I woke up to find my clothes changed and armlet removed. I was placed under the covers and in my pajamas (black with real
stars as seen from earth printed on them, one of my possessions- Brian made them for my last birthday). I was a bit
disconcerted till I remembered it couldn't have been Roger; he had left just before I went under. That left one culprit.

It's fairly embarrassing to have a mother that gives you physicals; she rapidly comes to the conclusion that it's no big deal for her to see you naked whenever she wants.

"Oh, you're awake, good morning."

Speak of the devil...she walked in bearing a a covered tray of tomatoes and pancakes, with orange juice on the side.

"You didn't have to change my clothes mom, I'd have been fine. Oh and good morning."

"Nonsense honey, I couldn't wake you, so I got you comfortable. You'd best reconcile yourself to stayed there a few days, too. Your physical came back positive for the flu as well as general fatigue. So you're off duty and in bed, doctor's orders. No days of you hanging out late, at least for a few days."

She bolted the tray to the floor next to the bed with it's magnetic locks and shook her head, frowning.

"how you caught the flu I don't know, but no doubt you've spread it to everyone by now. So much work, so close to the long sleep."

Her overly dramatic sigh didn't fool me, but discretion is the better part of valor, so I've heard.

"Sorry mom, it was probably a few days ago during sewage tank seal replacements, you know how those go."

Her gentle bonk on the head knocked loose a smile.

"Not just that, it was overwork! I know how you are, you don't take breaks or take things easy. You've got to learn to, it
ruins your immune system. At least it's nothing major this time."

The way her eyes slid from mine as she said the last set my alarms off...mom never lied to me, but there were times she didn't tell me the whole truth. Like now for example. She turned again, skewering me with her eyes.

"At any rate, stay here and rest. I've got to go do my shift. You are being monitored, I'll know if you leave, and there will be consequences. Have a good day son."

I muttered the usual protests as she left, and then promptly fell back. Just moving seemed a chore, and the food would keep. Sleep was only a roll over away.

**************************************************************************************************

So here I was, an almost sleepless night later, standing in front of the captain in the conference room, one of the few
safe places to discuss Oddball without fear. Viktor was on the bridge, it was just us.

"I decided to tell our current doctor."

He started, spinning a bottle my way. I poured a glass full. So he told his wife.

"What's her opinion?"

"She refused to weigh in."

He took another shot himself.

"Oddball has been busy, preparing the ship for the generational transfer...crew included."

"Yes, I noticed. Any idea what that means?"

Good to know he also saw the emergency clause being invoked.

"That Oddball will brook no dissent. It's counterproductive. One of those choices will be implemented on vote day."

We both drained our glasses.

"I'm going to leave the good stuff in here Smitts, you'll need it. It's in that cabinet there."

"I thought that was a display screen."

"Everyone does, otherwise it'd have been cleaned out decades ago."

"Noted sir."

I walked out, having been dismissed. Completing my shift on the bridge was hard. All I had to occupy myself was the field
of stars steadily growing closer, and my thoughts.

"Hey, wake up Rog. Shift change."

I blinked. Had I really been staring into space for hours? According to my pad, I had. It was now exercise time. I did not
feel like exercising, however I knew I had to; I hadn't done much of anything to day, and didn't want to lose muscle.

"Sorry Ron, at least we don't really have anything to do here."

That led to a question; most of what happened as far as flying the ship was all done by Oddball. So why was there even a bridge crew, let alone a constant bridge crew complete with shift changes? Just to keep us humans busy perhaps?

I was going to drive myself crazy.

I hit the showers, for once, Lissa hadn't been waiting to ambush me. A good thing.

"Hey Rog. How's the air up there in the tower?"

I turned to Seth. Sometimes the bridge was referred to as the ivory tower, not sure why or when that started...it was probably a generational thing. Stripping I picked my favorite stall.

"A yawn fest, like normal. No action at all. How goes the ice ball smashing?"

"It goes well, almost done. Take it mouse is sick? you guys normally walk in together."

"Yeah, flu. We'll all likely need shots soon enough."

Joe, Seth's bookend pipped up from the other side of the room.

"Crap happens. Just a shame mouse is down, we're going to get hammered today."

"You never know, another receiver could step up."

"On our team? Good joke there. Oh well, we'll even things up when mouse recovers and it's your turn."

"That's the spirit."

On the way out, dressed and prepped, I passed Eric who was busy giving Seth a murderous look. Wonder what that was all about. Sigh, sure I'll find out later.

Lissa was a mere 2 steps away from the door as it cycled; if not for the usual L shape, she'd have been able to see everything going on. I'm sure my look mirrored Seth's, all short tempered annoyance.

"What's up Lissa? How are the crops?"

her dismissive gesture annoyed me even more, for some reason.

"Oh they're fine, how are you today?"

"Alright I suppose. What's on tap for the girl's side today?"

"More tennis; I assume it's still football for you?"

"Sure is. The guys can't get enough; I'm trying to get them to play basketball, but so far that's a no go."

"Football is rather barbaric. Someone will get injured eventually, even with all the protection."

She all but purred, running a hand along my shoulder pads.

"Probably, well got to go!"

Once on the 'field' I ran to Leif.

"Yeah I know, he messaged me."

"Good."

"You know, one of these days she's going to realize you're playing dumb on purpose and then you're going to die."

