Episode 8. Herbie 53

After that exterior inspection of the Mercator, we head back down a staircase leading near the vessel's access ramp. We cross it, then enter on the starboard side through the large door: the shuttle bay.

We have barely crossed the threshold when a lieutenant steps toward us, focused expression, quick stride.

Angie's smile says a lot. With her, I can expect the worst as easily as the best. I still stay positive when I see her amused, despite the current circumstances.

I follow them through the shuttle bay, glancing around me. On the ceiling, I even spot a few cobwebs. Charly was not exaggerating when he said this vessel was gathering dust.

We approach a class F shuttle. Angie and the lieutenant stop in front of it.

I watch the two of them, trying to understand what this could possibly be about. Then my gaze lands on the forward flank of the shuttle.

And there, it takes all my willpower not to burst out laughing like an unhinged hyena.

We resume our walk and leave the bay, with Herbie 53 behind us. I glance sideways at Angie. She will always surprise me with her ability to change moods in the snap of a finger.

In the corridors, officers go about their business, greeting one another with a nod or exchanging a few words. The atmosphere is calm, typical of an ordinary Monday morning aboard the vessel.

Suddenly, a crash echoes at the end of the corridor. Hurried footsteps. Hasty apologies. The officers turn around, slightly jostled by an ensign who bursts through at a run, body hunched, hands firmly pressed in front of her crotch.

I narrow my eyes, watching that frantic sprint.

She finally reaches our level and, between two panting breaths, still finds time to greet us with a quick:

Then she immediately moves away, leaving a trail of bewilderment behind her.

We rush toward the room on the left, the one the ensign disappeared into. We have barely crossed the door before we freeze, mouths open at the scene.

With undisguised astonishment, we discover her standing there, pants lowered to her ankles, facing a urinal, peeing.

I immediately head to the sink, tear off a piece of toilet paper, and hand it to her.

We leave the men's restroom and resume our route as if nothing had happened.

If you are wondering what the SonicShuttle is, it is a vehicle capable of traveling at the speed of sound through the underground AspiroTube network, which connects all the Alliance bunkers to one another. A system mainly used for freight and personnel transport, inspired by the Hyperloop imagined by Elon Musk several years ago.

Personally, I have never taken it. I much prefer my dear Ducati.