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My gaze fell upon Rekna. “I used to be a nurse on Earth, so I’m really excited to learn about your medical practices. Think you could give me a crash course on how things work here?” I asked. It was worth a try, at least. The worst he could say was no.

A kind smile spread across his face, and his eyes lit up. “I would be honored to teach you about Alaran medicine and technology.”

“Do you think I could work as a nurse on a spaceship like this if I train with you?”

His brows raised as he smiled. “I do not see why not.”

“Great. I’ll be back soon.” I beamed and joined the other women.

The brown-haired warrior who brought us to the medical room stepped forward after Rekna was done.

It occurred to me he hadn’t shown a single smile since he joined us, his lips always pressed into a straight line. “I will take you to your quarters,” he declared.

“I’m Grace. May I know your name?” I was enjoying getting to know my new acquaintances, and it really helped me deal with stress by having something good to focus on.

I refused to look at the world the way Avery did.

It was much easier to speak with this new warrior now that I wasn’t acting like a lovesick puppy.

“Orin,” he responded. Still no smile from him.

I quirked a brow. The men exchanged another look before Rekna gave a single nod and departed.

Orin spoke once more. “Females, follow me.”

He began to walk to the door.

We all managed to just about keep up with him and his long strides as we left the medical area. He appeared to notice and slowed his pace, which I appreciated.

Avery snapped back, “We have names, asshole.”

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. “Here we go.”

Orin stopped and slowly turned to look down at Avery. He fixed a hard gaze on her before replying. “What would you prefer I call you, female? ”

Ooh, sarcasm? A giggle bubbled up my throat but I pushed it down. I liked this guy. Things might get interesting.

“Avery,” she glared before looking away.

The way Avery acted left me flabbergasted, and even though I wanted her to be more courteous, I understood her default response under pressure was usually negative.

Riley chuckled and pointed to herself before speaking up. “Riley.”

Olivia smiled at him and introduced herself.

Orin gazed for a long moment at Olivia, then acknowledged each of us before striding ahead, with the rest of us hurrying to keep up once again.

I couldn’t wait to see our room. It was a dream come true to be on a spaceship like this, and now that we were safe, it felt like an exciting adventure.

The opportunity to explore the vastness of outer space was finally within my reach, and it was all new and captivating. I’d figure out the details of my future later.

It didn’t hurt that there were kind aliens that I never expected to encounter. I couldn’t help but sigh as I thought about one particularly handsome warrior.

Prior to entering the shuttle on that planet, I had already been inexplicably drawn to the leader of our group of rescuers. Thinking of him continued to stir something inside me, a pull that was difficult to explain and completely new to me.

Avery interrupted my thoughts.

“How long will it take to return home? I have people that will be looking for me,” she asked the warrior as we walked down the hall.

Orin gave Avery a squinted gaze. “I haven’t been to Terran space. The length of the journey is unknown to me.” His voice had a tautness to it as he spoke. “The Captain will see that you are to be resettled soon, I am sure of it.”

Avery stopped and put her hands on her hips. “What the fuck is that even supposed to mean? You are gonna take us back to Earth’s Moon, right?” She glowered.

Orin coughed and straightened his posture. “You have other human colonies to choose from in Alaran space. There’s no need for you to return to your Earth-Moon,” he stated matter-of-factly.

A smile spread across my face as he mashed the two words together. It was evident that his patience with Avery was waning.

Avery let out a frustrated sigh as he kept on walking. “I don’t want to go to a human colony . I wanna go back to my life on the Moon...where I have a job...and my parents.”

My heart went out to Avery. It was clear she was struggling with everything and I hoped for her sake she got to return home.

Orin came to a stop at one of the doors and smoothly glided his hand over the panel, causing it to open.

As I entered the room, I could feel the coolness in the air, mirroring the temperature of the rest of the ship. It made me ponder if this was a common trait among all spaceships.

It was impressive to see quarters of such an enormous size.

A brown wall-to-wall carpet covered the floor. Sparse decorations on the beige walls included a couple of moving images, featuring a planet with colorful trees and a soft pink sky. They added a personal touch to the place.

