There wasn't much discussion between Dr. Ibrahim and Takahashi regarding Naomi's prosthetic acclimation assessments, but the implications were there. The woman was passing all of the assessments with flying colors. Her test scores in balance, reflexes, motor coordination, and grip strength had all surpassed what was capable for natural human physiology. This wasn't unheard of for most BSI-connected prosthetics, but considering just how fast she had acclimated to them, the medics couldn't help but wonder just how high-tech her BSI was.
Rather than dwell on the implications, Dr. Ibrahim and Takahashi were both happy to release her from her daily check-ins. They used the extra time to get a bit more relaxation shoreside. As was standard procedure, they didn't inquire about where they were, only that it had places to eat, drink, and fuck. But even those activities had rigid guidelines as to maintain operational security.
Because of these guidelines, Naomi was not allowed off the ship without an escort, and it would be this way until Naomi decided whether or not she was going to stay.
"You have a bit of time, I think," Tre said as they sat on opposite sides of their room. "Nia usually gives us 24 hours notice before we leave for our next contract."
Naomi was doing her due diligence, sitting at the table and studying the Non-Disclosure Agreement. She had seen plenty of NDAs in her time, so Naomi was surprised to see how hefty and professional the document was considering the small size of the BOS's crew. Tre could see the reservation on Naomi's face. She stood up from her bed and moved to sit next to Naomi.
"I know it's a lot, but it's really not as serious as all that." Tre fingered a loose ball bearing on the table as she spoke. "I mean, it is serious, the people we help really need it, but Nia isn't really a vindictive person. If you think it's too much, you can pretty much leave whenever you like. There isn't much that she can do about it, anyway."
There wasn't a response from Naomi. She just continued reading the document. While she had a reasonably large choice to make, it was Tre that was more nervous about Naomi's decision. She was fidgeting as she considered what to say, or whether she was speaking too much.
"You know, I really don't mind the company," Tre said, trying to sound nonchalant. What she really wanted to say was much more passionate, but she had awareness enough to not show too much attachment. She kept quiet in an attempt to avoid pushing Naomi away.
Naomi's stoic attitude was often confused for emotional distance in Tre's mind, so when Naomi stood up from the table and left the room, Tre's mind began to race.
Of course, there weren't many places that Naomi could go. Not only was she relegated to the hull of the Beacon of Solace, she was only allowed in the common areas. For this size of ship, that consisted of most hallways on a couple of decks and the galley. To the galley she went.
Beyond Tre, the cook, Mateo, was one of the people Naomi had become closest to, even though they rarely exchanged a word between them. Typically, whenever the BOS was docked anywhere, the crew opted to eat shoreside, but Mateo was diligent about always offering food aboard the ship, even when there were no patrons.
The food itself in Mateo's Galley was usually pretty good, especially the pizza. It also helped that the food was free as Naomi didn't exactly have much to her name. When a slice of Chicago-style pizza slid in front of her, she wasn't expecting the format of the cheese under the sauce, but didn't hesitate to dive in.
