The silence in the elevator grew. Thorann could feel the eyes of the recruit on him. The stares would linger for a moment, and then, as quick as they landed, they would flee. He would fidget, scratching at himself while reading the warning messages that would scroll across the screen. Stopping only to glance over, look away, and awkwardly focus on the messages again.
"Are you going to contact the rest of the squad?" The recruit nervously asked. "Get them to meet us at the ship, maybe?"
"Don't worry, I know exactly where they are," Thorann replied, maintaining his view out the elevator window.
One long opening that reached for the lowest decks. Walkways obscured the view of the ground floor. One long projection ahead of them read, "The Confederation is in the hearts of all," those boldly printed words would disappear, and small square boxes would take their place. Each box had a world spinning. At the top were the major worlds of their cosmic territory. Minor worlds were of the rows below, and further still were the many colony worlds. Those still in their infancy were at the bottom. "We stand united." More vertical words came and went.
The elevator came to a halt, followed by a chime. "Deck 28." A robotic female voice stated.
The cantine was filled with noise. Some people sipped their allowance of alcohol while socialising. Most ate their rations; daily meals of meager portions. Thorann had grown accustomed to the small trays of food, so now, half a plate was enough to fill him. Star hopping made it easy, and within just a few weeks, his stomach shrank so much that the thought of eating his previous fill was enough to make him feel sick.
Weaving through the maze of tables and chairs, he saw a figure grow in the distance. A man who could only be produced on a farming colony. He sat alone, hunched over his tray eating like a man starved for weeks. Two trays empty, pushed to the side to make room for a third, which he was making short work of.
"Triple," Thorann said, trying to conceal a grin.
"Dert Bird," Triple's head launched from the table as he sat straight, meeting Thorann at eye level. "Thrown from the top deck so soon?" Triple chuckled, stopping himself only to preserve the mouthful he was chewing.
"They welcomed me with open arms and asked me to stay," Thorann lied. "Seems I'm to be promoted."
Triple's face dropped, his eyes searching for the slightest crack of a smile. "Really?"
"Yeah," Thorann replied sarcastically. "If they tried, I'd have to take flight without a ship." He said as he sat down. "No, we got a mission. They're letting us leave. We're bound for Trisk."
Triple's eyes lit up with joy. "Thank the trifecta." He stood up as he balled up what remained of his meal and shoved the compacted mass into his mouth and eagerly chewed.
He stepped back and collided heavily with the recruit, who was knocked off his feet. He landed hard with a crash. A few in the vicinity turned and let out light laughs. Most, however, just stared in silence and turned back to their trays.
"Ahh, that's another thing. Our squad has expanded," Thorann said as he tried to peer past Triple. "Well, until you flattened him." Thorann joked. "You okay down there?"
"Sorry," Triple instinctively knelt down, extending a hand. The recruit grabbed him, and with one swift motion, Triple stood tall, lifting the recruit with him.
The young man's face contorted in slight pain as he landed on his feet. "Wow, nearly pulled my arm out of its socket with that one." He said as he massaged his shoulder.
Triple laughed and patted the recruit's other arm, nearly knocking him over again. "Welcome to the team, I think you'll fit right in!" He exclaimed.
"Easy there, big guy," Thorann said as he stood up. "Don't worry, you'll get used to Triple. He can get a little excited sometimes. Excitement usually causes him to forget his own strength." He said as he stepped around the mountain and walked past them both. "Come on, we'll pick up the others."
"Deck 10." The robotic female voice announced, and the three of them stepped outside into the large hall.
Many more people walked past them with purpose. Some singly, but the vast majority walked in small pockets of two or three people. Thorann led the way to the next stop, while Triple joked with the new recruit, who responded politely throughout their conversation, and even joked back occasionally.
The door to the medical unit slid open, and in the waiting room, many people sat. Some winced in pain. The room was filled with murmured conversations, and the odd coughing fit could be heard. Thorann shot a look back at the others, who turned and headed back outside the door while he continued inside, alone.
The eyes of a nurse caught him as he approached the counter. She was hidden behind a glass wall. Leaning over while reaching for something out of sight. "Here to take him away?" She asked, her eyes never drifting.
"Causing more trouble?" Thorann asked with a smile.
She threw her eyes in the air and shook her head lightly. The red light of the door beside her station turned green with a chime. He continued, and they opened automatically.
He walked down a long corridor. Each room concealed people. The sounds of pain and complaints filled his ears as he passed each room. As he got further down, he turned left through one of the many openings.
"Look, I got people I need to look after. When we're down there, there's no med stations. No doctors." He heard a familiar voice argue. "The Triskani still use plants as remedies, and I'm not a botanist."
"This is your fifth refill this quarter." An older woman complained.
"Well, obviously, there was a reason for that!" He said, his tone dripping in frustration. "Think!" He shouted. "The Confederation is only as good as its soldiers, and its soldiers are only as good as their doctors, and doctors are only as good as their supplies."
The woman let out a sigh. "Give me the order." She held out her hand as he passed a scrap of paper with barely legible writing on it. She stared at it for a moment and passed it to one of the other medical technicians. "Fill it." She said before turning her attention back to the man. "You do know what the punishment is for the misuse of medical supplies," she paused. "Especially during wartime?"
"I'm sure it's the same as it is during peacetime." He replied. "Death."
"Excruciatingly painful death." She said in an irritated tone as she walked away.
"I couldn't expect any better from your Confederation," he said under his breath.
"Flirting again, are we?" Thorann said. "You should write a book. Doc Free: A guide to romance."
"I'd certainly read it," Doc turned around with a smile, his teeth were whiter than the average person, but he was missing a few of them. "How are we?"
"We're being sent out," Thorann replied coldly.
"We are?!" Doc asked excitedly. His eyes darted back and forth for a moment. "Wait, we are? I'd better get some supplies."
Thorann shook his head lightly. "I'll wait outside."
"You do that, Dert." He replied as he turned back to the now empty counter. "Tinera!? Mrs. Tinera!" He leaned over, looking through the door to the side of the counter. "I'm going to need some more supplies! I forgot to add some things!" He frantically pulled scraps of paper out of his pocket and started writing. "Trisk is an untamed world. The plants are as dangerous as the beasts!"
Thorann left him behind. The sound of panicked rambling filled the walkway and died in the distance.
The three of them waited outside for a few minutes, and soon, the doors of the medical unit opened. Doc walked out in a daze, tucking some supplies into his carrier. "Some for us, and some for..." his words trailed off as he saw the recruit. "Hello," he said.
"This is the newest addition to our squad," Thorann interjected.
"He can take a joke, but not a light jab." Triple pretended to punch the man, who flinched and dodged as the fist neared.
"Don't worry about that. A Gnosian couldn't take a jab from this brute," Doc said as he took out a small device. "Let me just get a read of you," he mumbled as he scanned the recruit's hand. A bleep sounded, and Doc took it back to read the results. "Ahh, perfectly average. No good for me, I'm afraid. Looks like you're still the only blood pack I have available, Triple."
Triple's face dropped as he rubbed at his arm, and the recruit glanced at the two of them with a confused look.
"Don't worry about it, you're safe from Doc's dodgy dealings," Thorann said with a grin.
"Rare blood is a highly sought-after commodity," the Doc said with a smile. "Well, at least it can be if you know where to ship it." He continued, ending his sentence with a wink.
"Right, come on, better get to Tera," Thorann said. "Time is of the essence."
