A Thoughtful Mood

Nina Black sat on her bed gazing at the stars in a thoughtful mood. The Arcadia was about to set off.

For safety's sake, little holographic walking rose Rosie had been uploaded into suspended animation for the duration of the journey. Nina wanted nothing to happen to her cherished companion.

The making tidy of her affairs at the Holographic Institute was made easier because someone had greased the skids rather well. The fact that Admiral April commanded this mission had something to do with it. Nina had applied for a leave of absence while still aboard Arcadia at last minute. Even with a lack of proper explanation, the leave was granted. Normally, such would have been met with great fuss.

The head of the Institute was a rather excitable human man named Hamilton Chalmers, who usually could be counted on to fuss at the over-brewing of his tea. His being English, that was a daily business. Heaven forbid his scones be overbaked! Of course he would never allow anything as modern as a replicator near his traditional tea. For a man in such a cutting-edge field, that man could be so stuck in his ways...but Hamilton swore that tea leaves tasted 'just different' out of replicators...The thought brought a smile to Nina.