SpaceAce - October Prep Month

October 28th, 2017 - Before Becoming a SpaceAce

“Before Becoming a SpaceAce”

A Short Story

Written By

PureSciFi aka
SpaceFaction

     Villiam staggered into the control room on board the family spaceship. Gracea was seated in the center chair in front of a large viewing monitor. She swiveled around in her chair to face a staggering Villiam. He started falling. Gracea rushed over and stopped Villiam from falling. But his knees did hit the floor. She helped him get back up on his feet.

     Gracea stepped back. Her arms held out straight in front of her. Villiam started staggering forward. But he stopped himself an inch or two from Gracea’s outstretched hands, and straightened himself back up. He was still shaky, though. Gracea gasped as he raised his head toward hers.

     “Did you have another dreadful day of training? You look terrible.”

     “I feel a lot worse than I look. And I’m not in training.”

     Gracea smiled. Then it quickly turned to a frown as she got a good look at the dirt, mud, and waste that cover Villiam’s body. Not to mention rumpled messed up clothing. “That’s hard to believe because you look so bad.”

     A few seconds later Gracea continued. “I think it’s time you give up this profession. This isn’t what you want to be doing the rest of your life.”

     “I thought that way after the first week as a SpaceZoo Operator. But I agreed to try it for three months. And I still have two months to go.”

     Gracea didn’t say anything for about a minute. But it looked like she was about to several times. She opened her mouth. But nothing came out of it. “I this you should just leave anyway. What are they going to do? Track you down, and make you do the remaining two months.”

     Villiam signed. “I thought of that too. But you know that’s not me. Once I agree to do something like this, I stay with it until the end.”

     “I don’t like it, but I agree with you. You do have to finish what you started.”

     A few seconds later Gracea continued. “At least there hasn’t been any murder with this profession yet.”

     “No, there hasn’t. But I do still have two months left with this one.”

Two Months Later

     Gracea was tapping away at the built-in desk control panel for the data monitor in front of her when the lights in her sleeping chamber started flashing. She turned toward the entrance to that room. “You are allowed to enter.”

     After the entrance slid open, Villiam stepped into Grace’s sleeping chamber. Gracea smiled as she looked at a normal looking Villiam. “I see that you survived your last day of your SpaceZoo Operator training.”

     “It wasn’t training. But you’re right. They knew it was my last day. So, they didn’t make it too hard for me.”

     Gracea smiled. “I can see that. No animal waste today?”

     A few seconds later Gracea continued. “So, what profession are you going to try next.”

     “I have been thinking about that for almost three months. And I think I know what I what to do for the rest of my life. At least I think that I do. I want to become a SpaceAce.”

Word Count = 520