Rei froze when she saw how her question affected the General. For a moment she was afraid he would kill her on the spot for her tactless wondering, but instead he offered a response. So he is homesick then, she thought, almost pitying him, but not quite. At least he had once had a place to call home. When he turned and left, mentioning the barracks to her, she meandered her way in the direction she thought they were. Sleep. Yeah, I could use some sleep.
Finding them, she was at once disturbed by the immensity of the area, and it's emptiness now. It was like a black hole, a void created by where life had once thrived but now was gone.Trying to calm her racing heart, she slipped into one of the rooms and half-threw herself onto the bed, asleep in an instant.
The morning came far too soon for Rei, and her internal clock woke her at 8 o'clock precisely. Why did I ever train myself to do that? Yawning, she crawled out of bed and changed into fresh clothes from her backpack, distinctly aware that she hadn't showered since her arrival. It was a small thing, but Rei was almost ritualistic about keeping herself clean, and it bothered her some. Ignoring her discomfort, she went out into the maze of the ship, wondering where the General and his lackey were.
