By the time my headache has gone, it's midday – and I'm starving.
I sit at the helm in my dressing gown and eat a lukewarm rehydrated chicken korma, reading through the ship's manuals. The close call with the asteroid has kick-started my anxiety. I worry endlessly about things going wrong. On some days, it's all I can think about. I'll lie frozen in my bunk, overwhelmed by the responsibility resting on my shoulders. I can't run this ship, not without Dad. Not on my own.
I need to be prepared for the next crisis. I have to know the ship inside out, from the boilers to the propulsion thrusters to the telecommunications and flight mapping. My schoolwork can wait – English literature is hardly going to be useful the next time there's a crisis.
By the time I reach page 97 of 14,875 in the manual, I'm losing focus.
As I scrape the last few grains of rice from my lunch into the organic waste disposal, I remember I haven't checked my messages yet. I can't believe I've forgotten. Reading the new uplink of data from Earth is usually the first thing I do. Hearing from NASA is always the best part of my day – often it's the only part of my day.
I scroll through my inbox, skimming past the files of news articles until I reach the message from Molly.
YOU ARE READING
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
Science Fiction***The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a published Young Adult novel. This sample contains only the first chapter.*** Can you fall in love with someone you've never met, never even spoken to - someone who is light years away? Romy Silvers is the...