"Maybe, but she hasn't yet."

Eric ran up.

"Let's get the carnage started!"

We accommodated him, and the game went much as expected. The final score was 34-10 in our favor, with the other team getting overwhelmed. It was still a good work out however, and that was the important thing. After a shower and the rounds of smack talk that followed, I decided I'd make my way to mouse's to see how he was. The door opened immediately, as I was on the short list of people that could enter with both parents missing.

"Mouse?"

I kept my voice soft in case he was asleep. due to that I could hear a sound from his room, some sort of tone. Something about it...

"Mouse you awake?"

I stood in the doorway; mouse was sleeping peacefully, but his bed was awake. It was emitting the sound I was hearing, and had a slight blue glow. It also had some sort of small armatures on either side of mouse's head. These quickly retracted back into the bed's headboard, and the sound stopped.

"Mouse, you OK?"

He sat up, obviously groggy.

"Roger you bastard, what time is it?"

"Almost five. How are you?"

"I feel a bit better, just hungry. Good, it's still here."

He started shoveling food into his face from the tray next to him. I decided on a little white lie.

"You still look like crap man."

"I still feel it, just less like it than this morning."

I sat there watching her clean the tray. what could I say? Hey mouse, did you know your bed was doing some weird funky thing to your head? For all I know, it was some sort of medical device...I don't remember my own medical training covering it, but I had hardly been trained in everything.

Somehow I didn't think so, however.

"Your team got slaughtered again, though Leif was throwing beautifully."

"Yeah kind of expected that. Oh well, the team will get revenge soon enough. Well since I'm up, I've got some reading to do; you mind?"

"Um, yeah sure. Have fun with that."

He was in a hurry to see me leave and for once, I had bigger concerns than why that was. I left in a hurry.

*****************************************************************************************

As soon as Roger left I flopped back. I didn't feel bad or in pain but...tired and wrung out; my muscles were still sore. Sleep wasn't long in coming back for a rematch, but like before, the dreams were weird; more like memories.

A young me running around the ship, laughing, playing with the various builder's set toys we all used was fairly normal. The fact that I happened to be in a dress however wasn't. I..sort of remembered that day; I was 6 and Claire wanted to play house with Roger and I, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. So I was dressed in one of her few dresses, and played the baby girl.

Not one of my prouder moments, and I remember being a bit angry through out the day...and about the pictures mom took.

The day I could no longer be allowed in the bathroom with mother, and how desolate I felt.

All the plays where I was somehow roped into the female roles, the others citing my small stature as an excuse; me delivering my lines perfectly as the female leads' friend or maid or whatever, while Lissa the leading lady tried to veil her anger.

The time I got into mom's make up, well before the dress incident.

And more of the same, all melding together. Very odd dream, some of these memories I hadn't thought of in forever...so why were they coming to the fore now?

The last one however, was what had me wake up in a cold sweat. It was obviously me, same face, same body. But this person who phased into being in front of my dream eyes like a mirage had vibrant, laughing eyes and an easy smile. She also wore a rather beautiful dress much like one my mother owned, a dark red number that set off her budding curves exceedingly well. Her laughter chased me into consciousness.

"How do you feel honey?"

The vertigo involved in seeing my mom's face a handful of centimeters from mine nearly overwhelmed me for a moment, then it was gone. After all, dream me and mom didn't look anything alike really. I knew how ugly I was.

"Fine mom, hungry again. Still no energy. Otherwise just fine."

"Hmmm."

She gave me another old fashioned check up in silence, daring me to say anything about it. I wasn't stupid.

"Well the lack of energy should pass, you seem fine otherwise. Might even be able to return to work tomorrow. I'm guessing you have the shot to thank for that."

She was all about an ounce of prevention being worth more than a pound of cure. Archaic measurements as I understand it.

Mom replaced trays and gave me a stern 'eat it or else' look. More oranges (must have cost her half her rations for this many)and some carrots, and a big serving of tofu. I wasn't a fan of tofu really, and mom knew it. but it was healthy and filling, so what I liked at the moment didn't matter.

While eating I picked up my pad from where I left it and started working once more on the ion discharge coefficients.

"What are you working on?"

"A way to increase output of the engines. I think I can get a good 10 to 12 percent in raw speed, getting us to the first location a good few months faster. With any luck, you and dad won't need to stay in cryo as long."

She knew me.

"What are the drawbacks?"

"Well with more acceleration comes more braking. Overall it saves time, but I don't think we want it used in system, the we'd spend too much time braking for us to achieve maximum speed. It might actually prove too fast for our sensors, leaving us blind to our front. I'll check that though before I enact the plan."

"See that you do. I have some reading to do myself, I'll be right in the next room should you need me."

"OK mom. I'll call if I need you."

I was torn...I wanted to spend time with her, I did....but what if I could shave a good year or more off the time they all spent in cryo with this? Risk versus reward. Ahh heck with it.

"Mom?"

"Yes honey?"

"There is something I need your help with?"

"what's that honey?"

"Bring your pad in here, I need a butt to kick in Tetris."

My mom, was a Tetris freak. I wasn't much, but she loved it. She burst back in with a big genuine smile. She wasted no time
plugging her pad into mine.

"We'll see. Unless you've improved or I fall asleep, I don't see you beating me."

I didn't, but we had a lot of fun.

(tbc)