Galactiquest

“Hiii Junzie!”

The masked star ranger halted work to look over at Roxie. They took off their helmet to reveal...Oh. Oh! It was Mia, not Jun, as Roxie initially thought. Nevertheless, she was happy to see a friend!

“Oh, Roxie. I wasn’t expecting you to be here…” the freckled girl spoke in her usual cautious tone. Her mood brightened up a little. “Hi.”

“Hi Mia, is Jun here?” Roxie searched around by cupping her hands around her eyes to form binoculars, as if Jun could be hiding in a room as small as this. Mia let out a soft chuckle. Exactly one syllable’s worth of a chuckle.

“Isn’t she supposed to be with you?”

This room, lined from wall to wall with glowing pipes, never ceased to amaze Roxie. Cyan goo illuminated the intricate tubing from the inside. Just what was that goo made of anyway? Maybe Mia knew of the tubes’ secrets. The dim glow of the generator room gave it a magical touch, perfect if it were to be a setting in The Adventures of the Great Roxaelia. Or just The Great Roxaelia? It was a working title. Either way, a forest filled with whatever this blue slime was would be really neat! Though maybe a forest was too cliche...Thankfully, Roxie remembered she was in the presence of her trusted second opinion!

“Is journeying through an enchanted forest too overdone?” Roxie nearly pressed her face against the pipe nearest to her. “Whatever this goo is would fit perfectly if I had Roxaelia travel through a forest, but I don’t want to retread beaten ground too much.”

“I think you could put a spin on it to keep it fresh. Knowing you, that won’t be a problem!” So it was cliche. Roxie appreciated Mia believing in her, but that didn’t get her any closer to figuring out the most fitting usage for the mysterious substance. “Were you looking for Jun for something…?” Mia repeated.

“Oh yeah! I just finished up my shift with--” Roxie struggled to find a way to word the sentence without casting her friend’s identity in the spotlight. “We just finished up our shift and I think Jun went to take a shower, but now I can’t find--!” Sheepishness overcame Roxie upon realizing she knew where Jun was the entire time. “I forgot!” She poked the side of her head comedically before leaning in Mia’s direction. “Anyway, what are you doing?”

“I was just sorting out a clump of magnets.” Mia hovered over an opening leading into one of the pipes. Roxie remembered her using some kind of stick to separate the slime from the black dots within it when she first entered the room. They kept the ship running.. She didn’t quite understand how they worked other than something about ferro-fluids and friction. Actually, now might have been a good time to ask Mia.

“Hey Mia, how does the generator work again?” She crouched down beside Mia to get a better look.

“Oh! Um, you see these magnets?” Mia began. She brushed a bang from her face. “Since they attract each other, they push the slime along with it. Eventually, they get to the generator.” Roxie’s eyes followed to where Mia pointed. Behind them, the pipes converged into a complex-looking, boxy hunk of machinery.

Applying what she studied of the human body, Roxie assumed a complicated structure like that could break down from even the tiniest of interferences. Fixing that thing looks like a steep challenge, not meant for the faint of heart. It looked so important, too. Roxie feared to think of what might happen if the generator broke down, but her curiosity compelled her to ask anyway.

“What mysteries must lurk in that intricate box? We don’t depend on it for our survival, do we?” It might have been a grandiose way of asking, but Roxie needed to confirm whether the ship’s power system was as 100% infallible as she had been told. She also didn’t want Mia to know how worried she was.

“Oh no, the only really important thing in there is the fan. When the magnets and goo--why don’t we have a technical name for this stuff? I feel like a baby for calling it goo and slime!”

Roxie giggled at Mia’s complaint. She knew moments like this were something only she got to see. “May I suggest plasm?”

“Oh, that’s really great Roxie! You’re a lifesaver!” Mia’s entire face lit up, and not just from the goo. Roxie could pinch her rosy, freckled cheeks right this instant, but Mia was the type of person who valued personal space. Unfortunately, she’d have to abstain. For now.

She always found it endearing how Mia so openly looked up to her. This was nothing like the shy, closed off girl Roxie met last year. Wait, what were they talking about?

“So, anyway, when the magnets and plasm pass the fan, they spin it, creating the friction that powers the ship. All of it’s mechanical, so there’s no motors involved.” Mia continued sorting the magnets. “The most we have to worry about are these magnets getting clumped together and stopping the flow of the plasm, which is why I’m here now!” She smiled at Roxie.

