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Authors: John Van Stry
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noticed a few looks from some regular crewmembers seated at the other tables. I ignored them.
"Calm down." She smiled again. "This ship is actually fairly fast."
"Then why so long?"
"We have a one week stopover at Alexandria ." She looked at the expression on my face, "Close your mouth before you start catching flies."
There was an audible snap as I did so.
"Congratulations Jotun." she giggled, "You're going on a week's vacation!"
"What'll Siedman say?"
"I'm not telling him, are you?" She giggled again.
"Hell no!" I laughed out loud. "How did you, err ... Where did you get this idea from?"
"Oh the group I was in before used to do this once a year or so. We figured we earned it once in a while." She slid her hand down to grab the one I was making improper advances with. Well, improper in public. "And if anyone's earned it, it's you!"
I was in a positively good mood for the next four weeks. The idea that I was going someplace where I didn't have to work, and that I wasn't getting put into 'protective' custody was absolutely wonderful. I decided to forget about everything else and enjoy it.
Alexandria was an interesting place, it was one of the first planets settled and was fairly well developed as such planets go. We got the standards and practices briefing, I usually avoided those on a job, and then hit the streets.
The view here towards Animen here was fairly typical, we were second class citizens and property of our respective companies. This meant we'd have to keep a low profile when out in public, as the police would be hard on anyone who stepped even slightly out of line. Except in the Animan section of the city of course, there things would be a little easier, though not much. This was the way things were most places in the settled galaxy, and it was a pain, but it was still wonderful to be here!
"Well, where too?" Asked Shotoon as the four of us started out.
"A bar!" I said enthusiastically, ears perked.
"What?"
"A bar?"
"Yes, why a bar Jotun?" They all asked.
"I haven't been in one in years, and I want to go someplace crowded. Someplace just full of people!"
"Been alone too long huh?" smiled Azelett.
"Yup!" I grinned foolishly.
We asked around and eventually got directions to a place called 'The Water Hole'. It wasn't much to look at outside, or inside either for that matter. The furniture was cheap, worn and didn't match. But it had atmosphere, and it smelled good. Also it had quite a few people in it even though it was still only late afternoon.
I grabbed a table in the center of the room and flagged down the barmaid.
"Yes hon?" She asked giving me a wink. She was a petite grey fox with nice black markings on her muzzle, obviously very young too. Maybe ten or twelve.
"Beer!" I smiled back, "Lots of it too!"
"Right away!" she hustled off.
"Isn't she a little young to be working?" I asked the others.
"Not really," Volunteered Rieselle with ear flick towards the retreating barmaid. "She's probably free born and needs the money to survive. Their numbers have been increasing radically over the last decade."
"Why don't they work for a corp?"
"Most won't have them, no training. And many parents don't want them either, it costs a lot to send a child to school and you usually can't take them with you. Also the leverage conflict created a lot of orphans."
My tail twitched at that. I had a very big part in that I figured. I had killed enough folks during it, that's for sure.
"Sorry Jo," she sighed.
"That's okay," I sighed myself.
At that moment the first pitcher showed up.
"Better get more," I chuckled looking up from my seat at the waitress, "this won't last very long." I quickly poured it out filling our mugs and grabbed my own.
"How much?" She asked looking us over.
"Lots more I think," said Shotoon watching me drain my mug.
I refilled and started on another.
"And fast too," he added looking at the little bit left in the pitcher.
She took off to get us more, and I settled back to do some
"Calm down." She smiled again. "This ship is actually fairly fast."
"Then why so long?"
"We have a one week stopover at Alexandria ." She looked at the expression on my face, "Close your mouth before you start catching flies."
There was an audible snap as I did so.
"Congratulations Jotun." she giggled, "You're going on a week's vacation!"
"What'll Siedman say?"
"I'm not telling him, are you?" She giggled again.
"Hell no!" I laughed out loud. "How did you, err ... Where did you get this idea from?"
"Oh the group I was in before used to do this once a year or so. We figured we earned it once in a while." She slid her hand down to grab the one I was making improper advances with. Well, improper in public. "And if anyone's earned it, it's you!"
I was in a positively good mood for the next four weeks. The idea that I was going someplace where I didn't have to work, and that I wasn't getting put into 'protective' custody was absolutely wonderful. I decided to forget about everything else and enjoy it.
Alexandria was an interesting place, it was one of the first planets settled and was fairly well developed as such planets go. We got the standards and practices briefing, I usually avoided those on a job, and then hit the streets.
The view here towards Animen here was fairly typical, we were second class citizens and property of our respective companies. This meant we'd have to keep a low profile when out in public, as the police would be hard on anyone who stepped even slightly out of line. Except in the Animan section of the city of course, there things would be a little easier, though not much. This was the way things were most places in the settled galaxy, and it was a pain, but it was still wonderful to be here!
"Well, where too?" Asked Shotoon as the four of us started out.
"A bar!" I said enthusiastically, ears perked.
"What?"
"A bar?"
"Yes, why a bar Jotun?" They all asked.
"I haven't been in one in years, and I want to go someplace crowded. Someplace just full of people!"
"Been alone too long huh?" smiled Azelett.
"Yup!" I grinned foolishly.
We asked around and eventually got directions to a place called 'The Water Hole'. It wasn't much to look at outside, or inside either for that matter. The furniture was cheap, worn and didn't match. But it had atmosphere, and it smelled good. Also it had quite a few people in it even though it was still only late afternoon.
I grabbed a table in the center of the room and flagged down the barmaid.
"Yes hon?" She asked giving me a wink. She was a petite grey fox with nice black markings on her muzzle, obviously very young too. Maybe ten or twelve.
"Beer!" I smiled back, "Lots of it too!"
"Right away!" she hustled off.
"Isn't she a little young to be working?" I asked the others.
"Not really," Volunteered Rieselle with ear flick towards the retreating barmaid. "She's probably free born and needs the money to survive. Their numbers have been increasing radically over the last decade."
"Why don't they work for a corp?"
"Most won't have them, no training. And many parents don't want them either, it costs a lot to send a child to school and you usually can't take them with you. Also the leverage conflict created a lot of orphans."
My tail twitched at that. I had a very big part in that I figured. I had killed enough folks during it, that's for sure.
"Sorry Jo," she sighed.
"That's okay," I sighed myself.
At that moment the first pitcher showed up.
"Better get more," I chuckled looking up from my seat at the waitress, "this won't last very long." I quickly poured it out filling our mugs and grabbed my own.
"How much?" She asked looking us over.
"Lots more I think," said Shotoon watching me drain my mug.
I refilled and started on another.
"And fast too," he added looking at the little bit left in the pitcher.
She took off to get us more, and I settled back to do some
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