"Star date September fourth, year Twenty-one thirty-three, time O nine fifty, Engineer of Legacy Erick Vega, log, pre captains request all crew members are to make work logs and personal logs during any and all mission voyages, as of right now I am cleaning O2 filter seven." Erick talked to a floating orb as he pushed a panel on the wall with a loud hiss the panel slid out into the hallway black gunk coated the filter.
"Note large amounts of carbon build up on O2 filter seven, reminder to punch former engineer of the Legacy in the face if I ever see him, these filters clearly haven't been cleaned in months maybe longer judging by the amount of carbon build up on these things." Erick pulled a small handheld device off his tool belt like a scan gun, punching in a few things on the touch screen before pointing it at the black gunk, a wide laser beam that covered the whole area of the filter and slowly began to move down from bottom to top.
"As stated, I will remind the captain if he listens to these recordings that these filters would be better off replacing half this dam ship." It took Erick about a minute and a half to burn off all the black gunk and push the panel back into the wall.
Erick put the tool back onto his belt and slowly began to walk towards the next panel checking the sleek high-tech computer on his wrist typing something into the keypad.
The ship corridor hummed as the air system kicked on a deep hiss coming from each and every vent as recycled air pushed out a small cloud. With a finial tap on the wrist computer Erick looked around for another second as if he was listening to make sure there was no clanks or bangs or that a giant hole did rip open and suck him out into space.
"Time is exactly Ten O One, air system is cleaned and working at." He checked the computer on his wrist. 'Eight five precent are you fucking kidding me how many systems on this ship are actual working and how many are just held together by tape."
By twelve pm Erick had taken apart and put the air filter system back together at least three times trying to figure out why it wouldn't hit above ninety percent, now he was sitting in the Legacy's mess hall a try of food sitting beside him as he used a screwdriver to adjust the wrist computer.
"Hey there grease boy." Elari dropped her tray onto the table as she sat directly next to Erick, her leg brushing against his distracting him from his task for a few seconds. "What you working on there."
"Trying to figure out if it's my tablet or the ship system itself that's pissing me off." Erick twisted the screwdriver a few times before setting it down and turning the tablet back on.
"Are you talking about the air system look it already smells and feels a lot better than it did, well at least everywhere except my sleeping quarters." Elari scooped up a big spoonful of mashed potatoes and took a bite.
"Yeah, well there is a reason why your room still smells, and it has to do with our messy navigator never cleaning up." Erick playfully brushed his shoulder against Elari as she was chewing.
"Hey not while I'm eating." She smiled and wiped her mouth with a napkin and rolling her eyes. "Maybe a certain engineer could come by later tonight and help me clean up."
Erick stopped working on his tablet and turned swinging one of his legs over the table's bench style seat looking directly at Elari and gently brushing a strand of her black hair out of her face.
"As much as I would love to spend the night helping you clean your room I'd rather not get killed by your dad." Erick gave her a very serious look but was still smiling like a fool. Elari laughed at the comment about her dad.
"My dad has known the two of us have been dating since basic training we both served our two years, and we aren't in the fleet any more which means we can have a little fun." Elari leaned into Erick, laying her head on his chest. "Besides with only six people on this ship its stupid boring I kind of miss the carriers we worked on back in the fleet, don't you?"
"Honestly if I miss any thing about being in the fleet was not being the only engineer working on the ship." Erick wrapped his arms around Elari as the two of them sat at the table.
"Look just one more year and we will have enough saved up to buy our own small cargo vessel and we can take all the nice safe jobs we want in the charted systems." Elari sighed as she slowly sat up and finished eating Erick turning back around to do the same.
"First things first we get our own ship its real food none of this synthetic crap that's for dam sure." Erick said as he picked up an oily piece of meat. "it doesn't matter how new or functional those food synthesizers are still trash at making food."
"Thought you would be used to trashy food from our time in the fleet, though the military did offer a lot better options." Elari said as she had a mouthful of food.
"Stop talking with your mouth full you tomboy." "Erick said as he took a bite of his food.
