The noise of footfall synchronised with the steady beat of her heart rate as she rounded the corridor. If she focused she liked to imagine that the hum of the ship also fell into line with the rhythm of her run but that wasn’t really likely. Still, the thought of it turned the corner of her mouth up slightly. Third shift was ending as it normally was into her early morning run. Like clockwork, NE Ecnaraeppa and NE Emit-No emerged from the turbo lift and paused in their movements as she looped around them returning their good mornings with a hand raise in acknowledgement.

She was a few paces away from the arboretum now and on a whim deviated from her normal route to enter the space. Even at this time there were people dotted here and there. She did a loop before pausing to catch her breath. Sweat stained the tips of her dark red hair at her neck, she huffed and shook out the baggy vest where it clung to her.

Willow Taylor
CO