Alacrity

Bella

The small cube of Bella's room somehow comforted her. Reaching out both her arms, Bella steadied herself against both walls and pushes off her shoes. She lets out a long sigh and flops back onto her bed and forces herself to stay awake.

A knock sounds against the door and Bella pushes herself reluctantly to her feet. She looks at the monitor screen to the right of the door and sees her manager Dylan Shipp standing impatiently outside. She pounds her fist against the monitor and the door slides open.

"Hey, I need you to come back up to the bridge." He says tiredly. Dark bags hang under his eyes and he scratches his overgrown black beard tiredly.

"May I ask why?" Bella grumbles.

"Those ships are still on our tail, and the kid who took your shift just passed out." Shipp says through a yawn.

"I feel like I'm about to pass out." Bella sighs as she leans against the door frame.

"Honestly Bella." Shipp raises his voice frustratedly "Just come back up to the bridge, and I'll let you take shift off next week."

Bella chuckles. "Fine, but you owe me that shift off." Bella grabs her hand terminal and tucks it in the pocket of her overalls and hurried after Shipp.

_______

Bella sits down in her chair communications and straps in. She presses a small black button, and the screen comes to life. The two ships, coloured grey on the monitor, are flying at about half an AU away at their current speed of point five g. Bella taps a button above the ships and tries to establish communication again.

"This is the CS Alacrity, please state your names and districts." About a minute later, the computer flashes a large red block stating: 'Communication Denied' in large block letters. Bella leans back in her chair with a sigh and covers her eyes with her hand.

"They've increased speed to one g." The captain, Andon Howalk, yell over the bridge comms. "Bella, you're at coms now, right?" Howalk asks over her earpiece.

"Yup, I'm here." Bella replies,

"Okay, have you heard anything back from those ships yet?"

"Sorry Howalk, they won't accept the communications." Bella says steadily.

"You think they could be Pirates?"

"Well, we are carrying semi-precious rock."

"True, terminate communication attempts. But don't, leave your desk."

With an exasperated sigh, she replies. "I understand." Bella traces the pirate's ships movements with her index finger across the screen as it pans from left to right. She taps her left foot rapidly against the steel decking, a man she doesn't know who's sitting at the nav desk glares at her. Bella smiles anxiously and stops tapping her foot.

"Hey Howalk." Bella groans through the radio channel. "Can I go now?"

"Bella, don't get me wrong, we're all tired. But if you leave that desk, we won't know what's happening if they try to communicate with us." Howalk says steadily.

"Can't you put that new kid back on?"

"He's in the med bay, head injury."

"Damn it!" Bella shouts with a loud thump of her fist against the touchpad. "Fuck!" She yells, while repeatedly pounding her fists against the screen like a child. The man at the nav desk picks up his hand terminal and quietly says something indiscernible into the radio while staring with a frightened look at Bella. A few minutes later, Shipp walks onto the bridge at straight towards her.

"What the fucking hell, Bella!" Shipp growls. He collects himself and heavily lays his hand on Bella's shoulder, "I need to talk to you Bella."

Bella unbuckled herself and follows Shipp out into the hall and down the hall to his office. "Sit." Shipp commands, obediently, Bella sits down in the chair in front of his desk; not bothering with the restraints.

"Hey, I'm tired okay? Plus, you made me work two fucking shifts!"

"Shut it!" Shipp slaps his hand down into the desk.

"We're all fucking tired, we need you on coms right now. Okay?" He points a shaky finger at the door. Dylan's voice breaks "And please, don't cause any trouble."

Bella stands up in a nearly robotic fashion and walks back to her desk and sits down silently. Everyone stares at her, but why wouldn't they? She just made a scene like a fucking child.

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