Spaceship Situationship

01 - Kari

1:16 - ???
70 Cretan Days to Landing
Kari Z-64

✦✦✦✦✦

If there is a god in this world, please help me now. I am absolutely, completely lost.

I'm against one of the walls outside the Convocatium, one leg propped up in an angle against the wall, and my hand casually—but frantically—scrolling and pinching around the map of the ship.

Where am I? Where am I even trying to go?

Some kid rushing in the other direction slams my shoulder against the wall.

For a few moments, I'm stunned. I want to admonish him, but I feel like I shouldn't speak up.

Do I let it pass?

No, I can't. I'm under my own orders to say whatever crosses my mind.

"W—", my voice wobbles before I collect myself. "Watch where you're going!"

Suddenly, the entire river of people stops and turns to look at me. I feel a weight drop against my chest, but decide to say what I want to say: "Everything's fine. Don't you all have places to be?"

The crowd shuffles away. The knot which had tied itself up in my throat unravels and I sigh. I place my hand to where my heart is, and feel my pulse beating rapidly. Why do I feel so guilty for saying what I want to say? I'm still not used to this.

And I'm still lost.

I have to find H-02 in the South Wing of Floor 4, but where is south? Where am I? Where—

"Kari? Are you okay?"

It takes a few moments for me to register that Kari is my name, so I turn around to see who called me. It's one of the people in my home base, the one with too much energy... I have no idea what her name is.

She walks towards me with a concerned look in her brown eyes. I'm a little perplexed as to why she, who's a part of the Engineering Section, is in the same area as me, so I tell her that.

"What do you mean?" she tries to hold back a laugh. I feel a twinge of annoyance at the back of my forehead. "This is the way to the West Wing."

"No it isn't," I refute, but I already know I'm fighting a losing battle.

She doesn't try holding back anymore, and starts laughing at me to my face. My annoyance dissipates into shame.

"Don't worry, I got you. Let me teach you how to use the map," she bends down to my height and peers at my holoscreen. She tries to show me me how to recalibrate my location, but when she realizes I do not understand a thing she is saying, she smiles softly and says, "I'll take you there."

Before she turns around, she gives my map a light tap, and a blue symbol appears next to the silver one denoting my location. "That's me, in case we get separated."

"Do you really think that if we got separated I would know how to go to your location?" I ask her seriously.

"Obviously not," she starts walking back towards the Convocatium but throws a sly smirk over her shoulder. "If you tap the dot thrice, it'll call me so that I can come and rescue you, my lady," she pauses and gives a little bow before saying, "Did you not scroll through the watch's README?"

"Who—who does that?"

I'm still finding my footing.

The girl leads me across the Convocatium, then through a gate with a giant flashing sign above it saying "SOUTH EXIT." It should be impossible to miss. Should be.