Something was seriously wrong somewhere. Perhaps space madness was setting in?

The infamous ‘space madness’ was clinically known as Transmissible Spatial Dementia, a condition that could be contracted while in space. It was caused by the effluence of particles and radiation waves from unknown sources. Usually, random involuntary physiological functions served as the first warning signs.

Long-term space travel might be bad for higher brain processes. Since the beginning of man’s journey into interstellar unknowns, scientists have questioned whether traveling beyond the orbit of the planet could have a permanent impact on an astronaut’s mental abilities.

Long story short: it could.

Long-term space flight may harm the central nervous system due to ionized particles and titanium prevalent in the environment.

In fact, guinea pigs have been experimented on to confirm the possibility. Animals exposed to situations simulating space travel and astronaut conditions displayed symptoms of brain inflammation that impair neuronal connection.

According to researchers, prolonged radiation exposure in space may cause memory loss and loss of awareness, ergo the condition called “space madness.”

Was that what was happening to Borja? She looked prepared to raise hell in the gym earlier. Now she was laughing with Giovanni?

Logan shook the thought away. No way she was going space mad. Maybe she was not that mad at the man in the first place. After all Giovanni was not the subject of her disappointment.

Logan ate alone and in silence, watching their circle from the other side of the room. One by one they dispersed when they finished eating and went on to begin their other tasks.

At the moment, Donald was using one of the companies in MacBooks, trying to get GIO to explain something about particle acceleration in space. He was not phrasing his sentences correctly so GIO kept giving the wrong information.

If Logan did not feel so exhausted he might have laughed. Space, rockets, and asteroids were truly all Dr. Donald knew. Semantics and grammar? Not so much.

Logan had already taken a “shower” and brushed his teeth so he decided to rest a bit before making the announcement. Something told him Transmit Day will be nothing short of a crapshoot.

Like he did the first hour they got to a comfortable altitude their first day out of earth, Logan took the closest seat to the pilots’ unstrapped. He did not need any latch so he slouched into the chair and threw his head backwards. His bones were aching.

Giovanni found him ten seconds later. “Hey, man.”

He kept his eyes closed and yawned.

“You good?”

Logan grunted in response. He certainly did not feel good. But it was enough to buy him a moment’s silence. He leaned further into the seat as he took a deep breath. He needed to clear his head.

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Still Logan could not help but wonder why his mentor all but told him that he was going to get his crew killed if he didn’t do better. He was not a second-rate Commander.

Like Gambetti said, he was doing the best that he could. What exactly was she trying to insinuate with that outburst?

Borja knew better than anyone how difficult it was to head a crew. She’d had to do it for the better part of the last ten years, while simultaneously kissing the derrieres of fifteen money-bags who felt the need to pretend to give a crap about science every time they saw her, and one CEO who didn’t even care enough to ever show up, let alone pretend. She, of all people, knew what he was going through.

They were in space, for crying out loud! Nothing could be perfect here. Predictions could go wrong at any time, never mind how prepared they were for it. It was inevitable.

Logan felt his breathing quicken as annoyance spread through his body. Her accusations were unfair.

“You don’t look too good, Foxxman.” That was Giovanni. Again. Couldn’t he go bother somebody else?

Logan popped one eye open. “No dip, Sherlock,” he quipped before quickly holding back his tongue. He really should watch his tone around Mr. Gambetti.

He cleared his throat and corrected himself. “I mean yeah… I do feel a little off.”

“Are you sick?”

Giovanni’s undertone was sprinkled with such concern that Logan had to search his face for any type of illness. He sat up straighter. “I’m okay, sir.”

“Giovanni, not sir.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, Giovanni.”

He chuckled and leaned back in his seat too. He didn’t need any, but he attached the straps to keep his body in place. For about a minute none of them said anything. They just looked around the compartment as the spacecraft glided on.

“You and Borja seemed chummy back there,” Logan muttered.

“Who’s... Borja?” His brows furrowed in confusion.

Logan snorted. “Madam AA?”

“Oh. Jealous?” Giovanni asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

He’d known the woman for a whole decade. Her smile was definitely scarier than it was inviting. She most likely had something up her sleeve. “You were at each other’s throats barely an hour before. I’m worried.”

His baritone voice bellowed into a hearty laughter. “I happen to be a very charming person, Logan. It usually does not take much for people to warm up to me.”

“Why do I find that hard to believe?”

“I am lovable!” he insisted with a chuckle. “You hate my guts though. So, you can’t see it.”

“I don’t hate your guts.”

“Now I find that hard to believe,” he replied, with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Whatever floats your boat, sir.” Logan said. He intended to leave it at that but he had to ask: “Why did you defend me earlier? I didn’t need your help.”

Giovanni shrugged. “Maybe not. But she was acting like a witch on her period.”

Logan burst into laughter for the first time in days. What a description. “She was only looking out for our safety. That includes yours.”

“Yeah. While throwing you under the bus,” he added salty.

“Perks of being Commander-in-Space, I guess.” Gradually, the tension dissipated from his shoulders. “You don’t need to defend me, Giovanni. Everyone has a right to air their grievances should they ever think that I’m putting their lives in danger. I can speak for myself.”

“Totally. I know that.”

There was that damn glint again. Logan knew that Giovanni’s eyes glowed when he was excited. Apparently, it glistened when he was upset too.

Logan had to look away. The last thing he needed right now was Giovanni’s eyes sparkling like a scorned little puppy. “Good.”

“Well, cheer up, man! Despite a certain someone reminding me that I’m completely clueless and not supposed to be here, I got that AA lady to like me. I’m sure you two will make up eventually.”

Logan eyed him when he jumped to his feet. “Weirdly, I actually agree with that logic.”

Giovanni rolled his eyes. “Of course, you do. Quit moping around though. You’re doing the best you can.”

He gave him a slap on the back as he walked away. “By the way, I already spoke to my dad yesterday so I’m going to skip the call session. Goodluck though!”

Logan’s eyes nearly dropped out of his head. He did what?