I snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly and shaking my head as I took in a deep breath. I'd been working too much and I was feeling it. Looking around me at the spaceport, I saw that the security line had opened while I'd been drifting off and I'd missed my opportunity to get in before the lines had started to back up. Checking my watch, I clicked my tongue and forced my sleepy body up off of the bench that I'd been snoozing on. I'd have plenty of time to sleep on the ship.
With my computer bag under one arm and my luggage in the other, I tried not to think back at the job behind me anymore. They had been such belligerent asshats, making nonsensical demands that proved they had no business running a tech company, and they'd worked me in circles for the entire week without getting a whole lot done for themselves. But my contract was fulfilled, I was getting paid, and I was going back home to Titan. I needed a vacation, and I already knew that I was going to spend a very long weekend lying in bed at my condo and just existing for a little while. I deserved that much.
I was happy to see the line moving quickly. I wasn't in any danger of missing my departure, but I fidgeted with my ID and medical card in my hand. I hated traveling off-world. It was always such a pain for someone like me, but the pay had been far too good to pass up this time. As I got closer, my tired eyes scanned over the security officers ahead, knowing I'd soon have to become friendly with them. One was an older woman, while the man working the console looked fresh-faced and a little uneasy. They both wore the familiar Foundation uniforms. The man was new, so this was going to get awkward.
As I approached the kiosk at last, I handed him my ID and began to speak "Just to let you know-"
He interrupted "Busy day, ma'am, just walk through the scanner." Well, he was efficient, I could give him that. I looked up to the older woman and she motioned forward, so I shrugged and did as I was told, knowing what came next.
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A shrill, repetitive beeping noise began to sound from the man's console as I took my step through the human-sized scanner block. Looking back, I crossed my arms and waited for the inevitable as both of them looked down at the console, then back to me. I held out my medical card impatiently, waiting for them to pull me aside to the security station.
They called in another older guy to take their place momentarily while they pulled me into their office, and I complied, knowing this would go faster if I just cooperated. "Arthausen?" was all the older woman asked when the door closed behind us.
At least she was already familiar with the procedure. I smiled and nodded, handing my medical card to her for examination.
The man had seemed on edge before, but he only became confused at the exchange "You scanned with the psionic resonance of a ship core. What's Arthausen?"
The woman spoke up again as she entered my card into her console "Arthausen Syndrome. It's rare, but it won't be the last time you see it. Just a minor genetic defect that makes older bio scanners pick up psionics." she explained, clacking away at the keys.
The man looked astonished "Huh... must be hard to travel, getting mistaken for a spaceship part." he joked "But it's pretty obvious you're human anyway."
"Right?" I laughed "I hate going off-world. I still don't understand why I have to get my records checked every time."
"Just protocol." the older guard said, tapping the man on the shoulder to get his attention on her screen, seeing a training moment for the newbie "See? You just need to make sure they've got this stamp on their record when this happens, that's all. Shouldn't see it more than once every few months, it's not common."
The man nodded "Well, alright, just continue on through to luggage, okay?" he smiled, handing me my ID back.
The rest of my trip through security was uneventful as always. My bags only had clothes and fairly standard computer terminals in them, and before I knew it, I was standing at my gate, mercifully early enough to still see the ship's previous passengers still filing out. It wasn't very long at all before I was moving on board the passenger ferry and taking my own seat, leaning back and sighing to enjoy the comfortable cushioned business-class seat. My exhaustion caught up to me and it wasn't a few more moments before I shut my eyes and once more felt sleep take me away.