Chapter 5 - Sleeping Quarters
976 Words
The moment the fold-jump ended, Mira felt it.
The ship shuddered once, softly, like a giant exhaling. The streaking stars outside the viewing window snapped back into normal pinpoints of light scattered across endless black.
Her stomach lurched.
“Warning would’ve been nice,” she murmured, steadying herself against the wall.
Vael glanced over.
“You adjusted quickly.”
“I almost threw up,” she admitted quietly.
“That is also common.”
Great.
Kaelor turned toward the corridor leading deeper into the ship.
“You will need to learn the layout.”
Mira hesitated.
“Meaning?”
“You will be staying aboard this vessel during our journey.”
The words made her chest tighten.
Kaelor gestured down the corridor.
“Come.”
The group moved through the ship, and Mira followed between them.
She felt small walking among them. Each alien was towering, broad-shouldered, their strides long and confident while she hurried slightly to keep up.
The interior of the ship surprised her. It wasn’t cold or metallic like the station. The corridors were wide and softly lit with glowing blue lines running through the walls and floor.
The air was warm.
Comfortable.
It felt like a place meant to be lived in.
They passed several rooms.
Rethan gestured toward a large circular chamber filled with floating displays and glowing panels.
“Navigation and command.”
Vael lifted a hand slightly.
“My responsibility.”
Next they passed a room humming with machinery.
“Engineering,” Rethan said.
Drokan stopped briefly beside a reinforced door.
“Security and weapons storage.”
Mira blinked.
“You… have weapons on the ship?”
Drokan looked down at her.
“We travel the galaxy.”
“Oh.”
She nodded quickly.
“Right.”
They continued deeper into the vessel until the corridors grew quieter.
More private.
Kaelor stopped outside a curved door.
“This is our sleeping quarters.”
He touched a panel and the door slid open.
Mira stepped inside slowly.
Then she froze.
The room was enormous.
Soft lighting glowed along the walls, and in the center of the room sat a massive bed layered with thick blankets and dark cushions.
It was huge.
Large enough for several of them.
But there was only one.
Mira blinked.
She looked around the room again.
Then back at the bed.
Then slowly at the five aliens standing behind her.
“…Um.”
No one spoke.
Her voice came out small.
“There’s only one bed.”
“Yes,” Kaelor said calmly.
Mira swallowed.
“And… that’s…?”
“Our bed.”
Her stomach dropped.
She looked between them again.
“All of you sleep there?”
“Yes.”
Her fingers twisted together nervously.
“And… where exactly am I supposed to sleep?”
Vael answered casually.
“Here.”
Mira stared.
“With… you?”
“Yes.”
Her breath caught.
“All of you?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head slowly, taking a small step back.
“I… I don’t think I can do that.”
Drokan crossed his arms.
“It is the only sleeping chamber.”
Mira’s voice wavered.
“But there are five of you…”
“Yes.”
“And just… me.”
“That is correct.”
She looked again at the enormous bed.
Then back at them.
Her hands fidgeted nervously.
“I don’t… know you,” she said quietly.
Rethan answered calmly.
“You know our names.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
Seyrin stepped forward slightly, his voice gentler than the others.
“The arrangement is necessary.”
Mira looked up at him.
“Why?”
“Our species regulates body temperature during rest cycles through proximity.”
She blinked.
“Proximity?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“You mean… close?”
“That is correct.”
Her shoulders tensed.
“How close?”
Drokan answered simply.
“Near.”
That did not help.
Mira rubbed her arms nervously.
“I’ve never… slept next to strangers before.”
Vael tilted his head.
“You will adjust.”
“I’m not sure I will.”
Kaelor spoke again, his voice calm but firm.
“You will rest here.”
Mira shook her head slightly.
“There has to be another room.”
“There is not.”
“What about… somewhere smaller? Or the floor?”
“The ship is not configured for that.”
Her gaze drifted back to the bed again.
It looked impossibly large.
But the idea of lying there with them made her stomach twist.
Her voice dropped almost to a whisper.
“I’ll be surrounded.”
“Yes.”
The simple answer made her chest tighten.
She looked at each of them in turn.
They were all watching her.
Not angry.
Not impatient.
Just… waiting.
Her shoulders slowly sank.
“Oh.”
The realization settled heavily over her.
She didn’t actually have another option.
Her fingers twisted together again.
“I… guess I don’t really have a choice.”
“You may refuse,” Kaelor said calmly.
A small flicker of hope appeared in her eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Then he finished.
“But you will still sleep here.”
The hope faded.
“Oh.”
Silence settled in the room.
Mira stared at the bed for a long moment.
Then she let out a slow breath.
“…Okay.”
The word sounded uncertain.
“If that’s… how it has to be.”
Vael studied her expression.
“You will be safe.”
Mira nodded faintly.
“I hope so.”
She glanced once more at the enormous bed in the center of the room.
Five alien warriors.
One human.
Her heart fluttered nervously in her chest.
“This is going to be… a really long trip,” she whispered.
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