Menewsha Avatar Community - View Single Post

04:08 PM

One good thing about spending two years in a prison cell was that it gave Nadya Noumov time to adapt to the strict scheduling and rules that encompassed being a soldier. Before she was sentenced, she woke and slept and ate as she pleased. Being a botanist meant she had free rein of the green houses, and she would come and go whenever it tickled her fancy. The only order in her life was the amount of rationing she got. Well, that isn't entirely true. One Anya Tokmakov was all about order, she kept Nadya grounded. Now-a-days the only thing that kept Nadya grounded was the ships gravity simulators.

The five years of training got her used to following orders, and letting herself be led around by whoever talked the loudest - read: the person in charge. At this particular moment that led her to be with the group of Earth bound luckies whose numbers had been picked in the raffle. So, she stood on stage with the others without really being there.

Cameras were in their faces projecting hope filled propaganda to the masses. It was clever really, if they made a big show about sending a team down to earth they could hold back the tensions that were rising high. Nadya wasn't quite sure how things were fairing on the other ships, but Russia was already requiring a licence to have a child - strictly enforced. They caught a women 6 months pregnant two years ago, she remembered them playing her execution live over Russia's com link while she was in training, rope tying training to be exact. When they hung her Nadya threw the ropes away from her as if they stung her and ran out of the training room yelling Russian curses to the walls, damning the Chancellor. The shock of the whole event was probably the only thing that stopped riots from braking out, no one knew how to react. The memory still made her nauseous.

More shuffling feet brought her to the prep room. The procedures were nothing new to her - okay, the shoving things up her nose was new - but it all reminded her of the two years she spent in prison. Overly invasive and uncomfortable. So she closed her eyes and let them poke and prod at her, it would keep Earth from killing her too soon after all.

After the goop and guck had been shoved in most of the open orifices on her body the women asked her to spread her legs. Nadya laughed out loud. "Oh milaya, they sterilize prisoners in Russia, there's no need for that."

Smirking, she thanked the workers and took the clothes that were handed to her. All the materials she had been trained to use. Her light suit, her mask, her testing kit, some botany equipment, an energy gun, and a blade to boot. Never in her life did she expect to be holding a gun, much less heading down to Earth with it. Her dreams had always been of Anya and of gardens, sometimes both together - those were the best dreams.

Putting the suit on was always rather comforting to her. It was tight, like an embrace. After seven years with your only human contact being combat training you learn to appreciate the little things in life. Like the weight of the seeds she felt in her pocket. It had been tricky finding a worker who would smuggle them in for her, but one particular woman took pity on her and said she would help. Hopefully she wouldn't get caught, she didn't want anyone getting in trouble for her over some flower seeds. Due to limited supply and room, only certain plants were being allowed to come along for the mission. Genetically modified fruit and vegetables, as well as some medicinal plants. They grew fast, and were resilient in the face of putrid growing conditions. They were her life's work - after many failed attempts of cheering on dying plants in the testing room. Yet... she couldn't not bring some flowers along, God only knows Earth could probably use some prettying up.

The camera crew was getting awfully close to her now, breaking her from her reverie. "Any words you want to send back home to Russia?" She was asked, her stoic features softening as she gazed into the camera.
"Моя любовь к тебе будет исцелять землю, my Anya." The camera guy looked confused, he obviously didn't speak Russian. That's okay, she only said it for Anya's benefit - if she was even watching. Smirking, she nodded her head to the camera before continuing her suit up - the camera man moved on - when he was finished here he would get to go home. When she was finished here, she would be hurdling through space on a suicide mission.

And that's where she was now. Sitting on a ship headed towards Earth. It was all pretty surreal - but that may just be the nausea left over from the launch.

She was starting to regret not taking more time to read over the others files. She knew there was a doctor on board, soldiers, and a few unlucky draws. She recognized faces from training, but that was about it. It was obvious who those in command were. The energetic one near the front - sounded American, and the dark haired man who just left the group. She would be happy once they got there and she could focus on what she was good at - plants. They were a lot easier than people. Either way - she was going to stay planted firmly in her seat until they got there... She may have grown up in space, but the ship were usually static, floating in orbit with the gravity simulators on.. This - well this was just uncomfortable.

__________________________________________________ _____

*Milaya - Honey
** Моя любовь к тебе будет исцелять землю - My love for you will heal the Earth