Part 2
The shooting range echoed with sharp cracks of gunfire, muffled by my headphones. I hadn't noticed at first, but a few other residents had joined the stalls beside me—two girls and a guy about my age.
As I reloaded, one of the girls leaned over with a smile.
"Nice aiming. You seem natural at it."
I chuckled. "Thanks. Honestly, I haven't done this since middle school... so I might be a little rusty."
She grinned. "By the way, I'm Renée. Nice to meet you."
"Carmen," I replied, slipping my headphones back on and focusing again.
We all fired in rhythm, the range alive with bursts of light and sound. The guy finished first, returned his gear to the front desk, then sat back to watch. His gaze lingered on me, though I stayed locked on the targets, switching between weapons to test their weight, recoil, and accuracy.
When my session ended, I gathered my things and thanked the attendant. Just as I turned to leave, the same guy caught up with me. He was tall—at least six feet—with black hair and hazel‑green eyes.
"Hey there," he said, smiling. "I can't remember your name, even though I heard it from Renée."
I laughed. "You should've remembered the first time."
"Sorry, Missy," he teased, catching my sarcasm.
"Jokes aside, it's Carmen. And you are...?"
"Toby," he said, flashing a grin. "Nice to meet you, darlin."
We walked together, conversation flowing easily.
"So what brings you here?" I asked.
"The girls wanted me to join in," he admitted. "They encouraged me to try something different. Felt weird at first, but then I got into the zone."
"That's cool of them. Encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone."
He shrugged. "Usually I'm into photography, painting, hiking... spending time with friends."
I smiled. "An artistic guy. Refreshing. Shooting ranges aren't exactly your forte, but at least you gave it a shot."
"True," He said, a little shy. "I only did this twice as a kid with my dad and brother."
"Ah, that explains your style," I teased.
He laughed nervously. "Was it that obvious?"
"Kind of. But I don't judge unless I'm given a reason."
His smile softened at that.
As we walked, Toby asked, "Did you get your room yet?"
"Not yet. I woke up panicked and forgot to ask."
"I can help," he offered. "This ship's huge, but there are maps everywhere."
"Please do," I said gratefully.
He guided me through the corridors until we found my room. Along the way, we stumbled across a massive food court with a park just across from it.
"Convenient, right?" Toby said.
"Definitely better than trekking across the ship," I agreed.
Renée and another girl waved us over.
"Hey Carmen," Renée said warmly. "Looks like you and Toby got to know each other."
"Yeah," I admitted, glancing at him. "He seems like a sweet guy."
"That means a lot," Toby said, smiling back. "And you're a pretty cool girl."
Renée introduced the other girl. "This is Pearl."
"Hey there! Carmen, right?" Pearl asked.
"Right."
"I bet you freaked out when you woke up."
"I did," I said honestly. "But I calmed down and accepted this might be our new reality."
"That was me too," Pearl nodded. "But then I thought—living in space? Once in a lifetime."
"You're right," I said, smiling. "I hadn't thought of it that way."
We ate together, shared laughter, and joked until the day—or night, whatever it was—wound down.
Toby walked me back to my room.
"See you later?" He asked.
"Definitely," I said, flirting just a little.
He handed me a phone, laptop, and smartwatch.
"These are yours," He said.
Surprised, I took them. "Wow... thanks. Add your info to my phone?"
"Of course." He typed quickly, then handed it back. "There you go. Text me anytime."
"I will," I said, smiling.
"See you later," he said, before walking away. I shut the door, set everything down, and stretched out on the bed. For now, a nap felt like the best way to process this strange, new reality.