Sem Lockdown, Day 11
A thunderous clattering came from the kitchen.
Akira woke up with a start. No light poured in through her window, it was still the middle of the night. She hurriedly swung her legs round on the camp bed, which made the springs creak. Feeling a little uneasy, she slid her feet into her slippers and left her room.
The lights in the hallway were lit, causing her to rub her eyes until they adjusted. Once she could see properly, she followed the noise as silently as she could.
Her hair hung loose down her shoulders, she tucked it behind her ears as she approached the door, listening in to find out what was going on.
"Ugh, no. No no no," she heard a low muttering from inside. Miles. "C'mon Schäfer, what are you playing at?"
She stood in the doorway, "It's late Miles, what are you doing?"
She saw his cheeks flush bright red. A pan sat upturned on the stove and some pasta in a red sauce was spilled all over the floor.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Akira sighed, "It's fine. Grab a mop and a brush from the store cupboard."
He scuttered off and came back with them and the pair set to cleaning up, trying to keep out of each other's road as much as they possibly could.
"I'm so sorry about this," he said, scraping a bit of pasta off the ugly, red, linoleum-like flooring.
"Why were you cooking this late in the first place?" Akira scrubbed at the pan.
"I was working so hard I missed dinner. Don't get me wrong, Kain had left some out for me, but by the time I got round to it, it was cold. I thought if I made dinner now, I wouldn't be bothering anyone. Apologies for my mistake."
"Miles," Akira paused, "You know that, while it's important to ensure your report is as factual and clear as it can be, your health is equally as important, don't you? The world needs you, and you shouldn't be doing your job on an empty stomach."
"I know, I know," he flung the offending piece of pasta into the compost bin. "I suppose, while I've been saying I've been working, I've also been stressing out a little bit. I mean, it's all just so much responsibility..."
"Don't concentrate on it too much. Any job has a certain amount of responsibility linked to it. We're here to help if you need a hand. That's what the daily calls are for."
"Thanks, Akira. It probably should all get a bit easier now that communications with the Sterculians have stopped. I'll keep at it with learning the language though."
"You don't stop for a second, do you?" Akira laughed.
"Nope," Miles grinned.
"Here," Akira chucked a space-food snack bag at him from out of the kitchen cupboard, "That'll keep you going till morning."
"Good evening fellow citizens. That's us almost at two weeks now, hope you're still keeping well.
Here, with the news as always, is Kain Douglas."
Akira woke up with a start. No light poured in through her window, it was still the middle of the night. She hurriedly swung her legs round on the camp bed, which made the springs creak. Feeling a little uneasy, she slid her feet into her slippers and left her room.
The lights in the hallway were lit, causing her to rub her eyes until they adjusted. Once she could see properly, she followed the noise as silently as she could.
Her hair hung loose down her shoulders, she tucked it behind her ears as she approached the door, listening in to find out what was going on.
"Ugh, no. No no no," she heard a low muttering from inside. Miles. "C'mon Schäfer, what are you playing at?"
She stood in the doorway, "It's late Miles, what are you doing?"
She saw his cheeks flush bright red. A pan sat upturned on the stove and some pasta in a red sauce was spilled all over the floor.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Akira sighed, "It's fine. Grab a mop and a brush from the store cupboard."
He scuttered off and came back with them and the pair set to cleaning up, trying to keep out of each other's road as much as they possibly could.
"I'm so sorry about this," he said, scraping a bit of pasta off the ugly, red, linoleum-like flooring.
"Why were you cooking this late in the first place?" Akira scrubbed at the pan.
"I was working so hard I missed dinner. Don't get me wrong, Kain had left some out for me, but by the time I got round to it, it was cold. I thought if I made dinner now, I wouldn't be bothering anyone. Apologies for my mistake."
"Miles," Akira paused, "You know that, while it's important to ensure your report is as factual and clear as it can be, your health is equally as important, don't you? The world needs you, and you shouldn't be doing your job on an empty stomach."
"I know, I know," he flung the offending piece of pasta into the compost bin. "I suppose, while I've been saying I've been working, I've also been stressing out a little bit. I mean, it's all just so much responsibility..."
"Don't concentrate on it too much. Any job has a certain amount of responsibility linked to it. We're here to help if you need a hand. That's what the daily calls are for."
"Thanks, Akira. It probably should all get a bit easier now that communications with the Sterculians have stopped. I'll keep at it with learning the language though."
"You don't stop for a second, do you?" Akira laughed.
"Nope," Miles grinned.
"Here," Akira chucked a space-food snack bag at him from out of the kitchen cupboard, "That'll keep you going till morning."
******
Here, with the news as always, is Kain Douglas."
******
"Good evening, Sem.
Hooray for the end of the Sterculian cheese problem! I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying being free of that smell.
Anyway, as you'll be aware, we are now approaching the Pasqual festival - a planet-wide week filled with celebrations relating back to our ancestors who first landed here. This year's festivities have been altered slightly to fit with the current guidelines. Please be aware that all street parties have been cancelled.
Here's what you need to know. The aloofplant tea competition, in memory of the first ever cup made, won't be going ahead, but we do still encourage you to attempt to enjoy some at home. If our strategist hasn't drunk it all, that is. Furthermore, the military will do the floats, with a gift to be won for the person with the funniest suggestion. Please check on our website to enter. There will be various documentaries on the history of our events as well as related comedy shows to watch on your screens as well. Lastly though, I'm sorry to say, we will be imposing a 'zero tolerance policy' on any late night music. Please, we will be fining people for minor offences and imprisoning people for major ones. Just do yourself, and others, a favour and keep the music off.
I sympathise with those of you who are ill over the celebration week and I hope you get better soon. There should still be plenty of ways enjoy yourself through it, maybe give people a cheer when you're in your garden for an excessive bounce? What I'm trying to say is, this should be a welcome and unifying piece of light relief for us all.
Now, with the latest on crāpulavirus, here's our in-house aloofplant tea drinker extraordinaire, Miles."
******
"Thank you, Kain. It would seem we have an in-house comedian extraordinaire too.
On a related note though, aloofplant tea is very good for you and can calm your nerves excellently at a time like this, I highly recommend it.
As my superior just said, please do refrain from playing music at night during the festival, it won't do you any favours.
Now then, Kain and I had thought that the latest prototype for GPS home-testing kits would arrive today. Unfortunately, we haven't received it yet but we will have a video up on the alphanet as soon as we can to display how to use them.
As always, keep following the guidelines and feel free to shoot any questions you have to me if there's anything you want to know.
Let's go over to Akira now with the weather."
******
"Thank you to our in-house aloofplant tea drinker extraordinaire for that medical update.
This is the in-house weather forecaster extraordinaire with tomorrow's readings.
We are now seeing the tail-end of Storm Eleanor with only our most Southern parts continuing to experience her affect. Secat will now go back to its wet season as usual, with rainy showers and a temperature of 11 degrees centigrade. Simul Santu will now be much drier with a temperature of 13 degrees centegrade. Piscanturia will still be suffering from the storm a bit and the temperature will fall to 12 degrees centigrade.
The North and West Pole will be cold and dry while the South Pole experiences some preciptaion, likely in the form of rainfall.
That's all from me, back to you Captain."
******
"What, so there's no type of 'in-house extraordinaire' for me then? Guess I'm just the overseer of all extraordinary in-house goings on.
Anyway, to play us out tonight, here's a cheerful song from Kain. Thank you all for your continued attention and co-operation, and please do have a look on our website if you have any float suggestions or health questions for Miles.
Goodnight, fellow citizens."
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