Jim
15 Sep 2016Mara Korine
With the doctor gone for the day, Mara considered her options. She would need to contact the insurance company right away and arrange a replacement ship, but that would be a minor affair. There might be data salvaged from the Shachi. Mara rummaged through the box of personal effects that had been rescued. The black box was there, and with it hope that the sensitive backed up data was included. If she was lucky, some of her data might still be intact. "Hey, Tosia girl," a voice from behind the privacy curtain called.
"Hello?"
"Hey! You doing ok? You looked pretty banged up." His voice was low and flat but sincere.
"Yes, I'm alright. I think my pride is hurt more than anything." Without warning Mara felt a welling in her chest her stomach sank. Waves of sadness, guilt, and remorse battered her in the moment. Anger and frustration battled with them. And like a foghorn heard from a sinking fishing boat, a longing for her home called to her. She began to sob.
"Whoa hey, everything will be alright, ok?" he consoled.
Mara composed herself, but did not reply.
"These things happen." The man laughed and teased, "At least you didn't end up like the guy across the hall."
"What happened to him?"
"I wouldn't ask if I were you, but when you see him you'll see what I mean." The man concluded.
"Do you make a habit of nosing about people's medical issues and past?"
Mara heard the man shuffling in his bed noisily.
"No, it's just being stuck here with nothing to do you know? Look I think I started this off wrong. My name is Jim." He shuffled again, and the privacy curtain was pulled aside. Jim was sitting back down on his bed.
Mara tried to make a point of not allowing people's appearances affect her opinion of them, but at first glance, she found him much more agreeable than when he was an intrusive disembodied voice. His hair was short and black. His complexion was pleasant and even. His eyebrows were full, but not bushy. His jaw framed with a healthy black beard. His figure was just short of athletic. Aside from recent injuries, his leg was held in a cast from his foot to his thigh, and a small scar cutting through his left eyebrow he seemed flawless.
"I'm Mara. Do you live on the station?" He is handsome.
"No, I spend most of my time around the neutron fields. But I made my way out to Beagle Point. Have you been there? It's as far away from the Bubble as you can get. Fly straight from civilisation, through the core, and continue on until you run out of stars."
"I'm pretty sure anyone who's made their way to this station has heard of Beagle Point. I prefer the darkness of the rim to the core, it feels like you can look out further. But both have their beauty. How did you hurt your leg, if you don't mind me prying?"
"Well," he paused before explaining, "I ran into trouble on my way in. You know this is the only station within twenty thousand light-years of the bubble and opportunistic jerks know there's no place else to run in these parts. If you're wounded and headed for help, you're headed this way." He shifted uncomfortably, and then laid back down staring up at the ceiling. "I did try to fight, but my ship really wasn't built for combat. Station security chased him off but he's still out there most likely."
"That's nothing to be embarrassed about. You're lucky to be alive!"
"Yeah." He agreed.
Well, he looks like he's touchy about that. Here I am giving him a hard time about prying into people's injuries and then bugging him about his. This is why you don't make friends Mara.
"Can I ask a favour Jim? My comm didn't make it back with me and,"
Jim tossed his comm. Mara flinched with a gasp, certain she wouldn't be able to catch it. She didn't have to though as Jim had meant for it to land on her lap and his throw was precise and gentle. It wasn't locked, so she logged into her messages. There were too many unread messages to go through but only one caught her eye. Her ship's insurance had been declined. "I can't believe this! I had insurance, why is it declined? It was paid by the university!"
"You get your ships paid for?"
"Well not anymore, apparently. I have to call somebody about this."
Jim removed himself from his bed, and with a pair of crutches started out the room. "Hey, I'll give you some privacy. I need a snack anyway. Do you want anything?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you."
"Alright, good luck."
After several inquiries and an eternity on hold, Mara found she'd previously been categorised as a risk due to her inexperience in the field. The university had funded her trip out but someone there had decided to change the insurance policy from ship replacement to reimbursement to university coffers. Somehow the papers authorising that change had been lost so she couldn't identify the person who de-funded her project, but it had already been carried out. The decision was not reversible. Jim returned to find her sobbing again.
"Hey Tosia, I got you a hot chocolate," he offered, carrying a small paper basket securing two disposable cups.
Mara forced a smile and took one of the cups. "Thank you." She chose to let her mother know she was alright since she would know that something had happened. There's nothing that goes on at the university she doesn't know about. But she didn't have the stomach to endure a lecture, so instead of calling she sent a message instead. "Hi Mum, I'm alright but the Shachi was written off. I'm at Jaques, we'll talk later. Let Dad know. Love you!"