Stellar Objects

Chapter 30: The First Supper

Grunge counted the stars.

He sat alone in the shuttle, legs crossed in the pilot's seat. He knew there were too many to count one-by-one, so he imagined a grid drawn over the windshield, ten across and five down. In one of those squares, he split it again, this time ten by ten, and focused his count on that one small section. It was just one of five thousand imaginary boxes he'd created, but within it Grunge counted seventeen dots of light.

From where he sat, the universe framed by the windshield of the battered shuttled, he gazed at eighty-five thousand suns. Each was its own solar system.

"Whoa," he whispered.

"It's a big place," surprised his sister's voice. Grunge turned to see Andra standing behind him, staring out at the same stars. She slid into the co-pilot's seat.

"Captain asked me to check over the shuttle's fly by wire," he explained. "He thought Judson found it a bit sluggish on the return flight."

"The last time we were in here together," Andra said. "We were making a break for it. If we swap seats, we could slip outta here."

"Do you want to go home?" he asked.

"I don't like being trapped here," she said.

"We're not trapped," Grunge explained. "I've got the fusion engine humming. We can go anywhere we want."

The comms link crackled and Tez's voice echoed in the shuttle cockpit. "Dinner is served," he said. "Please be seated."

Grung tapped the comms. "Thanks Tez."

Grunge looked at Andra. Her shoulders were slumped. She seemed sad, burdened. He knew she felt responsible for him and wished he was older; wished he could be the one to worry about her all the time instead of the other way around.

"You could've gone," he said. "Shakes told me that you wouldn't flee without me. I can take care of myself."

"We take care of each other," she said. "We're family. And Shakes shouldn't be saying stuff like that. It ain' right to be fillin' your head with big people concerns."

"You kinda like him, don't you?" asked Grunge.

"No, ick," she said. "He's got his, um, uses; so can tolerate him, but--"

The comms crackled again, this time with the Captain's orders: "All crew assemble in the galley. When the Martian says soup's on, it's on."

Andra gripped the co-pilot's steering column. Grunge could tell she was tempted to simply blast away. But instead, she stood up. "C'mon," she said. "I'm starvin'"

Grunge took one last look as the starscape and rose to join her. "Yeah, me too."

They were the last two to arrive in the galley. Captain Nayar sat at one end of the long table, and Shelly sat opposite.

"Grunge," the captain said, indicating the seat to his left. "You're between me and the sole heir. And Andra, you're there, opposite Judson. We have to separate you two to stop you conspiring to escape. And next time you want a private chat, don't do in the shuttle with the comms switched to broadcast mode."

"What's this?" asked Andra, picking up the metal bracelet from her plate.

"I have my uses," Shakes said.

Grunge caught Andra mouth 'thank you' as she slipped it back on her wrist.

Tez stood up and explained the food. "We're starting with a soup of my own creation. Sadly it's vegetarian."

Grunge heard a squeak behind him and glanced back to see the pink frog, hopping in its cage. A pet, he hoped.

"You may find it on the bland side," explained Tez, "but compassion has never been flavourful."

Grunge grabbed his bowl and slurped the soup into his mouth. It was hot, but not scalding, and warmed his body as he ingested it. He couldn't remember the last meal he'd had that wasn't sourced from rubbish.

Grunge looked over his bowl to see that everyone else was using shiny, tiny shovels. He noticed one set in front of him and held it up to examine his reflection in the concave spade. He was upside down and he laughed.

"It's called a spoon," whispered Captain Nayar as he demonstrated how to slide the small shovel into the soup and scoop up liquid. He lifted it to his mouth and tipped it in. It reminded Grunge of Simmo's gang panning for metal in the spill off pools on the Heap.

Shelly cleared her throat and called the table to attention. She held her cup of water in the air and said, "I think a toast is in order."

Grunge got excited. He'd read about toast in a book about a bear that lived with humans and was named after a train station; but he'd never had any himself.

"To bravery and service," Shelly said, saying nothing more about the offering of toast. "Nobody here asked to be here, but that didn't stop any of you doing the right thing today."

"And after this meal," added the Captain, "you are all free to go. Truly free. We'll drop you off at a planet of your choosing and won't report you. You're no longer servants of the Raj. Isn't that right, lieutenant?"

Shelly nodded. "Planetary Scotland Yard is so backed up with cases that I can't imagine they'd even get to a few runaways."

"Does that go for treasonous criminals too?" asked Judson.

Shelly nodded. "And I'm afraid we had a computer glitch—"

"What?!" asked Grunge. "Nobody told me about a—"

"And your criminal file was accidentally erased," said Shelly with a smile. "Sometimes you just can't rely on technology."

Grunge understood. They were taking care of each other. He looked over to his sister and announced, "I don't want to go. This feels like it could be home."

Rys nodded in agreement. "I literally have no where else to go."

"Now that it's clean," said Tez, "This is the best kitchen I've had in years."

"I'm used to being in a troupe," said Shakes.

"And I'm tired of running," said Judson.

Grunge looked to Andra. All eyes were on her. "Sounds like we need each other," she said. "All of us."

"Okay," said the Captain. "You're free to go, but we stick together. We take care of each other; that's the way it is."

"Like a family?" asked Grunge.

"Yeah," said Andra. "Kinda like that."

The Captain raised his cup to Shelly and held it in the air. Then, he turned to Tez and said, "you know, you're right. It is a bit bland."

Tez shook his head and rolled his rear eye. Grunge laughed. It felt good to laugh. He was glad he remembered how.

"But for extra pudding," Grunge announced. "Andra and I have a special treat from home. It's called a Twinkee, and everyone in this family gets a bite."