“So you’re separating them? What if they were friends?” Roxie’s heart bled for the imaginary relationships of the magnets. “What of the bonds they forged together? You can’t just break that up! They’ll be shattered!”

“I’m afraid I must.” Mia calmly replied; her smile is thinly veiled. She continued separating the magnets heartlessly. “Their pining for one another drives things along, much like a cheap romance novel.”

Roxie snickered, not expecting that comparison. Mia joined in.

“You thought that was funny?” The freckled redhead told her, stifling her own laugh. “Uh, thanks. I’m not really much of a jokester. In fact, I was worried I sounded hopelessly nerdy. Which I am, but…”

“Ho ho! You forget that I am a nerd too.” the curly, non-freckled redhead reminded her.

“You’re the cooler nerd!” Mia argued back. “Actually,” she laughed, “that’s why it was so hard for me to open up to you at first. I thought you were way out of my league.”

“Noooo! What made you think such a thing? I will personally banish the thought from your mind!” Roxie drew out an imaginary rapier, threatening to slice Mia’s self-deprecating thoughts in half.

“You were so friendly and held conversations so easily. It’s like you could talk about anything! And I can only talk about…books? Maybe some geology and physics? It’s not easy to find people who are interested in that. So I don’t talk much! Since you seemed so confident and social, I…” Mia looked away bashfully, then made eye contact with Roxie again. “I-I dunno, I just assumed that you were someone with cooler hobbies and wouldn’t be interested in what I had to say.”

“Ohhh, silly Wattson! I could listen to anyone talk about almost anything! Especially you. I could listen to your voice all day.”

“M-my voice??” Mia stammered, almost dropping her sorting stick into the pipe. She quickly retrieved it. “Oh, wouldn’t want that getting stuck. Then we’d have to reset the whole system.” That would be tragic. Roxie remembered getting assigned help place tiny magnets into the plasm. It was a tedious, painstaking process, and though this was a much smaller ship than the one she originally worked on, she still didn’t look forward to it.

After averting the crisis, Mia picked up the subject again. “You like my voice…?”

Roxie was genuinely shocked that Mia was genuinely shocked by this compliment. Mia had such a distinct voice, after all. “Yeah, it’s really soothing, like a caress to the ears. Has no one told you this before?”

“Roxie!” Mia chided. “You’re going to make me blush!”

“You already are.” Roxie held back a chuckle as Mia rushed to cover her face. “Aren’t you adorable!!”

The flustered ranger groaned, descending into laughter. Roxie continued laughing with her until they both settled down. “Thanks, Roxie.”

“You’re welcome! I’m actually surprised you thought I was confident.”

“You’re not?”

“I am more now since we know each other better, but to let you in on my dark secrets, the enigmas of my mind, sometimes I talk a lot because I’m nervous.” Roxie remembered spitballing different conversation topics at Mia just to see if any stuck. Time and again, each came to an abrupt end.

“Oh, were you nervous talking to me…?”

“Yep~!” Roxie nodded so hard, it sent her curly mass of hair flying forward.

“I would’ve never guessed!” Mia scoffed, surprised. “M-me too, but I’m the complete opposite. I completely shut off when I’m nervous, so that must’ve been a nightmare for you. I’m so sorry about that!”

“Do not worry, my dear Wattson.” Roxie reassured her freckle-dusted friend, “We both navigated the waters of social awkwardness together and conquered them with the might of the fiercest sailors!” She made a triumphant fist. “Our friendship has thrived to spite it!”

“I’m glad it has.” A thoughtful tone clung to Mia’s words. “I just-- Wow, I… I can’t believe I tried pushing you away.” She smiled. “I thought you were just trying to befriend me out of pity at first.”

Guilt pierced through Roxie’s being. She thought back to when she saw Mia by herself at the Moon Base cafeteria. She did pity her.

“Even if you were,” She continued, not appearing to notice Roxie’s turmoil, “at least you didn’t use me to see where the best restaurants were. Like I could even get in with the mandates. Heh.”

“Mandates? They lock you out of restaurants? Like a wanted criminal?”

Mia blinked. “Did you not know about that? Wait. That’s right, you’re not a Lunarian citizen are you?”

“Nope! I may have lived on the Moon Base, but I’m legally chained to Kansas.”

“Okay, that makes sense. They don’t weigh the tourists.”

“They weigh you?” Roxie thought the scales outside of the cafes she’d been to were just for fun.

