Joseph put an arm around Captain Zhang, who looked mortified but didn't pull away. "So, funny story…" he began, his grin widening. "Turns out, persistence does pay off…."
"I… what… how…." I stammered, gesturing wildly between them. "Joseph, are you... touching her waist?!"
He looked down at his hands, which were still casually resting on her hips, and gave me a lopsided grin. "Oh, uh... yeah. Guess I am..."
"Remove your hands immediately," Captain Zhang said sharply, though her tone lacked its usual bite. Joseph obeyed, but the smug look on his face remained.
I stared at Joseph. "You're kidding me right…."
"Nope…" Joseph said proudly. "It took a while…. months, actually… but eventually, she realized I'm not just a pretty face. I've got depth. Layers. Like an onion..."
Captain Zhang sighed, her blush deepening as she elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "Mr. Joseph…." she said in a low, warning tone.
"Ow, ow!!!" he yelped, holding up his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine. I'll keep it classy…"
Turning back to me, he leaned in conspiratorially. "Long story short, she started noticing my…. uhh… unique charm… And then one day, after a particularly intense meeting about supply logistics, she pulled me aside and…"
Another sharp elbow from Captain Zhang cut him off mid-sentence. "Mr. Joseph, that's enough," she said, her voice calm but firm. "This is not a matter for public discussion..."
"Right, of course," Joseph said, winking at me. "Totally private…"
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Captain Zhang. She is normally so poised and commanding but now she was standing there looking flustered. She crossed her arms and avoided my gaze as her cheeks remained faintly pink.
"You..." I said slowly, pointing at Joseph. "And you..." I gestured to Captain Zhang. "Are... together?"
"Surprising, right?!" Joseph said with a laugh. "I mean, look at her. She's brilliant, strong, absolutely gorgeous…"
"Joseph…" Captain Zhang said sharply, her glare silencing him. But then, to my utter shock, she glanced at me and sighed. "Mr. Takamiya, I trust that you understand the need for discretion in this matter..."
I blinked… I was still trying to process what I was seeing. Captain Zhang, the epitome of discipline, the woman who had threatened to toss Joseph out of an airlock on multiple occasions, was standing there, flustered and clearly... smitten?
Captain Zhang groaned, covering her face with one hand. "Mr. Takamiya, I trust you will keep this... incident to yourself…"
I crossed my arms, still reeling. "You're asking me to keep this a secret?!"
"Yes…" she said, straightening her posture in an attempt to regain some composure. "As captain, it's important that I maintain a certain image. If this... relationship were to become public knowledge, it could undermine my authority…"
"Shin…" Joseph said, stepping closer, his grin softening into something almost sincere. "Come on, buddy. You're my best friend. You wouldn't blow this for me, would you?!"
I raised an eyebrow. "I might. Depends on how much you're willing to pay..."
Captain Zhang's expression turned serious. "Mr. Takamiya, I would be... willing to offer compensation for your discretion."
"Compensation?" I asked, intrigued. "What kind of compensation?"
"Within reason," she replied. "Name your terms."
Joseph's eyes widened. "Dude, don't ask for money. That's tacky."
I ignored him, thinking for a moment before smirking. "Extra days off. I want extra days off, Captain…"
Captain Zhang nodded after a brief hesitation. "Done. You'll have additional downtime. But only if this remains between us."
"Fine…" I said, throwing up my hands. "But if this goes south, don't come crying to me."
As I left the observation deck, Joseph jogged after me, leaving Captain Zhang to regain her composure.
"So?" he asked, grinning. "What do you think?"
"I think the universe officially doesn't make sense anymore," I replied. "You? With her? How did you even pull that off?"
"Charisma, Shin…" he said confidently. "Pure, unfiltered charisma."
"Charisma?! She's Captain Zhang! She doesn't fall for charisma. She falls for competence and discipline…"
"Guess I'm more competent than you thought," he said with a wink.
