Page 13 of Dark Survivor (The Qaldreth Warriors #2)

Chapter Seven

Mula Pesada

Tiny rocked on her heels, her excitement too much to contain for her to remain still. Dieter, however, was all calmness, his presence pressing in on her from the side.

“You’re a doctor?” Captain Themba asked, his voice rough over what sounded like a paperback being paged through. She had to be wrong, but no, the scrape of a page turning said it all.

“Yes, sir. I lost my eyesight about three years ago.” She winced at the lingering memories and the bitterness coating them.

“Saving up for implants?” He licked something. She prayed it wasn’t his fingertip to flick a page like a book wasn’t worth thousands of tokens.

“No, sir.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Sure, augmentation has its pros. I’m just not comfortable having them in my skull. One of my previous jobs was in Carne Corp. The augments complaints department. Eyes… They’re the most defective.”

Oh, the stories she could tell: an arm just fell off, a knee bent backward for no reason, a heart stopped beating, and the usual my-fake-limb-killed-my-spouse.

Captain chuckled. “Fair enough. You get a percentage of the haul if you do your part. Nikko’s your line of command. And no sex between employees. It’s my ship, my rules.”

She gaped then snapped her mouth shut.

“Someone as pretty as you?” Captain lowered his voice as if he shared a secret. “Don’t let Dieter or Trent sweet talk you into anything. And if you’re uncomfortable for whatever reason, see Nikko.”

Dieter shuffled on his feet, maybe nervous about the implication.

“Will do.” Bubbles of joy filled her belly, making her giddy. She couldn’t remember when last she’d been this happy.

Captain flicked another page. “Welcome to the Mula Pesada , Tiny.”

Heat flushed her cheeks, and she hurried to say, “Thank you so much, Captain.”

Dieter ushered her out, waited for the door to close on the captain’s cabin, then laughed. “See. What did I say?”

“You came through for me. And that’s why you’re my hero.” She dipped her head to hide any traitorous expressions. The man didn’t need to know she had a bit of a crush on him. “So, do I get to meet the crew now?”

“First. Computer, grant Tiny access as per standard employee protocol.”

“Acknowledged,” a feminine but robotic voice coming from the ceiling said.

“Nice,” Tiny said. “How kitted out is the med bay?”

“Oh, Captain and Nikko splurged on that. The crew’s the life and blood of the ship. Blah, blah.”

“Hey, I benefit.” She hitched her thumb at herself. “Are we going to stand here all day or what?”

“Are you giving me shit?” Dieter asked, but his tone hinted at teasing.

“Yup,” she said then giggled. “I can’t thank you enough, Dieter. This is… You’re so…” She pinched her lips to stop babbling.

“Tiny, sweetheart, you’re doing us a favor, remember. We score big by having a full-on doctor on our crew. Come. Let me introduce you, show you around, then get you settled.”

He took her hand and rested it on his forearm. Together, they strolled on what sounded like metal grates. “If you get lost, just ask Computer to guide you. I’m pretty sure you’ll learn the routes soon enough.”

The aroma of butter, vanilla, and sugar preceded the mess. Tiny stopped to inhale. “What is that?”

“Cake,” a woman said. “Hi, I’m Leah. Welcome.” A hand gripped and released Tiny’s shoulder.

Tiny drew in another deep breath. “Did you say cake? Like with frosting, real flour, butter, sugar—”

“It’s my birthday,” a young man said from her right elbow. “I’m Grunt.”

“Well, Happy Birthday,” she said, tossing a smile in the direction of his voice.

“I just want the cake,” another man said, his baritone clear. He made a sucking noise like he flicked something across his lips or smacked them together. “Name’s Trent.”

“As long as the captain gets a slice…” Another man came from behind her, his tread heavy. “I’m Nikko.”

“Oh,” she said, bowing her shoulders. “My boss, so to speak.”

He chuckled. “In a way. Captain spends most of these trips in his cabin and leaves the day-to-day running to me.”

“I’d do the same if I had paperbacks.” She tightened her hand on Dieter’s arm.

He jerked then led her to the side. “It’s a bench. Can you slide in?”

She nodded, patted the air until cold metal met her fingertips. From there, she sat, only to bump her elbows on the edge of a table.

“Sorry. Forgot to mention that,” Dieter said, joining her. He nudged her with his hip until she scooted up. “You won’t fall off. The bench rests against a bulkhead.”

She grinned, throwing out a hand to feel for the wall. “Good to know.”

