The view of space from the Ark was undeniably amazing. The vast expanse of glittering nothingness seemed eager to swallow everything up, and the casual space-gazers knew for the first time what it was like to truly feel small. The Earth could be seen as well, at least what was left of it. But even in its poor, depleted state the planet still demanded a meager amount of awe from anyone lucky enough to view it from orbit. The scene outside did indeed take the minds and imaginations of the Ark's passenger down a journey of wonder, and the realization that they were leaving to find a new home for humanity set the shimmering of hope in their eyes.

Dr. Daphne Davenport, with her back to the panoramic window that was the outside wall of the lounge, was completely oblivious to all of that.

She stared straight ahead at nothing in particular, a glass, wet with condensation, held loosely in one hand as she sat at the bar. The dazzle of the soft light sparkling off the many bottles of liquor on the shelf in front of her simulated the glitz of stars in her mind. The gentle thrum of the Ark sang her a comforting song, almost as if it were alive, and she focused on that to drown out the chattering of the other patrons who had wandered into the ship's lounge. 

It occurred to her that she had never been so lonely in her life.

With her empty hand she pushed her black, thin-framed glasses up on her nose and blinked for the first time in many moments. That involuntary action was enough to jar her out of her trance and remind her that she had come into this exact location to complete a mission:

Daphne raised her glass to her lips and drained it; one small step for Daphne, one giant leap toward getting smashed. And she had been sure to ask for the real stuff and not that synthehol crap that the light-weights preferred. Her body could break down real alcohol just fine, the way it was supposed to. Daphne didn't care what anyone else said about it, it just wasn't the same.

She put the empty glass on the bar and and the pretty bartender replaced it with a full one. Not a word said - they had been doing this dance for awhile now. With a sigh Daphne sat back in her chair and ran a hand through her long blonde hair. She knew she was supposed to be checking into her quarters and preparing to enter 'the deep freeze', as she had began calling it in her head. Her anxiety shot through the roof at that though and she took a long pull on her new drink. There was also an impressive selection of anti-you-name-the-emotional-condtion medication in her bag, but Daphne was saving those for later. When she woke up from 'the deep freeze', who knew what kind of medical supplies she would have to work with. But, she surmised, that was a problem for future Daphne. 

With a toss of her shiny blonde hair Daphne killed her drink and slapped the empty glass on the bar.