A shower... of money
06 Mar 2020Nerys Nymei
A shower.A shower.
I am dreaming of a shower from weeks.
Yes, there is a "mini-shower" in the crew compartment. There is also a "bed". They are useful for "cleaning" and "resting", but "showering" and "sleeping" are two different things entirely.
The stench of burnt rubber from the air recycling system is stronger now.
Yet the Fairytale jumps. Again and again. Jumps and scans. Jumps and scans.
How much will my cartographic data be worth? I hope it will be enough to pay my repairs when I'll reach this mega-ship.
If it will be still here. It is not like she's waiting for me.
Last jump... FSS scanner... Signal source... The Gnosis. Yes! She's here!
My fingers are trembling when I set the supercruise route. I approach a ring planet, the ship is almost hiding between the planet and the ring. Celeste warns me to slow down.
Speed ok... distance ok... I drop at normal speed and the ship groans again. Another warning light flashes yellow. But hopefully it will be the last one, because...
Commander, this is the Gnosis of Canonn Gnosis Division. Please request landing before approaching further.
A voice! Another real human voice! And here it is. The mega-ship.
Of course I request landing. I almost beg for landing. And gently I approach landing pad 4.
When I finally see another human being after two months of total isolation, I hug him. The Gnosis technician smiles... he must be used to crazy explorers from deep space.
He asks me how my ship is. I explain the problems after the crashlanding, and he nods. The Fairytale can be repaired... for the right price.
I gulp. Will my data be enough? Quickly I check Universal Cartographics with my tablet. If my funds are not enough, maybe I can work here for a while... or ask for a loan... or...
Ohmygod.
I stare at the tablet. It almost drops from my fingers.
Thirty millions of credits? Thirty MILLIONS?
"I need a shower" I whisper, smiling. "A cold one".