Inside her empty and seemingly abandoned quarters, Alexis computer beeped and trilled at an incoming message that went unanswered. Minutes later a recorded message appeared adding to the small collection of unread and unanswered messages. Later that day, Alexis returned to the R&D lab, she had to double check information from one of the research journals she’d referenced for her current work. And all the computers were being used in the biochemistry lab where she was working this week.
She turned on her work console and was in the process of finding the report she needed when her screen flashed and the list of letters and missed calls. Her parents and Hannah. She’d been busy the first week back, but then there was Solomon…then things went side ways, she guessed. She opened the letter from Hannah. Hannah was signing as always. Alexis, what’s going on? Have you gotten lost in another side project again? Did something happen on your way back to the Ogawa? Are you okay? If you’re stuck in your PaDDs instead of answering me I’m going to come out there and wipe them all clean. Seriously though, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Call me or write me, something, okay.” Alexis wasn’t sure, given everything else going on, that she should answer, but it wasn’t like he* didn’t know about Hannah.

Hannah was the only actual friend she had and they had been friends since the academy. Hannah was, of course, older than Alexis, but during Alexis sophomore year, and Hannah’s junior year, they had had a lot of classes together, and there were endless house and endless late nights, and endless study groups. Alexis’ parents didn’t let her live with the rest of the cadets feeling she was too young. Her father stayed on campus however late she needed. There was something sweet and honest about Hannah that even Alexis was able to notice. She made it a point to include Alexis in everything, not just academics. Hannah had convinced Alexis’ parents to let Alexis live on campus the next year and Hannah agreed to be her room mate.

She typed a very quick message to Hannah, ‘Hi Hannah. I am so sorry. My lab was totally empty and I got to design the space the way I wanted. You can’t imagine the equipment we have access to here. And then I did, I got lost in my work. I’m so sorry. I will try to call you in a few days. -Alexis’ The other messages were from her parents. Wanting to know why she hadn’t written. She sent a similar message to them. Then she downloaded the messages to a PaDD. She couldn’t go to her quarters to read them and she didn’t like dealing with personal correspondence from her work area, just a personal preference. But she couldn’t exactly have them transferred to the console in Solomon’s quarters either. No one was supposed to know she was there, or no one who was watching her was supposed to know. She wasn’t sure she should have sent those two messages either, but her parents worried about her enough without her going silent for too long.

Alexis finished finding the information she needed and then transferring it to ANOTHER PaDD she waved at Borchek and headed back to the biochemistry lab. She was was without Frigga and Kane today and she found she was jumpy and distracted. The best thing to do was to delve into the work and stay there.
Lt Bonner, med research