It’s been a long time since I’ve heard whistling aboard my ship. Not since the battle in the Caligo System that cost nearly half the crew. Not during the long months docked in an Earth spaceport for repairs.
Today, during my walk, I hear whistling from the engine room, laughter from the mess hall, a fragile melody floating along the corridors on Deck 17. Haunting, but real.
A good day for the crew if not for their captain. The ship’s ready. A new mission awaits. I have to tell them.
I cancel the announcement, deciding it can wait another day.
Sylvia Heike is a speculative fiction writer from Finland. Her work has appeared in Nature Futures, Flash Fiction Online, PodCastle, and more. When not writing, she likes to go hiking and looking for birds. Read more at www.sylviaheike.com or follow her on Twitter @sylviaheike
themartianmagazine.com 