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Assistant: Title: I Would Bring You the Stars and the Moon
        Author: GutterWitch GutterWitch 
        Chapter: 1/10 
        Summary: “Houston, do you copy?”Caitlyn panicked, feeling extraordinarily unprepared having been thrust into her new position without so much as even a handbook to consult. What were the formalities? What was she supposed to respond with? Where was the d@mn push to talk button…“Hellooo? I said Houston, do you copy?”Caitlyn fiddled with her headset, having finally found the green button on the side and hastily letting out a rather breathless reply. “Um, yes. Hello? This is Houston. I copy.”There was a long pause in which Caitlyn sat twiddling her thumbs, anxiety pushing the frantic pulse of her heartbeat through her eardrums. Was that wrong? Did she already f@ck up? She took a steady deep breath, finger hovering over the talk button until the familiar voice of the astronaut came through her headset once more.“D@mn, Houston. I didn’t expect you to sound so sexy.”ORCaitlyn has been assigned as the personal capcom to one of the astronauts currently on a year long expedition at the international space station. Cue long months of pining and desperate longing.
        Contents: Chapter 1: Jitters
    

    


  

  
  
    
    “A transfer?”“Well it’s more of a promotion.” Greyson offered a proud smile, leaning back casually against her desk. When Caitlyn had been called into her boss’ office, this was the last thing she expected. “The position is that of a personal capsule communicator to the astronauts on board the international space station. You’d be transferred to the Johnson space center in Houston and working in their primary communications room with the team overseeing the current expedition.”Caitlyn’s eyes began to dry out with just how wide they had gotten. She blinked hard a few times, willing herself to wake up if this was a dream but nope. She had all ten toes and fingers, could feel the ground under her expensive heels and the uncomfortable way her lace underwear rode up her ass. Yep, she was awake alright.“I- I don’t know what to say.”“Of course, you don’t have to take the position. I know asking you to relocate would be a hassle and I admit I would be sad to let you go but when the chief of operations there said he had an opening, you were the first person I thought of for the job.” She rounded her desk and plopped down into the rickety swivel chair, grinning. “Typically capcom’s are astronauts themselves but I believe someone with your knowledge and experience is more than capable. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for you, but the decision is yours.”It would, quite frankly, be ludicrous to turn down such an opportunity. Working at the Kennedy Space Center had been great and she loved her job but the mission control center in Houston was a dream come true. Not to mention she would be actively participating in the current expedition as opposed to calculating statistics and making graphs all day.“I would be absolutely honored. Yes, of course I’ll take the position.”“Wonderful! I’ll message the flight director and let him know you’re on board. I know it is very short notice but we have resources to help you relocate. I’ll email them to you in a bit.” Greyson stood and extended her hand out to Caitlyn, which she took enthusiastically with a firm shake. “Congratulations, Miss Kiramman. It has been a pleasure working with you. I wish you luck in your new career and I do hope you stop by from time to time.”“Yes, yes of course.” Caitlyn’s cheeks ached from smiling. “I cannot thank you enough, boss.”Everything had happened in a sort of a whirlwind after that. It was just two and a half weeks after leaving Greyson’s office that Caitlyn found herself in a brand new place with a brand new job and a… very old apartment. A long drive, many painkillers for her aching spine and countless hazelnut iced lattes  later, and she was packed up and moved. Just like that.Houston was her new home. Unfamiliar territory but not one she was unwilling to traverse. Things hadn’t slowed down for even a moment after she had left her old boss’ office and now here she was, staring down the exposed brick wall of her new (to her) rather adorably antique loft.Setting down the last of her boxes with a huff, Caitlyn slumped down against the stack of cardboard, sweat gathering on her brow. The space was quaint but surprisingly accommodated Caitlyn’s furniture quite nicely. Including the large forest green velvet couch she had insisted was coming along. That couch was her baby and it happily fit right in.The exhaustion was quickly catching up to Caitlyn. She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep there among the array of scattered boxes until the frantic vibration of her cell phone on the wooden coffee table made her startle.