Tag: Derek

Distant Love (Part 49)

The conversation shifts to Maeve’s many cousins and what they are up to. Hours pass over tea and biscuits.

The room grows dark. At first, the light is switched on, then the blinds are drawn, and the conversation turns to where they will sleep.

“There’s a nice little bed for you, Derek, beside the front door. It could be quite tight with the wheelchair, though. And Maeve, you can sleep in the bed beside mine.”

She was right. There was no chance of turning the wheelchair into the room. Derek crawls out of the wheelchair and into the low-rise bed.

Exhausted now, he thinks of what a crazy day he’s had.

His eyelids close, and he drifts off.

*************************

Three weeks previously…

An alarm goes off in Derek’s room. He stretches and opens his eyes. For the first time in quite a while, he can’t help but feel enthusiastic about what lies ahead.

No work, no worries. He had been planning this trip for over a month. The Jupiter Fair.

Jupiter had always entranced Derek. A place where you could be free with just the right amount of human civilization. Aviris 6 was the stuff of legend. Get rich or die within 24 hours.

Distant Love (Part 15)

Derek’s eyes flash from one screen to the next. It’s almost time for him to chat with Maeve again. There is sweat on his brow.

He presses the button to reopen communications with C4365. “This is Moon Sector C. Come in C4365.”

A high-pitched voice replies. “This is C4365, over. Am I happy to hear from you.”

Derek smiles. “What is your status C4365?”

“All non-essential people on board have been evacuated. My mum, eh The Captain wants to know, can we commence the procedure to land in Moon, Sector C.”

“Maeve, and I hope you don’t mind me using your first name. But, we’re going to have to talk to each other an awful lot if we’re going to get through this. I’m going to be frank, is that okay? You won’t panic on me.”

For a couple of seconds, there is silence. Then a response. “I won’t.”

“Your ship was never designed to land, not on the moon and definitely not on Earth. Still, that doesn’t make it impossible. It should be very possible if you listen to and follow my instructions closely. And the ship cannot be abandoned as it’s already on a collision course that could potentially hit a moon station. Now, my first question: have you ever taken control of the ship before?

Distant Love Part 2

Will anyone ever tell me I’m pretty?

She was nearly nineteen and her life experience with boys sucked. She recalled her last messages over the moonweb with Derek.

Maeve: Why don’t we exchange photos? Do you look like your avatar?

Derek: Not really. Do you?

Maeve: Yes, a bit. So, will we exchange photos?

Derek: Maybe another time.

Maeve had thrown the mobile onto her bed. It was so frustrating.

She knew she was wasting her time, over four years of it now, but at times, she felt a strong connection. And she can’t be just imagining it. That isn’t who she is.

Derek was smart, razor smart. And they had an interest in many of the same things – chess, music, and Star Systems Regenade War. That’s where they met. He was a dashing commander of the Kuiper Belt Realm, she a General of Venus Command. Their love of conquest helped bond them together.

Her wrist went off. Time to report for duty. She walked out of her room, the automatic doors whooshing open and then closing. This was the main corridor of the spaceship. Not that it looked like one. More like an old folks’ home. It was filled with old people with walking sticks slowly going about their business on the carpet floor.