And yet more Mal & Zoe
And another little pre-series Zoe & Mal drabble, because I was in the mood. (Happens when your team loses and that April optimism goes out the window.)
Much thanks to Hez and terimaru for the beta.
“So,” he stretched out on the ground, shifting his pack under his head, “what was it like, bein’ raised like that?”
“Bein’ raised like what, exactly, Sir?” Her voice came from his right, where she was likewise laid out for sleep that would not come.
“On a ship. Always on a ship. Didn’t you never miss bein’ on the ground?”
“Hard to miss what you never had.”
“So you’re saying,” he leaned up on his elbow, “you’re sayin’ you never lived planetside?”
“Never been a sodboot, no, Sir.”
“Huh.” He lay back down and scanned the night sky.
“What’s that, Sir?”
“What’s what? I only said ‘huh’.”
“Served under you a year now, Sir. You don’t ever ‘only say huh’.”
He considered that observation for a moment. “No,” he answered, bemused, “I suppose I don’t. Just wonderin’… just wonderin’ how I’d manage to live cooped up on a ship.”
“No cooped up about it. Military ships ain’t exactly small, you may have noticed.”
“No, but there’s no… outside. No weather, no horizon, no…freedom.”
“You’d be surprised how many think different from you. Boat gives you freedom to move all about the ‘verse. You know any rocks can do that?”
“Aah, but it ain’t the same, Zoe. Freedom…freedom is when you can mount up and head off on your own, if you’ve a mind to. Ride all the way into tomorrow and still keep going, still see a sunrise leadin’ you on. Feel the breeze, touch the grass and dirt, hear the birds and rivers. Place where you can breath in---”
“---Smelly old cows.”
“Yeah,” he smiled at the stars, “acres and acres a smelly cows. We finish up this war, I got me a piece of freedom waitin’. Freedom as’ll be free again this time. You come visit, you’ll see what I mean. No place like it, the way it gets under your skin...”
He raised his head up, suddenly inspired.
“Tell you what! I’ll teach ya to ride. ‘Course you’ll probably end up better’n me.”
“Probably, Sir.”
“Would figure. Better in space, better on the ground. How is it I’m the sergeant again?”
“You’re prettier, Sir.”
“Right. Right.”
Resting his head once more, he shifted his pack around again. Listened to the sound of soldiers, sleeping or trying to. Looked at a freighter passing out of atmo.
“Can’t be free on a ship, Zoe,” he said softly, smiling again at the thought of Shadow. “You come with me, I’ll show you where to find freedom.” He nodded to himself. “I’ll show you.”
“I’ll come, Sir,” she answered, so softly he almost didn’t hear. “You find that freedom, I’ll come. You find it, I’ll be there.”
Much thanks to Hez and terimaru for the beta.
“So,” he stretched out on the ground, shifting his pack under his head, “what was it like, bein’ raised like that?”
“Bein’ raised like what, exactly, Sir?” Her voice came from his right, where she was likewise laid out for sleep that would not come.
“On a ship. Always on a ship. Didn’t you never miss bein’ on the ground?”
“Hard to miss what you never had.”
“So you’re saying,” he leaned up on his elbow, “you’re sayin’ you never lived planetside?”
“Never been a sodboot, no, Sir.”
“Huh.” He lay back down and scanned the night sky.
“What’s that, Sir?”
“What’s what? I only said ‘huh’.”
“Served under you a year now, Sir. You don’t ever ‘only say huh’.”
He considered that observation for a moment. “No,” he answered, bemused, “I suppose I don’t. Just wonderin’… just wonderin’ how I’d manage to live cooped up on a ship.”
“No cooped up about it. Military ships ain’t exactly small, you may have noticed.”
“No, but there’s no… outside. No weather, no horizon, no…freedom.”
“You’d be surprised how many think different from you. Boat gives you freedom to move all about the ‘verse. You know any rocks can do that?”
“Aah, but it ain’t the same, Zoe. Freedom…freedom is when you can mount up and head off on your own, if you’ve a mind to. Ride all the way into tomorrow and still keep going, still see a sunrise leadin’ you on. Feel the breeze, touch the grass and dirt, hear the birds and rivers. Place where you can breath in---”
“---Smelly old cows.”
“Yeah,” he smiled at the stars, “acres and acres a smelly cows. We finish up this war, I got me a piece of freedom waitin’. Freedom as’ll be free again this time. You come visit, you’ll see what I mean. No place like it, the way it gets under your skin...”
He raised his head up, suddenly inspired.
“Tell you what! I’ll teach ya to ride. ‘Course you’ll probably end up better’n me.”
“Probably, Sir.”
“Would figure. Better in space, better on the ground. How is it I’m the sergeant again?”
“You’re prettier, Sir.”
“Right. Right.”
Resting his head once more, he shifted his pack around again. Listened to the sound of soldiers, sleeping or trying to. Looked at a freighter passing out of atmo.
“Can’t be free on a ship, Zoe,” he said softly, smiling again at the thought of Shadow. “You come with me, I’ll show you where to find freedom.” He nodded to himself. “I’ll show you.”
“I’ll come, Sir,” she answered, so softly he almost didn’t hear. “You find that freedom, I’ll come. You find it, I’ll be there.”