Suffocating Silence

I let the door slide open, revealing the large metal boxes stacked up in the hall. My belongings had already been brought from my ship and stacked along the entryway.

Letting the excitement take hold, I emptied the boxes and filled the drawers and cupboards. The strange feeling that came with the place grew with every empty box and not just the soreness of my joints from all the physical activity. This feeling was similar to when I got my own pod and yet so much stronger. As I finished unpacking, I moved to rest on the bed, letting the excitement fade away as I finally gave noticeto my sorearms and legs.

The place was exciting and new but left me shaken the moment I was sorted. Thoughts darted through my head and panic steeped in with every passing second. Feeling like the silence was ticking away at my life, I rushed to fill the time just like I did ever since I was first recognized as my parent's legacy at the age of ten. If it could work during my legacy training, it could work now. I pulled up my hola pad and navigated to my main screen in search of my work journal.I wasn't picky. I just needed something to fill this void until a reasonable hour of rest.

Pulled up my work journal to check my schedule flipping through the years reviewing the seemingly limitless to-do lists and endless daily plans. Stopping on May 8th, 3175; my tenth birthday, and the start of my dual legacy training. It had been nine years since then, but the memories of that day lay fresh on my mind. As a legacy, my fate was sealed, I would follow in my parent's footsteps just as they did, with the small exception of needing to fill both my mother's and father's careers.

My parent's families were both legacy lines that dated back to the year 2460 when the legacy program was first installed. allowing an accelerated course of study for those who choose to continue their parent's work.

As the anxiety from the reality of my life closed in on me, I slipped into a small panic attack before the need for air drew me back to my task lists. Snapping out of the trance, I forced myself to move to my entry for March 14th, 3184; in other words, today.

As I looked over my schedule, hoping to distract myself for the day, I was left with a dreadfully 6 hours of free time. All I had planned to do today was to arrive, handle the

boarding protocols, and unpack. I didn't have a single thing to do and had three more

hours to use before 2100 when I could justify sleep as an option, though I was all too aware I wouldn't be sleeping till 2400.

After wracking my brain, I decided I could eat something. After all, I had just arrived and had yet to eat today. However, I quickly realized just how disgusting the idea was in practice, almost as disgusting as the thought of being diagnosed with an eating disorder and being forced to lose the job I had worked so hard to get.

With a newfound resolving to eat, or at least choke down a meal before I could hunt for my next task. I moved to my main living space, which had all the basic living necessities, all sealed and firmly connected to the ship. I used my wrist control to assemble a basic kitchen and dining room in the small nine-by-nine main room. It was simple and only held the bare necessities but was good enough to make a basic rice dish in.

Luckily enough, it was easy on the stomach, but I still couldn't help but gag as I attempted to eat the last bite. Physically, I was healthy, but for some reason, I never had the desire to eat and on difficult days the strength to not feel sick after.

Having finished my meal, I washed up and moved back to my perch on my bed to look at the other possible productive distractions.

I finally seteled on revewing my assignment information. After rereading my debrief and looking at the pre-work I had already finished for the genetics lab, I set my sites on starting tomorrow's workload.

With a minimum of two hours to lose, I settled on wandering the facility, checking my route for work, and maybe even dropping by the lab and introducing myself, if anyonewas still working that was.

I stretched again before hopping off the bed and desperately hoping I wasn't overworking my body. I left with my work log and study journal and set off toward my new workplace, the gen lab.

This time around, I was focused on arriving at the lab as quickly, as possible, the closer I got, the less I felt the need to explore. Until I finally arrived at the lab.

Unlike the rest, this pair of double doors was towering heavy doors decorated with warning signs. There were two labels on the door that immediately caught my eye “Genetic Lab Twelve” Indicating I was in the right place and “Plantae Facility” indicating the department I was to work in Punching in my code and praying it would let me in. As the door opened dispite not starting till tomorrow I entered the small sterilization chamber with a breth of gratitude. the room was designed so that you dress in my vacuum suit before being allowed into the lab.

Pulling up the map on my hola pad again, I found Dr. Micondry’s room and quickly realized to my relief she was still here.

She was to supervise me as I worked as a genetic engineer and researcher here at the lab. I knocked on the door to make my presence known to the older woman who had a few stray gray hairs spilling from her dark bun that had pens and pencils stuck in it. I wasn't sure if they were there for ease of use or because she lost them up there, but it was a relatable trait.

“Hello, Dr. Micodry? I’m Iris, Iris Luvits the… new intern.” I could feel my voice shake and my knee's weekend as the words spilled out. If it weren't for the assisted walking aparatice, I might not have been standing when I finished speaking.

“Ah, OHHHHH Oh... oh..., wait, wait, what day is it? I could have sworn…” she trailed off as she flipped through several screens on the computer she was working on.

It was obvious what she thought had happened. It was nice to know I wasn't the only workaholic that was going to be in this lab.

“Don’t stress too much it’s still Tuesday, I came early to see if there was any paperwork I needed to finish before I could start working in the Lab.” my nerves had settled as my goal became clear.

“Oh, but didn't you only just arrive today, protocol says you need at least two days of gravity training before you start work.” there was more confusion than confrontation in her voice.

There was no way I'd last another hour let alone day without any actual work to keep me busy. And let's be honest it's not like anyone really dose the 2 days of gravity training anyway.

“I’d only be doing paperwork. We have Ornax roots coming from Obliv’s ground team tomorrow anyway I’m sure I could help prepare for the new samples… if you would allow it that is.” The desperation to work was so evident it was comparable to begging.

Luckily for me, it seems Dr. Micodry was sympathetic to my need for busy work and gave me a report to revise for the shipment coming in tomorrow.

“Then perhaps you'd like to check over this sample briefing over for me. If you have any question ask ground team twelve, they are in charge of the samples.” It was as if I was a kid again with a shiny new toy.

“Thank you so much I will finish this tonight” excitement flooded my senses and I

started to head for my desk.

“Oh, wait, before you go, comms will be down from 2100 to 2400 so if you need the ground team between those hours you will have to go in person or wait till morning… And don't overwork yourself kid, it’s okay to just breathe sometimes ya know?”

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