#(Did I also get a bunch of frozen parathas and a mixed thing of sweets

[averbaldumpingground]

The ship drifted, pummeled by asteroid debris, most of the crew knocked unconscious. Ember sat at the controls.

They were still lightyears away, maybe a couple of lifetimes.

The life support system blinked violet. Ember wondered if there was a breach in the hull. The ability to repair it was beyond her programming.

The console that she'd plugged herself into had been damaged from the shock to the ship's electrical systems. Even adjusting for what she observed on her way to the bridge, the vital sign outputs were useless.

Her fingers hovered over the interface. This went against her core programming too. But she could justify it as falling within her parameters, couldn't she? It was not like they could prevent it.

Captain Alvaro remained motionless at the navigator's station, the blood from his head wound congealing. Ember watched him, noting the shallow irregularity of his breath. He should have deferred to Reynolds.

Except Reynolds had been monitoring the generator when the third of the large asteroids hit. She was unlikely to have survived the malfunction.

But there was a chance, wasn't there?

Ember continued to stare at the blinking light. It didn't matter if there was a breach in the hull. She could override her own programming. She severed her connection to the computer and, with a pause, she decided.

#October 24 2020 #I made a vegan version of tom yum soup tonight. #Not completely authentic because it needed a bunch of umami stuff to make up for the lack of shrimp. #But I'm very happy with how it turned out. #I also hit up the closest Patel Brothers for all of the spices. ALL of them. #It was a long field trip but so worth it. #(Did I also get a bunch of frozen parathas and a mixed thing of sweets? Obviously.) #I feel more human when I make real food. But I kind of stopped doing it regularly a few years back. #Exhaustion and lack of time and cooking for one make it hard to really make an effort. #But I feel so much better when I do. #So tomorrow I'm gonna make myself some sourdough scallion pancakes and some guacamole. #And when I'm done with the tom yum soup I'm gonna make a big old pot of borscht. #Because it's fall and this is the kind of weather that demands good soup. #Remind me to get sour cream. I don't usually buy dairy unless I am thinking of a specific recipe. #Or there's cheddar cheese on sale. #I should also probably buy milk. #I don't normally drink milk but I got all the other things for making chai masala. #And it's the kind of weather where I kind of want to replace my Earl Grey habit with something a little warmer. #Anyway this is half assed crap while I'm waiting for my laundry to finish drying. #Garbage. #I'd much rather think about food.