Stowaway
The starship hummed along through deep space, so far out from Earth that one couldn’t even see the sun out of the viewports anymore, much less the tiny blue dot humanity called home. Ellen Raff looked down at her sensors; they were approaching the constellation Cetus now. She braced herself, knowing what would come next. Three… two… one…
The bridge door banged open; it was Mark, of course. “Ellen!” he said. “Please, no need to stand! You can keep your … seatus!” He laughed uproariously at his own humor, just too loud and long to ruin what might have been a serviceable if not hysterical witticism.
“Mm,” Ellen said, allowing a smile. She didn’t mean it of course, but if she didn’t smile he would ask why, and they’d be in a fight again. She’d managed to keep their relationship intact so far on this interminably long mission; she could keep it going. All she had to do was not get in a fight.
“I know, I know,” Mark rolled on, “You thought I’d go for a whale joke, but that’s why you love me! I’m full of surprises, huh? Huh?”
“Yes, exactly!” Ellen said. He certainly had. He had surprised her back on Earth when he’d gone and had a fling with a girl from the Plutonian colony. He still surprised her in his unshakable and ongoing assumption that she hadn’t found out.
“Well, we still on course?” Mark said, having dispensed with the pleasantries. “Haven’t gotten us lost, have you?” He elbowed her in what he meant to be a friendly way.
“Not yet, I haven’t,” she said. Ellen made an effort not to mentally review her pilot’s credentials. It had become a bitter litany for a while, and she’d tried to stop doing it. It wasn’t doing any good, really, especially now.
“Huh,” Mark said, suddenly more serious. “That’s weird. Some sort of bioalert on here.”
“What?” Ellen said, automatically checking her sensors, excitement rising. Were they about to make first contact? They hadn’t seen anything yet, but one never knew, there was always a possibility. Mark really was excellent in theoretical alien biophysicals, she had to give him that, he’d even written a whole paper on a hypothetical alien mating pod-Oh no.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” she said hastily. “Probably a glitch. I’ll run diagnostics.”
“No, wait,” he said, now thoroughly focused, “It’s … it’s another lifeform!” Mark ran a hand over a panel and, in a few key taps, zeroed the sensors in. “It’s here! On the bridge!” He looked wildly around as if he expected something in eyestalks lurking behind the science station.
Ellen sighed. Well, if it had to be now....”It’s not an alien, Mark.”
“What?” he said, turning back to her.
“It’s me. I’m, we’re having a baby.” She waited, wondering what he would say.
“Oh,” he said. “Well. Well, that’s… that’s…. that’s something. I thought… regulations… but that’s something. Well. Let’s.. why don’t I… go and check out…the quarters and see if they have a nursery facility!”
“All right,” she said, what was left of her heart breaking, knowing he was lying. She’d practically seen the wheels turning as he made it up. The only question left was what he was really going to do. She didn’t suppose he’d brought that Plutonian on board in the cargo bay. Then again, she’d been surprised before.
Ten minutes later she found out what he was going to do, as her control panel registered the launch of an escape pod. He was going back to Earth. He’d probably report that the mission had failed, she’d lost, ship destroyed, oh well, they’d send out another one.
Ellen turned back to the stars before her.
“Well,” she said, “let’s see what else is out there, shall we?”
This story was written for
‘s Flash Fiction Friday prompt. Went a bit serious today inside of the usual comic. Thought I’d see how it went.
That's quite the stowaway. And what a jerk
Wow, what a wankerous wanker. She'll be better off without him; for one thing, she won't have to waste so much energy trying to keep her temper under control.