Theta Twelve

One Month Later

The ladies from the Dwarf, Aria Harkness and Kristine Kochanski, walked side by side down a corridor. For a while, neither of them spoke; one was too flustered to while the other was too deep in her thoughts.

Kochanski glanced at Aria, then did a double take, realising she had a hardened face. It caused her to copy Aria's expression, out of concern rather than thought. "Harkness? Are you okay?"

"What? Oh! Pft! Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem tense. You have been for a few weeks now. Is everything alright?"

They stopped in front of a vending machine that dispensed fizzy drinks.

"Yep. All good," Aria smacked the Rockin' Rocket Cherry button on the machine.

"Oi, watch it!" it barked at her in a thick cockney accent.

She glared at the dispenser a moment before giving it an apologetic look. "Sorry..."

"What has gotten into you?" Kochanski asked. "You're angrier than usual."

She gave her an assuring smile that she hoped would pass as genuine. In the end, she just appeared as though she was constipated.

Clocking Kochanski's dubious gaze, Aria wiped the fake grin off her face and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I– Can we not do this in front of the dispenser thirty?"

"Talking in private? It must be serious then."

"It is, rather, yeah."

"Your quarters or mine?" Kochanski wondered out loud with a suggestive character and a wink. "Ohh, I'm sorry," she added, sighing, and kneaded the back of her neck. "I have to stop doing that. I'm old enough to be your mum for Christ's sake."

Kochanski had no idea that Aria was immortal and slowly ageing. She may have appeared eighteen, some even guessed younger than that because of her natural baby face, but in reality, she was in her late twenties.

"Eh, I get it. No big deal."

"It is a big deal — it's not right!" she exclaimed. "Which begs the question: what are you doing with Rimmer, of all people?"

Aria's eyes narrowed and she tilted her head like a puppy, debating if she should be upset or not. "Sorry?"

"You heard. What are you doing with him? He's old enough to be your father and you're having kids with him."

"So?" she spluttered. "I'm happy with him. What does it matter?"

"What does it matter?" she repeated incredulously. "You're sixteen!"

A single eyebrow rose. "I'm twenty-eight!"

"You– You are?"

She nodded. "Just this year."

Embarrassment consumed her like a swell in the ocean, her cheeks now scarlet. "Oh. Well, the question still stands. Why him? There are plenty of other men out there!"

Aria scanned her surroundings, glimpsing out of a porthole and observing the big black nothingness of space. "Yeah, it's just crawling with blokes around here," she retorted, her voice echoing, and held out her arms.

"Okay, I get it."

"No, really. How will I ever choose? Maybe that guy there? Oh, nope, that's a star."

"Alright, okay. You made your point."

They began heading toward Aria's quarters, a short distance away, and carried on talking as they made their journey.