Scifi Romance: Solaris (Paranormal Alien Space Romance) (Fantasy Interstellar Military Short Stories) by Linda Mathers

Solaris - Sci-fi Romance
    Chapter 1.
     
    Cassie stood on the stage at the front of the Auditorium in the Starship Solaris surrounded by her peers. She was dressed in the traditional green robes all her other classmates were wearing. This was the day they had all been looking forward to since they were kids. It was finally graduation day. Her entire life, 21 years exactly in fact, had been leading to this moment. Today was the day she selected her career path.
    She looked out from the stage and saw her mother and father. They both beamed with pride, excited to see their only child graduating University. Cassie's mother, Angela, was the Chief of Surgery on the ship's medical deck. Her father, Avery, was Lead Science Officer.  Cassie knew they expected her to follow in their footsteps and choose a career in the Sciences. 
    “Ladies and gentlemen,” the University Dean began, “to commence our graduation ceremony, please allow me to introduce Captain Ulysses Jackson, Commander of Solaris .”  The audience stood and the entire Auditorium applauded as Captain Jackson walked to the podium. He, in turn, waved politely and cleared his throat into the microphone as a signal for everyone to stop clapping and take a seat.
    Cassie looked at the Captain as he stood in front of her. He had grey hair always kept cut short in a military fashion. His face was stern, but could appear friendly on the rare occasions he smiled, and his uniform was always clean and well-pressed as another indicator of his military background.
    “Today is a very important day,” Captain Jackson began. “It is the day when another generation of scholars leave the comfort of the classroom and join the working class on Solaris as productive members of the crew. For three years, these students have been studying toward a goal of their choice and today they will announce their career ambitions and begin working in that chosen field.” There was another round of applause and the Captain took a moment to take a sip of water before he spoke again.
    “Before we begin, it is customary that we take a moment to remember the importance of this ceremony.  One hundred years ago, we fled the Earth. Our precious natural resources were dried up and the human race was doomed. That was until the world's greatest minds collaborated and built the Starship Solaris . The world's leaders selected their best scientists, doctors, scholars, and soldiers to populate the crew. Those original crew members were tasked with finding a new home for humanity. They established this system of educating our children to make them productive members on the ship as a way of ensuring our survival. Now, we carry on that great tradition and introduce our newest generation.”  There was yet another round of applause and Captain Jackson stepped down from the podium.
    “Let us begin,” said the Dean. “Steven Addams, please approach the podium and announce your career choice.”
    Cassie stood in her spot as Steven Addams walked to the podium with his head held high and proudly stated “Maintenance” into the microphone. There was applause from the crowd, he shook the Dean's hand and walked back to his spot on the stage. Cassie's stomach turned knots on itself as the Dean went down the list and got closer and closer to her name. She had studied medicine and biology in University to appease her parents, but she knew her career choice was going to come as a shock to them. Finally, she heard her name come through the speakers: “Cassandra Sterling”.
    She took a deep breath and began walking slowly toward the podium. When she arrived, she looked out at the audience and saw the excitement in her parents’ faces. She looked down at the microphone, trying to avoid seeing the inevitable disappointment in their eyes. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, unsuccessfully, then spoke.
    “I would like to join the Landers,” she said as bravely as she could manage. She looked back up and saw the