Mission Cure

CHAPTER ONE - M:FAC/1 - JACE

JACE

As Jace walked down the corridor of M:FAC/1, the overhead lighting flickered eerily. This part of the ship had always been a little creepy being so far away from the housing and the cafeteria and the recreational chambers - which were all decorated to feel like the inside of an actual home instead of a cold and steel vessel. But somehow, the wavering lights made it feel even more desolate, more lonely.

And if there was anything Jace hated more than being alone - he couldn't think of it.

Two more blocks, he thought to himself, his footsteps quickening. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and cursed the cold. Why did they have to build such a gigantic ship?

Of course, he knew the answer. They had to make the upper level this big, because the lower level, where the engine, fuel and control rooms were located, was two miles long by necessity. Anything smaller wouldn't have the resources to make it where they were headed.

Still, a little paint or some music would have been nice along this stoic, metal hallway.

Jace passed a couple rooms used for storage and paused when the whoosh of the air-circulation system quieted for a moment. He couldn't remember it ever doing that before. He couldn't even remember hearing it before. It was one of those sounds, a constant static in the background like the buzz of the refrigerator - barely noticeable until it faltered.

Twenty seconds and one unintentionally-held breath later and the system regained full performance. Jace let the air escape his lungs, relieved. Most failures allowed for problem-solving and recalibration. But not the AIR-VAC. Without it, they would have mere hours to fix the problem before... death.

After jogging the last stretch, Jace found himself at the end of the hall and the final doorway, an arching entrance into the ship's library where books were stacked so far up the walls that a ladder was needed to reach the higher shelves. Jace always felt so small in this room - both physically and mentally - like a single, newborn star in the center of an ageless galaxy. Just as he'd suspected, Dreary was taking up one of the leather sofas. She was under a fluffy blanket and three different books.

"Hey," he called to let her know someone had entered the room. He didn't want to startle her. She looked pretty enthralled by what she was reading. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," she answered dreamily, turning a page.

Jace fell into the sofa across from her and threw one booted foot onto the coffee table. "Did you notice the pause in the AIR-VAC?"

"What?" She finally looked up at him.

"The AIR-VAC kind of... stopped for a minute. You didn't hear it?"

She shook her head. Her eyes widened. "No, I didn't even notice. Is that normal?"

Jace shrugged his wide shoulders. This new, muscular physique was still a little uncomfortable. In less than a year, he'd gone from a scrawny seventeen-year-old to what he was now - six feet tall and outgrowing every piece of clothing he had. Even the cargo pants he'd chosen were a good two inches too short. It was time to visit M:FAC/2, the ship where the stores were located.

"Maybe they were working on it," Dreary suggested. "Fixing something, or making it more efficient..."

"For the first time in five years?" Jace asked. Because that was how long they'd been on board M:FAC/1.

"Well, maybe five years is around the time they need to start doing maintenance."

Jace gave a thoughtful nod. "Except, they're supposed to announce any kind of maintenance that might cause a disruption."