you to it. I could really do with a shower after all that shepherding."
I watched her walk away, her hips swaying. She really was one of the prettiest females I'd ever seen. Pretty, talented, clever, generous, funny... Oh my, I really had fallen ears over toes for her. And I realised that no matter our differences, I couldn't let her go.
"Captain, there's something I'd like to discuss with you first."
"Yes?" Ellabee gave me a sharp look, her full attention on me. That's why she was the captain. She knew how to both inspire and intimidate her crew.
