Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode 9: Asha-Tanga #12

Jack got away from Blumenthal and the others as soon as he could politely do so. As he stepped out of the courtyard, he muttered, "Off work." It wasn't really necessary, but it helped him mentally make the transition.

He found Zeta sitting on a bench in the nearby plaza. She looked like she had been crying.

"What happened?" Jack asked, sitting next to her.

She leaned against his chest, her head down. "I'm fired."

"But . . ." Jack sputtered. "But he can't, can he?"

She shrugged but didn't look up. "He did it anyway."

"All you did was speak up for what you believed," Jack grumbled. "How could he?"

"He said I have a pattern of disobeying direct orders. Said it was your fault."

"My fault?"

"Not you personally. Your people. Earth people. 'They quarrel all the time,' he said. 'You weren't like this until you met them.'"

Jack gave a small laugh. "We do quarrel. But, still, when he got mad at you last time . . ."

"Arneshi intervened," Zeta said, looking up.

"Will he intervene again?"

Zeta shrugged, looking away. "I suppose we'll find out. Probably not until after Asha-Tanga is over. I wish I wasn't part of tomorrow's festivities. I just want to hide in my room. The waiting is bad enough without having everyone partying around me, living it up."

"I hear you," Jack said, holding her close. They sat there a long time, watching the world pass and not talking.

Neeka and Shollana approached them, their child Naka between them, carrying decorative eggs. "We heard the speech and overhead a bit of your boss's reaction after," Neeka said with a furrowed brow. "We are proud of what you did for us, for our whole community. And we are sorry for the price you paid. We figured you didn't want to wait in a long line, so we brought you each an egg. It's not much to repay the debt we owe you. But it's as much as we could do."

Zeta wiped a tear from her cheek. "You didn't have to."

"We did," Shollana answered.

The child Naka held the eggs out.

"Thank you," Zeta told Naka and took one. Jack took the other and watched Zeta. She placed it between her palms and, for a moment, closed her eyes as if praying. She crushed the egg between her palms and then pulled a necklace from within.

Neeka let out a gasp. "By the Watcher!"

Zeta laughed suddenly. She held the necklace out for Jack's inspection. The symbol meant nothing to him. He gave her a blank look. "I don't know how much faith to put in such things."

"With a sign like that?" Shollana interjected. "How can you not have faith?"

"What is it?" the child Naka demanded.

"Atuylan takes a stand," Zeta said. "It means, 'standing up to oppression.' In other words, doing what is right, even when it's hard."

"And succeeding at it," Neeka said. The C'thon made an excited gesture that caused the mass of tentacles on its head to wave. "It's an incredible sign, I must say. You must have faith now. You must."