Starship Walker

Coffee

"But aren't you scared, Gillian?" Celia asked.

They were in a small coffee bar on the East side, at the half-G level. It was the highest level aboard the Xinglong Hao where such a business was possible. This was the first opportunity Gillian had found to meet Celia, following the disaster of Abel's Walk, two days ago.

Gillian attempted to examine her state of mind. "Well, It's the second time a Walker's been disabled on this ship, so I suppose, yes, I'm a little anxious now."

Although Gillian admitted to uneasiness, she knew she felt no fear. But she understood that she hadn't yet had enough experience of Walking to be frightened.

Celia asked, "Have other ships had these incidents with Walkers? Perhaps someone's discovered more about the problem."

"I don't know," Gillian replied. "But if they had, how would we hear about it? Not soon enough to take any action. The only thing that effectively travels faster than light is a Walker, not telecommunications."

Abel had been whisked off to the ship's hospital with as yet no official news about his condition. Since the whole ship knew that Mr Dane, the other Walker on the ship, was catatonic, it was widely assumed that Abel must now be in the same state.

Gillian said, "I was so looking forward to a nice, gossipy meeting with you, Celia. But now, it seems awkward doesn't it? I mean, the ship's lost without Abel. He was taking us home."

"And you're the Walker now."

"Not yet. I only began my training a few days ago. They've developed a shortened plan for me, but I've still got a lot of stuff to get through." Gillian lifted her coffee cup, gazing pensively at the surface of the dark liquid, which moved like treacle in the reduced gravity. For her, this was the normal behaviour of drinks and other liquids. She raised the cup to her lips, and waited for a mouthful to slide in. In her life, coffee breaks were of necessity slow and relaxed.

"But you're still the only Walker. Don't you feel any pressure?" As Gillian put her cup down, Celia reached out and put her hand on Gillian's.

Gillian replied, "Well, maybe I will, but just not yet. I suppose the fact of me being a Walker hasn't sunk in. It's still in my future." Gillian paused. "It's still hard to believe there's any danger. I put on a slinky looking skin-suit and a kinky mask, and I walk back and forth across a stage! I've seen Abel do it, and it looks almost funny at times."

"Is the training interesting?"

"Yes. The sights I've seen are wonderful!"

"But risky, apparently."

"Well, I'm more nervous about a big meeting tomorrow," Gillian admitted. "The Captain called it, up in his conference room."

"To make plans? Because there's no Walker except you?"

"Well, yes."

"Wow! You're moving in such powerful circles, Gillian! What are these people like?"

"I can't say. The few I've met so far seem nice enough. Even the Captain - I, er, think. He's got a formidable manner, but I expect we'll get on."

Gillian's invitation to the Captain's emergency meeting had appeared on her personal notepad with an alarming banner, "From the Office of The Captain," in large black letters.

They were silent for a moment. Then Gillian said, "Let's talk about something else. I want to forget about Abel Yegg and Mr Dane for a while. Tell me about you, Celia."

Celia stared blankly at Gillian for a moment, and sipped her coffee. This required a long pause. Then she replied, "My life is dull compared to yours. After I finished at our high school I worked for a while in a boring job - you remember. Then my parents' contract with the mine completed. Nobody wants to stay in the Gliese system, even you and me, and we've spent half our lives there. My parents had made enough for their future, and decided to take their numbers - and me - and go home. So that's why I'm on this ship."

"Go home to where?"

"Singapore. It's a small island state in south-east Asia. I've never been there, obviously, so the place isn't really 'home' to me. I don't know Earth at all. I think my parents may be a little worried about how much it might have changed. They still call it 'home', but I wonder."

"That they might have been away too long?"

"Yes."

"And what will you do in Singapore?"

"Mathematics at the University, I suppose. And how is your personal life, Gillian? I suppose you're all by yourself now. Your life changed quickly, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did."

"So you're alone? You've left your parents for the first time?"

"I suppose - yes." Gillian looked down at her half-empty coffee cup.

Celia reached out and put her hand over Gillian's again. "It must be lonely for you, without your Mum and Dad."

"Mmm," Gillian replied, feeling awkward. Then she said, "It's really the job that's begun to make me lonely." She glanced around, and whispered to Celia, "I can see everyone here peeping at me. My new career's turned me into a freak! I feel eyes on me all the time. Honestly, that feels scarier than Walking, to me!"