He looked at the back of Ian, as the Junker left. He swallowed hard. He had liked this man like a brother from the first time they had met, although he still hardly knew him. "No, I would never scrap her deliberately," he mumbled at the empty chair beside him. He gulped his glass down in one large swallow. Nodding to Sandra he left.
Automatically he turned down to the connecting airlock of the Reverie. He deliberately ignored the Pilgrim Liner next to her. It was easier to think that they all had left already.
With a hissing sound the airlock opened and he entered the ship. It was deserted, but clean. Everywhere Theobald walked he could see the signs of the work the Junkers had done. The ship did look like a patched up bucket, well made, but still patched up. Deep Space Engineering will have a hell of a job to do to cover everything up, Theobald thought and sighed. He knew they would be here soon and then the ship will be a buzzing hive of activity again.
He took his time strolling through his ship, looking at every corner. Everything looked familiar and wasn't at the same time. Leaving through the airlock to the station again he couldn't shake the feelings he got from the ship, his Lady. No matter what she looked like at this moment, she still felt like the same lady he loved. And he knew that she will look the same soon. Well, mostly.
