Stowaway: Starship Fairfax - The Kuiper Chronicles: a short story prequel by Douglas Benjamin

Author:Douglas, Benjamin [Douglas, Benjamin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2017-11-06T05:00:00+00:00

Epilogue

Everything changed after that. There were no more threats, no more whispers or bellyaching about Bone Crusher’s stowaway. The crewmen gave her approving nods when she passed by. Not approving her body; approving her. She liked the way it felt. She began to walk with a bit of swagger, starting up conversation with them, learning their names and habits. She began to talk like them and even, at times, act like them. She became, in short, part of the crew.

“I never thanked you, proper.” Bone Crusher stood in Ada’s open hatchway. It had been a week since the incident, and she was just bedding down for the night.

She shrugged. “Gonna have to be more specific than that, Crush. I’m pretty sure I’ve saved your engines a dozen times in the last forty-eight hours.”

He sniffed. “You know what I’m talkin’ about, Ada.”

“Yeah.” She nodded, smiling.

“So anyway. Thanks.” He turned to go.

“Wait, that’s it? You’re not gonna do me some great service, like be my cabin-boy and keep me warm in my bunk tonight?”

His eyes widened. “Wha—?”

She waved him off. “Relax, I’m pulling your leg. Just thought you might like a taste of your own medicine.”

“Oh,” he laughed, scratching the back of his neck.

“You’re welcome, Crush.”

“Ya know Ada, it’s a funny thing. From the moment I saw ya standing there in the cargo tubes, I knew I was going to be looking out for ya. Just knew it. Ya know, that ya would need me. But I was wrong.” He shook his head. “The other way around, wasn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Nothing’s over till it’s over. But for what it’s worth, it’s nice to be needed.”

“Yeah. Goodnight Ada.”

“Night, Crush.”

She lay in the darkness for some time, thinking about what he had said. When she slept, she slept better than she had since leaving Cyron-2. It did feel nice to be needed again.

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