[Cirrus Station, 4:59 AM, the morning of Episode 9: The Silver Lining]
The rooms of the barracks that housed the station's day shift security were enveloped in a thick darkness typical of the early morning. Most were silent, save for an occasional snoring occupant, or perhaps the rattling of a loose fan blade in the ceiling. In one, a clock shone vigilantly to no one in particular, nearing what was to it the only interesting part of the day. A flick of a circuit and its digits changed in unison to read 5:00, and a piercing beeping began to flood the room, on the lowest volume but singularly loud all the same in this quiet.
The clock scarcely had time to start its second report before a light-skinned hand bolted from the neighboring bed to silence it before any of the other sleepers were disturbed. Nevertheless, a dozy voice sounded from the bunk below, "Do you have to use that thing, Dan?"
Somewhat dejected at the failure, Daniel Clifton dropped down from his top bunk and landed almost silently. "Sorry, Vince..." he said, leaning in to make as little noise as possible. "I could swear I was getting faster at that." He then crept over to his trunk get his things.
His bunkmate grunted into his pillow. "The speed isn't the problem, it's the fact that you're blasting an alarm clock at 5 in the damn morning."
"Well, you can sleep as late as you like, but I have things to do," came the reply.
Vince rolled his eyes in frustration. Daniel was still dancing around the issue. "Look, could you not maybe use an earbud alarm, or do it with your implant? You stick clocks in every other thing you find lying around, I don't see why that would be so hard..."
Daniel paused tying his shoes to look up at the ceiling for a moment, considering the thought. That actually wasn't a bad idea. "Maybe," he said, returning to his shoes. He considered the knot for a second and started to undo and retie it.
"You have fun with your 'important business', Dan," Vince said with a yawn as Daniel started towards the door.
"Later, Vince," Daniel replied, slightly annoyed, as he exited the room.
The rooms of the barracks that housed the station's day shift security were enveloped in a thick darkness typical of the early morning. Most were silent, save for an occasional snoring occupant, or perhaps the rattling of a loose fan blade in the ceiling. In one, a clock shone vigilantly to no one in particular, nearing what was to it the only interesting part of the day. A flick of a circuit and its digits changed in unison to read 5:00, and a piercing beeping began to flood the room, on the lowest volume but singularly loud all the same in this quiet.
The clock scarcely had time to start its second report before a light-skinned hand bolted from the neighboring bed to silence it before any of the other sleepers were disturbed. Nevertheless, a dozy voice sounded from the bunk below, "Do you have to use that thing, Dan?"
Somewhat dejected at the failure, Daniel Clifton dropped down from his top bunk and landed almost silently. "Sorry, Vince..." he said, leaning in to make as little noise as possible. "I could swear I was getting faster at that." He then crept over to his trunk get his things.
His bunkmate grunted into his pillow. "The speed isn't the problem, it's the fact that you're blasting an alarm clock at 5 in the damn morning."
"Well, you can sleep as late as you like, but I have things to do," came the reply.
Vince rolled his eyes in frustration. Daniel was still dancing around the issue. "Look, could you not maybe use an earbud alarm, or do it with your implant? You stick clocks in every other thing you find lying around, I don't see why that would be so hard..."
Daniel paused tying his shoes to look up at the ceiling for a moment, considering the thought. That actually wasn't a bad idea. "Maybe," he said, returning to his shoes. He considered the knot for a second and started to undo and retie it.
"You have fun with your 'important business', Dan," Vince said with a yawn as Daniel started towards the door.
"Later, Vince," Daniel replied, slightly annoyed, as he exited the room.