Thirty Two; Kira

I followed the directions Tex had reluctantly given me and quickly found my way back to the door that led to the cockpit. As I walked it occurred to me there was logic to the layout of Test Eagle, but guessed it would take me a little while longer to get the hang of it.

At the cockpit door I saw Kira, now cleaned up and dressed in the uniform spacesuit all the Freedom Fighters wore. A snug fitting black button up suit. I enjoyed the view for a second, but then i realised that as I was now a member of Freedom Fighters Inc, I might actually be required to wear one as well.

I was torn by this revelation, as a kid I had wanted nothing more than to become an astronaut, my disinterest in spaceships aside, and wearing such a suit would, to the child I had been, be the pinnacle achieve of my life. However, I'm twenty nine years old now, and my body has had time to develop strange lumps and bumps in unusual places. I pictured myself in one of the suits and couldn't image anybody, or more to the point Kira, finding me - beer belly and all - attractive. At least my own clothes did something to disguise my rather lumpish shape.

"Jimmy," said Kira, "There you are."

"I was just," I pointed back the way I had come, thinking desperately to come up with what I would tell her I had just... Inspiration struck, "Bubbles said Bocco was here." Tex, or rather the Tex in the cell downstairs, had made it clear to me that I was not to include Kira in my fact finding mission, he claimed it would put her in danger.

"Yeah, he's this way," Kira frowned. "Where've you been?"

"Just wandering around, trying to get accustomed to the place," I replied casually.

"Did you find anything interesting?" she asked.

I answered quickly, "No! Nothing at all, quite boring really."

"Right," she flashed her white teethed smile at me, she clearly believed me, my status as ship's idiot saw to that. "Well why don't I show you where Bocco is, and then you should get familiar with your duties onboard."

Kira led me back through the ship, along a corridor that ran perpendicular to the one I had just left.

We walked in comfortable silence for a moment. Funy thing about silence, one minute it can be comfortable, the next, well, uncomfortable. I even felt it happen, walking quietly along, very comfortable with the silence. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I should say something, and then the silence felt uncomfortable, and I was reluctant to break it.

"So, Kira is your real name?" I asked, hating the sound of my high pitched, whining Australian accent.

"Yep," she smiled.

"It’s very," I struggled to find a word, and failing settled for, "Original." That is, I added silently to myself, unless you happen to be a character in a sci-fi fantasy story.

We arrived at a door. Kira stopped and asked, "Are you ready for this?"

I nodded, unsure of the question.

"He's nothing like the Bocco you met before."

"How different can a bear be?" I asked.