Decommissioning: Science Fiction

Being sick gave her an excuse to stay in and avoid the ceremony. It wasn't a lie, either; she'd caught radiation sickness working in the old ship, back before they even really understood all the different ways that radiation could creep inside and poison the bones of people. Despite that, she'd loved working on the old ship, and she'd never held a grudge. That was why she didn't want to see it decommissioned. She'd loved that ship, and her best days had been spent upon it. It wasn't time for the ship to go--somehow, it felt like she'd been marked as obsolete too. And maybe she had, she thought, looking around her at the stateroom that she had all her worldly belongings in. It was about as small as a captain's stateroom on board the old ship; that was to say, ridiculous--

Inspiration: Being sick. Pheh.
Story Potential: Medium
Notes: Not 'zactly an unused beginning, but not one that's been done to death, either. It's really just the opening--what comes after is what makes it stand out.