Hiding Places and New Destinations [ Log 2 ]

Laya

We stayed at the station for more than a week while Karla tried to get us the best price for our cargo and made arrangements to load the ore. She’d explained that time was money, and I was almost sure I understood what she meant.

We spent a lot of time together, going from one boring meeting to another, but it was worth it. I’d missed her, and she looked happier now than when she was back. Getting a friend for Mr Scoundrel had been a good idea. I wondered what she’d named him.

One of those days, we went to the pool. Sis had taken us to many nice places, but the pool was so beautiful. The water was warm, and we swam surrounded by the stars. It was much better than staying on board the ship like we used to, but just spending time together was the best, no matter what we did.

I had kept reading Sol’s logs, and I’d found a good place to be in, at the compartment hosting the power relay for the main cannon. It was more spacious than my locker on Minerva, and no one ever came there, so I could cry without worrying anyone. The logs made me sad, but I kept reading them anyway, just like Mom’s and Dad’s.

It was late, and the third watch had just started when I pulled my data pad from the pouch on my belt and sneaked out from my hideout. The ship was silent, and my steps echoed through the empty corridors as I walked to Sol’s room. I hoped she was there.

I opened the door. She was sitting at the small table, reading some old-looking book, and she smiled when she saw me.

“Can I stay with you?”, I asked.

She never asked why I came, and I’d never told her I read her logs, but maybe she already knew. She must have noticed me accessing those files, she knew everything that happened on the ship, but if she had, she never commented on it.

“Come”

She moved over to the bed, and I sat down next to her and put her pillow-cat on my lap.

“What’s his name?”

“Name?”

“Yes, didn’t you give him one?”

She shook her head.

“He must be sad”, I whispered and hugged him.

She looked at me and hesitantly put her arm around me.

“What should I call him?”

I thought for a moment.

“Name him after something important so you feel happy whenever you see him.”

“I see.”

She smiled, and I snuggled up against her. I called mine Minerva. She had been our home for so long, and I sometimes felt sad we had left her in Elmir, but now, when I hugged my fluffy pillow, I could remember all those happy moments me and sis had had with her.

I smiled and put the fluffy pillow on her lap, and she hesitantly took it in her arms as I had done before.

“What is his name?”

She smiled.

“Captain”

“He is happy now. He will look after you. You don’t need to be alone anymore.”

I sniffled and hugged her, and she held me as my tears wet her suit. After that, we lay down in the bed, and I snuggled up against her, holding Captain in my arms as she turned off the light.

The next day, we gathered in the canteen. Our cargo had been sold, and the ship’s cargo bay was being loaded with ore. It was our last day, and in a few hours we would take off to the stars once again. I was excited again about the upcoming journey.

“Where are we going?”

Sol turned to sis, and sis glanced at Karla.

“New Medina seems like the best choice”, Karla said. “We could get a better price on Dacoria, but considering the distance, I don’t think it will make much difference in the end.”

“New Medina?”

Sol looked at them.

“Something wrong? We can go to Dacoria instead, if you want.”

Karla smiled and turned to the holo display. Sol shook her head, watching the photos covering the walls.

“Sherma came from New Medina.”

Sis put an arm around her shoulder.

“Do you want to go there?”

Sol nodded.

Later that day, after all the preflight checks were done, we set course for the first beacon and embarked on our journey. It would take us 10 days to reach the world where Sol’s friend used to live, D842. It sounded exciting. It didn’t have so much water, but it was warm, and gravity was okay.

When it had only been me and sis, we only went to the surface if we couldn’t unload our cargo at the high port, but I was sure this time we would take a trip down and maybe stay there a bit. I’d always wanted to see all those worlds we visited, but it was expensive, so for most of the time, the viewing deck of the station was the best I could get.

As the ship accelerated to leave the planetary system and safely enter hyperspace, I wondered what this journey would bring us.