Mia nodded. “It used to be that you’d get charged extra if you were over a certain BMI, but I think some places now won’t even let you enter. There’s a lot of restrictions like that. Malls, movie theaters, even medical places are considering not taking in fat people unless it’s a real emergency. So, not a lot of places I can go. Good thing I don’t have a social life!”

“That’s…” Roxie struggled to find the words. “That’s bad!” She couldn’t stop her heart from pounding. It’d kill her, of course, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Mia said about Lunarian health practices. Some things can be caught early, before they’re an emergency. If people with problems like that were turned away, they’re basically being left to die.

“Yeah,” Mia continued, casual as ever, “it’s a little annoying, but--”

“That’s murder!”

“Huh?” She thought for a moment. “Oh, the medical thing? That’s just something that’s in consideration. Everything else is more or less a holdover from when we had limited oxygen.”

“But you don’t anymore, right?”

“We do, but if they’re letting tourists my size and bigger up there, then I guess it’s not that big of a deal. I dunno, it's complicated.” Mia’s hazel eyes softened with concern. “A-Anyway, sorry for bringing the mood down with this.”

“Do not you mind!” Roxie awkwardly extended a contraction in an attempt to lighten things. More thoughts about Lunaria swam in her head. She swallowed them. They went down like live fish, but it was better not to drown Mia any more with her own concerns. Despite her efforts, one last thought got away. “Leave the past with the dust behind you, as I like to say…. I’ve only said that just now, but I think I’ll keep it for future reference! Lunaria should consider it.”

“I suppose easing up a little wouldn’t hurt.”

“But do not you worry!” Roxie stuck a thumb into her chest. “Your health will always be my priority!”

“...Thanks.” With a heartwarming smile, the natural redhead brushed hair away from her face and returned back to her work.

Roxie kneeled next to Mia as she began separating the magnets again. She sat still, but her mind wandered back to her own words.

'Your health will always be my priority!'

As the Celestion-5’s top medical staff, she spoke nothing but truth. The problem was that she was the Celestion-5’s top medical staff. Not a surgeon, a doctor, nor a nurse. Just her, a nurse’s aide. Sure, she did most of the dirty work when it came to handling patients, but only under the guidance of others. Could she guide herself? Six lives in her hands and little credentials made her doubtful.

It made her wonder why she, terrified of death, disease, and disaster ever decided to go into a medical field in the first place.

Then she remembered.

“Hey, Mia?”

Mia jumped a little. “Yes?”

“Wanna know why I went into nursing?” Roxie twisted some of her curls around one finger.

“Why?”

“This sounds silly and fantastical, but please don’t laugh!” Her hair strangled her finger at this point.

Mia gazed at her with full sincerity. Somehow, it made her more nervous.

“I thought I’d develop psychic powers!”

Confusion showed on Mia’s face. “Psychic…?”

“My mom was clairvoyant! Allegedly.” Roxie held up a finger. “There’s many a tale of her eerie predictions, so I thought… maybe I’d inherit it, but I haven’t yet.” She slumped.

Mia slowed her sorting, glancing at Roxie. “Sorry but… I’m not sure I understand what this has to do with nursing.”

“She was a doctor!”

“Ohhhh.”

Roxie leaned forward to inspect the chunky blues of the plasma. “Going into a medical field might unlock secret powers if I have them. That’s what I thought. Life’s less stressful when you already know what’s going to happen, right?”

“Yes…” Mia nodded sagely. “But. I am kind of surprised. You seemed like the kind of person who’d embrace not knowing what’s next.”

“I like surprises, but only good ones.”

“Fair enough. Have you felt any more psychic?” Uncertainty followed her words, but Roxie could tell Mia was trying her best to support her.

“No… Unfortunately, I’m not magical.” Roxie lifted a hand to her forehead, as if not being able to see fate was a fate worse than an early fate.

“I think you’re pretty m…” As soon as Roxie made eye-contact, Mia hastily returned to her sorting. The fastest sorting Roxie had ever seen.

Of course, Roxie couldn’t help but take advantage of wordplay. “Awww, thank you! I think you’re a cutie-patootie too~!”

“Th-Thank you! I meant to say--” Mia turned away. “Well, even if you’re not psychic… It’s still practical to go into nursing! You may not be able to predict bad surprises, but at least you’ll know what to do when they happen.”

“Thank you.” Roxie’s heart felt as fluffy as her hair upon hearing that. Mia was right. Unfortunately, like a curse disguised as a wish, her knowledge didn’t come without its price. Roxie learned how to mitigate some emergencies, but she also learned many more potential medical crises that could happen, some that still stumped even the best doctors.

