Deep Sea

Chapter 21: Decision

Chapter 21: Decision

“Sweetie?” Ilia poked her head into Joe's room. She hadn't answered the fea's knock. To a normal person this would have meant she wasn't there or that she just wasn't answering. To her fairy friend, it meant come right in.

“Yes. Ilia?” Joe asked, not looking away from her computer. She was busy entering in all the data that the missing sonar machine had managed to gain before it was torn off. She wanted a 3D model of the complex. She supposed she could have used one of the ship's computer and received results quicker, but there was still a potential murderer on the loose. And after what happened with the sonar, she wanted to be careful. For all she knew, the entire computer system might fail if she tried. “Can you make it quick, I'm busy.”

“Yeah, well, I'm horny.” Ilia countered, leaning against the doorway. “What are you doing?”

“Working.” Joe tried not to get annoyed with her. Ilia was going through the same withdrawals as most addicts. That first day hadn't been the hardest, not for her addiction. No, it was the sheer length of time she had to go that made her crazy.

And lately Ilia had been sticking to Joe like a barnacle. Joe knew she had to be there for Ilia, but the woman was getting a bit too clingy.

“Yeah, well, I have good news.” Ilia smiled a bit.

“You're going to go find some other female on board to bother for about an hour?” Joe asked then realized how mean that sounded. “Sorry. Sorry, I'm just a bit stressed.”

Ilia's pouted. “How rude. And here I was about to tell you something you would really want to here.”

“Alright, what?” Joe asked, her voice sweet. She got no answer. So she resisted the urge to sigh, turned away from her computer and smiled at Ilia. “What great news did you have for me, oh beautiful one?”

“Better.” Ilia smiled. “I came to tell you that Lisa, from comm. room 1 has finished your tapes.”

“Really?” Joe jumped up eagerly.” Oh, Ilia, that is great news!”

“Yeah, well, it comes with bad news.” Ilia frowned.

“What?” Joe asked, a sinking feeling coming over her stomach.

“I think I'm getting fat.” Ilia sighed as she looked down at her stomach. “My favorite form of exorcize is gone and I think it's starting to affect me in ways other than mentally. Look at this!” Ilia lifted her shirt a bit and took a pinch of skin and wiggled it. “It's all fat! Look at that!”

Joe laughed a bit and went to hug her. “Ilia, you're not getting fat. You're beautiful.”

“But I've never been able to do that before.” Ilia very nearly wailed. I'm going to turn into a house!”

“You are not.” Joe let her go. “You still look gorgeous. Better, I think. A bit more roundness makes you look...softer. Besides, my mamma always said guys want something soft to-” she broke off as she realized what she was about to say. “You look great, Ilia.”

“You suck.” Ilia knew exactly what she had been about to reference. “But...you really think it looks good?”

“Perfect.” Joe promised. “Now, you want to come with me to listen to the tapes?”

“Nah.” Ilia shook her head. “I think I'll go see if there's anything fun to do in the gym.”

“There's a gym?” Joe asked, surprised.

“Sure.” Ilia nodded. “It's across the hall and a few doors down from the scuba room.”

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