It was one of the chaotic days on the ship. The incident started innocently enough, as most disasters usually do. Joseph and I were in the cargo bay. We were helping the logistics team to reorganize some supplies. Joseph, being Joseph, decided to make things "fun…"
"Shin…" he said, grinning as he balanced a crate of freeze-dried vegetables on one hand, "Ever wonder if these crates are sturdier than they look?!..."
"Don't…" I warned, narrowing my eyes at him. "Whatever you're thinking, just don't do it…."
But he didn't listen. Joseph tossed the crate lightly into the air and caught it, showing off as a few crew members nearby laughed.
"Relax, Shin…", he said while balancing the crate on his head like a circus act. "I've got this…."
Before he could finish, the crate wobbled, fell, and hit the control panel for the cargo loader. With a mechanical whir, the loader sprang to life, its claw arm started spinning wildly and slammed into a stack of crates…
The crates toppled like dominoes, scattering supplies across the bay. One of the heavier boxes slammed into the release mechanism for the cargo hatch, which began to open with an ominous hiss…
"Joseph, what did you do motherfucker?!" I shouted while grabbing onto the nearest railing as the air pressure shifted.
"Okay, maybe I don't got this!!!" he yelled, frantically hitting buttons on the control panel. Unfortunately, his attempts only made things worse—the loader's arm swung again, knocking over a cart of tools that rolled across the floor...
The comm system crackled, and a sharp voice cut through the chaos. "This is Captain Mei Zhang. What the hell is happening in the cargo bay?"
The hatch was quickly sealed, and the loader was finally deactivated, but the damage was already done. Captain Mei Zhang, the head of the ship, arrived moments later with Commander Hayashi in tow.
Captain Zhang was imposing. Her uniform was crisp, her posture was perfect, and her expression was a mixture of disappointment and barely contained fury. She had long black hair. Her sharp, almond-shaped eyes scanned the chaos of the cargo bay, finally landing on Joseph, who stood frozen with a sheepish grin.
"What…" she began in a calm yet icy tone, "happened here?!"
Joseph straightened while brushing imaginary dust off his uniform. "Uh... just a slight mishap, Captain. Nothing to worry about! Everything's under control..."
I groaned, stepping forward to explain. "It was an accident, Captain Zhang. Joseph…"
But before I could finish, her gaze locked onto Joseph, and she pointed sharply at him. "You. Explain. Now..."
Joseph opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he just stared at her, his usual bravado was replaced by an uncharacteristic blank expression. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and I realized he was completely distracted by her presence and he was thinking something else…
I elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Joseph! Say something!!!"
He snapped out of it, wincing. "Right, uh, sorry, Captain! Totally my fault. Won't happen again. Promise…"
Captain Zhang's eyes narrowed. "That's an understatement. You endangered the ship and your crew. If this is how you conduct yourself, perhaps you don't belong in The Odyssey..."
Joseph barely seemed to register the threat; his eyes were still fixed on her. "You have really nice eyes…." he blurted out.
The entire room fell silent. My jaw dropped, and I quickly elbowed him again. "Joseph!!!"
Captain Zhang's expression didn't change, but her voice turned colder. "Mr. Joseph, do you think this is a joke?!!"
Joseph finally seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. "No, ma'am! No jokes here. Completely serious. Dead serious…"
I stepped in quickly, bowing slightly. "Captain Zhang, I'll make sure this doesn't happen again. Please don't eject him into space..."
She studied us both for a moment, then nodded sharply. "See that you don't. Both of you, clean this mess up. Now..."
As she turned to leave, Joseph sighed dreamily. "She's amazing..."
I smacked the back of his head. "She's going to kill you..."
After the cargo bay incident, Joseph became a man on a mission…. But not the kind involving stars and galaxies, not by the mission, but by his newfound mission with Captain Mei Zhang, to win over her heart at any cost. She was the head captain of The Odyssey. Her cold demeanor, sharp wit, and commanding presence seemed to fuel Joseph's obsession more and more. I spent every day trying to dissuade him, but if anything, my warnings only seemed to spur him on...
The day after the cargo bay fiasco, Joseph insisted on delivering the captain her morning coffee.
"Joseph, don't…" I said as I followed him down the hallway. "This is a very terrible idea…"
He grinned while holding a steaming cup of coffee like it was an offering to a queen. "Shin, relax. It's just coffee. Everyone loves coffee…"
"Not when it comes from you…" I muttered. "She's going to throw it….and maybe also you… out the airlock..."
Joseph ignored me and confidently woke into the command deck where Captain Zhang was reviewing a holographic display of star charts. She didn't look up as we entered, her sharp features illuminated by the glowing light.
"Good morning, Captain…" Joseph said, holding out the cup like a knight presenting a trophy. "I thought you might need a sweet coffee…"
She glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Mr. Joseph, I already had my coffee…"
"Of course you did…" he said smoothly, setting the cup on the edge of the console. "But I thought you might like a second one. Just in case..."
Her gaze flicked to me as if she was asking why I wasn't stopping him. I could only shrug helplessly…
"Noted…" she said curtly, turning back to her work. "You're dismissed..."
Joseph turned to me as we walked out. He was grinning like he had just won a prize. "You see that? Progress…"
"Progress? More like she barely tolerated you…"
He waved me off. "Step one, Shin. Patience is key…"
Joseph's next attempt came a few days later. We were walking through one of the main corridors when we spotted Captain Zhang ahead, speaking to Commander Hayashi. Joseph immediately straightened his uniform, puffed out his chest, and quickened his pace.
"Joseph, don't…" I hissed, grabbing his arm.