But the Interstellar Forces was known for being the safest of the military branches. Surely tragedy couldn’t strike… as often. The possibility remained, and Roxie’s mind juggled possibilities in endless amounts. What could she do to stop fate? What good was she as a nurse? Those answers weren’t clear, but she knew what she must do now: Find something else to think about!

“Hey Mia, do you---?”

Roxie’s tap on the shoulder startled the other star ranger, making her drop the stick into the pipe.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” Roxie panickedly apologized.

“No worries, I got it!” Mia reassured. She stuck her gloved fingers in the pipe, feeling around for the stick. It sunk further and further into the horizontal piping below, and out of her grasp. “Okay, maybe I don’t got it…” She sighed, hanging her head in defeat. “We’re going to have to take this whole thing apart!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Determination powered Roxie’s mental lightbulb. “I’ve got an idea!”

Roxie took off and ran out of the generator room into the airlock, through the kitchen, down the hallway until finally she made it to her work station: the infirmary. Loading as many surgical tools as she could into her arms, she carefully but briskly made her way back to the generator room.

“Are you going to...perform an operation on this pipe?” asked Mia as she returned.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do, and you’re going to help me!” Roxie proclaimed.

Mia gave Roxie a salute. “Ma’am, yes Ma’am!”

Roxie set down the supplies in a safe area nearby Mia. With a loud clasp of her hands, she turned her attention toward the other ranger. “Let’s get down to business!” Roxie sat down. “Hand me the forceps, please, Nurse Wattson.”

“F...Forceps? Um...” Mia sifted through the collection and pulled out what she thought were forceps.

“Those are needles.” Roxie corrected.

Mia pulled out another one.

“Those are retractors.”

Mia pulled out yet another instrument.

“That’s a scalpel. Nurse Wattson, how on Earth did you make it through medical school?”

“I didn’t?”

“I know~” Roxie laughed, dropping character. “Forceps are the ones that look like tweezers--actually, the retractors might work better! Good thinking, Wattson!”

“Oh, thank you!” Mia replied with a hint of surprise. She rummaged around and pulled out a scissors-like instrument with clamps on the ends. “These?”

“Yes those.” Roxie gently lifted them from Mia’s hands. “Thank you, nurse.”

The medic carefully inserted her instrument into the pipe, slowly closing it around the tip of the obstructing object. She slowly lifted it up, but it slipped out of the clamps. Roxie felt as if she would break into a cold sweat. The room was silent.

“Mia, are you breathing?”

“Barely.”

“Please refrain from holding your breath. I’d like for my nurse to be conscious throughout the process.”

“Yes, Dr. Allen.”

“Please… Dr. Allen’s my mother. Call me Roxie.”

Mia shook her head.

Roxie made a second attempt at retrieving the stick. It was more secure this time around, but the surrounding plasm made it slippery. Guiding the sorting stick gently, she shimmied it up the vertical tube. It slipped away again, but more progress was gained than lost. She clasped the stick again, a bit more careless this time, and quickly yanked it up, out, and away from the tube. Success.

“The extraction procedure is complete!” Roxie exclaimed.

Mia lightly clapped. “Nice work, Dr. Roxie.” She had professional and detached before she broke character, adopting a warmer tone. “You really are a lifesaver, Roxie.”

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my trusty nurse!” Roxie dropped the stick in Mia’s hand. “Here you go!””

“Thanks again! It was a pleasure to assist you.” Mia politely bowed in Roxie’s direction.

“Can you believe this was my first surgery?” Roxie’s smile dampened a little when she looked at the surgery utensils. “I probably shouldn’t have brought all of these out.” She chuckled. “Now I’m gonna have to sterilize them all.”

“Oh no! I think I should be able to separate this clump of magnets pretty quick. I can help you sterilize your medical stuff afterwards if you want!”

“Awwww, you’re such a sweetie-pie.” Pretending to be coy, Roxie hid her face.

“Not as much as you are.” Mia returned, confidently at first, but sounding a little shocked as the words left her mouth. She looked like she meant to say something else, but couldn’t figure out what to say. Eventually, she got distracted by the stick. It was covered in plasma. “I should probably wipe this off so I don’t drop it again.”

“Let’s go together!”

“That sounds great...”

Roxie jauntily exited the generator room, with Mia behind her.