3

Chapter three

Gravity

               

We spend the next couple of hours floating around in the flight area, wow gravity is amazing.

Max is still sulking somewhere although I'm grateful he's keeping out of my way.

Sasha loves it, and I can't help but look at Brandon as his face lights up as he watches her, I guess the attraction is mutual.

Brandon shouts out, "so how are you ladies finding it?"  I reply, shouting out from my upside-down angle, "it's amazing."

Sasha laughs as she goes to reply, "Yeah, oh……" she goes to shout out as she spins to the side, Brandon reaches out a hand to steady her, "are you okay, Sasha?"  He asks, she replies with a blush, "I am now." Then they both look at each other, before Brandon says, "come on, let's go and grab a drink before we head into the space bay." 

"What are we doing next Brandon, " I ask when we walk into the canteen.

"We'll be showing you ladies the spaceships; we might be able to take the repair pods out."

I turn to look at him, "what are the repair pods?"

Max walks in placing a drink down on our table, "the repair pod, you'll need to learn how to control them as they also double up as our emergency escape pods, should anything happen on the ships. Every cadet has to learn how to control the pods."

"Oh, Wow," I reply with a smile. We all finish our drinks. I'm pleased to see that max seems to be in a better mood.

Brandon turns his attention to Sasha as he asks, "are you ladies up for a beer in the mess tonight?" She smiles as she replies, "wow, you have a bar at the station?"

Max laughs "of course."

"Fuck this place just gets better and better" I should shout a little too loud, noticing everyone turning to look at me.

Brandon laughs at my embarrassment as he says, "you ladies need to stick close to us though." I frown as I ask, "why?"

"You are the first women on the space station, and there are some who disagree with that woman should be on the program.

Max snorts! Well I guess I know what his problem is now, he doesn't agree with it either, I can tell by the look on his face that he doesn't think women should be on the space program.

I look at them both as I ask " So what about you two?" Brandon is the first to reply' "What about us?"

"Do you think women should be on the program?" I ask, Max shrugs his shoulders, "it can get tough sometimes, and you need a partner you can rely on. I have nothing against woman" he looks over to me as he says it, so I reply, "but?" With a sigh, he says "A woman's just not as strong as a man."

What an asshole, I'll show him how strong a woman can be. I turn to Brandon, "what about you, Brandon?" He smiles as he says  "I'm all for it, it can get lonely up here, and it's nice to have some female company."

I watch as he looks at Sasha his eyes full of longing before he turns his gaze to Max, 

"I've never met a weak woman yet." He says

It's good to know that someone is on our side. I like Brandon. He seems like a genuine guy." I need to work on my matchmaking skills.

Once we've all finished our drinks, we head up to the central bay. I stop as we enter this place is enormous. I've never been inside a building like this, I gasp.

"fuck this place is massive." Max laughs, "Yeah, there are twelve ships in here, each ship has its own space pods inside, the pods hold two people, but you only need one to control it." 

Brandon walks on ahead, "come on, ladies; let's show you around our ship."

"Our ship," I reply, " yeah, you two are now officially part of elite four," he says.

"What’s elite four " max laughs as he says, " we're just ship number four."  " Oh," I reply.

Brandon helps Sasha up the steps, "come one let's introduce you to the rest of our team." He leads us inside our ship; I can't help the smile as I walk inside, im in fucking spaceship, someone pinch me I think to myself as I giggle.

Brandon introduces us to the rest of the team; they're all older than us. The pilot and co-pilot seem lovely. Brandon explains how you have to work your way through the ranks to become a pilot or space engineer; it's almost like being an apprentice. I guess I'm a space apprentice and one day I'm going to be sitting in that pilot's seat—the first female pilot on the program.

I'll show Max and the rest of the assholes who think women are weak.

After meeting the rest of the crew, Brandon and Max give us a tour of the ship before leading us to the space pods, these things are tiny, and it makes me wonder how two people can fit inside. Max climbs in first urging me to follow; he pulls me back onto the bench as he fastens us both in.

"Let's see what you've got lady," he says, I giggle, "lady, well I guess that's an improvement on princess." Max laughs, I'm glad we've cleared the air little. He brings his arms around me as he takes the controls, I stiffen up and feeling a little uncomfortable with our closeness. He then goes on to explain how all the controls work before he asks, "Are you ready to take over?"

I smile as I say, "I was born ready." Max laughs as; I take the controls from him, I'll show him I'm no weak-ass woman, this is day one of working my way up to be a space pilot.

The little pod learches to the side at the slightest touch. "Oh……" I cry out, as Max says "she needs a gentle hand, Megan. "I try again, and we're soon flying around the huge bay. Max pats my shoulder as he says, "I guess I underestimated you, Megan, you're a natural." I smile to myself. You bet I'm no weak woman. My face lights up when he says. "Okay then, how about we open the hatch and take this pod outside, you ready?"

Nodding my head I hold my breath as I fly the little space pod into the double hatch area, the door closes behind us as the hatch opens up, it takes my breath away, as I look out into the galaxy.

I'll never get fed up of that view.