Free Space Trippers Book 1: Trippin' by A. Lightbourne

her out. She was out for three days!"

    Tim looked to Lola for help. "He is kidding right?" he asked her.

    Lola just shrugged. "I haven't gotten up to the 'V's' yet in the intergalactic encyclopedia. But it is possible."

    Tim glanced from Lola to Valesque, who's naturally pale complexion looked deathly white beside Lola's healthy pink tone. "You do look awfully pale." Tim observed in concern.

    Valesque sighed irritably as she got up on an exam table to prepare for her treatment. "I am a Virrilian." she said, suppressing the urge to call him an idiot. "I'm always this pale."

    Lola came forward and slid small metallic cuffs on each of Valesque's fingers. Each cuff had a different colored wire, and all the wires combined to form a cable that was plugged into the exam table.

    She then reached up, lowered the exam table’s arm over Valesque’s body, and set the arm to perform the various treatments she deemed necessary for the taser blast. "This will discharge the electrical build up and rebalance all your system functions." Lola explained with a comforting smile.

    "Now, let's see about your hand." Lola said turning towards the Lieutenant and taking his hand as she led him to another exam table across the aisle. "My goodness, how ever did you get such a nasty, deep cut?" Lola exclaimed, reverting to being flirtatious as she cared for her handsome patient.

    "This ship is just full of untold dangers." Tim replied with a knowing backward glance at the reclining Valesque.

    Sanic watched for a while as the Lieutenant and Lola flirted across the way.
    "It is amazing.” the Ensign began leaning in close to Valesque, so as not to be overheard by the other two. "Absolutely amazing. Is that your work?" he asked, his dark, spiky, blonde-tipped hair almost touching hers.
    Valesque who had been resting comfortably as she underwent her procedures opened her eyes slightly and looked at the Ensign who was still staring across the aisle at the flirtatious two.

    "What are you talking about?" she asked, utterly confused.

    "Lola." Sanic said excitedly as he turned to look at Valesque. "She is amazing, did you design her too?"

    Valesque looked a bit uncomfortable as she glanced quickly over to where Lola and the Lieutenant were talking and giggling as Lola fixed the cut in the Pilot's hand.
    "How did you know about Lola?" Valesque finally whispered, obviously upset about the subject.

    "Well," Sanic began nervously, noting her intent and a bit unfriendly stare. "I...uhh. I am a scientist too, you see. I like to build things and to make electronic gadgets. Like these.." he said as he reached down and took two small discs off the bottom of his shoes. "I made these. " he continued, showing her the small, metallic circles. "They are anti-gravity discs. You can put them on your shoes and you can move without having to walk or climb."

    "Hmm...very interesting. I was wondering what you were using. Don't let the Captain see you with those though. I doubt she would approve, she would probably find something in her rule book about requiring movement that involved exercise."

    "Oh, I get plenty of exercise with these, believe me!" Sanic laughed, "They are extremely sensitive, it takes a lot of concentration and effort to get them to move the way you want. They are controlled by body balance and just a little too much pressure in one direction and you can go flying off out of control. I should know, it took me a while to get used to them."

    "Mmmm..." the Engineer muttered trying to see what this had to do with anything, "but that still doesn't explain why you were asking about Lola."

    "Well, being used to making mechanical things, I guess I just have an eye, or actually an ear for them. I have slightly more sensitive hearing than most people do when it comes to electronics, and when I got near Lola I heard that distinct high-pitched sound all electronic things put out. Not that it is very noticeable." he added quickly afraid of offending her. "She