Read Ages in Oblivion Thrown: Book One of the Sleep Trilogy for Free Online Page A

regaining
strength. This desire had grown and intensified over another few
weeks. She had moved past walking, and was secretly testing out
jogging around her room whenever she was alone. Her regular routine
of exercise was slowly coming back to mind. She was pushing the
physical therapist to try things, surprising both of them in the
process.
    Finally, Tark visited her after getting a
report that all of them were ready to leave medical care. He wasn’t
entirely sure why he was going to her alone, rather than all of
them. There was just something in the way she carried herself that
drew him in.
    “ We have temporary housing for you.”
He handed her a small bundle. “These are the keys, and we’ve put
together information for you about the Nimitz, as well as some
other topics you might find useful.”
    “ Like a brief history of ‘what the
hell just happened?’” She looked at a device she was holding. It
was somewhat reminiscent of the little tablet computers that had
been everywhere in her day. In her day, jeez, listen to that. She
sounded like an old lady.
    “ Something like that.” He chuckled a
little. “Look, I know this has all been a little crazy. I don’t
know how, but we’ll get you sorted out eventually.” He stood up to
head back to his own duties. “Storms are dying down, finally. My XO
ought to be back soon. I’d like it if you would have dinner with us
once he’s here.” Maeve took a deep breath.
    “ Us?”
    “ Sorry, with me, my XO, and, um, my
girlfriend, Sa’andy.” Maeve smiled what she hoped was an
affirmation. He nodded and left her to sit and stare at the pile of
keys and tablet thingies.
    They were being discharged in time for
lunch. The nurses gave them a lengthy list of places to try. They’d
been given food cards (and a list of the places that accepted
them), leaving her to wonder how the Colonel was still keeping them
under the radar. She hoped he wouldn’t land in hot water over
it.
     
    Time to face the music.
     
    She handed them all keys, out of some
strange sense of duty, and became part of a quiet procession
through halls, down flights of stairs, to the third deck. The third
level was below, and not above. Life was wrong side up in space,
apparently. It would all start to be knitted back together, she
supposed. Only after it finished unraveling into a giant mess of
yarn and fuzzy thoughts, though.
    They found her room first. She scrutinized
the door for a moment, before she stuck the key into its middle,
feeling rather like she was poking someone's belly. This was
reinforced when the door responded by chuckling. Then, it wrenched
itself apart along an invisible seam in the middle. The halves
swung inward, revealing a modestly sized living area.
    Two other doors inside led separately to a
bedroom and to a closet. A bath led off the bedroom. The decor was
much more...natural than any of them had expected. Wood was used
for the doors, and the counter, which separated the kitchenette
from the sitting area, was stone. The cabinets and furniture were
wooden as well. The rooms that they had been given clearly hadn’t
been lived in before. There was a greeting waiting for them as soon
as the lights were switched on. A message flashed up on a
wall-mounted screen, along with a soothing voice, reminiscent of a
flight attendant.
    “ Welcome to the class two
military quartering. These rooms are designated for either
transient lodging, or visiting dignitaries. These are not intended
for permanent living, but may be used for that purpose with
approved modifications. The woodwork you see is all reclaimed.
There are...” Maeve stopped paying attention. She
poked into every drawer, cabinet, and cubby. There was a white
rabbit in there somewhere. She just had to find it, and follow it
back through the looking glass.
    “ Do we all get these?” Grace padded
silently around the room, the possibilities swirling in those
changeable eyes.
    "Well, I guess. They're economical, but
comfortable,