“Hello?” Her voice was hoarse with sleep as she stretched out her muscles, angling the phone onto her shoulder to proceed in opening a few of the boxes. She was dead tired but she couldn’t very well eat off the countertops of her kitchen.“Hello, dear. Just calling to check in and make sure you’ve arrived safely.”“Oh, mother, yes. I’m so sorry I meant to text as soon as I finished bringing up the boxes but I fell asleep.” She frowned at the contents of the current box she had elected to unpack. Candles. Not a necessity at the moment but at least her new place would smell nice.“The journey must have been particularly exhausting for you to fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon.” Cassandra hummed and Caitlyn could hear the soft clink of what she assumed was a teacup over the other end of the line. It was nearly eleven pm in London so she must be having her evening cup of tea before bed.“Yes, a sixteen hour drive does tend to have that sort of effect on the body.” Caitlyn muttered, electing to light up a candle that smelled of fresh linen for while she worked.“You could have taken the private jet we offered, dear.”Caitlyn groaned. “I know mother but this was something I wanted to do on my own.” Another box, this time with expensive plates her mother had gifted her after she’d landed her first job at NASA. A little more useful.“I understand, dear. I must say I do admire your determination and… tenacity.” Caitlyn rolled her eyes with a smile. Her mother had her own way of showing her love. It often came wrapped in eloquent vocabulary and a closed off expression, but it was most definitely there. “As a mother I simply harbor a desire to assist you where I can, is all.”“Thank you, mother. I do appreciate it.”“Yes, well.” Her mother cleared her throat awkwardly. “I will leave you to your unpacking, then. I have also scheduled a delivery for you tonight. Think of it as a congratulatory gift for your new position.”Well that was certainly surprising. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”“I know but… I’m proud of you, Caity. I simply wanted you to know it.” Caitlyn smiled warmly at her childhood nickname. Her mother and her had a rather rough go of it as she grew up, but they had definitely come a long way in love and understanding of one another. “Good luck tomorrow, dear.”“Thank you, mum. I’ll talk to you later.”Caitlyn hung up the phone exhausted, but in high spirits. She put on a playlist of feel good music and danced around her apartment, unpacking as she went and dropping the occasional kiss on her ragdoll cat’s head. As she was on her third suitcase of clothing, a soft knock came from the front door, most likely the delivery from her mother.She hip checked the door closed after signing for the delivery and inspected the tall garment bag. The label was expensive. Like, triple dollar signs expensive. It was no surprise her mother had gone overboard but Caitlyn couldn’t find it in herself to be upset. A luxurious gift every once in a while was acceptable, regardless of her desire to be self-sufficient and independent. Caitlyn was also finding it difficult to complain as she inspected the deep blue pantsuit her mother had gifted her. No doubt attire she deemed “appropriate” for Caitlyn’s first day.“What do you think, Chowder?” She held up the two separate hangers against her slender body, grinning at the small gold details etched into the material. Her mother did have fantastic taste. Cassandra would often say that there is no stronger advisory than a woman dressed to impress.Chowder meowed softly and rolled onto his back, showing complete disinterest in Caitlyn’s impromptu fashion show. The rest of the evening involved frozen pizza, a bath with enough candles to most likely be considered a fire hazard, and an extra step of adding a cucumber face mask to her skin care routine to prepare for her first day. Caitlyn settled into bed feeling a pleasant mix of jitters and excitement. It was a wonder she was able to fall asleep, but she did in record time, allowing her to wake refreshed and invigorated once her alarm blared at five am.After a quick morning pilates routine in her living room and a once over in the full length mirror that the movers had been none too gentle with, Caitlyn felt ready.