I groaned while rubbing my temples. "You're going to be the death of me…"
He shrugged, his grin widening. "Guess you'll have to wait and see…"
As we continued down the corridor, I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Joseph had somehow made the impossible possible… He had melted the icy exterior of Captain Zhang and turned her into a blushing, flustered human being. The Odyssey had officially become the strangest chapter of my life, and I was certain that things were only going to get weirder from here…
Life aboard The Odyssey could feel isolating at times, but the occasional chance to connect with the outside world made all the difference. Talking to Abdul on Mars and Maki back on Earth reminded me that no matter how far we traveled, home was never too far away… However, with Joseph around, even our calls turned into chaotic adventures.
It was early in the ship's designated morning when Joseph and I arrived at the communications deck to contact Abdul. Video calls between The Odyssey and Mars Base were smoother than those with Earth, so our messages to Abdul had only a few minutes of delay. The holographic screen flickered to life, revealing Abdul's familiar face, his neatly trimmed beard, and sharp engineer's uniform a welcoming sight.
"Abdul!" Joseph shouted the moment the connection stabilized, waving wildly like a child...
Abdul smirked. "Joseph. Shin. You both look... alive. That's surprising…". Behind him, we could see the buzz of activity—technicians moving from station to station, holographic displays blinking with real-time data about The Odyssey, and the faint hum of machinery…
"We thrive on chaos…" Joseph replied, nudging me with his elbow. "Isn't that right, Shin?"
I rolled my eyes. "If by 'thrive,' you mean 'barely survive,' then sure…"
Abdul leaned closer to the camera, narrowing his eyes. "What's the damage this time? Did Joseph blow up another cargo loader?"
Joseph gasped. "That was one time!!! Besides, it's not my fault the loader couldn't handle my artistic vision."
"Your artistic vision knocked over half the supplies…." I muttered and earned a laugh from Abdul.
The conversation was rolling along with the usual teasing when suddenly Joseph's grin turned mischievous. It was a sign he was about to drop a bombshell…
"Abdul..." he began while leaning casually against the console, "you'll never guess who's fallen for my irresistible charm…"
Abdul raised an eyebrow, skepticism written all over his face. "I'm afraid to ask. Who?"
Joseph puffed out his chest. "The one and only Captain Zhang."
The reaction was immediate. Abdul's jaw dropped, and for a moment, he looked genuinely stunned. Then, as if convinced he'd misheard, he shook his head. "Wait. Captain Mei Zhang? The Mei Zhang? The woman who once sent an entire engineering team into therapy because their performance didn't meet her standards?"
"Yep…" Joseph said proudly, crossing his arms. "She couldn't resist me."
Abdul stared at the screen, blinking rapidly as if trying to reboot his brain. "Joseph... how? How?! Did you bribe her? Hypnotize her? Or perform a magic trick?"
"I'll have you know…" Joseph said, pointing a finger dramatically, "that my charisma and persistence are unparalleled."
Abdul snorted. "Charisma? Persistence? You couldn't charm your way out of a cafeteria argument over expired pudding..."
"That's not true!!!" Joseph said indignantly. "And for the record, it wasn't expired. It was aged. Like fine wine…"
While shaking his head, Abdul turned to me. "Shin, please tell me this is some elaborate prank..."
I sighed, shrugging. "I wish it was, but nope. He actually did it…."
Abdul slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "This is it. Proof we live in a simulation. No way this is real…"
Joseph grinned, clearly enjoying Abdul's reaction. "You're just jealous…"
"Jealous of what? Getting scolded by Zhang every other day?" Abdul shot back.
"Love works in mysterious ways…" Joseph replied, winking at the camera.
The video call with Abdul always brought a mix of laughter, exasperation, and unexpected revelations. This time was no exception. With only 20 minutes for our allotted connection, Joseph wasted no time in turning the conversation into absolute chaos…
"Alright, let's start with some updates…" Abdul said, adjusting the headset.
"How's life on Mars, Abdul?!" I asked, leaning closer to the comm screen.
"Busy," he replied, gesturing behind him. "We've been running diagnostics on the main propulsion system for your mission. There's no room for error, so I barely get any breaks." He smirked, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Not that I'm complaining. It's not like I'm jealous of you two, floating around in zero gravity, eating snacks, and... whatever it is Joseph does all day…"
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm a vital member of this team," Joseph chimed in, puffing out his chest. "I manage logistics. Without me, this ship would be snackless and sad..."
