Reed stared into the depths of space, uncharacteristically contemplative due to the lack of any pivotal personalities to rebuke or humiliate. He noted with some concern, that the
ship was beginning to drift toward the red planet off the starboard side, but kept the information to himself, judging that it would only serve to distress the lowly peons under his command.
He stood, straightening his uniform, and moved closer to the view port. The temperature was dropping steadily, but he showed no discomfort, having suffered worse in his ancestral home on Earth's mountainous
Appalachians. The thought gave him a whimsical homesickness he hadn't felt in years. He began to recall images of his harsh but enjoyable upbringing in the small, shanty town of Moosenad Junction.
Visions of holidays spent in his Uncle Clem's barn surrounded by his limited, but unnaturally close family members, came back with vivid detail.
Those were good years, he considered, but nothing compared to the years he'd spent clawing his way up Space Fleet's complex ladder to gain command of his own vessel. Now, faced with the possibility of a slow,
lingering death hundreds of years from home, he wondered if it had all been worth it.
"Commander", a feminine voice called out from the gloom, "did you see that?!?"
Reed turned his attention to where Mr. Jacobs was pointing, just slightly to the left of where he'd been staring. "What was it?", he asked brusquely, irritated at being drawn out of his revelry.
"I just saw one of those stars moving."
Reed sighed heavily. "Stars move, Lieutenant", he remarked, rubbing his eyes wearily, "they're called meteors."
"I realize that, sir", she responded icily, "but this particular 'meteor' made three erratic turns and then changed course toward us."
"Oh", the commander replied self-consciously, "that's probably not a meteor then." He squinted his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pseudo-cellestial body. "Do you see it now?"
"No, but I'll keep looking."
"Very good, Mr. Jacobs", Reed acknowledged, returning to his chair, "you do that."