“Here we go,” Leah said, the scrape of a plate across metal telling Tiny what she meant. “Tea, coffee, water?”

“Coffee?” Tiny gasped. “I haven’t had any in years.”

“Coming up,” Nikko said, slump-stomping when he passed her—like he had a slight limp. The low whirring of beans grinding came moments before the rich aroma of coffee filled the space.

“Oh my word, that smells incredible,” she said, drawing all the air she could.

Dieter caught her hand and placed a fork in it. “Eat up, Tiny.”

She inched her hand across the table’s surface, searching for the plate. When her knuckle knocked against it, she gripped and pulled it closer. “I’d just like to say, this is the best welcome party ever. No offense, Grunt.”

“None taken,” he said from opposite her, his mouth full.

With her left hand, she flickered her fingers until she encountered moist softness. There, she thrust in her fork until she hit the plate. “Too big a bite?” she whispered to Dieter.

“Nope, there’s no such thing,” he teased. “Just use your hand if you’re struggling. Shove the cake in your mouth like a toddler.”

She laughed. “My first time eating with my new crew and my table manners fly out the nearest porthole?”

“No judgment here,” Grunt said. “Leah bakes the most delicious cakes, so you’ll be forgiven for being a pig.”

“I haven’t had a bite yet,” Tiny said, then put the fork down to find the cake with her hands. She brought the piece to her mouth and popped it in. A groan slipped free. She squeezed her eyes shut and savored the gooey sweetness engulfing her tastebuds in waves of ecstasy. “So good,” she mumbled.

As a crew, they ate in silence, and the experience was made more enjoyable after a sip of coffee. Dieter added cream and sugar, just like Dad used to make it for her.

Tears pressed at the backs of her eyes. “I’ve died,” she said. “Pinch me, someone.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Leah said, her voice filled with pride.

“You should,” Tiny mumbled between licking her fingers.

“Well, you’ll have to learn, too. No excuses. We all take turns to cook, bake, and churn butter,” Nikko said.

“Really?” Tiny cried out, her thumb still in her mouth. “I get to make butter?”

Dieter nudged her thumb aside and shoved a napkin into her hand. “Usually, we have the new employees take care of the animals, but in light of your lack of sight—”

“Like a cow?” she squealed.

“Two,” Grunt said between slurps.

“Oh, please, I’d love to.” She bounced on the bench at the chance to look after an honest-to-goodness animal. When she was a young girl, she’d wanted a non-robotic pet, but in the city and with her parents’ wages, they were never granted a license.

Dieter chuckled. “We’ll see.”

Sweet from her toes to behind the ears, Tiny let Dieter lead her away. She hadn’t had that much sugar in ages, and her poor body didn’t know how to handle it. Nausea coiled, bile rose, and she swallowed, determined not to throw up that delicious slice of cake. What a waste that would be.

“The med bay is close to the bridge.” Dieter ushered her into a cold space, a chill summoning a shiver.

It had been a while since she’d worked in a sterile environment. After so many years studying, she’d become used to it. Now, in space, with climate control a constant temperature, being cold was rare.

Silence met her ears.

“Where’s what?” she asked, sweeping out a hand.

“Oh, no, you can’t ask me that,” Dieter said. “I know nothing about these machines. I fix engines and other…stuff, not these.”

“So if parts break?” She faced his general direction.

“We make a stop at the first repair port.” His feet shuffled. “I’ll leave you…”

“What?” she squeaked.

“Ask Computer if you need anything.” His disappearing footsteps confirmed his abandonment.

“Right,” she huffed. “Cake, then whatever this is.” She stood still, listening, with only her breathing filling the space. With her limited sight, she caught vague shapes and not enough to reveal their purpose.

Was this what her life would be like? As shitty as working at Celestial had been, she’d gotten to interact with people. In space, with the expanse of nothing around her, she’d never been lonelier.

“Um, Computer,” she said, raising her chin to address the ceiling.

“Yes, Tiny.”

“Give me a breakdown of the equipment in the med bay.”

“Certainly.” While the computer droned on, guiding her from machine to device, the full responsibility for the crew’s well-being settled on her shoulders.

“Anything medically wrong with the crew that I need to know about?”

“Trent’s recovering from a fix addiction. He hasn’t lapsed in four months, twelve days, seventeen hours—”

“Anyone else?”

“Leah’s allergic to penicillin, and Captain has a weak heart. Grunt should be wearing his eyeglasses, but he doesn’t. But in general, they all suffer from the usual degradation from anti-gravity on human physiology.”

