Writing Prompt #7 \u2013 If I looked into your fridge right now, what would I find?<\/p>\n
Eve\u2019s Sacrifice<\/strong><\/p>\n The Steady Matron settled into high, geosynchronous orbit above the Arecibo Satellite Museum., or thereabouts. Earth stopped spinning inside its reinforced magnetic field. It shimmered as it contained the roiling battles between methane clouds and water hurricanes. Captain Morgan fought the urge to spit. Instead, she just scowled at the ruined planet.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain, Grandmother has sent word. Forty minutes until rendezvous, and 10 more for orbit matching and docking.\u201d She smiled, feeling warmth relax the knots in her shoulders. Gloria was so excited. She waved internal coms open.<\/p>\n \u201cAny special needs that we can satisfy for Grandmother\u2019s crew?\u201d She unbuckled, checking over the ship-to-ship docking equipment for damage done by the Trade Commission.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Captain. They run with Earth atmo, but insisted on wearing breathers. I offered to cycle our life support, but Captain Gyeong read me the riot act, and would have none of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Captain Morgan\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cGyeong is captain of the Grandmother? What happened to Captain Sullivan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t hear? Arrested six planet months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Gloria.\u201d She waved the channel closed and sighed. This hand-off would be both easier and harder than she\u2019d expected. She wouldn\u2019t have to deal with Gloria and Sullivan glaring daggers at each other over her. But Gyeong? She was perfect for the Grandmother. Just paranoid enough to keep her compatriots safe operating in the midst of the people they were leaving behind, but too paranoid to take the hand-off without lots of double-checking. They\u2019d be docked for a while, but not long enough to arouse suspicion. It\u2019d be tight. She brought up the system\u2019s power distribution system and powered up the lab equipment in the garden. They\u2019d have to stop and recharge on their way out of Earth space, but it\u2019d be worth it to shave seconds off the transfer.<\/p>\n The air shifted in the room, and the scent of sandalwood beat Gloria into the cockpit. She knelt behind the chair, her clothes rustling. Her hands gripped the Captain\u2019s shoulders, and kneaded tense, stressed muscles. She opened her mouth to ask Gloria if she would be prepping for the docking, and chuckled as she realized that was exactly what was happening. \u201cThat\u2026 is just what I need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry that you heard about Sullivan from me.\u201d Gloria pushed into a knot next to the Captain\u2019s shoulder blade, and smiled at the repressed scream. \u201cAlthough, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re relieved that he and I won\u2019t be at each other\u2019s throats.\u201d Another knot, this time met with a whimper. Gloria\u2019s hands moved up, kneading mercilessly. \u201cGyeong is no dummy, though. She\u2019ll see us through this.\u201d Next the upper arms, muscles squeezed and released. The Captain noticed that her eyelids had slid shut without her permission. Mutinous bastards. \u201cShe\u2019s got a botanist on board, who wants to adopt our greenhouse idea for the Grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n Her head lolled forward as Gloria\u2019s hands moved to her neck. \u201cIn an Earth atmo ship? Won\u2019t the plants clean out the crap that make it what it is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApparently, that\u2019s the point. They figure that it\u2019ll happen slow enough to condition the crew to non-Earth atmo in prep for a move. When the exodus happens, they want to use it for the colonists.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh.\u201d Gloria draped her arms around Morgan\u2019s neck, fingers brushing her collarbones. \u201cThat\u2019s a fantastic idea.\u201d Gloria\u2019s breath was warm, tickling the back of her neck. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to recharge when we reach the Kuiper Belt. When we\u2019re drifting, you and I are going to have some one-on-one time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that an order, Captain?\u201d Gloria had shifted, and her lips tickled Morgan in the most wonderful way.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make it one if I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d Gloria gently kissed the back of her Captain\u2019s neck, then sighed. \u201cyou\u2019d better get to the galley, if you\u2019re going to meet them in the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n Morgan released the pilot\u2019s harness and swung out of the chair. \u201cRight, as always.\u201d They stared at each other, smiling, and then Morgan left. Two hallway segments and a right turn took her to the refrigerator. She reached to the back of the top shelf and pulled the red and green apple out. It\u2019d take a bit to calibrate the lab instruments to verify and decode hidden within the seeds\u2019 DNA. She should have it ready just as Gyeong and her people boarded. Timing would be everything.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Writing Prompt #7 \u2013 If I looked into your fridge right now, what would I find? Eve\u2019s Sacrifice The Steady Matron settled into high, geosynchronous orbit above the Arecibo Satellite Museum., or thereabouts. Earth stopped spinning inside its reinforced magnetic … Continue reading