"Listen."
Suzee leaned over. "To what? I don't hear anything."
"I know," Davenport said. "It's great."
"It won't last," Suzee said.
"I know. Any second now, Rosie will come in. She'll say, 'Hi, Miss Davenport. How are you today?' And then, Radu and Harlan will come in, talking about Bova being a pest. And Bova will try to zap them, but Commander Goddard will come in and stop him."
"What?" Suzee asked. "How do you...." Suzee cut herself off when Rosie came in.
"Hi, Miss Davenport! How are you today?" Rosie asked.
"Totally coincidence," Suzee whispered to Davenport.
Radu and Harlan came in. Bova was right behind them, staring into a compupad. The sign that he wasn't paying attention was that when Harlan and Radu stopped, he didn't. He bumped right into Harlan.
"Bova, you're such a pest!" Harlan said.
"Yeah," Radu agreed.
Bova got ready to zap them, but Goddard came in and pulled him away.
Davenport gave Suzee a smug smile.
"All right, all right," Suzee said. She went to her post.
Davenport was satisfied. She turned to Goddard. "So, how are you today?"
"Just peachy," he said. "Just perfectly peachy."
Davenport nodded. She turned away to head to helm, but Goddard grabbed her [by the arm.]
"What?" she asked, rather impatiently.
"I was wondering something."
"What?" she asked. She wasn't impatient anymore. In fact, she seemed pretty darn interested.
"Well, do you think you could-"
He was cut off by Suzee. "I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?"
"To Cat's."
Goddard laughed. Thinking she was joking, he answered,"Sure. No problem, Suzee."
"Thanks!" Suzee left the command post.
"Too cute," Goddard said. "Thinking she could actually leave!"
"Yeah," Davenport said sadly. "Cute."
He turned to her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. What did you want to say to me?"
He paused before saying, "It can wait."
He turned and walked away, shaking his head.
Davenport didn't care. Suddenly, a deep sadness fell through her.
Rosie noticed this, but Bova [of all people] came up to her.
"What's wrong?" he asked before Rosie could open her mouth.
"I'm a Martian," she said.
"So? I knew that. I'm Uranusian. Yes, that's depressing, but its nothing to cry about."
"But I'm not on Mars."
"I knew that, too."
"Oh, you don't understand!" Davenport stormed out of the command post.
"Miss Davenport!" Rosie said. She looked over in Bova's direction. "What did you do?"
"I don't know!"
Rosie shook her head. Then she went back to her post.
What was wrong with Miss Davenport?
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