The Red Line

VIII

VIII

Back on Elysium there was no time. I slept when the lights turned off, and I ate when the gaurds brought me food. So when Amber told me I could take the shuttlecraft in the morning, before they arrived at their terminus, I was unsure. So I asked Fog about it. "How l-long until morning?"

"Kinda hard to say". He shrugged, "Our clock system is all wack from hyperspacing."

"T-than how do you k-know?"

He made a gesture to his head. "Your brain knows when your body needs sleep".

"Actually, it's the other way around". Oley interrupted. "Your body knows when your brain needs sleep".

"So m-morning is whenever you wake up?" I decided.

"Something like that". He reached his arm over the console and made a grabby hand gesture. "Could you hand me that instrument?" He pointed to a screw driver looking device, sitting on a pile of junk and tubes.

"Y-yeah". I handed it off to him and he ducked back under the console.

"What's so important about the morning anyway?" He inquired, voice muffled beneath the cupboard.

"It's not really a thing in space". Oley relayed. The masked boy was turning himself round and round in a chair, near the com wall. "It's always dark".

"Not always". Fog said.

"W-what about meal t-time?"

"That's easy. You eat when your hungry".

Back in Elysium, I was always provided substance before reaching the point of hunger.

"Why?" Oley asked. His spinning had finally ceased. "Are you hungry?"

"I t-think so".

My stomach was making these deep rumbling sounds, ever since I woke up. I told them so.

"Dude". Fog chuckled, "That means your hungry".

"Linus can heat you up some stew". Oley offered.

I gave him a skeptic look.

"Or you can try space chips".

"That's not what their called". Fog droned, like he's said it a million times before.

"Their chips and they're in space". Oley emphasized with a slice of his hand. "What else would you call them?"

"Chips". Fog added, matter of fact. "That are sitting in a cabinet. So cabinet chips".

"That's so stupid".

"It's unique". Fog hummed.

"It's stupid".

"M-maybe I'll just g-go". I murmered, sliding towards the cockpit doors.

"Good idea". Oley jestered, falling in step with me. "I can get you some space chips and Fogerty can stay here. Fixing the console, like he's supposed to". That last bit was spoken over his shoulder, directed at Fog.

"Naha". Fog clambered to his feet. "Your not ditching me. Not after you promised to help" 

"I didn't promise anything". That said, Oley grabbed my sleeve and marched us out of the room. I let him pull me to the galley, and into the kitchen.

"The space chips are in there". He pointed to a cupboard, twice his height.

"You w-want me to–"

With a huff, and some grumbling, he hefted himself onto the counter below the cabinet. "I got it".