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“Thank you,” Jin said, and the back of his neck blushed
“And if you were a ation, I’d have you call randmother’s house,” Jin said with a wink “The rest of the tiion now?” Anna asked with a laugh
“The navy thinks so”
“Okay” She laughed again “So why don’t you just call ray door marked OQ 297-11 and handed her a s the card on you unlocks the door It will stay locked when you’re inside unless you press the yellow button on the wall panel”
“Sounds very safe,” Anna said, taking the key fro his hand
“This is the battleship Thomas Prince, ma’am It’s the safest place in the solar system”
Her stateroo Luxurious by navy standards, normal for a poor Europan, coffinlike to an Earther Anna felt a brief o as the two different Annas she’d been reacted to the space in three different ways She’d felt the same sense of disconnection when she’d first boarded the Prince and felt the full gravity pressing her down The Earther she’d been most of her life felt euphoric as, for the first tiht The Europan in her just felt tired, drained by the excessive pull on her bones
She wondered how long it would take Nono to get her Earth legs back How long it would take before Na the entire trip back pus can only take a person so far There would still be the agonizing weeks or ravity Anna could alet up onto her hands and knees like she did on Europa Could almost hear her cries of frustration while she built up the strength toIt would infuriate her to lose the hard-won physical skills she’d developed over the last two years
Thinking about it made Anna’s chest ache, just behind her breastbone
She tapped the shiny black surface of the console in her room, and the roo the user interface It was li and receiving text or audio/video e and said, “Hi Nono, hi Nami!” She waved at the camera “I’m on the ship, and we’re on our way I—” She stopped and looked around the roorabbed a pillow off of it and turned back to the caed the pillow to her chest, tight “This is you This is both of you”
She turned the recording off before she got teary She ashing her face when the console buzzed a new-h it didn’t seee and replied already, her heart gave a little leap She rushed over and opened theher of the VIP “reet” in the officers’ mess at 1900 hours The clock said it was currently 1300
Anna tapped the button to RSVP to the event and then climbed under the covers of her bed with her clothes on and cried herself to sleep
“Reverend Doctor Volovodov,” a boo male voice said as soon as she walked into the officers’ mess