Coming Undone

Chapter 47

The acidic scent of industrial cleaner stung Quix's nose. The slap of a mop, the first one she'd ever used, repeated over and over as she finished spot-cleaning the massive, now-barren cargo hold of the Rust. Her hands were achy from the back and forth of the mop, and her cheeks ached even more from the smile she'd worn for half an hour. As she'd mopped, scrubbed, and scraped, the others onboard had busied themselves alongside her.

Juan had just finished stabilizing the situation with the bathroom, and his off-color jokes and occasional curses from the opposite side of the hold had made her laugh. Hasse's voice had echoed over the intercom as he patched up the mostly cosmetic damage outside the ship, and Maya had been mopping and tidying up in the hold alongside Quix. Even Runt had dropped in from time to time, carrying loads of dirty clothes to secured lockers, and handfuls of trash to sealed waste bins.

Quix exhaled, and glanced at the airlock.

As she did, her stomach growled.

Hasse had come inside about fifteen minutes before, and trotted off towards the cafeteria with promises of fresh, hot food for all. No more room-temperature ration packs.

And that idea had stuck with her. Ever since, when she glanced at the airlock her mouth watered and her stomach growled. Despite the bright yellow mop bucket filled with yellowed, pungent water, and the scent of something like acid and cheap imitation lemon, she was hungry.

She paused, and set the mop back in the bucket.

Wow... She thought, leaning back on her tail. I've cleaned a lot of floor...

She stuck her thumbs in her pockets and leaned back a little harder, making the skin on her tail wrinkle and kink as she stretched back and arched her back, curling up like a crescent moon with belly exposed and toes curling happily on the smooth floor. Her grey skin was still supple from her alcohol shower, though the bruises were a little colorful for her taste.

"Woah, those colored up nice." Maya said, glancing Quix's way as the human walked by with her own mop bucket.

Quix smiled.

"You should see my back." Quix said. "It's like abstract art back there."

Maya laughed, and walked on by.

Quix felt her cheeks glow.

Cleaned a lot of floor, and maybe made a friend.

She was beginning to think she'd made a few...

Hisssss...

"Hey!" Hasse's booming voice called, "I'm back with lunch!"

Quix's head swiveled so fast, her right foot came off the floor and left her perched mostly on her tail.

"Food?" She said.

Juan's voice echoed through the hold right after hers.

"Well it's about time!" He shouted, walking around the corner. "Did you cook it yourself, or just get caught in traffic?"

Hasse held up packages of food that steamed as he hit the airlock control pad with his rear leg.

"Cooked it myself. Don't worry, I put extra salt and vinegar in yours, Juan." He shouted back with a grin.

Quix smirked.

And with the smirk, she left her mop in the bucket and headed toward the hand wipes and bowl of soapy water Juan had set out for just such an occasion. Quix avoided the warm bowl of suds and opted for an anti-bacterial laced rag, while Maya and Juan sloshed their hands in the soap and dried off on towels.