Meet the Medics
"Don't touch anything if you don't know what it is...In fact just don't touch anything. And remember to stay with the group."
"And if you meet any cute alien guys, take pictures."
"Miles!"
"Oh like you weren't thinking the same thing."
Amara only half paid attention to Clara and
Miles as she stuffed some more gauze into a compartment in her bag. The three of them were crammed into a medical supply room just off of their on call room. A place where Amara strangely felt more at home than her actual quarters. The on call room, with it's bunks and other people sleeping in them, reminded her of her time in the military where she would spend most of her time in the barracks with other people. While having her own space was nice, sometimes she just liked to be around others. Even if she didn't always show it.
"I'm just trying to make sure she stays safe." she heard Clara say.
Shoving one last thing in her bag, she closed it and slung it over her shoulder as she turned to the other medics and said "Relax. I'm only going on a recon mission. It's not like I'm going to Detroit." She gave Clara a friendly pat on the shoulder and the faintest hint of a smile before squeezing past her and Miles to move out into the main room.
"First of all, way too soon." Clara complained as she followed her. "And second, this is serious."
"What's serious?" Amara looked round to see the scarred and ever surly face of
Edward Marlowe. He strolled in through the door and dumped his bag next to it, which made Amara feel like a blood vessel was about to rupture in her brain. She hated how he never stowed his equipment properly and she was pretty sure that he was just doing it to piss her off at this point.
"Mercy's going to the planet." Clara beamed like a proud mother.
Marlowe's expression only turned even more sour than usual as he grumbled "Of course she is." as he turned and headed down the couple of stairs that lead to the large table that dominated most of the room.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Enquired Miles as he leaned his shoulder again the wall next to the supply room, looking just as puzzles and annoyed as Amara felt.
"Nothing." Marlowe answered with a smile that looked painted on as he spun a chair around. "It must be nice being the bosses daughter is all." He slumped down into the chair and turned his back to the rest of them as he fiddled with a comms device.
Amara felt her blood boil. She hated Marlowe and the feeling was obviously mutual. She didn't know if it was because she was the admiral's daughter or because he was jealous she was going to be one of the first people on this new planet. Maybe it was because she was Martian or just because Marlowe was a dick but this guy seemed to have it out for her since day one. There weren't many people who could push Amara's button's with very little trying but Marlowe was one of them.
"My father didn't select me for this mission." she informed him with a tone somewhat angrier than she had intended to convey.
Marlowe looked over his shoulder at her and smirked as he said "Sure." then turned his attention back to his comms device.
Amara knew he felt he had gotten to her and her grip on the strap of her bag tightened as she imagined throttling him. But then she felt a hand on her back and all the anger seemed to wash out of her all at once. She turned to see Clara standing beside her with that smile that seemed eternally plastered on her face. It was a genuine smile too. Amara instantly felt better when Clara looked at her like that and she smiled back at her friend. Well what passed for a smile from Amara anyway. She knew there was no point in getting angry with Marlowe.
"Oh go space yourself, Marlowe." she heard Miles chime in with an Armani insult. Apparently he didn't agree about not getting angry. "You know damn well she was chosen because she's the best medic here."
Marlowe raised a finger and opened his mouth like he was about to say something but Amara cut him off, telling Miles "It's fine Miles." Miles, who clearly disliked Marlowe as much as Amara did, was about to object and carry on his complaint but Amara shot him a look he knew well. It was the 'drop it' look. Miles huffed and gave Marlowe a dirty look but kept quiet.
Amara turned to Clara and told her "Keep them from killing each other while I'm gone." The words were barely out of her mouth before Clara was pouncing on her with a hug like she was going away for ever. Amara rolled her eyes and gave Clara a pat on the back. When Clara finally released her from her death grip, Amara told her "Don't forget to check in on Heywood while I'm gone."
"I'll tell him you said hi." Clara beamed.
Amara turned to Miles then and told him "Do me a favour and get someone to check out the bus. It's been making a weird noise."
"I'll look at it myself." he told her with a smile. She had meant to have a professional look at it and was about to say just that when she remembered that Miles was an Armani, which meant that he probably was a professional. Those guys just seemed to have a way with machines.
"And
Blake..." she began as she turned to the massive, muscular man lying on one of the bunks reading a book. Blake was the kind of person that barely ever said a word but could convey pretty much everything with a look. Amara liked Blake, despite knowing next to nothing about him. Blake moved the book out of the way to lock eyes with Amara who raised a finger and pointed it at him as she said "...Carry on."
"Mmmmhmmm." was Blake's only response before he returned to his book.
She gave Clara and Miles one last look before turning and heading for the door. "What? No goodbye message for me?" she heard Marlowe ask.
She stopped at the door, turning to him and saying "Sure, how about this one?" She then promptly hoisted her middle finger in his direction and held it there until she passed through the door.
After arriving at the Nyx, Amara spent a long moment simply staring up at the vessel. She shared her fathers admiration for good ships though perhaps not to the same extent. She knew the Nyx was a good ship, though she was more concerned about its crew. She had read the files. Files which she wasn't technically supposed to have but she had read them anyway. Some of the crew she had met already, like the Nyx's captain, Anderson. But some she had not. She had yet to meet most of the scientists that would be accompanying them though.
She flipped through the files on her datapad as she headed for the entrance ramp, trying to familiarise herself with the people she would be working with. She could probably get to know them by talking to them but that wasn't something she was likely to do.