“Well. I’m off.” She dropped a kiss atop Chowder’s head who was far more interested in nudging Caitlyn’s salt shaker off the counter. She snatched it away and gave the cat a playful scowl before heading out the door, adjusting her new suit as she went.The Houston command center was a short drive from Caitlyn’s apartment. Greyson had really done her a solid in terms of living recommendations. Considering the sporadic and sometimes rather extensive hours she would be required to work, the closer she was, the better. Caitlyn pulled her car into the parking lot of the rather sterile looking building. It was a large structure made up of several different blocks. Very square and rigid without any windows in sight.The clack of her heels against the sidewalk put an undeniable confidence in her step as she approached her new place of work. Another proverb from her mother rang in the back of her mind. “Nothing gives a woman confidence quite like the sound of her heels against the ground.” Caitlyn tended to agree with this one. She felt smart, successful even. All with the simple click clack of an expensive stiletto.Having familiarized herself with the structure before arriving, Caitlyn knew the exact route to take toward the control room. She walked along several hallways lined with photos of astronauts and expeditions of the past before stopping in front of a grand wooden door with Chief Wick’s name etched into a gold plaque.After a steadying breath and two soft knocks, Caitlyn could hear a rather friendly sounding “Come on in.” From the other side of the wooden barrier. She stepped inside and immediately schooled her expression because holy sh@t. This man, her new boss, was a beast of a man.“Ah! You must be Caitlyn!” He stood from his desk and good gods above he was even bigger- “Name’s Vander. I’m the flight director behind the current expedition.”The man extended a large hand toward Caitlyn which she had taken enthusiastically with a poor attempt at grace. His grip was surprisingly soft for such a big man, most likely out of consideration for others because Caitlyn was quite sure he could turn her into spaghetti squash if he wanted to.“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chief. I’m Caitlyn Kiramman. I look forward to working with you.” She flashed a gap toothed smile as Vander gestured to the brown leather lounge chair across from his own desk, rounding it to take a seat of his own once more.“Likewise, but let’s not waste too much time on formalities. There will be plenty of time for that later.” He leaned back casually and Caitlyn wasn’t quite sure why, but she felt rather comfortable in this man’s presence despite his size. “As you know, we’re already four months into this expedition. The previous capcom had to leave for personal reasons which put us in quite a tough spot so we’re very glad to have you aboard.”“Happy to be here, it’s a dream opportunity for me so I’m grateful.”He waved her off. “Typically we have a previous astronaut fill the position but based on your resume, you’re more than qualified. I’m confident you’ll thrive here.” Caitlyn liked this man. He was rather straightforward, but in such a way that wasn’t brazen or cold. An interesting contrast to her own mother. “Now, let’s go over some details. We used to have one capcom take on communicating with the entire team, but we found it more efficient to have multiple communicators each assigned to their own astronaut. I assume you’ve read over the summaries of the current team on the space station we sent out?”“Yes, sir. I’ve familiarized myself with them along with the spacecraft.” The summaries weren’t extensive. Just their names and positions aboard the space station. Caitlyn had them memorized rather quickly. It was a small team, only six of them on board.“Excellent. There will be much more information and files on your computer. You can spend the morning combing through it before you’ll need to do any actual work today.” Vander stood and motioned for Caitlyn to follow along, leading her to another entrance next to a large window at the back of his office. “Now then, let’s show you to your station.”Vander led her out of his office to a small balcony that overlooked the communications room. The room was dimly lit to accommodate several projectors that lit up three large screens at the front of the room. There were several rows of desks laid out almost like a university lecture hall with a couple of enclosed private cubicles at the back. Each desk had a minimum of five monitors and countless papers with graphs scattered throughout. Lovely framed art pieces of various planets and landscapes of stars decorated the walls. It felt strangely tranquil for an office space.