Meeting the Officer
Dawn had crept upon the lunar settlement hours ago. Ali stepped quietly onto the steps of the courthouse. There her father waited with a young woman in a blue uniform. His face was as cold and emotionless as the day before. Even the morning sun could not bring life to his expression.
“Officer O’Hara, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Alexandra Krieger,” stated the aging councilman. He was still in his night robes, yet he already had a glass of red wine in his hand. “You have two goals Miss O’Hara: keep my daughter alive and bring her back to the main port by the deadline. If she dies, do not bother returning to the main port. Understand?”
“Yes sir.”
Ali brushed her eyes along the figure of the young officer. She was tinier than expected, but noticeably fit. Her biceps were straining against the fabric of her shirt. Freckles dashed across her cheeks and despite the serious tone to her voice, childlike playfulness danced in her hazel eyes. She wore a dark blue uniform that was surprisingly reminiscent of the days before lunar settlements were even a consideration. Gold trim garnished the outfit, and a patch of the moon was emblazoned on the chest pocket.
“Well, the ship is waiting at the launch. Farewell.”
Ali’s father walked out of the room without a second glance.
“He’s a charmer,” said the officer sarcastically.
“He used to be,” sighed Ali. The officer felt a pang of guilt at Ali’s reaction. Maybe she had judged the old councilman too harshly.
“Now that all the formal stuff is out of the way let me really introduce myself,” said the smaller girl. “I’m Kelley. I was assigned on this mission because I am currently suspended from the Lunar Corps.”
“Can I ask why?”
“You can, but that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you,” said Kelley with a smirk. “You have to earn it.”
“What do I have to do?”
“I don’t know yet, I’ll figure it out during the eight hours we spend stuck in the ship.” With that statement, the small officer began to dramatically march forward. Her hips swayed and her feet stomped dramatically on the cobblestone.
“Uh…Kelley,” said Ali. Kelley stopped and spun around.
“Yes?”
“The launch is the other way.”
“Oh, right.”
The ship was smaller than Ali had imagined. Kelley was basically sitting on top of her, although she had a feeling that Kelley would have done so even if they had a larger ship. She just seemed like the overly friendly type, not that Ali was complaining. She hadn’t made many friends since her arrival at the lunar settlement. Her tastes were considered too “Earthen” by her wealthy neighbors. It was rare to find somebody as casual about life as Kelley.
“You’re so down to Earth,” said Ali thinking aloud.
Kelley began to giggle.
“What?”
“Down to Earth; that was a bomb-ass pun, Krieger. I’ll give you some points for that.”
Ali rolled her eyes, but grinned slightly.
“You are too,” said Kelley.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for one of the elite, I would have expected you to be a bit more snobby, but then again, what snob would willingly go to the Barren to save her brother? You’re pretty cool Kriegs.
“Are you not one of the elite,” asked Ali.
“Hell no! The only reason I was able to live on the lunar settlement is because I joined the Lunar Corps. The only reason I was able to even do that is because I was a student at Stanford. If you came from a school like Stanford, you weren’t required to have an elite status.”
“Well, going to Stanford is pretty elite in itself, in my opinion anyway. I was going to Penn State at the time of the outbreak.”
At the word “outbreak”, Ali’s voice began to quiver.
“You wanna watch a movie?” asked Kelley as she began to dig through her backpack in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“What kind of movie?”
“It’s a classic, dude. It’s called She’s The Man. Have you ever played soccer?”
“Of course! I was a defender in college,” said Ali confidently.
“Well, I have a feeling you’re gonna like this movie,” said Kelley as she plugged the drive into the ship.
Ali learned three things during the trip. One, she and Kelley were going to be great friends. Two, Kelley was one of the top forwards in the nation at one point. Three, Kelley cannot shut up during a movie.