Time to Orbit: Unknown

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> Hey there, Aspen. How’re you doing? Dr Kim says you’re too weak for visitors right now. She won’t let us send you a voice message either, says that you’re fighting the infection hard and getting to agitated could be a problem, but I finally managed to … Continue reading 160: BOBBY

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> We do the scan. Dr Kim doesn’t pretend it’s about anything except my brain this time. I go back to my room. I eat a resentful breakfast. Would I have gone along with this if Dr Kim had been honest about her research project from the … Continue reading 159: LETTER

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> “Honestly,” Dr Kim says, “I have very little frame of reference for what you do and don’t know, so it’s hard to know where to start.” “Start with the eye. What does it do?” “It’s a bionic eye. It helps you to see.” “Don’t fuck around … Continue reading 158: TECHNOLOGY

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> “Hi, Aspen,” Dr Kim says. “I’d like to do another scan of your spine today.” “Why? We all know the infection has basically cleared up, right? What’s the point of scanning it again?” “It’s always best to be certain.” “What’s the point of this quarantine? You … Continue reading 157: PUSH

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> “What do you think about the Courageous finally coming here, Aspen?” the AI asks. I shrug, not bothering to sit up in bed. “It brought me. It’s better to be here than in space.” “Oh, yes. Of course.” It doesn’t elaborate. I don’t think the AI … Continue reading 156: REHABILITATION

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> “Mama, how many people currently live on Hylara?” “397 people.” I relax. 392 Hylarans plus my crew; that’s the expected answer. “Why is the colony being supplied for 464 Hylarans?” That’s a reasonable thing to do, to provide excess in case of emergency, it just doesn’t … Continue reading 155: STOCKPILE

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> Tinera, Tal, the Friend, and Captain Klees gather outside the door, peering at me anxiously. I give them a little wave. “How is everyone?” “How are you?” Captain Klees asks. “Feverish. Not dying, I’m pretty sure. This isn’t causing any major impediments, is it?” “There’s more … Continue reading 154: CHILDREN

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> I wake up in darkness. I’m sore, warm, and on a bed; not the stretched canvas of the Hylaran beds, but on a thin mattress on a solid surface. My muscles don’t want to move, but I force myself to feel my arms for ports and … Continue reading 153: FEVER

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> It’s not a nice reminder of home. I’d seen my fair share of storms. Arboreans had all sorts of responses to all sorts of different storms. Your high velocity winds with little to no ocean movement or pressure change? Get in a building, or as close … Continue reading 152: SKY

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> The light from the robot eye is even more distracting the next morning. I drag myself out of bed and stumble into the main living area, where Tal is already at the computer. “Did you sleep?” I ask, fumbling around for breakfast. “Yep! But now I’m … Continue reading 151: SET