Another voice cut her off, "You know, Ms. Lane, redeeming my husband and helping my daughter and I get our places back on this launch doesn't mean I appreciate a stow away in a place where resupplying is as complicated as *this*." Lois shrank from Mrs. Platt's glare. "You're lucky the room you were in was empty due to Dr. Lyon getting a stomach bug at the last minute." Mrs. Platt folded her arms angrily as she floated in the doorway.
Lois hoped her smile was still winning her points as she reasoned, "Well, I just wanted to report on the launch. I'm fine with going right back down to print the story."
The first voice, a man who appeared to have some authority judging by the insignia on his jumpsuit, snorted derisively. "Ms. Lane was it?" Lois nodded. "Well, Ms. Lane, this initial crew of the Space Station Prometheus all signed on for a minimum of six months of service."
Lois froze, her smile dropping off her face, "But... supplies, surely you get supplies?" In the ensuing silence Lois hunched her shoulders. "Dr. Lyon getting brought up? Anything?" she finished desperately.
The authoritative figure smiled grimly. "Now that there's a crew here, we get *unmanned* supply modules often enough. But those won't even be jettisoned before we're ready to interphase with a manned vehicle to swap out crew."
"Ms. Lane, you've just volunteered your services to the EPRAD space program for six months. And you'll be lucky if they don't have a jail cell waiting for you when you get planet-side."
