“No.” She’d been sleeping about twelve hours at night. “Look, we’ve both been through a lot since we needed to leave home. I was highly stressed out while scrambling to get us jobs with the fleet. Then we were kidnapped. Now we’re getting used to living on a big fleet vessel in space. New jobs.” She sighed. “It’s a lot of changes. Give me a few more days and I’ll be back to normal.”
“I still thought you might be coming down with the cold Dad had, but I don’t believe that anymore.” Her sister began tapping her foot, something she did when she was angry. “Now I’m thinking you might have caught an infection on that alien ship from those nasty tentacles that touched you. I demand that you go see a doctor.”
“Jessa checked my wounds when we got on this ship. They were well cleaned and are healing fine. There would be redness around the areas if that were true. There’s not. I check them.”
“Maybe it’s an alien cold you picked up. Dang it, Darla. Go see a doctor! If you don’t, I’ll contact Med Bay myself and tell them you’re feeling off. Then they’ll probably come get you. I’ll tell them I think the aliens are responsible.”
“Don’t you dare!” Darla glanced around and lowered her voice. “We don’t need that kind of attention drawn to us.” She was more worried that the fleet would blame Gnaw instead of the Elth, if she had caught some kind of alien cold.
Her sister glared at her, tapping that foot faster.
“I’ll go see Jessa after my shift.”
“Now,” Becky demanded. “I already asked Joseph, and he said it would be fine for you to leave early today.”
“You told him that I was sick?” Darla’s eyes widened.
“I said you had a headache. I didn’t give details. We get sick time. Use it and go see your friend. You won’t get into any trouble and your job is safe.”
That didn’t comfort her much. “Fine. I’ll go now.”
“Good. I’ll come by your cabin as soon as my shift ends. And don’t lie to me, big sis. Actually go. Have her send a confirmation to your communications console in your cabin as proof. You can show it to me when I get there.”
Darla rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t lie about that. I also haven’t figured out how to turn it on. I tried and the screen remained blank. I wanted to call Jessa to check on her this morning.”
“I’ll show you how to use it when I get off work. Have her send a message.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“So are you. Now go. I’ll inform Joseph. If your friend can’t see you, go to another doctor. I’m not bluffing. I want that message, or I’m calling them to rat you out.”
“Brat.”
Her sister uncrossed her arms and suddenly lunged forward, hugging her. “You’re all I’ve got now. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
Guilt was a terrible thing. Darla felt it as she hugged her sister back. “I’m going to go see Jessa. I’m fine, though. It’s just a stress headache because I’m rundown and have a lot on my mind.”
Becky released her. “Have a doctor tell me that, and I’ll believe it.”
“Such a brat.” Darla gave her a small smile. “I’m going now.” She left the tree section and headed out of the garden. It was tempting to go to her cabin first to change out of her work clothes, but she got into a lift, going to the level where Med Bay was located. Jessa’s lab was next to it.
The doors were sealed when she arrived, but there was a button. She pushed it.
The doors didn’t open.
She really needed to figure out how to turn on the communications console in her cabin. Jessa might not even be at the lab right now.
Then the doors suddenly slid open, and Jessa stood there with a smile.
“Hey! Come on in. What a great surprise when I saw you on the monitor.”
Darla stepped inside the lab and followed her friend to a long counter where three monitors were showing a planet. It wasn’t Earth or Radison, the only two she could identify by sight. “Is that the one you’re researching?”
Jessa glanced at the screens and then nodded. “One of them. I have two research projects to tackle right now. I can’t go into details because this one is a prohibited planet. They’re classified, since the fleet doesn’t want anyone to learn too much about them in case civilian idiots want to break the law by visiting. We get some assholes who like to try to land on places like that to steal shit like exotic pets or stones they think might sell on the black market.”
“I didn’t know that was a thing.”
“It is. Prohibited planets have beacons, and they send alerts to the fleet if any ships go near them. Why haven’t you responded to my messages? I wanted to have dinner with you last night.”
“I haven’t learned how to use much in my cabin. I didn’t know you were trying to reach me. I’m sorry.”
“I can swing by there this evening to show you how to use stuff. Do you want to share dinner tonight? Maybe we could have a few drinks at one of the bars.” Jessa hesitated. “I don’t dance, though. Do you?”
“I’m from Radison. It’s against the law.”
Jessa’s mouth fell open and she gaped at her. “For real?”
“Yes. We’re also not allowed to drink alcohol, either. I know what a bar is, and dancing. Only men are allowed to enter those kinds of establishments.”
“I fucking hate your planet.”
Darla laughed. “I don’t miss it.”
“I don’t blame you. How’s your new job? I love the uniform. It looks comfortable. The shoes are kind of terrible.”
“We get
