Prime of Life - 47 chapter Space Opera novel

Chapter 6

G Forces finally fell and Marisssa shifted in the launch chair. She expanded her mind to check on Carus. Her subconscious translated his response as, "Ssknzus annoyed!" She wore a blue suit, her helmet and gloves hanging nearby in case of emergencies. The launch coordinator had not trusted Carus to be loose inside the space capsule--the little creature's custom enclosure was sealed to cabin air.

It had been a flawless launch. Lights and switches cast an eerie glow inside the module, adding to the light from the rear viewscreen where Jolian's two moons hung beside the planet in space. Everything Marisssa had ever known was on the thin surface of that tiny orb. And now she and her furry comrade sped toward a distant rendezvous with beings no Jolian had ever met.

"Faaala One, come in Faaala One," the radio crackled.

"I'm here," Marisssa responded in decidedly unprofessional parlance.

"Faaala One, you have reached your first control point. Do you see the engine grid?"

"Yes."

"Watch the screen. When the grid turns orange, throw the orange engine switch." Marisssa had no idea why this operation couldn't be done automatically--the launch personnel had assured her that on-board computers would take care of most tasks. She half-smiled. The docs had probably decided she had a propensity for claustrophobia and told the engineers to color-code switches that could be harmlessly flipped. Keep her busy.

The grid flashed orange and Marisssa moved the switch forward. A disconcerting rumble accompanied the cabin shaking. Carus sent a worried query, and she turned her mind-link to gold to reassure her companion. "Switch thrown," she said to the ground crew. "Was it supposed to stutter like that?"

"Completely normal," came the response. What would they say if it wasn't normal...

"How's the weather down there?" she said. It was a joke this time of year, the weather consistently clear and dry for months but for the rare snow flurry.

"No windows here. How is it up there?" At least the controller had a sense of humor.

Then a garbled voice came over the radio, sounding comical on the tinny speaker. "Keep your pockets zipped. I don't want to get hit by loose change."

"Rei! You're there."

"Right here kid." Reiirr Cobe, her initiation. Her first time. She had found him after the party, and, well... Difficult at first, it had gotten easier. Enjoyable even, by the third time. She sighed. More than enjoyable. Her early dislike for Reiirr had come full circle and turned into...what?

"Well, I hope you're brushing up on your astronomy, Cobe. Look just left of Tinnuss. That little dot is me."

"So far away, my darling true, yet I can think of nothing but you." Carus flashed disdain in their shared mind space. "Poetry from that jerk?" Marisssa interpreted.

"That's horrible, Rei! I'm not your darling. I had a good time last night though." There was a long pause. "I'm sorry Rei. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Thank you for the poem. But you know what?"

"What?"

"It doesn't rhyme in Galactalk." The chaos documents had supplied a working knowledge of standardized galactic trade language--Galactalk--but the content was limited to practical aspects. Marisssa had done an intensive course after the Hunt--still, she knew there would be difficulties ahead.