The Haunted Traveler May 2017 Edition

mind herself that she needed to remain alert, no matter
how complacent she felt.
Yawning, she looked at the readings of Jack Moran,
ship’s engineer, then at his face. At the pre-launch
dinner he had made a pass at her which she quickly
rebuffed. He wasn’t a bad looking guy, but she didn’t
like the burly type, which he was. Additionally, if she
was going to have a shipboard romance with anyone it
would have to be with someone on the same wake shift
as she was. His readings were as usual. He had slightly
elevated blood pressure, but nothing to be concerned
about. His was the last pod before she would exit the
sleep chamber.
As she started to press the button to open the door
to the chamber she heard a noise behind her; a whisper.
She turned and looked around the chamber: three
pods on one side, three on the other, the screens silently
flashing the readings, four air vents, the door to an
escape module at the far end.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary she shook her
head “hearing things” she mumbled to herself making
a mental note to record it in her personal log later. She
put her hand on the button again and heard tapping
behind her. She whirled about, then quickly walked
past the pods again looking at the sleeping faces. At
the door to the escape module she turned to return to
the door to the chamber and was suddenly face to face
with Jack Moran.
“What the hell?” She said.
He raised his hands and put them around her neck
and lifted her off her feet. Choking and gasping for
breath she kicked him and swung her fists at his face.
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