(… continuing)

“What is a conversation for after the first traverse?” Marr asked as she joined Dukk and Luna at the table. Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail. It looked clean and fresh.
“I was just quizzing the captain about his knowledge of the DMD,” Luna answered.
Marr laughed.
“How did he get on?”
“He had most of it right. We’ll have to continue another time as his knowledge had a few gaps.”
They all laughed.

“Not having fun without me, are we?” Bazzer announced coming out of the ladder shaft.
“Of course not. How’s the head?” Luna answered.
“You will keep, noob! I see it has just gone six a.m.. You two good to take it from here. I want to get to the gym before the traverse,” Bazzer replied.
“Yep, I’m ready. Marr did you want to eat before we get upstairs?” Dukk said.
“Nope, with less than an hour until we traverse, I’ll hold off. From what Bazzer has been saying, it might be wise to have less to bring back up.”
“Ignore what you’ve heard from me. I am just winding up Luna for amusement value. You two are the fittest first timers that I’ve seen. You’ll get through it with flying colours,” Bazzer replied.
Luna narrowed her eyes at Bazzer and tried badly to keep a serious face.
Bazzer mirrored her odd expression and she broke into laughter.
“Right, gym time. We have forty minutes before we need to suit up again. Watch handover notes are in the system,” Bazzer concluded as he headed for his cabin.
“Stabilisers?” Dukk called after Bazzer.
“Luna, you did the last calibration. What were the results?” Bazzer called back.
“Ninety seven percent, up from seventy eight percent”, Luna answered.
“The master at work,” Bazzer called back as he shut his cabin door.
“Good news,” Dukk added.
“Not that we’d be needing them with you at the controls from what Bazzer tells me,” Luna suggested.
“To be good, a story needs to grow legs. Luna, be wary,” answered Dukk as he rose and headed towards the kitchenette.

“How did you find the hair washing cycle?” Luna asked Marr.
“Efficient, but surprisingly satisfying.”
“Can’t wait. Perhaps I’ll keep the gym session short and give it a go before we are called back upstairs for the traverse,” Luna commented on her way to her cabin.
“Definitely worth it. Enjoy.”

“So, what is the protocol now?” asked Marr.
“First we need to check each other’s equipment,” Dukk said half stumbling on the last word.
Marr smiled, and lifted her arms as Dukk came over.
They did the checks quickly, without speaking.
“Now what?”
“We check the hand over notes and then things will be pretty much as per the last watch until fifteen minutes before the traverse.”
“What do the notes say?”
“Here have a look for yourself.”
Dukk opened up a panel for Marr to read.
“All I see is three dots.”
“Yep, Bazzer isn’t one for lengthy and mostly meaningless updates.”
“So, effectively, nothing happened?”
“Such is the nature of long hauling. Let’s get a walk around done and move upstairs at the same time. Do you want to go first?”
“Yep, sounds good. See you up there.”

Twenty minutes later, Dukk and Marr were in their seats in the cockpit looking out over the Earth.
“Do hauliers ever get tired of that view?” Marr asked.
“It is pretty amazing. That is true.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Dukk smiled.
“The Earth will always hold a special place. But you’re going to see some amazing sights over the next few weeks. The sight here is just the start.”
“Still not answering my question.”
“Ok, the view does get a little same, same. But saying that I am tired of it, is too simplistic. The view might be the same and the work largely repetitive, but passages are never the same.”
“How so?”
“The crew and at times the guests. Complexity is created from the interplay of lives being lived and the routines being performed. The complexity creates the haulier’s experience. It is hard to tire of that.”
“Very interesting. So, without the people there is no hauling?”
“No, machines could haul. Without people, there is no experience of hauling. Machines could never be hauliers. That would simply not make sense.”

Marr went quiet. Looking out the window. Dukk joined her for a time. He also checked the logs. Then he returned his attention back to Marr.
“You didn’t make the choice to join us on this rig, did you?”
“Yes and no.”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Dukk said smiling.
“Touché.”
“Well?”
Marr waved her hand over her bracelet. Dukk did the same.
“I chose to study and prepare. But, no I didn’t make the choice to meet with you two days ago.”
“Who made that choice?”
“I don’t know. I got the instruction from Mentor. I don’t know any more than that. And, I won’t try to find out. As we discussed already, some things are better not known. Besides, do we really ever make our own choices? Take you for example. Are you sitting here next to me because of choices you have made yourself?”
“Nice. I like how you turned the attention away from yourself.”
Marr smiled.
“Well?”
“Persistent aren’t you. Yes and no, Marr. You are correct in that much of my path has been put before me as the only option. And I’ve gone along with it. Isn’t that a choice in itself?”
“It is, Dukk. It is.”

At that moment a gentle chime rang out in their comms and the air around them. It stopped and then repeated slightly louder.
“Is that the fifteen minute warning?” Marr asked.
“It is, Marr. Time to prep the rig.”

(to be continued...)

[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 12 - Traverse (Passage 3 of 5)]

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