(GQ #9) Sanctuary of the Elusive Captain

6. Party in the Captains' Room

13... 14... 15 seconds.

Leon entered the observation deck, hoping Roxie hadn't made it to the captains' room, but knowing she probably did. Oh well. At least he had one victory today.

Sure enough, Roxie was already knocking on the captains' door. He couldn't help but wonder what the room inside looked like but didn't follow her. She had already won.

So did he, in a way. While she stood high above the tiled floors, he got to look out the window, into an ocean of stars. In the middle sat that familiar blue marble he called home: Earth. They should land in a few weeks. He couldn't deny a part of him felt homesick, even though he was having the time of his life.

Leon floated toward the window for a closer look. There were so many things he wished he could return to, like the crisp winter air on his legs or his friends laughing as he wore shorts in the snow. Other things, he was glad to leave behind. Though could he really say he'd never turn his back on a friend when...? No. He shouldn't worry about that.

"Yo, Rookie!" Emil's voice echoed through the room.

Leon placed a foot on the floor, stopping on a dime. He turned around to see Roxie joined by the lieutenant captain at the top of the stairs.

"C'mon up here, we're waiting on you~" Emil winked, pointing down at him.

"I'll be right up!" Leon pushed himself off of the floor. He could've sworn the tile sunk beneath his foot, but he was too busy soaring into the air to pay it much mind.

Soaring a little too high, actually. He must've pumped the air jets a little too hard, because he flew straight past Roxie and Emil toward the ceiling. A hand grabbed his foot just in time.

"Got'cha!" Emil struck a stylish pose. "Uh-oh." Unfortunately, he forgot to grab onto the stair railing, so he got swept up with Leon.

Roxie came to the rescue. With a mighty tug, she pulled him back to the ground in no time.

"Thanks Roxie, I don't know where we'd be without ya."

"On the ceiling!" she answered. "Celebratory hug?"

"Ah, what the heck?" Emil welcomed her with an open arm. The other slung around Leon's shoulder, pulling him down.

"Thanks." He laughed sheepishly. "You guys are lifesavers."

The lieutenant let them go. "Come in, come in. I've been expecting you."

Leon and Roxie followed him into a dim, red room. Leon remembered back to a month ago, how alarmed the captain was when Emil first mentioned this room existed. His goosebumps told him they probably shouldn't be here, yet it didn't stop his eyes from taking in every sight, from the golden beds in front of him, to the wooden desk on the other side.

Most eye-catching of all was the screen above the desk, which had to take up a good third of the wall. It displayed camera feeds from all over the Celestion-5.

"Woah... This is like every room in the ship." Leon continued marveling. "Look, Mia's still reading at the kitchen table. And there in the gym, Aiden's talking to Jun!" He pointed to the top-leftmost section. "I can even see us right here!"

"Yep." Emil nodded. "Pretty sweet, huh? Notice anything else?"

Roxie tilted her head. "Where's the captain?"

"Ding, ding, ding!" He spun to face her. "That's the million-dollar question of the day: Where the heck did he go?"

Leon shared a look with Roxie. "You don't know?"