“You’ll be working with astronaut number five one six.” Chief Vander instructed as he made his way down the rows with Caitlyn in tow. He rounded a private, dimly lit black cubicle at the back corner of the room. “Fair warning, she’s a bit of a handful. She also happens to be my daughter, though. So take good care of her, aye?”Caitlyn sucked in a nervous breath. She was going to be the personal point of contact for the chief’s daughter? A man who looked as though he could promptly turn Caitlyn into a human football and punt her into space? This wasn’t a promotion. This was a death sentence.The chief offered her a knowing smile. “Don’t look so stiff there, kiddo. Greyson gave you quite the glowing review so I know you’ll do great. Now, this is your cubicle. Feel free to decorate and make it your own little home away from home. There’s a bunk for sleeping on any long nights you may need to be here under the desk there. You have your own computer and filing cabinets and even your own coffee maker.”Caitlyn inspected the small space. There wasn’t much in lieu of decor but it was strangely cozy. Soft blue neon lighting the edges of the mahogany L-shaped desk and walls tall enough to conceal her completely from the rest of the room if she were to sit in the rather comfortable looking rolling chair. A large sign that read “CAPCOM: CAPSULE COMMUNICATOR” stuck out from the front wall. Her mind had already begun picking out cute objects from her apartment that would look splendid in this space.“What else is there- ah! Of course, the most important thing is your headset. Better get used to having this on, you’ll be practically living in it for the next eight months.” Vander nodded his head to the bulky pair of headphones with an attached microphone sitting next to the desktop computer with two monitors.“Well, unless you have any questions for me, I’ll leave you to get settled.”Wait, that was it? That was all the instruction she was going to get? “Um, well, actually…”“What is it kiddo?”Caitlyn sucked her lower lip between her gapped teeth. “What… what do I do, exactly?”Vander let out a hearty laugh. “It’s pretty straightforward. Just sit here and chat with the astronaut, relay any important updates they provide to the team. Communicate information and instruction between us and them. Monitor the spacecraft data on your computer, write up reports and bob’s your uncle.”Caitlyn’s lips formed a little ‘o’ shape. She nodded and squared away her shoulders, fully determined to do her job efficiently. “Thank you, Chief. I promise she’s in good hands.”“That’s the spirit. Let me or any of the team know if you need anything, alright? Take breaks as well. Go around and introduce yourself to everyone. Oh, and welcome aboard.”With that, the man winked and sauntered away, leaving Caitlyn feeling mildly overwhelmed but excited nonetheless. She set down her satchel on the edge of the desk and sat in her plush chair, giving a little spin with glee while she adjusted the lumbar support. She began unpacking her bag with some work day essentials including snacks, a reusable water bottle decked out in stickers, and a small framed photo of her cat for moral support.Caitlyn spent a good amount of time glancing over the furniture in her cubicle while waiting for the computer to boot up. She opened the filing cabinets, intent on finding some sort of information booklet or a manual but was only met with files upon files of spacecraft data that she mostly already memorized in preparation for her first day.She then inspected the headset that would essentially be her lifeline for the next eight months, fixing it to her head and pulling a few wayward cobalt strands of hair out of the front. It was quite bulky, but strangely comfortable. No issues there.It had only been about ten minutes since Caitlyn sat down. She had just started a cup of coffee and begun to rearrange the files on her computer when a woman’s voice crackled through the plush ear coverings on either side of her head.