The Horrors Below

Chapter 28: Nothing Special

     Sammy woke up to Garland's voice, cutting through the fog of her dreams.
     "I got your PDA chipped..."
     Sammy sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Speaking of microchips..."
     Garland avoided Sammy's gaze, "I'm sorry, but...well... if they were prioritizing it, her circuits would take days of work to fix after the black vine..."
     "AND?"
     "and they told me it's of 'Least concern'.
     "LEAST CONCERN‽" Sammy said, shooting up from her bed, hitting the back of her head on the top bunk a little.
     "I'm sorry, Sam, but it's not like either of us are very important! I can't do anything more than you can right now!"
     "It's okay... It's fine."
     Garland wordlessly handed a cup of coffee to Sam as she slipped on some socks and shoes. After Sam left, she sat on her bunk. "It's not okay. She's come so far and I've been powerless to help her with even the most menial things! Maybe I shouldn't be her roommate..."

     It had only been a bit since she was resuscitated, brought here, and operated on, but Sammy was already beginning to get an okay grasp of Oceanus 02, where it was, and what it was. Oddly enough though, she didn't really understand the people. Here are all these people, talking, walking and working, completely unbothered that they reside on the ocean floor. It was just such an odd, isolated social structure to see.
     Garland was writing in her journal when Sammy came back with two muffins.
     "Back so soon? I thought you would get lost at least once or twice!"
     Sammy snickered, "It's not a complicated route!"
     "Exactly! How did you get lost that time‽"
     "Shut-up! Sorry... I got you a muffin."
     Garland let loose a small smile, "Thanks, but no-thanks, I'm pretty much off carbs right now."
Sammy put the muffins down, "Why? You've already got the body of a Greek goddess! What in your salvage job could require that kind of figure‽" Sammy cringed at what she had just accidentally said, but Garland didn't seem to notice.
     "Actually, when I'm not salvaging stuff at the loading dock, I'm working with recovery teams in places like where we found you."
     "More muffins for me, I suppose..."
     "At least Garland doesn't see me as anything special... But..." Sammy thought to herself.