Creative Friday

This week I have another excerpt from Always. This takes place after the FMC, Trez, has escaped from a crazy old woman who was holding her prisoner on a planet she made an emergency landing on. She was helped by Ape, a fellow prisoner whose mind has been damaged. Currently they’re on their way to a planet where Trez has friends, one of whom is a doctor.

* * * * * * * * * *


They were two days out from Sigma Alpha Four when Trez slipped away into the cockpit to contact her friends.

“Trez!” Jenna said in pleased surprised when she answered the signal from the vid com. “I was beginning to think you’d fallen into a black hole.”

“I know it’s been awhile,” Trez admitted. “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know me. So many men, so little time. Same old, same old. How about you? What exciting adven–” her voice broke off as her eyes tracked something behind Trez.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch all that, Jen. What did you say?” Trez looked up from the console she’d been working on. “Jenna?”

Her eyes narrowed as she realized Jenna was watching something behind her. Swivelling her seat around, she spotted Ape standing in front of the main view screen.

“Ape!” she hissed. “What happened to your clothes?”

“Clothes in bedroom,” he told her. “Ape still on ship, not need clothes until planet. Woman said.”

“Oh, for–” Trez bit off her angry exclamation and took a calming breath. Mentally, she counted to ten.

“You need to wear clothing if you’re going to be in the cockpit,” she said in an even voice. “At the very least you need to go put some pants on.”

“Okay,” Ape said cheerfully. He turned around and left the room.

Cautiously, she turned around to face her friend in the vid screen again.

“Trez, I just saw a man on your ship. A naked man. Why was there a naked man on your ship?”

Trez sighed. “It’s a long story, Jenna.”

“I’m all ears,” Jenna said, grinning at her.

“I’ll tell you everything when we get there,” Trez promised. Well, almost everything, she amended. “We should be there in about two days.”

“This is one visit I’ll be looking forward to.”

“Jenna, it’s not what you think,” Trez sighed. “Look, can you do me a favor? Could you see if your father could clear a few hours off his schedule for us?”

“You’re not sick, are you?” Jenna asked anxiously. Her eyes widened and she lowered her voice. “You’re not pregnant are you?”

“What? No! Why would you think something like that?”

“Hello, hot naked man roaming around your ship.”

Trez massaged her temples. “I am not pregnant,” she said between gritted teeth. “I’ll see you in a couple of days. Treasure out.”

She sat back in her chair with a groan. Jenna would never let her hear the end of this.