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Months or even years later, floating in Trinity Bay, the memory of true weightlessness suddenly struck him. Not one to waste an opportunity, Victor tucked his fists into his chest, closed his eyes and rolled to his right, coming back up for air on his left. The deep blue sky spread out above him with not a cloud in it. Almost overwhelming how big it was. The last time he'd executed a true low-grav roll was up there.
Spinning slowly on the axis of his spine, hands bunched and pulled in to reduce drag, he waited for Reid to finish radioing down to Mission Control for instructions on storage lockers.
"Integrity, Houston." Jenni's steady voice buzzed onto the radio. "Reid, you can store the packs in Storage locker A, bag three two A."
"Integrity copy."
Victor finished the roll.
A few spheres of water floated through the air, Jeremy chasing after them. Victor caught most of them with a grin.
"Sorry," Jeremy protested, his sad eyes making the apology seem even more Canadian.
"Getting the hang of the water bubble yet?"
"All I seem to do is make them fly everywhere," Jeremy muttered, his face red. The three Americans grinned, Reid clapping his hands in glee.
"At least it's not Nutella this time."
Christina barked out a laugh while noting out system checks on her PCD.
"Hey do we have any more of that chocolate left--" she trailed off as she went rooting around for a wire, her spirals of hair bobbing out from her head and obstructing all view of her. Jeremy floated back to the food locker in response, scooting Rise out of the way. Rise skidded through the cabin, spinning slowly as it bumped against a console stuck to the wall, coming to as much of a rest as you can in low gravity.
Jenni buzzed through once again: "Annnd Integrity I have some notes for you whenever you have a minute."
Victor grabbed the intercom before Reid could get it. "Go for it, Jenni."
A pause and then radio buzz popped again, the whine punctuated by their Capcom drawing a breath: "Just a note that the RTC burn was nominal and we confirm that we had good burn."
The radio paused, then came firing through again, filling the small capsule around them.
"Additionally, we've scheduled another wastewater dump right before PSA. And, as well, this is your ten minute reminder to PSA."
Jenni's voice faded.
"Copy Houston, we concurr that the burn was good and we copy on PSA as well." returned Victor.
Christina turned towards the others, still upside down in the centre of the capsule. "Okay, no chocolate. Thank goodness the space plumber is here."
The cackles of her teammates followed her as she propelled down to the space toilet.
She picked up a radio. "Houston, Integrity. Ready for wastewater dump."
"Integrity you are clear for wastewater dump."
They looked out the windows as bright chunks of substances drifted past. Substances that on earth were gross but out here kinda beautiful, just like everything else.
The gigantic, dark beauty of the eclipsing Moon blotting out all but the tiniest glow of the once mighty Sun's corona-- a pitch black rotating sphere on a blanket of equally velvety black.
"Houston, wastewater dump complete." Christina dropped the intercom in midair and it floated sideways before springing back on its black-and-white checkered cord.
"All in a hard day's work," remarked Reid wistfully, having closed the locker and drifted over to the window with Christina. Victor grabbed a camera off the wall and centred Christina's solemn profile in his photo with the window up to the up to the right. Her handiwork. Snap.
"I think we're about ready for dinner, folks?" Reid asked, clapping everyone in close proximity on the back. Victor hung the camera on the wall, following up the friendly blow on his shoulder from the Commander with daps, and started closing out the last few tasks he and Reid had finished on his PCD.
"What's for dinner tonight, Integrity?" Jeremy called as adjusted a bag in the warming tray. "Chocolate for dessert for Christina of course."
"And us too, I hope! Spicy green beans," Victor suggested.
"Some of that Brisket again, Jer," hollered Reid. "You can even pour maple syrup all over it if your Prime Minister wants us to."
Jeremy smiled sideways at Reid, shaking his head, eyes crinkling.
"Make yourself useful."
Reid and Victor headed over, grabbing drinks from the locker and passing them out as Jeremy pulled out the first bag of warmed food.
"And Christina," Jeremy turned to see her approaching and headed her off with, "Mac and cheese?"
She gave him puppy dog eyes. "You're the best astronaut in this damn capsule, I've always said so."
Reid and Victor protested, pretending to hoard the drinks, but Christina chucked tortillas at them.
Reid clapped his hands, beaming at them all. Then he caught the tortillas.
Victor felt light-- lighter than weightless. As weightless as the rotating, ravenous sphere stuck in their planet's orbit. He grinned, tucking his hands in and spun.
Christina hollered, her mouth full of mango salad, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the amazing spinning Gloverrrr!"