Dream Walkers

Chapter 6

When Allison awoke she could feel the background mental hum of the Earth passengers, but none nearby. They must be up already. The safety harness came across her shoulders and body to fasten at her waist with another strap across her hips. She was pleased to find that the straps were fitted with quick release fastenings, two clicks and she was free.

Sitting up and looking about, she judged her cabin to be about three metres square. The strap-in bed she sat on was next to the right wall, bolted to the floor and deeply padded. Cupboards and wardrobes lined the left wall with the three-dimensional wall straight ahead facing the door. There was a strange looking seat fixed to the floor in front of the three-dimensional picture. Allison studied the image of the forest, wondering; what type of plants and trees are they? They look so different to anything I've seen before. The picture looks so real I'm surprise that I don't smell the flowers! Ho! When I move I can see behind the trees! Cool!

A shelf, and a small folding table with an extendable arm were fixed to the wall on her right, enabling her to work from the bed, but this was difficult lying down. She then discovered the controls for the contouring of the bed and had great fun adjusting it. Moving the table about on its adjustable arm to find a comfortable match she found that she could read books practically lying down. Allison giggled when she thought, what would Master Khy'den say? Probably: 'less effort- less progress'.

She stood up and walked across the cabin to read the warning notices; one said to keep all things in the cupboards, for if the artificial gravity failed all the things would float around the room. Another told her that glass and none viscous liquids were forbidden in the cabin. So I have to go to the dining room to eat and drink, then.

On the inside of the cabin door she found a map of level B, showing where the showers and toilets were. Toilets? Isn't that what my Earth cousins sometimes called waste processors? Looking in the cupboard, she found her bags and began to unpack.

Allison started her first day shipside wearing her cool suit until she found out what other people were wearing, but found it tedious, having to almost undress to use the waste processors. So wearing clothes has its problems. They rub me sore and get in the way! She thought, Or is it just the cool-suit? Back in her cabin, she tried on a long sleeved, blue dress that came down to her mid thigh, but she felt naked without a covering over her legs. What would my Earth cousins wear? She compromised and put on a pair of yellow leggings under the dress. This made her feel better, but by now she felt very hungry. Her stomach gurgled uncomfortably. I must find some breakfast, even if I do have to face all the passengers!

Going into the corridor she looked for the lift she had used yesterday. Nervously she pressed the button as she had seen Khy'Hee do. Did I see a plan of the starship inside the moving room? As the doors hissed open she stepped inside. Yes! And the dining room is on level A. Allison pressed the button marked A. She calmed a little as the lift started moving. While the lift took her down, she memorised the plan of the lower level. When the doors opened the hum of thoughts was louder. Feeling very shaky and with her heart beating very fast, she walked the short distance into the dining room. She breathed deeply to steady her nerves. The dining room is full of people. Strange noisy people!

With both her mental and physical ears ringing she lifted her head, and looking straight ahead, walked over to the service counter and chose some sweet rolls and coffee. As she carried these to an empty table she caught the thoughts from two other young women at breakfast, they seemed to think that Allison's dress sense looked strange. Allison looked back, out of the corner of her eye, at them to see what they were wearing and found it was very short sleeveless tops, short skirts and all very close fitting. Why wear clothes if you wanted to show your body contours like that! Allison wondered. Not very sophisticated. Are they husband hunting? She turned away, looking around to see if others dressed differently and found a wide variation in clothes; from full-length robes to trouser suits. So she relaxed and thought, Anyway the clothes I have on do feel comfortable. Surely I haven't committed a social blunder and drawn unwanted attention to the fact that I know nothing about clothes? Then she became aware that several of the young men, from nearby tables, were trying to catch her eye and smiling, It's as though they want to talk to me. So my clothes can't look that bad, can they? People keep away from what they view as embarrassing. She finished her breakfast, smiled apologetically at the young men and walked over to one of the crew tables. Where she asked one starman about star traveller Khy'Hee Keylig and starman Joe Whitman and was told; "They're on duty today till six."