“Houston, do you copy?”Caitlyn panicked, feeling extraordinarily unprepared having been thrust into her new position without so much as even a handbook to consult. What were the formalities? What was she supposed to respond with? Where was the d@mn push to talk button…“Hellooo? I said Houston, do you copy?”Caitlyn fiddled with her headset, having finally found the green button on the side and hastily letting out a rather breathless reply. “Um, yes. Hello? This is Houston. I copy.”There was a long pause in which Caitlyn sat twiddling her thumbs, anxiety pushing the frantic pulse of her heartbeat through her eardrums. Was that wrong? Did she already f@ck up? She took a steady deep breath, finger hovering over the talk button until the familiar voice of the astronaut came through her headset once more.“D@mn, Houston. I didn’t expect you to sound so sexy.”Caitlyn balked. So that was what the chief meant when he said this astronaut was a handful. “I- I beg your pardon?”“You can beg for whatever you want, sweetheart.”Caitlyn promptly ripped off her headset, sitting up straight like a deer caught in headlights. She lifted herself off the arms of her chair and glanced frantically around the room over her cubicle. Was anyone else hearing this?No one in the room had any sort of reaction. They were all buried in their own work. Aside from one rather lanky man with spiked hair who had busied himself with the contents of his nostrils.Caitlyn swallowed down her nerves and lowered herself back into the chair. A slow exhale later and she was sliding back on her headset. She had dealt with her fair share of women like this before. She could do this. Fight fire with fire, so to say.“Sorry.” She responded into the mic, her voice much steadier than it had been moments prior. “But I’m a sophisticated woman. You would need to wine and dine me before I’d entertain such notions.”A beat, followed by a hearty laugh that made Caitlyn’s own lips curl up at the corners.“Oh, I like you.” The astronaut responded, a genuine intrigue lacing her words. “What’s your name?”“My name is Caitlyn, I’m your new personal capsule communicator.”“Hm, so I figured.” There was a slight bit of shuffling over the line, what sounded like a wrapper tearing open. When the astronaut’s voice came back it was muffled by whatever food she had put into her mouth. “Name’s Vi, astronaut five one six. Flight engineer.”“So I figured.” Caitlyn parrotted, she clicked around on her computer monitor, finding several folders worth of information on the current mission, the structure of the space station, and the astronauts on board. “The chief’s daughter, yes?”“Ah, don’t let that scare you. Dad may not look it, but he’s harmless.”Caitlyn hummed. “That may be so, but we should probably do our best to maintain a certain level of professionalism, no?”“Awe don’t worry about that. I don’t know about you but personally, a little harmless flirting never hurt my ability to do my job. Besides-” Vi took another bite of her probably rather atrocious astronaut food. “We’re kinda stuck with each other for the next eight months, so I think it’s best to loosen up a little, y’know? Have a little fun.”Caitlyn pursed her lips, mulling over Vi’s words. She did have a point, they were stuck with one another. They may as well make the best of it.“So, tell me about yourself, Caitlyn.”She tried to pretend the sound of her own name coming from this strangely sultry voice didn’t have an effect on her as she replied. “Didn’t you phone in for something regarding the expedition?”“Nah, just heard you were coming in today. Wanted to introduce myself is all.”“I see.” Caitlyn drummed her fingers against her new desk, thinking. “What do you want to know?”“You got a boyfriend?”What did she expect, really?“No.” Caitlyn decided a bit of honesty couldn’t hurt and based on the way Vi had opened their conversation, she figured the woman would be more than accepting of it. “I’m a lesbian.”“A girlfriend then?”“Regrettably, no.”“Hm, regrettable for you, but not for me.”“Do you flirt like this with all of the capcoms?”Vi barked another laugh. “Hell no. The last guy you replaced was awful. Made way too many space puns and would recap entire episodes of Law and Order.”“SVU? I like that show.” Caitlyn found herself smiling at Vi’s agitated groan.“Of course you do.” She sighed. “I didn’t ever get to find out what happens, though, so I'm curious. Do Benson and Stabler ever get together?”“Hm, not exactly. However, he does confess to her after his wife explodes.”