"She needs to see me in my natural habitat," he replied, shaking me off. "Confident. Commanding and irresistible..."
"You're delusional….", I said with a sigh.
As we approached, Captain Zhang glanced in our direction. Joseph gave her a crisp salute and flashed his most charming smile. "Good afternoon, Captain Zhang. You're looking particularly radiant today..."
Commander Hayashi choked on his words, clearly fighting the urge to laugh. Captain Zhang, however, remained unfazed…
"Mr. Joseph…" she said, her tone icy. "Are you trying to flirt with me?!"
Joseph grinned, undeterred. "Only if it's working, ma'am…"
I facepalmed so hard I nearly left a mark on my forehead. "Sorry, Captain Zhang," I said quickly. "I think his system is malfunctioning. He doesn't know what he's saying..."
She raised an eyebrow. "Clearly…"
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Joseph to watch her go with an expression that could only be described as lovestruck.
"She didn't say no…" he said dreamily.
"She's plotting your demise…" I shot back. "And I won't stop her…"
Joseph's next stunt involved the cafeteria, where he found out that Captain Zhang had a penchant for Martian-grown green tea. Naturally, he decided this was the perfect opportunity to stage a coincidental encounter…
"Shin, just watch this…" he whispered as we stood in line for food. "She's sitting right there. I'm going to casually offer her some tea…"
"She's literally going to report you…" I said, exasperated.
He ignored me. He grabbed two cups of tea and went over to where Captain Zhang was seated. She was reviewing a data pad...
"Mind if I join you, Captain?!" he asked, setting the tea down without waiting for an answer.
She looked up, her gaze piercing. "Yes..."
Joseph hesitated, clearly not expecting such a direct rejection. "Uh, right. Of course. Just thought I'd…"
"Mr. Joseph," she interrupted, "your persistence is noted, but I have work to do. Please take your tea and yourself elsewhere…"
I was at a nearby table, trying to contain my laughter as Joseph returned, looking both dejected and impressed.
"She's incredible…" he said while shaking his head. "The way she shut me down? Absolute perfection..."
"You're insane…" I replied. "And she's going to file a formal complaint that's for sure…"
The most embarrassing incident occurred on the bridge, where Joseph and I were stationed for a systems update. Captain Zhang was present, overseeing the process. Joseph, of course, couldn't resist the opportunity to impress her.
"Captain…" he said as he adjusted a console, "Did you know I was top of my class in logistics? Fastest supply audit in academy history..."
She didn't even glance at him. "Is that so?"
"Absolutely…" he continued while leaning casually against the console…. only to accidentally hit a button that triggered a ship-wide alert. Klaxons blared, and red lights flashed across the room.
"Joseph!!!" I shouted, frantically shutting off the alarm.
Captain Zhang turned slowly; her expression unreadable. "Mr. Joseph, remind me—what was your position in the academy? Class clown?!"
Even I had to stifle a laugh as Joseph saluted sheepishly. "Noted, Captain…"
Every time Joseph pulled one of his stunts, I tried to talk sense into him.
"Joseph, she's the captain…" I said one night as we sat in the observation lounge. "She's got command over the entire ship. She could literally eject you into space and nobody would blame her..."
He shrugged while staring out at the stars. "Worth it…"
"You've got a death wish…"
"No…" he said, smirking. "I've got a love wish."
"You've got a problem…" I muttered.
Life aboard The Odyssey had settled into its own rhythm, and by now, most of the crew had grown accustomed to Joseph's relentless infatuation with Captain Mei Zhang. His antics, from the ill-timed compliments to his utterly transparent attempts to coincidentally cross her path, had become a running joke. Most of us thought it was harmless and entirely one-sided. After all, Captain Zhang was known for her fierce professionalism and icy demeanor.
Then came the night that changed everything.
It's been almost 4-5 months since Joseph started to flirt with Captain Mei Zhang. One particular day I was heading to the observation deck. I was hoping to unwind myself with a view of the stars after a long day of navigation adjustments. The corridor that led to the deck was unusually quiet. I could only hear the continuous hum of the ship's system.
As I approached the entrance, I heard faint voices…murmurs that didn't quite register at first…
The door slid open with a soft hiss, and I stepped inside, expecting the usual stillness and serenity of the observation lounge.
Instead, I froze in my tracks.
Joseph… my snack-hoarding, chaos-loving best friend… was locked in a deep, passionate kiss with none other than Captain Mei Zhang, the coldest and most composed person aboard The Odyssey.
But this wasn't just any kiss. Joseph had her pressed gently against the edge of the observation window, his hands resting firmly on her waist. Her arms were around his neck, fingers curling into his hair. The two of them seemed they were completely lost in each other. The stars outside framed them in an almost surreal glow, as though the entire cosmos had conspired to make this moment happen.
My jaw dropped so fast it nearly hit the floor. For a moment, I was convinced I'd stumbled into some sort of alternate dimension. Joseph?! With none other than Captain Zhang?!
"What the…?!" I managed to sputter, my voice cracking like a teenager's.
The sound startled them, and they broke apart, both of them spinning to face me. Captain Zhang's usual calm was utterly shattered… her cheeks were flushed a deep red, and her chest rose and fell as though she were still catching her breath. Joseph, meanwhile, looked far too smug for someone who had just been caught in such a compromising position.
"Shin!" he said brightly, as though I hadn't just caught him smooching the most intimidating person on the ship. "Hey, buddy! Didn't see you there."
My jaw dropped, words failing me entirely. "I—what—how—" I stammered, pointing between the two of them. "What is happening right now?!"
TO BE CONTINUED