Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
There’s a brief moment of weightlessness, and then the gravitational stabilizers are initialized and I feel myself sticking to the floor in a way I am more habitually used to.
The feeling of relief is incredible, along with the sudden rush of pure panic as I realize I really did this. I am no longer on the planet on which I was made. I am in space. And nobody knows at the moment, except me. It’s terribly exciting and also maybe the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Some would say the fact that it’s only a ‘maybe’ indicates a general instability on my part, but those people are thousands of miles away, and getting massively more distant with every passing second.
I sit around underneath the table for a bit and listen to the ship starting to come to life. I’m wondering as to when I should reveal myself. It’s not like they’re going to turn around and send me back to Earth, after all, but I also feel like doing it too soon is a bad idea. They’re probably going to freak out, and I don’t want to freak them out at or near launch.
The punishments on a Viking ship are pretty brutal for the crew. For stowaways… well. I actually never heard of an interstellar stowaway before, but I bet it’s not a pleasant fate. My best bet is to try to fit in with the lower level operations staff. Cleaning crew or dinner or something like that. I bet there’s a chance I can go undetected for weeks, months, or even years like that. They’re never going to suspect that I don’t belong here, because they don’t think there’s any way someone could be on the ship and not belong. It’s the perfect plan.
A voice crackles over the ship’s system, deep and masculine and sort of old, but not too old. He’s got that gravitas that makes people feel happy being shot into space with him. Enough silver in his hair to give him some distinguished appearance, not so much that anyone is going to try to retire him. Every person on this ship was chosen with intense care. Except me, of course.
“This is Captain Hakon speaking. Congratulations, crew. That was a flawless takeoff. All systems are online, and our trajectory is clean. Command personnel are to report to the captain’s ready room, mission staff to lecture hall alpha, and maintenance to start rounds. So far all systems are reading accurately, aside from a small glitch I am sure tech will be on top of very shortly. Our crew is nine hundred ninety-nine strong, but we’re reading a thousand at the moment. Ghost in the machine, perhaps. But it’s good luck, I’ll wager.”
My blood runs a little colder for realizing that nobody on the ship knows I am here, but the ship knows I am here. They’re going to try to fix that, I bet. Let’s hope it doesn’t lead to me being revealed before I’m ready.
My plan right now is to wait until the first shift goes to sleep, and then steal a maintenance uniform. I will be able to wander the ship with impunity then, I bet.
The door to the office opens. I stop breathing. I can peek out through a fine sliver of gap in the desk and I see a tall blonde woman wearing an officer’s uniform.
“I’m in Botanicals,” she says. “We’re looking for plant specimens on a dozen planets.”
“Oh, nice,” the man behind her says. “We’re doing geological surveys.”
Scientists. They’re smart, but probably distractible the way very smart people are. I note that the female officer has a small ration pack with her. Yummy. It’s been a while since I ate, and I am kind of hungry.
“All surveying officers to meeting room Ur,” a voice comes over the speakers again. I wonder if they’re going to keep making ship-wide announcements, or if that’s playing through here because it’s a geologist’s office.
Regardless, the officer puts her ration pack down on the desk and leaves the room. I slide my hand up to snatch it, and find myself with a generous serving of dried fish and flatbread. Delicious.
I eat the rations as fast as I can, crouching beneath the desk like a little goblin. I am well aware that what I am doing is entirely outrageous. If the bards hear of this, they will not stop singing of it for generations.
I hope that this is all worth it, and that my sacrifice, such as it is, pays off.
I left a note for Freya, telling her that I’d been accepted to the expedition. I did that before I even left, because I knew one way or another, I wasn’t going back to stay with her and Ragnar, or Mila and Skör. If the family home is gone, then so am I.