HUMBLE SPACER 09 OCT 3306 (dig in)
09 Oct 2020Igli
Each week life gets more troublesome. Uncertainty and fear reigns over galactic trade lanes. Grim news of armed incidents breaking to the populace every day bode ill for an optimistic vision of the future. Bombings, political accusations, witch hunts - what next? Indiscriminate conscription of all able spacers and total war?I don't feel too eager to march under the banner of empire or any other interstellar superpower. As do many others. Humble and quiet is my motto. I've been ferrying passengers lately and hearing all sorts of frightening rumors, too. Some say that independent pilots are to be interned and forcibly educated into personal loyalty to certain high-rank individuals. And that training is going to be either very efficient or extremely painful. War wants canon fodder.
Now I start to think of temporarily vanishing from radars and going into hiding. I shall need resources to wait out the turmoil: clean water, food, salt, matches, ammo, and more importantly - an inconspicuous place to lie low and comfortable. A hollowed out asteroid will do perfectly. It is not unbearable with some entertainment included like books, old recordings, classic movies and all episodes of "The Muppet Show".
But sticking myself into a cave would be lonely. Thus I decided to find me some company and went to a crew lounge from where I left with a hired SLF pilot who accidentally turned out to be quite a slender and interesting lady. We discussed contract details and had a few drinks to seal the deal. I happily filled the form and gave the paper to my new guardian angel and then I came to myself lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood from my nose.
I tried to express astonishment but couldn't say a word. Then I spat out the contract stuck in my mouth and examined it while trying to focus. Oh my! I misspelled her name "Ofelia
I think I'll procure some adult magazines from a local black market.