War Angel: part fifteen

Gina found Richard sitting and staring at one of the main computer terminals in the depths of the ship. “You look lost, Richard. What’s the problem?”

Startled from his reverie, he straightened himself in his chair. “Oh. Ah. Nothing. Just watching as the scanning data processes through the computer. I’m doing what I can to get a complete readout on the solar system, so it’s taking a while.”

“Richard?”

“What?”

She placed her palm on the side of his face and gave him a gentle pat. “That isn’t what you were doing.” He started to protest, but she cut him off. “Rich, I know you’ve been crushing on Kate pretty much forever. Must be eating at you, what happened earlier.”

He nodded at her. “She’s going to be okay, Rich. I promise.”

Richard snapped. “How can you possibly say that?! How can you even suggest that any of us are going to be alright?!”

Gina took her hand from his cheek, and then suddenly returned it in the form of a vicious slap. Stunned, Richard nearly fell out of his chair. However, as quickly as she had released her aggression, Gina’s demeanor returned to peaceful and caring.

“Richard, what do you feel right now?”

“Pain! Pain and anger! What the hell was that for?”

“A reminder. We’re not dead, little Clover. As long as we feel, both emotionally and physically, we’re alive. Alive is good. Alive gives us a chance.” She reached for his head again, and his head jumped back, fearing another slap. Instead, she placed her hand under his chin and forced him to look her in the eye. “One day earlier and we sound the alarm on the apocalypse before it happens. That’s going to eat at me for as long as I live. All I can hope for,” she paused, “is that I carry that with me for a very long time instead of a very short one.”

“Okay,” he said. She released his chin, but he maintained eye contact. “Gina, should I tell Kate how I feel about her? Isn’t that the sort of thing you do when the world is ending?”

Gina backed up and away from Richard, trying not to burst out laughing. “Are you kidding? Now?” She cracked and began to giggle. “God, no. She might cut your dick off just for entertainment.” Backing out of the computer room, she offered her final advice on the subject. “You might want to wait a few months on that one. Minimum.”

Leaving him behind, Gina decided to wander back to her quarters. “Don’t worry Richard,” she thought. “It isn’t like any of us is going anywhere.”

“And most of us aren’t getting laid, either.”

Wilma looked up from her microscope to see Morrison standing in front of her. “What can I do for you, Captain?”

“I have a plan, doctor, but I need some info from you before I can be sure it’ll work.”

Gray pushed herself away from the lab bench and took off her gloves. “I’m all ears.”

“What’s our food situation doctor?”

She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’d say we have about seven days on standard rations and supplementing with the hydroponic material. Give or take.”

“Any possible way we could make it stretch to eleven?”

“It’d be cutting it close. Maybe if we cut a meal each day and instead took an IV instead. I’d been thinking about solutions for Mr. Drake in that direction as it is.” Suddenly her curiosity kicked in. “Wait. Eleven days? You have a destination in mind where you think we can re-up on supplies?”

Morrison looked almost smug. “Oh yes, I do indeed, doctor.”

Wilma stood up from her chair and began pacing around the room. “We might also try longer sleep periods. I could prescribe sedatives that reduce metabolism.”

He held up his palm, cutting off her train of thought. “That might not work. The early part of the journey will be incredibly rough, and we’ll be fighting some nasty radiation pockets on the way. Everyone will need to be at their sharpest.”

Realizing what he was suggesting, Wilma stopped in her tracks. “Holy shit. We’re making a run for it?”

“For now,” he said. “But not forever.”

The comm. in Jack’s room chirped. “Jack, this is Richard.” Sarah undraped her arm from Jack’s chest, allowing him to roll towards his nightstand and activate his unit for reply.

“Go ahead, Richard.”

“All scanning is complete. I’m setting up a briefing in the mess; how fast can you get down here?”

Jack rolled away from the comm. and cast his gaze at Sarah. Her face betrayed no emotion, merely a quiet calm. He had never seen her look so placid before, and suddenly he found himself frightened by what might be going through her head. Kate had snapped almost instantaneously; what if Sarah was going to snap, too, but it was simply taking more time? He mouthed the words “how long” at her, not making a sound.

Sarah propped herself up on her side and scratched her head. She took a long moment to think, then finally flashed her open palm at him three times. Nodding, Jack turned back to the comm. and said “Fifteen minutes.”

“Roger that,” Richard said, and the channel closed. Jack plopped back down on his back, taking a deep breath. As he did, Sarah rolled over and sat on top of him. She caressed his chest, and then pointed at herself. Jack raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was going to say. She then pointed at him, paused, and repeated the gesture. He nodded at her, and then she held up her hand and showed him all fingers but her thumb. He raised his torso up to hers and met her lips with a fiery kiss.

“One more go-around?” he thought. “Why not? Think this one’s just for her though…”