Fern woke to the smell of ginwrit and pancakes.

Her exhaustion from not sleeping for two weeks must have knocked her out cold.

It was foolish to have let her guard down so easily. She’d started to care less about her existence lately.

It's a dangerous game.

If her father had been so ready to die for her, then surely she had to be worth something. The least she could do is not allow her life to go to waste.

But it felt as if she was stepping into a new world. The before and after.

Her heart ached for home and a part of her felt guilty both for leaving and feeling like a child who wasn’t ready for the real world.

Isabelle’s sorrow-filled face flooded Fern’s memories as she took in her surroundings.

Cosmos protect her.

She didn't know how much more of life she could bare if anything happened to the gentle soul who had raised her. When this was all over, she’d come back, together they'd leave their tiny planet for the stars.

First, she had to figure out where the hell she was even going.

Oh and how to lose the assassin’s presumably trailing her.

Fern had zero knowledge of who might have wanted her father dead. He was more of a mystery to her than she had realized. The pit in her stomach twisted further.

Why hadn’t he trusted her?

Noting the empty pilot seat, Fern cracked her neck and rubbed her eyes. Luckily she usually only opted for a smear of blush or she’d look like a raccoon. She couldn’t fully remember when the last time she had gotten more than an hour’s night of sleep.

Of course, her body chose a stranger’s ship to finally relax.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed, as the glass frame around her only showed stars. A small part of her felt a twinge of excitement.

So this was what her father had been hiding from her.

The mild sense of thrill quickly left as Fern remembered why she was here, to begin with.

How long does death plague one’s mind?

She had a feeling it would never fully leave.

Fern tentatively exited the cockpit, remembering she was in a foreign space. The ship felt fairly large, appearing to have three doors on each side of the corridor that led straight from the cockpit to the exit port. Of course, she had no idea what a “large” ship even looked like, the only glances she had of them were from squinting at Del Station and the small transport ships that brought supplies to Delphi.

Light laughter could be heard in the distance alongside the voice of a young boy.

What was a child doing on the ship?

The last door on the right was open with a warm glow and a trail of smoke curved along the edge.

It was like the Captain came with a personal tracking device.

She supposed it could be useful.

Fern entered what she presumed was the kitchen based on the scent of maple syrup and the sizzle of bacon on a stove.

The sounds in the room paused as the three people inside suddenly stared at her.

“Sleep well?” Captain Lucas gave a taunting smile, his gaze taking in her rumbled clothes.

The end of the joint he had just finished fizzled out in the same crystal dish from the night before. His dark locks were tucked behind his ears, a few loose strands framed his eyes. He had a rugged softness to him, an aura that pulled people closer whilst reminding them to proceed with caution.

“Super,” she replied sarcastically.

Fern attempted to squint at what she guessed was a clock hung on the side wall. Strange symbols covered it with multiple hands…most definitely not analog.

“It’s been ten hours,” said the woman sitting at the round, wooden table in the middle of the room.

She was petite with dark curls and a feminine appearance. A cup of black coffee steamed in her hands as she took a deep sip with painted red lips. Her demeanor was relaxed and unassuming, but Fern had a feeling her curves and the black dress that covered her arms and legs, were only one layer of her personality.

Fern blushed at the further reveal that she was severely behind on the times. Literally and figuratively.

The ship was cozier than she expected, a lot of the rooms had been paneled with dark, stained wood and subtle flourishes of color were scattered from intricate light fixtures and tapestries. Probably not the smartness for preventing any type of fire, but the atmosphere was far more relaxing than the stark metal gray of Del Station.

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“I suppose it’s time for introductions,” the Captain spoke, remembering Fern was a stranger to the crew.

“I’m Scarlet,” the woman answered before the Captain had a chance to speak.

She seemed sure of herself, a quiet confidence that Fern both admired and felt a slight intimidation from. Her deep, ebony skin was radiant and she greeted Fern with a genuine tone.

Fern gave a forced smile, unsure of how to pretend she was here for something other than the fantastical messages of her dead father.

A loud cluck of metal sounded from the corner of the room.

The smell of burning began to permeate the air as Fern finally noticed a young boy who appeared to be attempting to make the pancakes that had drawn her in.

“God damn it,” the young boy cursed with red cheeks.

“Language Seb,” Captain Lucas said with a smirk.

The boy snarled in reply.

