Wanting Forever

Part 12

The next eight days didn't allow for much beyond work. Mornings were intense discussions. Afternoons were practical experiences in simulators. All of it was exhausting, especially the simulator. It wasn't so much that the simulations were difficult, but Effone was acquainted with the motion of the Chronocon, not this unfamiliar piece of equipment that threw her to her knees more than once. Some days, getting picked up off the floor by Trace was as close as they got to one another. He would make a smart comment about "sea legs," and Effone would ball her hands into fists so she wouldn't get caught on camera giving him the finger.

Sometimes the challenge was a detailed "what-if" exercise that, while on paper, still took a lot of vigorous thought. The worst was having to choose to save settlers or her ship. She had no clue how to how to choose one over the other. As someone who had needed saving more than once, she was sympathetic to the settlers' plight. But as a captain, her duty was to her ship and its crew. She and Trace spent two full mornings discussing the ramifications of each decision, and most of the time they agreed. Only once did she have to get up and walk away before she punched him in the stomach.

Sometimes the challenge was physical. While the simulators were one kind of exertion, she hadn't expected to be out running at the crack of dawn. Fortunately for her ego, Effone made it a regular practice to run the length of the ship, which was almost a thousand feet, and do laps around the cavernous cargo bay multiple times a day. So not only was she accustomed to running, but she'd done it at altitude. It was gratifying to outrun all of the SCION captains and some of the ASPECT captains, too. It was especially gratifying to sail past Trace and his long legs, although she'd occasionally linger behind him just for the view.

Through all of it what surprised Effone the most was that she and Trace got along well. Very well. Too well—in spite of her occasional desire to shove him into a closet and lock the door from the outside. At least she was mature enough recognize that any inclination to react physically usually meant he was right, whether she wanted to agree or not.

Late one evening, with only three days left in the training, Effone sat in her room with her head resting on her fist. Long days on the ship were normal, and to some degree she even welcomed them, but the physical demands of the simulators seemed to take more out of her. Every night she was exhausted and drained. She couldn't have handled trying to build a relationship if she wanted to.

The problem was that she wanted to. She felt her walls coming down even as she frantically shored them up. It took her months to trust, and here he was wriggling his way past her formidable defenses in under a week. If she were to be honest, she had trusted him that first night. The speed at which it all happened frightened her.

The comm on her computer burbled, and she lifted her hand to hit the answer button.

"Effie! I'm checking in. Most of us are back..." Anda's image moved closer to the screen and peered at her. "Are you okay? You look beat."

"I am beat." Effone gave her friend a wan smile. "We've been working hard."

"We?"

"Yeah. We. I'm not the only one here." Effone wasn't quite ready to tell Anda about Trace, although the call drove home the point that this...whatever it was...was almost over.

"Have you had any fun? I mean, I know work is like a vacation for you, but looking at you right now, I have serious concerns about your fitness for duty."

"Yes, I've had some fun, but it was mostly on the front end. It's all been work since. We have a day between the end of this and our departure from the mooring yard. I'll get some sleep then."

"It would be nice if you could get some sleep in your nice, comfy hotel bed, no?"

"Anda, I almost miss my bunk on the ship. You know me and luxury. I don't really get it."

"You're just telling yourself that."

How well the women knew each other. "Yeah. I know." Effone rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. It was 22:00—she needed to go to bed to be ready for the next day. The final three days were all testing, and the scores would help determine who was assigned co-ops in the future. The pay bump for many of her crew would be significant, and there was also the chance of seeing Trace again..."I've got to go, Anda."

"Okay. No chance of seeing you before you're back on board?"

"Probably not. You guys will have your hands full, though, getting her ready to go."

"Yeah, okay. See you in a few more days."

Effone leaned back in her chair. Three days. That's all that was left, and then she wouldn't see him again. At least, there was no guarantee of it. She grabbed her room key and then headed into the hallway.