By 0715, Valorie sat at the small table in her room eating one of the ration bars she had stored in her bag. She was ready to go, dressed in a formal attire similar to her uniform in the SCT.


    When she was in hiding, she had the chance to pick out her own clothes. It turned out to be harder than she expected. She did not understand the great deal of importance attached to what one wears. She was too afraid to guess at its significance, so she stuck to what she knew.


    She chewed on pieces of the ration brick without noticing the plain oat flavoring. Instead she focused on the Gardens beyond her window – a sight that warmed her chest.


    She could sense the movements of all nine people aboard the ship. She imagined each one going about their morning routines. On the MRH Anderson, there were more people than she could count, even with her ability. It seemed impossible that ten people could run a ship. Even a smaller one. It sank in the hardest when she remembered the guests, and realized the number was actually seven.


    One person was nearing the door to her room. Their mood was a dark cloud of guilt rooted in an old sadness. Valorie followed their movement along the wall, as if she could see them through the metal, until her PD lit up. It replaced the original door buzzer with a quick vibration on her wrist. She stood, tucking the ration away in her wardrobe, and answered the door.


    “Morning, Valorie!” Yulia was all smiles, completely off from the feeling Valorie had picked up. Her hair had gone from the fiery red to a dark blue, almost black. Even her eyebrows and lashes changed to match.


    “Good morning, Yulia.” Valorie said as she tried to figure out what was causing such dissonance in mood.


    “I know we need to get to the meeting and all, but…” She frowned, maybe hoping Valorie would interrupt? Valorie nodded and waited without a word. “So… I was talking to Leon.”


    ***


    The Night Before


    “So, how’d the rookie do on Yui’s Grand Tour? Did you walk her to death?” Leon asked leaning against the counter as Serge poured his drink. Yulia banged the counter with her glass.


    “You don’t gotta be mean.” She grinned at the annoyed looks she received, but toned it down as she continued. “She’s quiet, but seems friendly enough.” Serge refilled her glass and she smiled a silent thank you.


    “I still say you should have warned me. People are weird about the arm thing.” Quinns muttered. His head rested on his left hand while he stared down into his empty glass. When Serge held up the bottle, he shook his head. Serge filled his own glass instead, and put the bottle aside.


    “I don’t think she cared, Quinnsy.” Yulia laughed, “At least I don’t think she did. Kinda hard to tell what she’s feeling. She did cry though.” Yulia said. Quinns’ head snapped up.


    “What?!”


    “No,” Yulia laughed, “No, not like that. Sorry.” She tried to apologize, but couldn’t stop snickering at his reaction.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    “Good to hear your way with the ladies has yet to fail you, huh, Quinns?” Leon said, sipping his drink with a grin. Even Serge chuckled at that one.


    “I said, not like that. Nah, it was before that. Gonna be honest, I panicked a little.”


    “She cried at the interview, too.”


    “Crocodile tears.” Serge said, and Yulia glared at him with a warning. He rolled his eyes. Leon decided to interrupt before the argument could turn vocal.


    “I doubt it. Her last assignment was on the Anderson after all.” He said. This had the effect of sobering all the faces around him. Quinns went back to staring at the bottom of his glass, while Yulia leaned back in her chair. Serge took a long drink from his glass, before settling it on the table with a huff. The silence seemed to stretch out, consuming everything.


    ***


    “He told me about what happened. I mean, to your friend. The one that I reminded you of.” Yulia tried to say, but the words fell out of tempo. She shook her head, and held out her hand. “What I mean is, I’m sorry for your loss.” She said.


    Valorie looked at her hand, and saw a pair of bell shaped white flowers. The stems were wrapped in a sealed bubble of water filled plastic. Valorie swallowed, trying to speak, but she was at a loss for words.


    “Do you have a picture of your friend?” Yulia asked. Valorie shook her head, her eyes clouding. “A reminder? Something?” She started to sound desperate. Valorie nodded and reached out for the offered flowers. This seemed to calm Yulia, and Valorie tried to smile.


    “Thank you. She would’ve liked these.” She said. The weight on her chest returned, but it was a little bit lighter. How could flowers ease that feeling? She looked them over, rubbing her thumb along the smooth surface, trying to find a reason. Instead she found herself admiring the way light played off the soft petals. Yulia must have seen the confusion.


    “It’s okay to grieve, you know.”


    “It has been a year and half…”


    “People deal with it at different speeds. It’s okay to take it slow.” She said. Valorie nodded, but she couldn’t help wondering if her grief was only good for getting in her way. Yulia seemed unsatisfied by this response.


    “What if we make one of these into a reminder.” She said, pulling on the flower free of the plastic. Only a few drops of water were lost before the hole closed on its own. “Do you have something to cut with?” She asked. Valorie nodded and fetched a pair of scissors she had in the bathroom. When she returned, she saw the flower on the table, and Yulia hunting through her closet.


    “Wha-”


    “Serge leaves one of these in each room,” She said, stepping out of the closet. She had a plastic case in her hand, which she placed down on the table before she opened it. Inside it was split into several partitions filled with small accessories, including safety pins. She pulled one from the case. “Guests like them for hanging stuff in zero-g. The kit was Sachi’s idea.” She said.


    “What are we going to do?” Valorie asked, and Yulia smiled.


    “You’ll see.” Yulia trimmed down the stem and poked the pin through the base of the flower. She held up her creation, and gestured towards Valorie’s shoulder. Still confused, Valorie nodded. Yulia moved close as she pinned the flower bud to Valorie’s shirt, along her collar bone.


    At this distance, Valorie could start to pick up on particular thoughts. Nothing exact – skin contact was necessary for that. It was mainly vague images and feelings. Yulia was focused on getting the pin into the shirt without jabbing Valorie with the sharp bit. She was remembering pinning a different white flower along the buttons of her own shirt. She was much younger in the memory, but so much more lonely. Valorie held her breath to remain as still as possible.


    “There.” Yulia said, pulling away. Relieved, Valorie breathed out and looked down at the flower. “Looks good, right?” Yulia smiled.


    “Yes, thank you.”


    “We better get going. I don’t wanna make you late.”


    “Yulia…”


    “What’s up?” Yulia asked. The lonely girl Valorie had seen was in the past. When she saw Yulia’s cheerful expression, her words caught in her throat. She had no idea how to get the feeling stuck in her chest across in words. Yulia saw her distress and patted her shoulder. “I get it. You’re welcome. Now let’s go, or Sachi’s gonna have words.”