Abdul raised an eyebrow. "So, you're admitting your contribution to humanity is... snacks?"
"Snacks and morale…" Joseph corrected, pointing a finger at the screen. "Don't underestimate the power of morale…"
I shook my head. "Meanwhile, I'm keeping the ship on course and monitoring navigation. You know, the actual work..."
Abdul laughed. "Good to know one of you is taking this mission seriously..."
As the conversation continued, Joseph leaned closer to the camera with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "By the way, Abdul, I've got something special planned for you..."
"Oh no," Abdul muttered, narrowing his eyes. "What is it this time?!"
Joseph grinned. "I'm going to bring you back a piece of space..."
Abdul blinked. "A... piece of space?"
"Yep," Joseph said confidently. "Think about it…a chunk of asteroid, a piece of interstellar dust, maybe even a bit of space rock from Kepler-009AV. Imagine putting it on your desk. It's the ultimate souvenir!!!"
Abdul looked horrified. "Do you even know what kind of radiation those things might carry?! You're trying to kill me, Joseph!!!"
"Relax…" Joseph said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll make sure it's not glowing or oozing or anything. Totally safe..."
"Totally safe?" Abdul repeated incredulously. "You're the guy who set off a cargo loader alarm by accident. I don't trust you with a sandwich, let alone radioactive space debris!"
"Hey!" Joseph protested. "I'm very responsible. Ask Shin…"
I smirked. "Joseph, you once tried to use freeze-dried cheese as a hockey puck. I'm with Abdul on this one…"
"Traitors, both of you…" Joseph muttered while crossing his arms.
"Okay, enough about souvenirs," I said, steering the conversation back on track. "What's your day-to-day like, Abdul?"
Abdul sighed dramatically. "Exhausting. Half the time, I'm troubleshooting issues with the Mars base systems, and the other half, I'm fielding questions from rookies who think every blinking light means the end of the world..."
"Blame Joseph..." I joked. "He probably gave them advice…"
"Hey!" Joseph exclaimed. "I'm an inspiration, not a liability…"
"Tell that to Captain Zhang..." I quipped, earning a loud laugh from Abdul.
Abdul grinned. "Speaking of Captain Zhang… I just discovered that you two are in a relationship but… But does she even care about you actually? Or is she trying to civilize her new boyfriend to make him perfect for her…"
Joseph shrugged a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Let's just say I'm keeping her... entertained..."
Abdul leaned closer to the camera. "Shin, you have to survive this mission and write a memoir. The world deserves to know about Joseph's antics..."
"Oh, I will…" I replied, laughing. "And it'll be a bestseller... That's for sure…"
As the timer on the comm system ticked down, Abdul sighed. "Well, as much as I'd love to continue roasting Joseph, I've got work to do. Unlike some people, I don't have the luxury of spending my day goofing off..."
"Hey, I'm working…." Joseph protested. "In fact, I'm so dedicated, I'll make sure to personally test the snacks before sending them to you."
"Don't bother," Abdul said dryly. "I'll take my chances with radiation over your culinary experiments."
The comm system beeped, signaling the final minute. Abdul leaned forward, his tone softening slightly. "Take care of yourselves, you two. And Shin—keep Joseph in line. The universe can't handle him unsupervised..."
"I'm trying…" I replied with a grin.
"Good luck out there..." Abdul said as the connection ended, leaving Joseph and me staring at the now-blank screen.
"Well, that went well," Joseph said while leaning back in his chair.
I gave him a skeptical look. "Joseph, he thinks you're trying to poison him with space rocks…"
"That just means he's excited," Joseph said, grinning. "Admit it—he loves me."
I shook my head, laughing. "If by 'love,' you mean 'barely tolerates,' then sure..."
"Close enough…" Joseph said with a wink.
As we left the comm deck, I couldn't help but smile. Despite the chaos and the distance, moments like this reminded me how lucky I was to have these friendships. Even with Joseph's antics, life aboard The Odyssey was never dull…. It was filled with work… laughter… fun… chaotic experiences… and that made all the difference.
TO BE CONTINUED