There were also a couple of tall plants with large, thick green leaves similar to houseplants that we had back on Earth, that stood along the wall.

The room contained four brushed metal framed beds, a desk and chair. There was also a small table with four more hard-backed chairs around it.

It had a sleek and minimalistic look, despite being basic. The décor gave the room a warmer feel compared to the rest of the ship that I’d seen so far.

There was a sliding door across the room that I planned to investigate right away.

When I looked back at the doorway, Avery was standing there with folded arms and a fierce expression, refusing to budge for the formidable warrior.

Orin’s gaze wandered until it settled on Olivia, and a faint smile briefly graced his lips before vanishing. “I’ll be right outside.”

Olivia’s cheeks turned a rosy shade as she settled down on one of the beds.

It took several long minutes, but I finally convinced Avery to come into the room.

Just like I had come to expect, she was all grumbles and curses; her face contorted with frustration.

I glanced back at Orin, offering a sheepish shrug of apology.

He inclined his head and moved back, letting the door close.

Riley walked over to the desk and picked up a tablet that looked similar to the ones we had back on Earth and began looking it over.

I hurried to the door on the adjacent wall, searching for a bathroom.

When I approached it, the door slid open to expose a smooth, shining silver floor, walls, and ceiling. What appeared to be a high-tech shower jutted down from the ceiling in one corner of the room.

A toilet and a large mirror were positioned in another corner. I quickly used it and washed my hands before exploring the room further.

Exploring, I stumbled upon a small alcove, which had space for storing clothes and other items.

Clean tunics and pants were stacked on a shelf. I picked up a tunic and held it to myself. It fell past my knees but would have to do.

While I heard the others chatting in our room, I wasted no time stripping off my filthy clothes and approached the shower area.

I stepped closer, and cool water poured down from the large square shower-head in the ceiling. I hissed through my teeth as goosebumps rose on my naked flesh from the spray.

After a bit, it started to get warmer, so I stood under it and enjoyed the water on my skin for the first time in who knows how long.

When I pressed a button on the wall, a shelf popped out right next to me. There were three bottles of colored liquid.

The scent of cleanliness filled the air as one of them, colored in a soft shade of pale green, exuded a faint aroma of mint.

Another had a distinct smell reminiscent of citrus, while its color was a rich, deep blue.

As I inhaled the last scent, its thickness, and notes of berries lingered in the air. I used it to wash my hair, lathering it up and giving my scalp a good scrub.

Next, I scrubbed my skin with the citrus wash and it worked like a charm, and left my skin feeling soft.

The entire room was filled with a refreshing scent as I finished showering and stepped out from under it not sure how to turn it off.

Surprisingly, it turned off right away.

I looked around and there were no towels. Then, warm air started blowing on me from above and I jumped. As I ran my fingers through the knots in my hair, they magically untangled.

The mirror was too high for me to see more than my shoulders and head, but it was nice to feel fresh and clean again.

I turned to the tunic I had laid out, relishing the softness of the fabric as I pulled it over my head. Despite revealing more cleavage than I was accustomed to, it would have to do.

Sighing, I absorbed my surroundings and reflected on everything that had transpired, and a wry laugh slipped out.

“Well, Grace, you wanted excitement and adventure, and now you’ve got it.

” I shook my head. “A simple case of be careful what you wish for,” I muttered to myself then held up the pants that I’d picked up with the tunic to see they were way too big to wear. Refolding the pants, I put them back.

Because no underwear was provided, I had to rinse the pair I had on and my bra, forcing me to go commando until they were dry.

As I entered the sleeping area, I announced to no one in particular, “I discovered a bathroom with a shower and toilet. Instead of towels, there’s a dryer over the sink and a shower that turns on automatically.”

Despite what the others felt, I resolved to make the most of this experience. For the first time in days, I felt safe and happy.

And I was in outer space. How awesome was that?

Olivia walked toward me, looking weary. “I’m going to shower, too.”

I threw my arms around her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“We are going to be okay,” I whispered into her ear.

“I hope so,” she said, as I released her and stepped back.