Space

"Kara, I reckon?"
The sound of a woman's voice made her jolt upright, she hadn't heard the door open, let alone the
sound of footsteps.
A few steps from her stood a striking, Amazonian-like woman with an air of keen intelligence about
her. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, not a strand out of place. Dressed in a
pinstripe pantsuit and combat boots, the woman looked a force to be reckoned with.
"Erm, yeah," Kara stood as tall as she could, her hand held out in front of her, "Hi, I'm Kara.
Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Rather than return her handshake, the woman eyed her over, an act that made Kara deeply
uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she tried her best to appear unperturbed.
After a few moments of silence, she took a step towards Kara.
"Tell me, Kara Regan," the woman's dark eyes searched her pale ones, "Are you an asset or a
liability?"
Kara felt a surge of heat rush towards her cheeks, her heart rate now at a wild pace. She returned her
hand to her side as she processed their short interaction. Who exactly was this woman? And why
would she ask her such a question? Surely, this would not be considered normal by most.
"I haven't got all day, Kara." she pressed, her voice dripped with acid, "Are you an asset or a
liability?"
Kara knew that her response would set a precedent as to how she'd be treated in the future, and how
important it was that she worded it carefully so as not to cross a line.
"With all due respect, ma'am," Kara steeled herself, "I'd rather let my work speak for itself. I find
that more productive than prematurely slapping a label on myself."
The woman's expression remained inscrutable, but Kara couldn't help but notice a shadow of a smile
on her face.
"Professor Smith told me about your spunk. I’m Erie Thomson, your guide and mentor."
--
Kara's bandaged hand hovered over the hand scanner, her only way out of this spacecraft. In
her heart of hearts, she knew that this idea of hers was suicide but, be that as it may, she
could no longer cower within its confines. It was her fault that the mission ended up the
way it did.
Her anxiety heightened with each breath as she inched her hand closer to the scanner.
Don’t go, Kara. an all too familiar voice whispered into her ear.
“Kaydn?” she pulled her hand away and spun around, “Kaydn, is that you?”
Out of nowhere came a strong gust of wind, Kara's face licked by its bitter cold. A dull ache
radiated from her extremities and towards her torso, her movements limited as a result. She
could see vapours exit her lips as she called for Kaydn once more.
“Kaydn??”