Waking up wasn’t getting any easier. Everyday the same fear of being stuck in this rut filling her up until it poured out of her eyes. She was full of it. The overflow was taking it’s toll on others as well. It was going to make things difficult on board and there was a job to do, but there were no alternatives so it was time to get up and get some coffee before dealing with the unavoidable.
Sitting up ready to stand she suddenly flicks back in to her dream – as if someone had recorded a VR movie scene for her and pressed play.
“If your head still hurts you should lay down. We don’t want you feeling faint” said the voice.
The place was spinning like she’d had too much to drink. But she hadn’t had a drink. She’d been hit by a truck.
“I think …” her attempt at speaking wasn’t going too well. “… I’ll … ok”
If you try to do anything too soon after trauma like that you’re going to be shaky. Alex wanted to man up. Her legs told her to stop being so stubborn and lay down.
“That’s better” said the voice
Alex twitched as she came to again. Back in the room, sat on her bed. Nightmares were going to be harder to cope with if she had to deal with them in the daytime. Or whatever they call this part when work happens.
Alex stood up as the memory of the flashback echoed in her mind. Her legs remembering her experience and tingling with empathy.
Shower. Dry. Clothes on. Out the door. Back inside. Pick up forgotten pass. Out the door. On the escalator. “Be busy” she thought “keep faking it”.
“ding”
Alex quickly enters in to the Starport and demands the usual “to go”. Keeping busy, she thought, meant rocket fuel. It meant never being tired enough to react with her heart. “Go go go” she told herself.
“Thanks Zi”
A swipe of her Starport addicts key buy a cup of hope and she’s back en route to the bridge.
There was a shit storm awaiting her, thirsty for a new victim to be pulled in. Noone knew it yet but a virus was about to kill the officers onboard.