“She f@ck@ng explodes?!”It was Caitlyn’s turn to laugh. She clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the wheezes, doubling over onto her desk. It wasn’t even that funny, really, but something about Vi’s reaction had her gasping for air.“I like hearing you laugh.” Vi’s voice was laced with a smile, less flirtatious and more genuine. “So, other than dramatic crime shows, what else do you like?”“That’s a rather broad inquiry.” Caitlyn sat back, feeling significantly more comfortable. Vi was definitely a handful, that was for sure, but she was fun and had a miraculous way of relaxing Caitlyn. Not an easy feat.“Okay, let me narrow it down then.” The astronaut hummed in thought for a bit before continuing. “What’s another show you like?”“Hmm, I like Yellowjackets.”Vi paused. “The one about the cannibalist soccer team?”“That’s the one.”“Okay, now you’re scaring me a bit.”Caitlyn chuckled softly. “Alright well, what about you?”“Don’t really watch much TV. More into sports, specifically MMA and boxing.”“I see.” Caitlyn squinted at her computer screen, finally digging out Vi’s file and expanding it to fully fit the monitor. She sucked in a shocked breath upon seeing the astronaut’s image displayed at the top of the document. Vi was… well she was stunning. Feathered pink hair and sharp features contrasted by the soft powder blue of her eyes. Cute freckles adorned her cheeks along with a small roman numeral tattoo, piercings lining the one visible ear and sticking out slightly from the neck of her space suit was unmistakable black ink etched into her skin. “Tattoos…”“Hm? What’s that?”“Oh. Um-” Caitlyn hadn’t realized she was musing out loud and quickly cleared her throat awkwardly. “You have tattoos.”Vi laughed softly. “Found my file, didya?”For a reason she couldn’t explain, Caitlyn found an unmistakable heat of blush filling out her cheeks. “Perhaps.”“Like what you see?”This woman was certainly going to be the death of her. “I don’t dislike what I see.”“Playing coy huh? That’s alright, I dig it.” Caitlyn did her best to ignore Vi’s teasing as she scrolled down the file. It was mostly a list of Vi’s accomplishments as an engineer, her history at NASA, where she went to college, and her duties aboard the international space station. Nothing Caitlyn could use as ammo, unfortunately. She made a mental note to do more research later.“Well now this isn’t fair.”Caitlyn frowned. “What’s not fair?”“You know what I look like but I’m still in the dark about you. Care to share?”She pursed her lips in thought and gave a little spin in her chair. Deciding this was the ammunition in her arsenal at the moment. “It’s a secret.”Vi groaned and Caitlyn smiled with her small victory. “C’mon, that‘s mean. Give me one detail.”“How about I give you a detail if you behave for the rest of the day?”“Oof, that’ll be quite a challenge for me.”“Yes, I’m sure it will be.”Vi actually giggled and Caitlyn was suddenly overwhelmed with feeling like a teenage schoolgirl on the phone with her crush, kicking her feet in the air with a giddy grin. She shook the thought from her mind. Professionalism. She was an adult, this was her job. She could absolutely maintain professionalism.“Hate to cut this short but I gotta go get my workout in. I’ll check in later to start on some tasks for the day.” Caitlyn couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed until Vi muttered. “Don’t miss me too much.”Her eyes rolled. “Likewise. Enjoy your workout.”“Oh I will, I’m strangely motivated now.” Caitlyn bit her lip shyly. Was that because of her? Did she do her job right? “See ya later, Caitlyn.”“Bye, Vi.”A soft beep sounded indicating Vi had gone offline. Caitlyn let out a very slow, deliberate breath and simply stared at Vi’s picture on the computer screen. It then dawned on her that this, Vi, was her job now. She would spend nearly every day for the next eight months simply communicating with Vi. From that first conversation alone it was clear the two had decent chemistry. Caitlyn couldn’t deny the inevitable flutter of butterflies in her stomach, but for now she could blame it on first day jitters. She would be lying, though, to say it didn’t excite her at the prospect of speaking to Vi again.She hadn’t even realized that her coffee sat cold and abandoned under the coffee maker. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ About two hours later, Vi’s voice came through Caitlyn’s headset once again. She had spent the allotted absence fully customizing her computer, grabbing lunch from the cafeteria, and familiarizing herself with the comm center and the employees that worked there. The spiky haired boy’s name was Mylo, the visiting vehicle officer. He monitored any traffic or shipments coming and going from the space station. Sharing a desk space with him was Claggor, who monitored the ETHOS system that maintained the astronaut's life support systems. To Caitlyn’s surprise, both of them were also the chief’s adopted children. It made her feel all the more pressure to perform well, but also brought about a rather comfortable familial environment within the workplace.“Yeah, my brother’s are cool.” Vi said in between grunts as she performed the maintenance tasks Caitlyn was reading off to her. “Mylo is kind of a dumbass. Nearly got fired for projecting a big-ass d@ck drawing on the comms screen.”“You’re joking. How did he not get fired for that?”“Well it helps when your dad is the one responsible for said not firing.”Caitlyn shook her head. “I believe that’s called nepotism.”“Hard to argue with you there. They’re both stupid smart though. Earned their way up fair and square.”“As did you, I presume.”“You read my file, you tell me.” There was mirth laced in Vi’s voice. Caitlyn wasn’t about to entertain her ego, though she did read Vi’s file thoroughly. Three times, in fact. It was indeed very impressive. Top of her class at the US Naval Academy, two bachelor's degrees in physical science and systems engineering as well as a master’s in Nuclear Engineering. Several achievements, medals, and scholar athlete awards. All before the age of thirty. A regular protege. “Alright I aligned the replacement gas trap and got it slid into the mounting assembly. What’s next?”Caitlyn squinted at the instructions pulled up on her monitor, finding where they had left off. “Raise the mounting assembly stirrup over the gas trap. Then tighten the push bolt until the gas trap is fully seated on QD’s.”“Okay, got it.” Vi grunted softly. “Done.”“Alright now install the quick release pin through the mounting assembly stirrup and push bolt.”“Hold on, I gotta rotate the push bolt to align the holes- there. All set.”“Did you engage the side latch?”“Do you take me for an amateur or something?”Caitlyn rolled her eyes fondly. “Of course not, Violet, I would never.”“Oh no, not the government name. You definitely read my file.”“What can I say? I like to familiarize myself with every aspect of my job rather thoroughly.” Caitlyn sat back and sipped at her fresh cup of coffee, feeling giddy at the prospect of a job well done. It hadn’t even been a full day yet and she could already confidently say Vi was quite easy to work with and that she was getting the hang of things.“I would make some comment about you being as thorough as you want with me, but I’m on strict orders to behave.”“Hm, yes and since I’m in a good mood, I’ll let you even hinting at it slide. Only this once, though.”The astronaut laughed, a sound Caitlyn was growing quite fond of. “A good mood, huh? That have anything to do with me?”“Well, yes. In a way.” Caitlyn simply didn’t feel like lying. Her and Vi were going to be spending quite a bit of time together. Honesty was a decent path to trust. “To be frank, I was quite nervous to take on this position and despite your apparent need to push the limits of my  tolerance to perversion, I must say I think I quite like you, Vi.”Vi was quiet for a minute and Caitlyn suddenly felt a bit of a twitch beneath her fingertips. The astronaut was wonderful to communicate with, of course, but Caitlyn couldn’t help but wonder what sort of expression she made whenever she went quiet. Or how her eyes may light up when Caitlyn could hear a smile in her voice. There was a bit of an itch beneath her skin she felt she couldn’t scratch. One that could only be described as longing. She hadn’t known Vi for more than a few hours and there was still plenty they didn’t know about one another, but the desire was there. The gravitational pull of wanting to be closer and yet, being unable to.“Likewise.” Was all Vi said. There was something somber in her voice, almost as if she too felt the same longing that was plaguing Caitlyn’s heart.Caitlyn wasn’t given long to dwell on her thoughts as Vi seemed to recover a lot faster than she did. “So, anything else on the schedule today?”Caitlyn pulled up the schedule on her computer, a furrow to her brow. “Actually, no. Today is rather devoid. It seems that one maintenance task was projected to take a lot longer.”