“My younger brother. He’s a absolute doll,” Captain Lucas drawled with thick sarcasm, further annoying Seb.

As Fern took a second look at the boy she could see the faint resemblance. They each had the same ivory skin that reflected like Reka’s light. However, Seb’s hair was closer to a honey brown, and light freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of his nose.

She wasn’t exactly sure if a spaceship was the best place for a boy who looked hardly thirteen, but who was she to judge?

“It’s nice to meet you both. Can I help at all with breakfast?”

Fern posed the question to whoever wanted to answer.

“I like her already,” Seb instantly replied.

“You can grab some plates from under the sink over there. It’s nice to have a person willing to move around here, Lucas and Scarlet just like to sit around all day.”

He flipped his final pancake onto a tray with bacon and some type of pink fruit that resembled strawberries.

Fern grabbed plates, happy to have something to do as Lucas gathered utensils.

“Wow look at that! You’re already inspiring Lucas to be proactive. An inspiration,” Seb said in a tone that only a sibling would use to provoke the highest level of annoyance from his brother.

Lucas however didn’t appear to be bothered. In fact, he seemed happier the more his brother taunted him. A soft grin rested on his face as he ruffled Seb’s bed head further.

“Pretty sure I’m the one who does stuff around here. Someone has to keep the ship running,” Scarlet said with rolled eyes.

To the untrained observer, it appeared as irritation, but Fern noted the affection behind the statement.

“Are you the ship’s engineer?” Fern asked unsure of the correct term to use for her job title.

“Engineer, mechanic, repair women, whatever you want to call it.”

Scarlet plunked a pancake and two pieces of bacon on her plate with a sigh of happiness.

“God I love food.”

Fern gently laughed trying to relax in the new environment. She had never been good with new people. Her whole life she had been around the same ones. The only times she had come in contact with outsiders was at Belle Cafe, but Isabelle always warned her to be weary of patrons.

“You can never be sure of people’s full intentions love,” she’d say.

Those warm eyes flashed into her mind and Fern’s heart pulled in grief. She hoped no harm had come to Isabelle during her quick leaving.

As if Lucas could sense her drifting mind, he chucked a plate in front of her piled high with food.

“Better eat up. Long month of traveling ahead,” he winked.

Fern’s stomach dropped.

“A month?”

Of course, she hadn’t even thought to ask how far Teliall was from Del Station. Fern had been running on pure adrenaline and insomnia.

“Did you tell her anything Lucas,” Scarlet said.

“Oh you know just quick introductions, seemed like she was in a hurry,” Lucas looked at her with an air of question but didn’t press further when Fern didn’t reply.

The pancakes were nearly as good as Isabelle’s, fluffy with a hint of vanilla and slathered in butter. She cleaned her plate within minutes, realizing it was the first full meal she had eaten since her father’s passing.

“Man when was the last time you ate,” Seb raised an eyebrow as he gathered everyone’s dirty dishes. It seemed they had also devoured the teen’s cooking.

“I’m sorry, it’s been a rough month. That was the best meal I’ve had in weeks. Thank you.”

Fern meant it. It’s not like she was staying at bed and breakfast. She appreciated the hospitality the small crew had immediately provided her.

“Hey, no need for apologies, cooking good food is my purpose in life. One day I’ll be a world-class chef. Top in galaxy.”

Fern smiled in gratitude. Quite the big dreams, but he was at the age where if he kept those beliefs with him, then perhaps he could accomplish anything.

“Alright, well it’s time for my midmorning nap, so I’ll be in my cabin.”

Scarlet strolled out of the room before turning around.

“You did show Fern her cabin right Luca?” She gave him an accusatory stare as if she already knew the answer.

The cute nickname didn’t match the gruff captain standing before her.

Luca rolled his eyes before replying.

“Sorry Scar, she just looked so peaceful.”

The words came out with a tone that hinted that was only half of his reasoning. The other was likely not caring where the stranger decided to close her eyes. After all, it’s not like she had asked. Fern felt a tinge of frustration that she could have been sleeping somewhere that hadn’t wrecked her neck.

“Follow me,” Scarlet called out, disappearing down the hall.

💫

Fern tucked her rucksack, containing her father’s book, a few changes of clothes, and a handful of photographs inside one of the cubbies built underneath the small bed Scarlet had shown her.

Her entire life in a bag.

She pulled out the book and glared through the empty pages.

God, she needed another message.