SPACESHIP ZOMBIE CRUISE

FILE ENTRY 5.0

Bella Starr

After the tour, including a stop at the museum for a history lesson on the exploration and settlement of the solar system, I have one last act as a guide for Neptune Shores. I'm over the flood of nerves that plagued me earlier this morning. The news of my father's death snuffed that out. Tears had swelled in my eyes after I left Grayson Flux's office, but not anymore. Now, I'm just numb.

I breathe in and exhale, ready to drop my tour group off at the customer service desk and board the ship. But first, I have that one last thing to do.

I take my group to the medical bay where everyone meets Dr. Jett Mintaka. The doctor carries himself as if he's centered and confident in the choices he's made in life. Either that, or he hides his insecurities well. I suspect it's The Way of the Sword, his Samurai heritage, that gives him peace of mind. It's like he's one with nature. The space station. Whatever. That's what Halo was trying to teach me, to be one with my wooden sword. I know the discipline can help me, but I haven't found that place of solitude yet.

Dr. Mintaka goes into great detail about how he and his staff are on the space station in case of emergencies, but mostly, they're present to serve and care for the resort guests.

Inside the large medical bay, Mintaka has the fifty passengers in my tour group to line up in five rows of ten. Once ready, the nurses identify each person with the bio scanners and then administer the dual inoculations that vaccinate the guests against Artificial Gravity Sickness, officially termed, AG Sickness. I watch as a young family with a little girl falls in line and draws near the nurse giving the injections. As the father goes first, I wonder what Dr. Mintaka was so disturbed about the night before when we received our inoculations. I remember him entering the medical bay, talking on his phone through the piece clipped to his ear. Usually, people opt for a video call, but Mintaka may have chosen the voice call to keep the conversation private. That seemed more likely given his tense demeanor and vague answers to the person on the other end of the phone.

The mother comes up next in line, trying to assure the little girl there's nothing to fear with the injections. First comes the primary inoculation, followed by the shot that activates the vaccine. The mother takes both shots, smiling at her daughter with tender eyes. Then it's the girl's turn. She tries to look brave by squinting her eyes and tightening her lips. The nurse sticks the first injection into the girl's arm, much like she did with everyone else. The girl yelps.

"I don't want another shot, Mum," she says with tears. "It hurts."

The nurse tries to hold the girl steady, but she squirms and faces me as I stand at the side of the line. That's when I notice her wide brown eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks.

The mother pulls her daughter toward the nurse. "It's okay, love, just one more shot and it'll be over."

The girl cries louder, drawing the concerned eyes of the other passengers in the medical bay. In three long strides, Dr. Mintaka crosses the room and kneels by the girl.

"What's your name?" His gaze combs over the girl's fearful face as his mouth curls into a warm smile. His dark eyes behold her with a gentle patience, as if the girl isn't holding up progress, but is special and cherished. Mintaka strokes the side of her face, wiping away a trail of tears. "I know it stung your arm, but there's an important reason we give each injection. We wouldn't do anything if it wasn't safe and necessary for the health of our guests." He grips her shoulder with one hand and brushes his other hand through her hair. "What's your name?"

"Adrianna," the girl says with a creak in her voice.

"Did you know your name has a special meaning? It's a reference to the sea. Specifically, it means 'dark'. Like the color of your hair. I think that someone named Adrianna would be courageous. Can you do that for me? Can you be brave?"

With her mom clutching her shoulders, the girl stiffens. "I think so."

"I know you can." Dr. Mintaka glances up, reaches for the syringe, and takes it from the nurse. As he holds Adrianna's gaze, he raises the needle toward her trembling arm. "Look at me. Focus on me."

The girl obeys his request, a tear running down her cheek. Somehow—I don't know how—Mintaka never takes his eyes off the girl as the needle closes the gap to her arm.

"You can do it," Dr. Mintaka says. With the softest touch, the needle penetrates the girl's bicep and then it's over. "See. You did it."

Adrianna grins. "I did, and it didn't even hurt that bad."

With that, Mintaka bids her goodbye and walks away as the nurses administer the remaining shots with little fanfare. As the lines thin and the rest of the passengers receive their inoculations, I wait near the entrance to the medical bay. Once finished, I gather my group out in the corridor.

"The inoculations you received were to help you achieve optimal health in an artificial gravity environment. Even though Space Venture gave you an AG vaccine before leaving Earth, we thought it necessary to provide you with a new drug cocktail to improve your body's response to the powerful magnetic field generated by the gravity drives on the Celestial Sea and on the space station during your stay at Neptune Shores. The inoculations will prevent you from getting sick on the return cruise home as well."

"I felt nauseous on the trip here," a woman says, who stands at the front of the line. "Like motion sickness, but then I remembered the shots we received in Earth's orbit."

"I suppose it could be like motion sickness, but only in the symptoms you feel," I reply. "Remember, you're standing in the middle of a miracle. A science miracle, to be more precise. There is no gravity on the Celestial Sea or on Neptune Shores. If it weren't for the gravity drive, everything you see on the ship and the station, including you and the half mile stretch of salt water ocean, would float off into a wild jumble of microgravity chaos. So we need the inoculations to help us cope with the side effects of the electromagnetic field, which pulls every object, living and inanimate, toward the station's and the ship's floor and holds us in place. Some of you experienced nausea and headaches and even dizziness on the cruise out here. Space Venture takes your health and safety seriously. We wouldn't do anything to harm you. We want your stay here at Neptune Shores, or if you choose not to stay with us, your ride back to Earth to be a pleasurable and fun loving experience."

"The shots weren't bad at all," Adrianna says. "Dr. Mintaka is such a nice man." She turns to her mother. "Mum, are we staying at the beach, or are we going home?"

"We planned for a tour of the resort, but that's all."

I bend over to speak to the girl. "Well, guess what? I've finished my work here. I'll be attending college when I get back to Earth. That means I'll be seeing you on the cruise ship."

Adrianna's face brightens. "That's simply lovely. Mum, did you hear that?"

"I did." The mother kisses the girl on the forehead.

"Next," I say to the entire group. "We'll be heading back to the concourse for a stop at our customer service desks. You have the short time till we get there to decide if you want to book a stay now or later. Just remember, if you stay here or not, your travels with Space Venture will be a vacation you'll never forget."