Mazaa perched on a worn stool in Weber’s Place, nursing a beer she didn’t really want.
Hanging out at the only bar in town got old, but her empty apartment held even less appeal after a long transport run to Odin II. And there weren’t many options for socializing in the mining town of Odin North.
This wasn’t the life she’d envisioned when she enrolled in pilot training. This gig paid her student loans and then some, but flying the same loops at the back-end of the galaxy wasn’t her dream job. Definitely not.
She’d had some doubts about her life choices before the crash on Odin II [~ed: Episode 20], but now? Well, there was nothing like waking up in a hospital with a million tubes connected to your body to make you rethink everything.
The interplanetary pilot’s life sounded so glamorous, but nobody warned her about how lonely it could be.
With a sigh, she motioned for a second beer.
Mazaa paused mid-sip, catching a glimpse through the window of Dr. Peyton Putnam walking with her night razor on a leash. A young boy, probably one of her patients at the Odin Pediatric Clinic, ran up to her holding a teddy bear. They spoke as Peyton studied the bear. After a moment, she pulled a bandage from her pocket and stuck it on a paw.
The boy grinned, and Peyton flashed a smile that could power a freighter for months.
How was a woman like that single?
They’d never spoken, but Mazaa had been interested since the first time she saw her.
Mazaa glanced down at her scarred hands and rumpled flight suit. She sighed again. Peyton was definitely out of her league. No way was Mazaa going to make a fool of herself asking her out.
Throwing a couple of bills onto the counter next to her half-full mug, she stood up. She had an early morning run to Odin IV, and it was getting late.
§
Mazaa was up early the next morning, inspecting her assigned ship in Transport Hanger Delta. She was halfway through the preflight check list when she caught the scent of smoke.
Voices echoed out from the long-term storage bay.
“Fire! Fire!”
“Evacuate!”
A shrill alarm blared.
She turned and sprinted toward the nearest exit, but couldn’t outrun the thick wall of smoke billowing through the transport hanger.
Choking on acrid fumes and eyes burning, Mazaa raced forward blindly.
Pain flashed through her skull, and then darkness.
§
When she opened her eyes again, she was staring straight up at a bright light. Thoughts slowly started to congeal in her mind.
Shouting. Smoke. Pain.
Her hand went to her forehead. She groaned.
Turning her head took monumental effort. She was lying flat on her back on the table in an examination room. At least she wasn’t in a hospital bed this time.
Paper crinkled as she shifted. Moving made the world ripple. A web of light spread out around her in waves. Visions flicked in front of her eyes.
How hard had she hit her head?
Panicking, Mazaa wiggled her toes and fingers. Limbs seemed to be in working order, but a parade of ghostly images continued to shimmer around her. It reminded her of the time she tried mine mushrooms, but these hallucinations looked more real and lasted longer.
Cold sweat beaded on her neck. She was hurt and alone. Again.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a door creaking open.
Peyton Putnam entered the room. Her hair was a mess and her smile forced. Odd beams of light came from her too. Her body looked solid, but it wasn’t clear if she was real.
“Hi. I’m Dr. Putnam. I’m here to check on you. Glad to see you’re awake.”
None of the other images had spoken. So probably real.
“But you’re a pediatrician,” Mazaa rasped.
“Yes, but I’ve worked in an emergency room previously. There were multiple injuries during the fire. All available medical personnel were asked to help.”
Suddenly, Mazaa saw a flash of a younger Dr. Putnam working in an unfamiliar clinic. Was this the past?
A wave of images rolled over Mazaa, all younger versions of Dr. Putnam. Usually working or studying. Often alone. And sad in so many of them.
Before she could stop himself, Mazaa blurted out, “Are you still lonely?”
Dr. Putnam looked surprised, but quickly composed herself. “Let’s focus on you. Does anything hurt other than your head?” She pulled out a medical scanner and directed it towards Mazaa. “The EMTs pulled you out first. They reported that you didn’t have any visible burns, but it looks like you inhaled smoke.”
“Sorry. It’s just…” Mazaa wasn’t sure if she should try to explain about the vision of the other woman’s past. Or possible lives? It was all confusing.
“No problem. Not the weirdest conversation I’ve had today. Are you experiencing hallucinations?” Dr. Putnam flashed a light into Mazaa’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“Boxes of koblyx mushrooms were in the storage room that burned in the fire. The constable thinks it was smugglers. Bottom line, the smoke you inhaled contained trace amounts of the mushrooms. Have you heard of them?”
Mazaa nodded.
“I’ve read they can be very disorientating. We know more about ingesting them as opposed to inhaling, but there shouldn’t be any long-term effects. But you may have a few interesting days until everything is out of your system.”
Mazaa tried to pay attention to her words, but the images were whirling even faster. It was distracting.
She shook her head to clear it.
Dr. Putnam looked at her intently. “Are you feeling okay? You hit your head pretty hard.”
“It’s not too bad.”
With a concerned look on her face, Dr. Putnam reached out to examine Mazaa’s head. The movement caused the web of light around Mazaa to merge with the beams coming from the doctor.
New visions formed, even more vivid and almost solid.
Mazaa’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you dizzy?” Dr. Putnam pulled out the medial scanner again.
Mazaa didn’t respond, too absorbed in what she was seeing.
The scenes shifted quickly, but there were some images that appeared over and over again: The two of them curled up on an unfamiliar couch. A white dress. Tiny chubby feet waving in the air.
Did this mean there was a chance? Maybe Dr. Putnam could be interested?
Before she could talk herself out of it, Mazaa blurted out, “Do you want to get dinner?”
“I promise I’m almost done. I’ll make sure we get you something to eat soon.”
“No. Would you like to have dinner with me? On a date?”
Dr. Putnam paused and her eyes locked onto Mazaa’s. They stared at one another for several heartbeats before she turned on her megawatt smile. “For the moment, you’re my patient, and you’ve had a hell of a day. How about you ask me again in a month or two if you still want to.”
That wasn’t a no! “Okay, I can do that.”
“Some things are worth doing the right way, don’t you think?”
“I do, let’s do it right.” And then, just because Mazaa liked the sound of the words, she repeated, “I do.”
New to Odin III? Find out what you’ve been missing!
Check out The Complete Episode Guide.
Coming Tuesday: Episode 46, “Token of Affection,” by Gustavo Bondoni
Kimberly Ann Smiley was born and raised in California but now lives in Mississippi after an unexpected plot twist. She has several pieces of paper that claim she is a mechanical engineer and none that mention writing, but has decided not to let the practical decisions made in her youth define the rest of her life. Her stories have appeared both here on Stupefying Stories and in Daily Science Fiction and Sci-Fi Shorts.
Learn more at https://kasmiley.wordpress.com/
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