Nicolas Wilson

“It’s Thanksgiving,” Ken said from the head of the table, “and maybe it’s just that I’m older than all of you, or maybe it’s that I have more gray hair than any of you- sorry, Bill-” Bill, who was in the middle of drinking a glass of wine, continued… more »

Paul wandered the halls bleary-eyed. He had two messages waiting for him when he woke up next to Laura. The first read, “Come after you finish having sex.” The second clarified, “Not a semen joke.” Paul found Ken in the cafeteria. It had been cleaned… more »

Laura had taken several rounds of the Station. Her legs were starting to hurt from all the walking. And she told herself there was no point in putting things off anymore. So she went to their cabin. She’d waffled several times on whether it felt… more »

“Your son is adorable,” Laura said, “and I love him, but he is an inhuman monster.” “I take it you had to change him,” Maria asked, bemused. “I’m not so sure,” Laura said. “I kind of think I was covering up a war crime, that the ICC is going to… more »

“This seems like an unnecessary precaution,” Clod said. “Yeah, well, if you hadn't rebuffed my sexual advances, I would have probably given you an STD, and then you'd have nothing to worry about,” Rica said with a grin, before locking the cabin behind… more »

“It’s really weird,” Paul said. “What?” Rica asked. “Living with two women- this feels a lot like Three’s Company.” “Only without all the sexual tension?” Rica asked. “Hey, I tried,” Clod said. “Admirably,” Paul said. “I’ve had roommates, but… more »

“We don't have to go yet,” Rica said, almost whining. “True,” Clod said, and was happy for once to be talking to someone in the same room. “But there's also no real reason why we shouldn't. In fact, it's about the perfect time for it. If we wait even… more »

“How’s it going?” Rica asked Levy. “Damnit,” he said, setting down his tablet. “What?” she asked, her voice suddenly sharp and high. “Oh, nothing,” he said, and smiled. “Just, the Sabatier reactor… it seems like there should be an easy joke about… more »

“You don't have to stay up here,” Paul said. “One of us was always going to have to,” she said. “And Perseus has taken enough damage I don't really trust all the automated systems to behave like they're supposed to. I'm much more comfortable staying… more »

Levy sighed. “Okay. Some of you have probably figured out we've got more cargo than we're supposed to- and in particular extra supplies. On the one hand, it means if we get laid over on the planet, we're okay. On the other, if we don't end up stuck for… more »

“It's an EVA,” Clod complained, “and I have twice as much training at them as you do.” “I'm more than qualified,” Paul shot back. “And... I need to do this myself. I'm responsible for Martin and Alisa.” “You're not,” she said reflexively. “I don't… more »

“You what?” Paul asked, incredulous. He stared, beleagueredly while the signal crawled to the Moon and then back, and Ken turned the camera so Paul could see the Station behind him. “I’m on the Moon.” “I don’t care if Satan’s flossing his colon with y… more »

It had been a few days, now, since Ken took the trip down the Elevator. Laura was stir crazy. She hadn't had as much isolation training as astronauts usually received, nor had she had the same kind of lead time. So it was all hitting her at once, stuck… more »

He remembered Laura's last words to him: “You don't have to go alone.” Ken finally understood what Paul saw in her- besides the youthful perky parts. But he'd always believed that people went out alone into the world, that community was an illusion, a… more »

“Good morning,” Paul said into the camera. “You've eaten already, right?” Clod asked nervously. “We really are sorry about that.” “It's not your fault. I just... I forgot how much better Levy's food is. Seeing you eat real freaking waffles while I… more »