Ironically Vitali had been disrespected in his homeland of the Soviet Union. It was supposed to be a modern progressive classless state where everyone was equal. However, apparently some people were more equal than others.<br/><br/>Being a member of the Evenki race, he had not been well liked. It was once more why he had joined the Cosmonaut's Corps in the first place. He figured there was no better way to bring recognition for his people than by becoming a great national hero.<br/><br/>"What do you mean smells like a boat? I honestly thought that you came here by train or something. You actually hadn't shared how you got here." For all Vitali knew, she had flown to the USSR and then taken a train to this more remote location. Nevertheless, he wasn't sure what permits she would have needed or anything like that.<br/><br/>They were starting to get rather tight with security it had seemed.<br/><br/>Soon enough, though, he simply shrugged and smiled. "Well, regardless of how you smell I don't mind. I'll get you a room right after this. How big of one do you need? Not something like you're used to in the UK I assume."<br/><br/>Vitali was of course expecting that any room he rented would have had a shared bathroom, but even some hotels were like that in the United Kingdom. Actually, he had heard that in some countries they had started to charge for the use of a toilet.<br/><br/>Eventually he exhaled deeply and looked down toward his food to find that he had shoveled the whole meal down. Blushing a bit, Vitali looked back toward her but he didn't actually say anything. He was waiting to see what kind of judgment she might have passed on him.<br/><br/>For all he knew, however, she might have eaten that fast as well.<br/><br/>This was just like they were when they were children all over again, it had seemed. Vitali had wished every day would have been like this, but he more than anyone knew very well that all good things came to an end. Space flight prepares a man for that sort of thing. It only lasts so long, and when you're up there, time doesn't seem to have a meaning until it's time to go.<br/><br/>What he didn't know, though, was that this good thing was going to come to an end in grand fashion.