The Space Spoon novel Chapter 80

Sun, water, and fun. These were the three ingredients for which Tejeda brought his crew to Genoria Prime. When things got tough for his psyche, he liked to take a vacation in an exotic place every now and then.

He inhaled deeply and gently exhaled. The air from the never-ending ocean brought the scent of freedom. He took another long breath in. While Tejeda stood there, inhaling the fresh, salty air, he forgot all about the tensions accumulated and the tasks that were waiting for him.

Since it was over a thousand years since he last visited Genoria Prime, a bountiful water world with just a few stretches of land, Tejeda considered it the perfect place for relaxation. Leaving the Space Spoon on high orbit with E00 and Hanga, he dragged the rest of the crew on the planet.

Seeing that every part of the land was a beach, he went straight to the water. He knew that everyone was tired of flying through space. At least he was, and that was all that mattered. They needed to decompress. Tejeda waded up to his ankles in the water. It felt like the ocean could wash away everything.

As he looked up at the blue sky, he waved his hands, knowing that his ship was just above the white planetary ring. Though Hanga most certainly couldn’t see him, being swamped with the installation of their new holographic system, E00 for sure had his sensors locked on him.

The sand crunched beneath his feet as he strolled along the shoreline. The little island they were on now was an all-inclusive resort spa. Considering the ordeals they went through, the Interplanetary Police’s accounts could easily spare some credits for their efforts. He killed a king and threatened another, all in a day’s work. No one needed to know about the other things he did that night. But a smirk crept up his face just by thinking of that red-headed woman. Alina, was it? He already couldn’t remember her name.

He turned his back to the ocean and gazed at his crew. The girls were seated under umbrellas, each with their own chaise lounge. To Tejeda's dismay, Shayla, Cato, and C1313 were in casual summer clothes, none of them in swimming suits. This crew could never relax and have fun?

His gaze followed a beautiful young lady who brought cocktails. Her body was perfect. The tiny bikini she wore accentuated the curves of her hips. At least someone was wearing swimsuits around here.

Tejeda barely recognized Jackeye approaching with a large sun hat and a thick layer of sun lotion all over his skin.

"Genoria Prime has two suns, but its ozone is superb. You never get sunburned here. Why all this mushy stuff then?"

"All I do know is that I would have preferred to remain on the ship. My eyes see everything in shades of yellow, and the light here is too bright for me."

"Regarding your eyes—" Tejeda shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and began strolling beside Jackeye. "When I had them, everything was more vibrant than ever before. I must mention that I had a lot of eyeballs." Tejeda winked. "Don't you miss them?"

"I used to do it all the time." Since rays from one of the suns were shining over the tip of his nose, Jackeye adjusted his hat. "Then I discovered a method to see in colors again: virtual reality. Even though it seems dull compared to the real world, that's the best I can do. It's a compromise, but one I'm willing to make."