“D@mn, I guess you’re just too good at your job, huh?”“Oh stop. You did all the work. I simply sat here, read a document and drank some bitter coffee.”“Awe but you did it so well and didn’t make a single space pun.”“That could change, you know. There’s still time.”“Please, no. I’m begging you.”The sound of their laughter overlapped with one another. Caitlyn’s cheeks were actually beginning to ache with how much she had been smiling today. It was a feeling of euphoria she hadn’t experienced in quite some time.“Well, I guess you’re off the hook then today.”Her smile slowly disappeared. This was ridiculous. Who actually frowns at the idea of leaving work and going home for the day?“One more thing, though.”“Yes?”There was a clear smile in Vi’s voice, a teasing lit to her tone. “I’m still waiting for that detail.”Caitlyn bit her lip, considering her options carefully. It wasn’t that she was self conscious in her looks, but, considering how undeniably gorgeous the woman on the other end of the line was, she couldn’t help the spark of anxiety that set butterflies loose in her gut.“I’m tall.” Is what she settled on.“Oh yeah? How tall are we talking?”“Six feet even.”A low whistle on the other end drew heat to Caitlyn’s cheeks. “No sh@t. You’re taller than me. I’m five-nine.”“I’ve always been a bit self conscious about it, to be honest.”“Are you kidding? Tall women are the best. I bet you got legs for days.”Caitlyn’s face was positively burning now. “You’d be right about that.”“D@mn. Well, good to know.” She paused and Caitlyn heard a soft thump. Almost as if she had braced her forehead against a wall or maybe a window. “Thanks for telling me. Now I can start to imagine what you look like.”“Based on that alone?”“Well, sure, but I can deduce a few things as well.”“Oh posh. Like what?”Vi was seemingly smug now as she quoted Caitlyn from earlier. “It’s a secret.”“Touché.”The astronaut chuckled softly and sighed. Caitlyn wondered if she, too, didn’t want their day to end.“Talk to you tomorrow then?” Caitlyn suggested.Vi paused, her voice rather soft and almost sentimental as she replied. “Yeah, talk to you tomorrow. Have a good rest of your night, Caitlyn.”“You too, Vi.”It took a moment for the soft beep of Vi going offline to sound in Caitlyn’s headset. Another five minutes of Caitlyn staring once more at the smiling photo of Vi from her profile. She was struggling to put words to this feeling fluttering around in her stomach. Simply the nerves of talking with a beautiful woman, perhaps. Or maybe the gratefulness of the opportunity. The revelation that her job was actually fun? There had to be a logical explanation.After documenting a report summary of her and Vi’s maintenance tasks of the day and emailing it to the team, Caitlyn collected her suit jacket from the back of her chair along with her satchel and made for the chief’s office.“Hey kiddo! How was your first day?” Vander greeted her warmly as she entered his office after knocking.“It was… it was lovely, actually. Your daughter is indeed a handful but she’s very easy to get along with.”Vander hummed softly with a smile. “Yeah, that’s Vi for you. She’s fierce but I’m convinced there’s no one with a bigger heart in the universe. I should know, I’ve seen quite a lot of it.”Caitlyn laughed shyly, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I’m excited to get to know her more. Please, do let me know if there’s anything specific I can say or do to make her journey more bearable. I can’t imagine it’s easy being up there away from your family.”There was a bit of sadness in the chief's eyes as he nodded, something seemingly gone unsaid for now. “Thanks, kiddo. Will do. Enjoy your night.”Caitlyn practically skipped out of work, electing to try a Thai takeout restaurant she had spotted on her way home. It had been so long since she felt this immense joy and reinvigoration in her work. She was finally there, at the peak of where she spent her career desperately climbing to and she was sure she’d enjoy every moment of it. Every moment of working with Vi.She lamented over her conversation with the astronaut over and over again that evening, excitement coursing through her with an eagerness for what tomorrow may bring.And if she sat that night out on her balcony with a warm cup of tea in hand, staring up at the stars and thinking about just how distant Vi was from her, well then that was between her and her cat.'
User: Si riassumi
User: Si riassumi
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