“Thank you,” Tiny said and moved between the machines, running her fingers over them to familiarize herself.

Exhaustion burned her nostrils and irritated her eyes, making them gritty. She’d gone from finishing her dancing shift to packing her bags to being interviewed and eating cake on the Mula Pesada . Who ate cake in the small hours of the morning? Or had ‘morning’ been a Lunar Base construct?

“Computer, what time is it?”

“1400.”

“Ah,” Tiny moaned. “That makes sense. What time’s my shift over?”

“You have no shift. When medical aid is needed, then you are on call.”

“Shit,” she whispered. Serves her right for not asking. And with a somewhat healthy crew, hours and hours of doing nothing loomed. “That means I can take a nap.” She winced. “One hour on the job and I’m caught sleeping. Besides, where?”

“Your assigned cabin is in the staff quarters. Shall I lead the way?”

“Please.” A beep came from her left. She followed it. “Are my things there already?”

“Yes. Dieter delivered them.”

From beep to beep-beep, she strolled along the passages with her one hand touching the wall. She counted how many steps were needed until the computer told her to turn left or right. Too many changes in direction generated a low-key stress headache at the base of her skull.

She dismissed the fear knotting her stomach. Her first time heading to her cabin wouldn’t be easy, and she shouldn’t expect herself to grasp it right away. Besides, like Dieter said, she had Computer to guide her.

“Your cabin is to the right. Mind the step down.”

She grinned. Yes, she had Computer. When her foot slipped, she shrieked, throwing out her arms in a flail.

Smacking her forehead on something metallic drew a cry, with the throbbing agony summoning tears.

She sniffed, splayed her fingers on the wall and banged her knuckles.

Despite the sting twitching her fingers, she stroked the offending thing and realized it was a handwheel.

She gripped and spun it, the whirl so satisfying that it almost distracted her from her heartbeat pulsing in her temple.

With a hefty pull, the door didn’t open.

So she shoved, and it thunked as it swung wide.

Stale air with a hint of sweat hit her nose. She’d hazard a guess the previous occupant was a man.

“You okay?” Grunt asked from behind her.

She jerked back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to—”

“Scream? Bang your head?” He chuckled. “I’d say get that checked out, but that would be pointless since you’re the doctor. Your bag’s at your feet.”

She laughed. “My thanks. I’d have tumbled over it for sure.”

“Silly of Dieter to leave it in the way.”

“Full-sight folks don’t think about ordinary habits being an issue.” She tried to shrug, gave up on it, then prodded her temple with gentle fingers. A fresh bolt of fire lanced outward. “A bruise.”

“And an egg,” Grunt said, shuffling his feet like he was about to leave. “Computer, grant Tiny permanent access to Room ‘402.’”

“Access has been granted to Tiny and a full sterilization done. Security is also restricted to Tiny.”

“Thorough as always, Computer,” he teased.

“Wait, tell me, what do you do for fun?” Tiny flicked her wrist before stroking around the forming egg. “All this time on my hands…”

“I listen to audiobooks, play games, tweak Computer, that sort of thing. You need anything, let me know. I’ve been gathering a treasure trove of soap operas, audiobooks, music, and all legal.”

“Yes to all of that.” She clasped her hands at her chest and beamed in his direction.

“I’ll leave you to get settled. I’m one door down which I’ll keep open in case you need me.”

Her heartbeat fluttered at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”

“Grunt, tell me what you see.” She didn’t usually ask people to do this, but she was drained, and it was taking all her energy to stay up.

“Sure. It’s a four-by-four cube with a single bed to the left, and a closet, hidden toilet and shower to your right.

” He caught her hand and rested it on cold metal.

Narrow ridges registered on her fingertips.

“Those mark each one.” A swish was one of them opening or unfolding.

“This’s the closet with your very own blanket. ”

She gaped at his retreating footsteps. “Shower?” she squeaked. “As in real water?”

“Yes,” he called from afar.

Farg. She didn’t have soap and hadn’t washed her hair in years.

And how had he known about her desperation to nap?

Had he listened in on Computer’s conversations when he ‘tweaked’ it?

She shoved her bag aside with the sweep of her foot, then shut the door.

Whatever Grunt did wasn’t her problem, nor did she have anything to hide.

Stroking the area of the wall, she found the open closet and a scratchy blanket.

With that in hand, she shuffled around the small space until her knees knocked the lip of the bed.

One final pat to confirm the extent of it, and down she went.