Free Ojbect by Viola Grace Page A

go.
    With her clothing arranged, she looked around her room and picked up the small bag that she had had packed for the last ten days. She left her quarters and headed for the shuttle bay.
    The world around her was misty grey, and she smiled. She had spent six weeks of the last two months working on her ability to read and function under the mask. She could now move fairly naturally and with nearly normal speed while in the full gear.
    Her timing was perfect. She was waiting near the control booth when the shuttle came in. She watched it on the monitors, and when the connection had been created, she nodded to the guards and headed for the ship.
    The airlock to the ship cycled open. The Kloa insignia was everywhere on the ship, and the men who opened the door for her were wearing white uniforms with the same mask that she was sporting.
    “Administrator Banks?”
    “I am.”
    “Identification please.”
    She pressed her hand to the plate and felt the prick that took a blood sample. Handprints and DNA were the main means of identification on Kloa. It would also be the means by which she paid for everything on her own time, once she earned free time.
    Bella waited while the machine cycled.
    The man nodded. “Excellent. Please come this way.”
    She nodded and held in her urge to stare and poke at all the new sights inside the ship.
    The men in white escorted her to the centre of the ship and helped her onto a slightly angled plank with medical apparatus attached.
    This was the part of the journey she had been dreading. Refrigerated sleep was the means by which many folk travelled through space. The Kloa were not fans of jumps unless absolutely necessary. The crew had to jump twice to get to her, but on the way back, she was going to lose six months of her life. She was ready for it.
    They hooked her up and strapped her down. She leaned back and felt the cold creep through her veins.
    She felt her heart pumping, her eyes burning and panic ran through her. She fought the straps until the sedative kicked in and pulled her under.
    It was certainly the most interesting start to a new job that she had ever had.
     
    A woman in a loose and gauzy white mask and uniform was holding a straw to her lips. Bella sipped, waited and sipped again.
    “Well done. You came through the transport in excellent health. Your digestive adjustment has already been completed. You are good to begin your duties.”
    Bella continued to drink in tiny sips until the beverage was gone. When the straw was withdrawn, she asked, “So quickly?”
    “There is no reason to delay. You are perfectly capable of engaging in your tasks at the court. Your liaison is waiting for you in the outer chamber. Come along. Get up.”
    To Bella’s shock, she was still completely dressed. Her hair and skin felt clean, so a sonic shower must have been involved somehow.
    Her body felt achy, but otherwise fine. The Kloa knew what they were doing when it came to cold transport.
    “Where am I going, Doctor?”
    The woman inclined her head. “To that door. Your guide awaits.”
    Bella nodded and moved slowly toward the door she had mentioned. It did feel weird to identify someone by their voice and general shape. In a way, it was freeing, and in another, it was confining.
    She shook her head and kept walking until she was out the door.
    A man was waiting with a grey uniform and a short collar behind his head. “Welcome, Administrator Banks.”
    She raised her hand in a flat greeting. “Thank you for your welcome.”
    “I am your guide to the court. I will take you through your first days until you have grasped what is necessary to complete your work. Today, we begin with your lodgings and your meals. If there is time, I will take you to the court seamstress for additional clothing.”
    She would have smiled, but there was no need. He couldn’t see her anyway. “May I know your name?”
    “Ah, of course. I am Accountant Tweff. I will be working as your assistant for a few