Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode One: Not a Good Day to Die #8

Sophia woke with her phone buzzing in her hand. The light in the room had dimmed but she could make out outlines. She shook her head groggily, trying to piece together the last couple of days.

The phone kept insisting on her attention. She looked at the screen. It was Tamela, a friend from the LGBT support group. Sophia answered.

"Sophia! Where the hell are you?" Tamela's voice accosted her. "We've been worried sick. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm..." she looked around the room. Slowly the pieces snapped together in her mind. "I'm okay."

"We heard Carl booted you. Then we saw your post. We'd have totally let you stay, only we're staying with Sharon's mom right now and..."

"She don't have room," Sophia said. "I understand."

"Then your last post, it sounded like..."

"I didn't."

"That was two days ago, girl," Tamela scolded. Sophia heard another voice on the far end of the line. "Says she's okay," Tamela said to the voice.

"Tell Kerry hi from Shoshone Station," Sophia said.

"She says hi," Tamela said, then, "what? Shoshone Station? Are you shitting me, girl?"

"Nope, I came up yesterday."

"They let you? I thought they weren't letting people yet?"

"They aren't, exactly. Coming up is no problem, apparently. It's getting back that's the trick. Consortium pretty much doesn't care, America is being a stickler though. I just figured, screw it. Not had the best luck in America anyway, you know."

"Wow. What the heck are you going to do up there?"

"I don't know. I met this guy..."

"A guy?"

"Not like that," Sophia snapped. "A guy. He's like, I don't know, a social worker or something. Anyway his job is to help people find jobs. He says he can find me something."

"That would be seriously awesome if he can," Tamela said. "You seriously on the station?"

"Yeah," Sophia said. "Hey, what time is it?"

"It's like seven in the morning," Tamela replied.

"I wonder what that means up here," Sophia wondered. "I'd better let you go and figure it out. I don't want to blow this chance by oversleeping. Tell everyone I'm safe. I will talk to you later and tell you the whole story."

"Yeah, and if they have more jobs for people like us, keep us posted," Tamela said.

"Lights?" Sophia mused as she hung up the phone. A holographic display appeared in front of her. It contained a circle with a dot. Curious she touched the dot. Her finger moved and the dot moved with it. The lights brightened. "Cool."

She jumped in the shower and cleaned off quickly. She shaved and then repacked her bag.

She found the Chapati had been replaced by a Hanuman at the front counter. "I need to check out," Sophia said.

"What room?" he asked without looking up from whatever he was reading on his slate.

"One oh seven," Sophia said. "Umm, can I ask a couple of questions?"

"You just asked one," The man said with a sly look.

"Okay, well, is there a place I could store my bag? I am going to do day labor today and I don't know if I can take it."

"Depends on the labor," the man said. "No worries, lots of day laborers in this section, there's public lockers just down to the left as you leave the hotel. Easy."

"Thanks, and this day labor, is there a certain time I need to be there by? I just came up yesterday, sorry, I don't know these sorts of things."

"Again depends on the assignment. They can set you to labor anytime. If you want to a full day's work, and a day shift, I'd get there in the next half hour, forty five minutes or so."

"Thanks," Sophia repeated as she headed for the door. Outside the stir fry stand was empty but the coffee shop was open. They were serving some sort of egg and vegetable filled burritos. Sophia joined the line and came away with a burrito and a cup of coffee.

She had barely crammed the last bite in her mouth before she found the lockers. The area was set in from the main court. The wall was lined with lockers from floor to ceiling. They varied in size, from tiny cubicles to full length closets.

Sophia watched as a man placed his hand on one locker. It lit up, two tickers appearing above it, and the door opened. He fished out a bag and pulled a couple of items out before shoving the bag back in.

Sophia mimicked his gesture on another locker. Nothing happened.

"It's in use, ain't it?" the man commented casually. He tapped a small symbol on the locker. "In use." He tapped another locker with another symbol. "Available."

"Oh, thanks," Sophia said. She put her hand over the second locker and it popped open.

"This ticker is time," the man explained, "this one cost."

Sophia shoved her bag in and closed the locker. Coffee in hand she headed towards the lift, repeating to herself, Dhanvin, fourteen below.