sighed deeply and opened her eyes. She was wrapped in a warm blanket and lying on a cot inside a dimly lit room. An IV bag hung at her bedside. Her armor had been removed and the constricting jumpsuit had been unzipped to her waist, allowing her badly bruised chest to rise and fall freely. She was embarrassed when she realized that a total stranger—and a man at that—had gotten such a good look at her. But it was a relief to be free of the cumbersome suit and be able to breathe again.
Luna gathered the blanket around her slender shoulders and eased herself into a sitting position, sucking in a shallow breath as her wounded arm settled into a sling tied around her torso. Her ribs still hurt, but it was more of a dull ache instead of the paralyzing agony she’d felt before. She waited for the pain in her shoulder to subside, swung her legs out of the cot, and planted her feet on the cold, steel floor.
She slowly eased herself out of bed and stood on the gently rocking floor, instinctively steadying herself.
“A boat?” Luna mused out loud.
“Indeed.”
Luna squeaked in surprise and pulled the blanket more tightly around her body.
“Who’s there? Ben? Is that you?” she asked, glancing around the small room.
“I’m afraid you have me mistaken me for my master, miss,” the male voice said. “I am Edward. AI Unit 002 and aid to master Ben. Would you like me to inform him that you’re awake now, miss?”
For goodness sake, get a grip! It’s just the AI. She allowed herself to relax a little.
“Um …yeah. I think that would be okay. Just tell him not to come in yet. I need to find a shirt or something first.”
“I believe you’ll find adequate coverings in the locker beside the door,” Edward replied. She turned to look where the disembodied voice had indicated. Sure enough there was a locker.
She picked up the IV bag in her good hand and walked over to the locker. Inside she found several pairs of raincoats and waterproof pants.
She removed a dark raincoat from the locker and held it up. The waterproof garment was too big for her: it reached nearly to the floor. She looked at the other clothes hanging in the locker hoping for a smaller size but found that—of course—they were all several sizes too big. She sighed in resignation.
She closed the flow valve on her IV and disconnected the line from the tiny stint in her hand, wincing as her fingers bumped the needle embedded in her skin.
“Miss, I am not sure that is a wise choice of action,” Edward said. His synthesized voice actually sounded concerned.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing,” Luna said through gritted teeth, silently hoping that she knew what she was doing.
Please, God, don’t let me keel over and die.
She pulled on the raincoat with difficulty and zipped it up then quickly reconnected the IV—fighting the searing pain coursing through her shoulder.
“See. I told you not to worry,” She said shakily, inwardly hoping that the AI couldn’t see the tears of pain forming in her eyes.
“Excellent. I take it you’re now feeling well enough to speak with Master Ben?”
Luna nodded, “Yeah. Go ahead and tell him I’m up.”
“I will do so at once, miss. One moment please.”
The AI’s voice faded, and Luna reached up and gently massaged her tender shoulder, trying to ease the steady throbbing.
“Stupid shoulder,” she muttered, seating herself on the cot. It had taken every ounce of strength she had to keep from screaming while she’d fumbled with the shirt, but at least she hadn’t needed Ben to dress her, too.
A light knock at the door drew Luna’s attention, and she hastily wiped away the tears still lingering in her eyes. She cleared her throat, “Yeah. Come in.”
The door creaked and swung open on rusty hinges, and Ben entered the room.
She eyed him warily, still not entirely sure whether or not he was trustworthy. If he so much as twitched
Luna gathered the blanket around her slender shoulders and eased herself into a sitting position, sucking in a shallow breath as her wounded arm settled into a sling tied around her torso. Her ribs still hurt, but it was more of a dull ache instead of the paralyzing agony she’d felt before. She waited for the pain in her shoulder to subside, swung her legs out of the cot, and planted her feet on the cold, steel floor.
She slowly eased herself out of bed and stood on the gently rocking floor, instinctively steadying herself.
“A boat?” Luna mused out loud.
“Indeed.”
Luna squeaked in surprise and pulled the blanket more tightly around her body.
“Who’s there? Ben? Is that you?” she asked, glancing around the small room.
“I’m afraid you have me mistaken me for my master, miss,” the male voice said. “I am Edward. AI Unit 002 and aid to master Ben. Would you like me to inform him that you’re awake now, miss?”
For goodness sake, get a grip! It’s just the AI. She allowed herself to relax a little.
“Um …yeah. I think that would be okay. Just tell him not to come in yet. I need to find a shirt or something first.”
“I believe you’ll find adequate coverings in the locker beside the door,” Edward replied. She turned to look where the disembodied voice had indicated. Sure enough there was a locker.
She picked up the IV bag in her good hand and walked over to the locker. Inside she found several pairs of raincoats and waterproof pants.
She removed a dark raincoat from the locker and held it up. The waterproof garment was too big for her: it reached nearly to the floor. She looked at the other clothes hanging in the locker hoping for a smaller size but found that—of course—they were all several sizes too big. She sighed in resignation.
She closed the flow valve on her IV and disconnected the line from the tiny stint in her hand, wincing as her fingers bumped the needle embedded in her skin.
“Miss, I am not sure that is a wise choice of action,” Edward said. His synthesized voice actually sounded concerned.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing,” Luna said through gritted teeth, silently hoping that she knew what she was doing.
Please, God, don’t let me keel over and die.
She pulled on the raincoat with difficulty and zipped it up then quickly reconnected the IV—fighting the searing pain coursing through her shoulder.
“See. I told you not to worry,” She said shakily, inwardly hoping that the AI couldn’t see the tears of pain forming in her eyes.
“Excellent. I take it you’re now feeling well enough to speak with Master Ben?”
Luna nodded, “Yeah. Go ahead and tell him I’m up.”
“I will do so at once, miss. One moment please.”
The AI’s voice faded, and Luna reached up and gently massaged her tender shoulder, trying to ease the steady throbbing.
“Stupid shoulder,” she muttered, seating herself on the cot. It had taken every ounce of strength she had to keep from screaming while she’d fumbled with the shirt, but at least she hadn’t needed Ben to dress her, too.
A light knock at the door drew Luna’s attention, and she hastily wiped away the tears still lingering in her eyes. She cleared her throat, “Yeah. Come in.”
The door creaked and swung open on rusty hinges, and Ben entered the room.
She eyed him warily, still not entirely sure whether or not he was trustworthy. If he so much as twitched
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