A Starship Called Starsong

Chapter 50

Cynthia and Logan headed in my direction as I sat at the supper table. They acted like they always did, as bantering friends. They spoke with other people in a similar fashion as they passed by them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary – other than the fact that the image of them engaged in a heated kiss was still unwillingly branded into my mind...

The food on the Starsong didn't worry me, and I freely tried anything new, knowing that it wouldn't potentially poison me. And considering the number of different plants and animals that were edible on every planet, the menu could change pretty drastically depending on which port we stopped in. That was one reason for the agriculture area, not only did it give us a natural source of oxygen, it allowed us some staple foods.

Cynthia and Logan sat down across from me as Cynthia happily greeted me, "Rachel, how did your day go?"

"Pretty good. Quiet though. How was yours?"

"Good, it is quiet in Agricultural as well, so I managed to complete a few more of those advanced training modules. My Overseer let me go early, which was really nice of her."

We glanced at Logan, who responded, "I almost finished all of the training modules, so I asked Starsong if he had more, and he said that another training program will appear shortly. It will cover more theory and practice than basic usage. I am looking forward to it. I actually enjoy this job more than my last one, which is quite surprising since I had liked my old job so much."

Cynthia perked up. "Oh, excellent, I was wondering about that the other day. I really enjoy the training modules, so I am glad that there are more coming."

A few other people joined us at our table, and it didn't escape my notice that Ronan was a few tables away, just close enough to hear us. He didn't have to keep an eye on me while we were on the Starsong, but he tended to show up in the area occasionally. Had he been younger, Cynthia probably would have said that he had a crush on me, but he was at least a decade older than me, so the only crush in the immediate vicinity was between the two across from me.

One of the people who was just sitting down at our table was from the Medical Bay. "Good evening, Captain."

Starsong murmured, "Lexy."

I hadn't quite memorized everyone's names yet, so Starsong's help was welcome. I smiled kindly at the woman. "Good evening, Lexy. You don't have to address me as Captain when it is just our crew around. You can call me Rachel."

She smiled in return. "Thank you, but the title fits, so I shall continue using it out of respect. May I ask a question?"

She was one of the handful of people who insisted on calling me by my title. Most of the other people I had worn down within a week, but I was pretty sure this persistent and old-fashioned Overseer wasn't going to give in anytime soon, if at all. "Certainly, what question do you have?"

"This ship seems to dock more frequently than others I have served on. Would there perhaps be a possibility of us scheduling people to come in for a routine checkup on a monthly basis? Our doors will always be open for anyone at any time, of course. The Medical Bay can set up and maintain the schedule, but we want to ensure there aren't any policies against it that we may not be aware of."

This was another good opening to make people think I had an earpiece. I put two of my fingers by my ear and tilted my head slightly as if listening. Starsong played along with my act. "There are no such policies that prevent the monthly schedule. She can send a message to each Overseer to determine what days work best for their area."

Most who were watching me didn't seem surprised by my actions, although I did see a few blink in realization. I lowered my hand back down to my fork. "There aren't any policies that impact this. Contact the other Overseers to set up days and times for the people in their area. The days may have to be changed if our destination is altered. For the Officers, please contact them directly for their own preferences."