Sensory Alterations — Meyari McFarland

When Tinesha left her Seattle suburban home to join the space station building program it was with a sense of excitement. She hoped for adventure and something greater to dedicate herself to. Helping humanity expand into outer space seemed like a worthy path for her life, one that she'd be able to follow for years, maybe decades.

But once she was on the station and had begun to help constructing it, Tinesha found that she was having a harder time adjusting to life in space than she expected. It wasn't the work that gave her trouble or her fellow construction workers in space.

No, the problem was that she couldn't adjust to the sensory differences in her environment. Just as Tinesha was about to give up and go back home, her new friend Kalila suggested a way that Tinesha could cope with the station. Taking her up on the suggestion opened up a whole new world for Tinesha. More importantly, it opened up a possibility between them that Tinesha would never have dared to hope for.