Free The Solar Wind by Laura E. Collins Page A

walked Ava home. Ava decided not to tell Wesley about the ordeal with her computer. It was already over and there was nothing that needed to be done now. Instead they talked more about some of his past missions and what some of the other stations were like. He seemed very knowledgeable about the universe and the ins and outs of space travel. It made sense, after all it was his job.
                  “We’ll be heading out again on Sunday afternoon. But we should be back the following Saturday morning. I don’t think we’ll have any more lengthy assignments for a while.”
                  “I’m glad for that. I miss all of you when you are gone. Besides, my pseudo friends from the gym are nice, but we don’t really hang out,” Ava admitted.
    She went to her combination aerobics/strength training class three times a week. Most of the participants were women, however there were a few young men in the group as well. Ava found the class a nice way to increase her physical endurance, especially since physically she had felt incredibly unconditioned when she first arrived on Orionis. Ava recognized one of the young men in the class as the young man that was on The Solar Wind with her as the small group made their migration to Orionis. She only knew his first name, which was Sam. He had recognized her too and occasionally talked to her. He even asked her out once a month ago and she had turned him down, although she sensed that he remained interested. Ava also did not feel like telling this to Wesley. He probably would not be thrilled to learn that someone else had taken an interest in her. They chatted a few minutes at her door and then hugged again before their time together was over. Tomorrow, he promised, they would all go to a show.
    Orionis did not have a blooming theatrical or entertainment scene, however Level 8 had a small theater that hosted everything from occasional plays, movies, and even comedies. Tonight the group would be seeing a popular comedian and then heading to “Lotus” to dinner for some Mediterranean fare. The plan excited Ava. She hadn’t ever seen a comedian perform on stage before.  The comedian was a great success. The house, as usual, was not sold out as shows were expensive. It didn’t matter though, the crowd that had gathered laughed and cheered happily. Ava felt relaxed. She found herself having a great time and could not remember the last time that she had laughed so hard. It felt good to let go of some of the tension. Dinner tasted equally exciting. Wesley and his crew never failed to introduce Ava to something new. In fact, it seemed that they enjoyed, and sometimes were amused, watching her reactions from the new experiences. At the end of the evening Wesley walked her back to her quarters. He stayed a few minutes inside and they chatted on her couch. Every time she saw him she felt a little more comfortable with him. Tomorrow he would leave again and she would be alone. It was a cycle she would never get used to.
    On Monday Ava reflected on her life over the past year as she walked to work. Today was her birthday, she was now twenty-six years old. Despite her tribulations over the past several months, she was proud of her accomplishments with her new life. As Ava walked into the office and past the front desk, Mary, one of the secretaries stopped her.
    “Good morning Ava, there was a package delivered for you a few minutes ago. I signed for it and put it on your desk.”
    “Thank you Mary.” It was early and Ava wasn’t expecting a package. It was probably something work related. “Did you have a nice weekend?”
    “It was very nice, thank you.”
    “Have a good day, see you around,” Ava smiled at her and continued to her desk. She liked Mary, she was always friendly, helpful, and pleasant.
    Ava arrived at her desk and saw a large, thick envelope sitting on her keyboard. Ava thought it strange to see an envelope as most transactions were strictly