Chapter 131: 'Relativity'

"I'd imagine the science academy, quite different from the world you were used to." Katsuhito said at last.

Hoping to rescue Washu from sinking into eminent melancholy.

"Understatement of the millennium!" She answered brightly.

Allowing him to draw her back, away from the pull of past regret.

"I remembered on arrival looking around like my eyes would fall out!

So much to see! Even managing to touch down on G-gamma one in the middle of the night cycle.

Kept trying to figure the place out, especially all the bright lights.

'Remember thinking it must have taken a shit load of burp lamps to shed all that light!"

"Burp Lamps?" Katsuhito murmured mildly confused, not having meant to interrupt this time.

"Methane gas lanterns." Washu supplied amiably.

"Gotta be a better name you know, since 'fart gas' was about the only renewable resource Pragmis nine had to offer.

But Just hold you're horses there!" She held up a hand.

"There's one little plot twist you need to know before we can move on!"

"Such as?" Katsuhito asked smiling, enjoying their exchange immensely.

It was so rare that Washu ever really opened up about her past.

"Well' lets just label this teeny tiny part" Washu again illustrated with her fingers.

"What happens when the laws of time and space decide to play 'hacky sack' with someone's life.'

Or, a funny thing happened to me on the way to the galactic science academy!"

She paused, one side of her mouth curling.

"You remember me saying how All the local bulk ships used just kinetic drives?"

"Of course." Katsuhito nodded.

"Well, the G-gamma star system is roughly over fourteen light-years distant from Pragmis nine!" She told him shrugging.

Then continued to stare at Katsuhito expectantly for a moment.

"So?" He finally ventured when it became evident she wasn't going to continue.

"Jurians!" Washu swore, actually shaking her head.

"Like, DUH! I should have known better!"

"Well, Pardon me for not knowing." He groused.

"No, No. I'm serious! THAT was stupid of me." Washu shook her head again ruefully.

"Your people's idea of space flight was initially based on time suspension.

The ol' 'Stick me in the freezer' 'n wake me when its over approach.

It wasn't until formal contact with the League That Jurai actually gained 'hyper fold technology."

"So, anyway back to what I was saying.

At just over the speed of light, or roughly two hundred seventy nine thousand miles per second,

the discussed fourteen light-year trip took a little over seven and a half years subjective time."

"A great deal of time to be in transit I agree." Katsuhito nodded.

"Heh..." Washu flinched, suddenly rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"I take it then you know nothing about relativity?"

"Certainly I do!" He grumbled mildly offended.

"Einstein's theory states that as one approaches the speed of light.

Time during such an acceleration slows down relative to the rest of the universe."

"Einstein huh?" Washu blinked, smiling at him fondly.

"Little flawed, but close enough for what we're talking about." She leaned forwards.

"I'm gonna let that one slide!"

"I think I see." Katsuhito nodded slowly. "The ore ships you traveled on..."

"Took slightly over seven years to get me there!" Washu completed his thought dryly.

"Though to little 'ol stupid me at the time it was more like four months!

I was too busy hopping ship to ship, keeping an eye on both my belongings and my 'oh, so pinchable behind' to really think about it!

My last stop was Vega Prime."

"The galactic ship yard?" He asked. Knowing the name by reputation only of course.

"You bet!" She grinned.

"Biggest, baddest load of tech in one place I'd ever seen! I even understand Vega is over three times that size now!

Covering almost and entire solar system!

From there, I was able to charter a hyper fold type vessel the rest of the way." She sat back, smiling ruefully.

"Imagine my surprise when finding on arrival I was twenty one years of age according to galactic records!"

"My word." Katsuhito coughed politely.

"Course admissions didn't give a damn!" Washu went on.

"Just another little 'cock up' far, as they were concerned.

I guess they had seen it all. Had a Sort'a don't ask, don't tell kind'a attitude Ya' know?"

"Hmmmm." Katsuhito nodded knowingly.

"And who the hell was I to argue?" She continued adamantly. "Hell! I was just so pumped to finally be THERE!

That whole time/space goof up thing seemed more like a godsend to me right then once I understood.

Like I'd save myself a whole bunch of time!"

She continued to regard him, though Katsuhito could see her smile falter ever so slightly.

"Least that is until ... IT happened."

"It?" He asked.

"Got blind sided," She shrugged.

"Like anyone EVER plans for it to happen!" Washu eyed Katsuhito. "I fell in love."

Katsuhito leaned forwards smiling, obviously entranced.

"One of you're fellow students?" He asked diplomatically.

"Worse! One of the professors!" She brought up her hands, vigorously rubbing her face.

"It's just so god awful when you think about it! Like some bad Sojo or harlequin romance!

You look back, hear all the corny crap you said to each other! Think of all the stupid mistakes!

It almost makes you wan'na laugh your ass off!" She stopped, her smile turning tragic.

"Almost..."

"Washu..." Katsuhito sighed.

"Well, he reciprocated." She smiled, tightly.

"Small wonder, similar fields, interests that intertwined.

Astrodynamics, Geophysics, Astro-botanical for him and Geo-genetic, spectrodynamics and zenobiology for me."

She turned again facing him dead on, eyes large and luminous in the low light.

"I remember we used to stay up late, after hours in the lab complex.

Drinking Gamma-Plus like it was water! Wired to the gills on synthetic caffeine, talking about all the things that really mattered!

One night, we were alone, just the two of us.

Suddenly before I knew what was happening we were going at it on a lab table of all things!

And me loving every minute of it!

After that, it was the same corny things, we spent every minute we could together.

He at the expense of his tenure, mine at the cost of my grades!" Again she paused.

"We had it all planed out you see, we would wait until after I graduated.

Then go and get married. That, as they say was the plan..." She trailed off.

"Until you discovered you were pregnant." Katsuhito supplied quietly.

"Gannon was furious!" Washu sighed.

"Asked me how someone of my intellect could commit such an error!"

Washu shook her head.

"I swear that is exactly how he put it!"

"Gannon?" Katsuhito asked, brows furrowing. "A Jurian name?"

Washu nodded.

"Of the house of Soma." She sighed. Pausing at the look of intensity Katsuhito was wearing.

"I hadn't actualy planned to ever tell you his name." She confessed, seeming mildly embarrassed by the admission.

"Can't see how it matters now."

"It matters ... Washu." He told her softly. "To me."

"After he found out," She continued after a slight pause, eyeing him. Troubled by something in his response.

"Everything changed! Suddenly I wasn't his intellectual equal! Started treating me like..."

"A Child?" He finished for her.

"And a slow on at that! She nodded angrily.

Bastard all but ordered me to have an abortion!" Washu swore, surprising herself at the amount of venom she still felt.

"Kept going on and on about how 'damaged' his reputation would become if ever the news became public!"

"And your response?" Katsuhito smiled grimly.

"Tft!" She sort of grunted, eyeing him sideways.

"Long as you've known me, I'm surprised you even bothered asking!

Told him to stick his reputation where the stars don't shine!"

She then threw up her hands, letting them fall.

"At the time I was so in love, it all didn't make sense!