The day went by as it normally did, after lunch Erick went back to trying to fix the Legacy with the limited tools and parts he had on board, Elari went back to the ships cockpit though the ship remained on autopilot unless necessary, the crew went about their routines Tariq the security chief and ships only security officer walked about the corridors checking off certain items on his check list working out in his free time.
The captain doing who knows what in his private cabin, Dr. Ren checking and cataloging samples and medical supplies and Jiang checking the comms for anything though probably sleeping at his station since traveling through deep space was a very uneventful thing, its true that even in the colonize pirate attacks where a rare thing but one was more likely to collide with an asteroid or something and even that was a rare occurrence today given that most ships like the Legacy came equip with weaponry and shield systems to protect its crew from these dangers.
Even so, the monotony of life aboard the Legacy could erode the sharpness of even the most disciplined minds. The synthetic lighting adhered to ship's cycle, washing the metal corridors in pale morning, then afternoon, then evening, though the stars outside never changed. Occasionally, Erick would find himself staring out the maintenance hatch's small porthole at the endless tapestry of black, punctuated by pinpricks of light. Sometimes he wondered if the cosmos had always been so silent, or if, over time, the stars themselves had grown tired of shouting across the void.
The day's routine was interrupted only by the chime of the comms. Jiang, hair mussed and eyes bleary as predicted, poked his head around the corner. "Hey, Erick, you got a sec? System detected a fluctuation in the port-side shield array. Nothing urgent, but you might want to check it before you wind down."
"Joy," Erick grumbled good-naturedly, waving a wrench in mock salute. "If this ship falls apart before we get to our destination."
Elari stopped by the engineering bay as Erick pried open a panel on the side of the bulkhead, her presence a comforting blur at the edge of his vision. "You know, watching you work is definitely one of the better parts of us working on the same ship." She teased as she got closer to Erick
"Yeah, well how about giving me a hand with this since you want to just stand there" Erick shot back, grinning even as he struggled with a stubborn bolt.
"Maybe I just want to watch" Elari replied, her laugh echoing in the narrow corridor. Before she moved next to him, helping him get the panel off, after a brief struggle with the wiring and putting the panel back on the bulkhead Erick found himself with Elari in front of him covered in sweat.
"So are you ready to hit the gym or do we just skip today and head back to your quarters." Elari moved closer, her lips brushing against Ericks.
Erick hesitated for a heartbeat, a half-smile lingering as the afterglow of exertion mingled with something more electric. "Tempting," he said, his voice low, "but if we skip another day, Tariq might come storming down to drag us there himself."
Elari rolled her eyes, though her hand lingered on his arm, steady and warm. "Let him try. I think we could take him."
A brief laugh soft and genuine escaped Erick. For a moment, the endless hum of the ship's systems faded into the background, replaced by the rhythm of their shared breath. "Alright, let's make a deal. Gym first, then quarters. We can pretend to be responsible adults for at least another hour."
She grinned, stepping back just enough to pull him down the corridor. "You just want an excuse to show off."
"Maybe," he replied, slinging his wrench into the nearest toolkit. "But you're the one who keeps score."
Their banter trailed behind them, fading into the thrum of the Legacy as they made their way to the makeshift gym a modest alcove lined with battered weights and a single, stubborn treadmill. Tariq was already there, mid-set, muscles taut and brow furrowed in concentration. He glanced up, arching a knowing eyebrow at the pair.
"About time," he said, barely missing a rep. "I was starting to think you two had dissolved into the machinery."
Erick shrugged, grabbing a pair of dumbbells. "At this point I think I might have already." Elari laughed as she grabbed a set of weights and sat down next to her father and began her set.
"Look I get it the ship isn't in the best shape it wasn't when I started working on it a few years ago, but IE is a good company to work with especially if your veterans like most of us are." Tariq said in between his set trying to keep his breathing as steady as possible.
Erick exchanged a glance with Elari, a flicker of amusement passing between them as they settled into the rhythm of their workout. The clang of metal on metal, the hiss of breath, the subtle creak of the ship's aging frame, it all blended into a familiar soundtrack.
Tariq set his bar down with a grunt, flexing his hands. "Look can we not act like the two of you aren't a thing when I know you have been sleeping together."
"Dad seriously." Elari shouted at her father's words. Almost dropping her weights.