Place: Space Agency Mission Control Date: Jan 15th, 2116 Time: 8:00 a.m.
Christopher was a bit surprised, and even slightly irritated that some of the people were late. Was this a sign of things to come? Two of the team members weren’t here, and it was 8 o’clock. At least Michelle and Peter were here on time. Though they all seemed to be in their own bubble. Christopher had already put away his datapad, and looked around. He decided to do what he enjoyed the most, observing the people around him. He sometimes loved just sitting on a park bench, observing the people that passed by, wondering who they were.
Michelle was curious. He read about her. She was a machinist, and a talented one at that. She was someone they would need, absolutely. She seemed to be heavy into her reading, and almost seemed to not want to engage with him. He couldn’t tell if that were really the case, but he had a feeling. However, this was only further confirmed when she was called by the doctor to come in. She looked down to the floor, like a student who didn’t want to be picked by her teacher.
The nurse came out again, and seemed to give notice to Peter, who was sleeping in his seat. The nurse asked the man a few questions--but then ignored Christopher. Curious, he thought. He wondered if the nurse knew Christopher was part of the team, but figured it didn’t matter too much. Christopher just went back to observing the people as they came in. He would be called when it was time.
Peter was an odd one as a choice. A bit older than the rest, and this was always a concern when starting a colony, youth being a vital commodity, but he wasn’t old. He was the chef. When Christopher first heard of the role, it struck him as odd. Of such a small team, to have a dedicated chef was more of a luxury than a necessity. Still, the man provided a few key skills, like botany. He wasn’t just in charge of cooking the meals, but the food in general--which made more sense as a vital skill. Christopher knew he would be working closely with Peter on this mission, trying to find the best places to grow food so they could be self-sustainable. They were only bringing so much food. Hopefully he and Peter would get along.
Then Matias arrived, a bit late. Also, sporting a quite sizeable limp. Perhaps the limp was the reason for being late, but Christopher was making an assumption. Matias, however, acted as if everything was okay. Christopher raised an eyebrow. This was going to be the Communications officer, and was also an electrical engineer. Another key member. How did Matias get the limp, and would the injury or problem keep the man from flying? A bit harsh to ground someone for an injury, but if having an injury would endanger the lives of the other crew members, it was important to take note of.
Christopher began to tap his foot. He couldn’t help grow a bit impatient, especially since not even the commander had arrived, Zara. He waited, and wondered, and finally twelve minutes and thirty-six seconds after eight (he was checking his watch) the commander showed up. She was hard to ignore as she walked into the place, both beautiful and strong. Though she looked more like a military leader than a colonist with the way she held herself. He knew she had a military background, and he found it curious that a military person was chosen to lead the mission. Only missions of the early space race used military to fill their ranks. As time went on, less and less military went to space. Now space and exploration was for the scientists and engineers. He knew she had some skills in repairing, but he hoped that she would have enough skills to help make-up for the lack of science she was bringing to the team--and for her tardiness. He had been a consultant on many missions in the past, and if he had chosen the team, she wouldn’t have even been considered. But it wasn’t his choice, so he would have to live with it.
He wanted to grill her for being late, but she was his superior, and he didn’t want to come off as abrasive (as many have called him--usually opting for a different word), so he only bit his lip. When she introduced herself, he nodded to her, and got up. “Nice to meet you, Commander. I’m Christopher Toa, the Geologist.” He held out his hand for a handshake. He half wondered if she was expecting him to salute instead, with the way she was standing.
_________________ I cut open my heart, bleed words onto the page, and see what happens...Take a look at My Resume
|