Stargazer - Segregation

Chapter Thirteen - Small Steps

Riley and Wylie are working on the simulator. They have to adjust them for the new pilots and put them in with the other three Horizon data. This is no hard work for them, yet it seems tedious, at least for her.

"Did you do the H-02 yet?" she asks as she walks into the room.

"Yes," he replies and crawls back up from down under the seat. "Every single situation, every single environment, and every single enemy we've seen. So yes," he walks closer. "Pretty much everything."

"Okay, good. Do you remember what happened last time? Jason scolded us so badly," she huffs.

"Yes, I remember you cried," he raises an eyebrow. "A lot."

"Stop it," she says as he leaves the room. "I didn't cry because of his words. There was just a fly inside my eye!"

Henry walks in with his training clothes as Wylie leaves the room with a scent of disrespect on her. He took a break and heard them talk. Listening to Riley is a reason to step inside for him.

"You cried? Why?"

She looks at him and sighs heavily, which makes her leave with rolling eyes onto him.

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" he asks to the walls staring into nowhere.

Wylie just shrugs at him.

"Everyone, please listen," says Logan in a harsh, loud voice. "As of tomorrow, the Simulator training will begin. Since we only have one, we will switch every week until you guys are ready," he nods towards the three. "We will start with Michael because he is the most advanced in the training. Galina and Henry, you continue for the rest of the week. We shall see who will follow him."

"Is it really as if we would be inside a machine?" asks Galina.

"Yes, it truly is," he takes a little break in between his words. "As the name would suggest," he smiles. "It simulates everything."

Suhana is outside in the hallway, trying to clean the wall's surface from the training room. Sometimes, she looks inside to watch Galina. However, today she can't do that. Her co-worker Pam cleans with her today.

"Are you lost in thoughts?" she asks.

"No," says Suhana. "I was just thinking about how dirty these people are in here! They are never cleaning anything. It looks like a dumpster!" angrily she swings her arm around to clean the wall with her sponge.

Pam laughs. "Before you came, I had to do this all alone. And trust me, even if you clean it today, tomorrow it will be dirty again. It's not just the people that make the dirt. It's the walls that can't be cleaned."

Suhana looks at her with a long face. "What do you mean by that?"

"The more you clean, the dirtier it gets." She smiles.

"You talk so weirdly," Suhana smirks.

"Oh, is that so?" Pam chuckles.

"Kind of, but you know it's fine."

"Let me ask you one thing. Why are you doing this?"

"To make sure I can stay here with my girlfriend. They told us that only if you have a good reason and something to do, you can stay," explains Suhana.

"I see," says Pam. "I am here because I want to be here. Seeing all those people working for a better future is really amazing. And, you can be part of it too, you know?"

"But how can you be sure that they are doing the good?" asks Suhana with a creased forehead.

"If you didn't think that way, you wouldn't be here," Pam laughs.