Worlds collide

Chapter 4

"Freya, I swear if you spray me with that stuff one more time, I'll ground you till you're 50!" My mother threatened as I gave her another spritz of sugar water, I was so bored that annoying my mother was worth then the threat of incarceration.

"FREYA!!!" She yelled in frustration. As I'm needed for a lot of fieldwork and spend most of my time in the lab, with Tanya, or in my cabin, grounding isn't an effective disciplinary tool, doesn't stop her from trying to use it on me.

"Ok I'm sorry but I'm bored I thought you had work for me to do?" I asked spinning around on the stupidly high stool and making a point to spin faster when I hit a squeaky part, I have the mind of a child, yes we have already established this.

"I never said I wanted your help with work. I told your father to bring you to me so I can keep an eye on you. We don't need you and Tanya causing a ruckus before the mission to the surface." She stated in her no-nonsense tone not even bothering to hide the lack of trust.

"Wow loving the trust mother! What's next an ankle monitor?" I sassed, knowing full well that I had earned this distrustful behaviour.

"Don't tempt me! Now type up this report and recheck the packs to make sure we have everything before we head down to the planet. I must go check in with your father and the colonel for a mission briefing." She ordered, handing me the document and giving my forehead a motherly kiss before heading out of the room. Letting out a defeated sigh I turned on the tablet and began typing but before I even got two sentences written, in walked Hunter and Kai.

"Working hard? Or Hardly working?" questioned Hunt as he gave my back a light tap and moved to the stool previously occupied by my mother. Kai stayed by the entrance looking a little out of sorts.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here? I thought my father would have you guys running around like headless chooks telling everyone what they can't bring down to the planet." I asked as I continued typing, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"And I thought something would've blown up by now! You and Tanya are losing your edge," smirked Hunter. Good god, why does he have to bring that up?

"That was one time and it was contained in like a minute. Let it go!" I returned hoping he would but I guess Kai had other plans.

"Wait, you guys blew something up on a ship as a prank ?" he questioned, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Ok before you judge, it was a minor fire and it was an accident but who knew the liquid, Toren flowers excreted was flammable as well as smelly!" I reasoned

"Or that Sergeant Sanders was a smoker... Oof took a long time for those eyebrows to grow back." Laughed Hunter, I winced as I recalled the incident, that was not a great day, was it funny? Yes, yes it was! Was it worth the year-long grunt work Tanya and I were saddled with as a result? No, No it wasn't.

An hour went by, Kai had come inside the room and was seated in front of me playing with the star puzzle I'd left on the table, Hunter was recounting the long, boring lecture Dad had given them at their briefing and I was checking the last pack to make sure all of our equipment was working and everything we needed was in and secure.

As I was closing the last bag in walked Tanya and Uncle Jacks, which caused Hunter to go rigid, not sure if it was the appearance of his crush or his crush's well-respected father that caused this reaction but either way, Kai and I found it hilarious.

"Hello, kiddies!" greeted Uncle Jacks with a bright smile as he gave a big child-like wave. Tanya made her way over to me shaking her head in slight embarrassment. We all returned his greeting and chatted for a few minutes before Tony and his wife walked in.