Fam Away From Home

Scooped From Space

The air tasted a bit metallic. Oil coated the brunette's tongue as she came to. She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep, or lost consciousness. With a gasping breath, she opened her eyes and looked around. She was in some sort of pod. Alarmed, but determined to stay calm, Astra found a latch and pulled herself up and out. She looked over in the main area and found three massive chairs in what she assumed was the bridge. Her heels clanged on metal.

"Slow breaths," came a woman's advice. 

Silently, the brunette wandered the area and found Graham and Ryan in pods laying down. Both had their O2 running at 100%. "You saved us," Astra realized. 

"Scooped ya from the vacuum, yea." 

She wandered into the piloting area, the bridge? She got a good look at the pilot. 

A pretty lookin' lady with a mischievous smile. "You're lookin' well." 

"I heal fast." Astra wasn't sure why she told the woman that. "I'm Astrea. Call me Astra, saves time," she mumbled, looking out the 'window'. She doubted it was glass. But they were in space nonetheless. Deep space, no sun in sight. "Where are the girls?" she asked. 

"I just saw you three," the woman replied. "I'm Angstrom." 

Astra looked at her for a moment. "Are you speaking English, Angstrom?" 

She scrunched her nose, flipping a switch to direct the ship left. 

Astra had a stable center of gravity so it didn't affect her. 

"What's English?" she asked. 

"One of the few languages I speak," came the even reply. 

She nodded. "Ah! I put a translator in you three. You didn't have one. Bizarre," she commented casually. 

Astra looked around. "That's one word for it." She faced the woman again. "You didn't see anyone else hovering around my friends and I?" 

"Just the three of ya!" came the insistent reply. 

Astra nodded. "If they were in space with us, they couldn't just drift off. Not that quickly," she whispered to herself. 

"Wha's that?" she asked, not having heard. 

"Nothing." She sighed, looking at the woman. "You said scooped, how, why?" she demanded. 

The pilot frowned, tapping the seat beside her. Astra sat down, breaths still heaving. She stood, bringing a mask from above to her face. "You shouldn't 'ave woken without gettin' back ta peak health." She tipped Astra's face upward with her fingertips. "I scooped you by shuttin' my airlock and releasing the hull doors. Sucked the three of you in. Got you hooked into the life support and restarted the lads hearts. Got m'self three bonuses. One very fetchin'." 

Astra smiled, but scrunched in confusion. She removed the mask. "What's a bonus?" she asked quietly. 

"Oh..." She sat across from Astra, still facing her. "He must've recruited you very recently. You're very brave." 

Astra frowned. "Who's he?" she asked.

"Ilin," she answered like Astra should've known his name.

But the brunette just shook her head.

Angstrom threw back her head. "I see! You're another obstacle. A bonus who is meant to throw me off." She extended her finger, making Astra lean back. "Make me doubt."

Astra held up her hands. "I've never made anyone feel any way they wouldn't usually." She smiled, glad the air released its tension from her closeness.