A Spaceman

Chapter 23--Carry on our wayward Spacemen

"So by, meet us at the train, do you think they meant 'wait at the train station for us because we cannot function by ourselves' or 'you guys go on and get on the first train to get yourselves home, we can handle functioning without you'?" Quentin asks, typing on a kiosk.

"The thing where we don't see them and we just get back to New America," Thorn says.

"I don't like them," I say. The one that Quentin blamed for losing his legs, he gave me the creeps. I don't dare get in his head.

"Okay, then, three tickets home, in the luxury cabin so we get booze, in five minutes, come on," Quentin says, "The next train is in an hour, hopefully for them, they're on it."

"Wait, you don't have to pay for those," Thorn says.

"I love how you think that I am doing anything that might inconvenience me------no you're right I don't---not only is all of my money stolen to begin with----but I also didn't use my money, I used Card's," Quentin says.

"How do you have his account?" Thorn asks.

"At one point or other he was busy being brilliant and wanted milk and didn't have any so I said I would get it because I wanted to be away from him and he gave me his number and it's not changed," Quentin says, "I only use it in emergencies or when it's a charge I don't think he'd notice, like I'll get Lizzie clothes or girly shit and he doesn't notice because he's got a girl that age."

"Clever," Thorn says, nodding, "How does he not know?"

"I'm sure he didn't remember the incident because he had his hands at his head praying to himself or whatever and so he doesn't remember so he's never bothered to change it," Quentin says.

"Good show, Leavitt, all right, let's board," Thorn says.

"Yes, and get a drink," Quentin says.

(you don't need a drink)

"I do though, customs will be a joy," Quentin says, looping an arm around my shoulder, "Come on, you want a snack?"

"Yeah, train food," I say, leaning against him.

**

Agatha and Myrtle show me to my room. The center is nice and the director doesn't seem possessed. But they stay with me all the same. I'm guessing that the people here would frown on Cinder, so he's hiding on my back shivering. It is kind of cold.

The place is set up like a really big house, basically like our dorms only less Space Force propaganda and more comfort items and children. There are day care rooms where a few girls will watch the kids while the others work to upkeep the place. different rooms for different aged kids, and more girls to watch babies. Us girls do everything, we clean, do meals, dishes, help shop for food, make some clothing and blankets, clean the common areas, set up common areas, write up reports if something is damaged or whatever. Food is mostly made from scratch at minimal cost, there's a garden with chickens and everything. Everyone freaks out when I volunteer to slaughter the chickens. Apparently they don't get many volunteers for that one. What can I say I like blood? That's partly why the whole childbirth thing isn't freaking me out.

All the girls are assigned jobs, and then they cycle so it's fair. You get a week of laundry duty, a week of kitchens, a week of trash, etc. And then a special duty, such as caring for plants or delivering mail or say slaughtering the chickens. As I'm of a delicate condition, I get lighter tasks than those who have given birth, like I get to slaughter chickens, and cook, and check different websites for maintaining shipments and visitor requests and that sort of thing that I can stay off my feet to do.