Starhoppers

01 - Good Morning, Zachary Granger

My fingers ran anxiously through my disheveled hair as I studied my face in the mirror. Distant conversations echoed quietly through the crack beneath the door. I forced myself to turn away, approaching the desk that stood on the opposite side of the room. "You know, sometimes I feel like I might not be ready for any of this, Mom. Maybe you were right," I chuckled, breaking the long-settled silence as I stuffed my few belongings into my bag. "But I can't turn back now. You know that."

I glanced finally at the camera - a tiny black dot resting in the wall above the terminal, with a faint red light blinking steadily just beside it. "I don't even know if you've been watching these," I murmured absently, chewing my lip as I peered around the room. "It would be nice if you guys responded every now and then, you know."

A knock against the door caused me to flinch. "Hello?" I called out, turning just as the door slid open. Out in the hallway stood a droid, the weathered treads at its base groaning to life as it rolled carefully into the room.

"Good morning, Zachary Granger," the droid spoke in a voice just adjacent to that of a human. "A party awaits your arrival in the docking bay. Shall I tell them you're on your way?"

"Yes, thank you," I said, staring curiously at the droid as it stood motionless in the center of the room - as if it expected me to continue. "So I'm all set, then? Will I need to check out of my room?"

"Your lodging with us began when you first stepped foot on this station," the droid said, a screen displaying the illustration of an animated smiling face where its head would have been. "Your reservation will terminate automatically upon departure from the station, and the account tied to your profile will be billed accordingly."

"Right," I murmured, narrowing my eyes. "And what if my employer promised to cover the cost? I don't have the money to pay for this kind of thing."

"All patrons lodging under an employer's name will be covered by the employer's profile. There is no need for you to worry, Mr. Granger," the droid said, its voice devoid of any emotion as its arms gestured stiffly before it. "You are taken care of. Will there be any further questions, or shall I leave you to your privacy?"

"That'll be all," I said, glancing briefly towards the camera in the wall. "Thank you."

"Of course. We hope you enjoyed your stay with us here at Albright Station!" the droid rattled off what felt like a scripted message as it rolled slowly back towards the doorway. The base of the droid smacked loudly into the doorframe as it moved. A book on the shelf beside the door fell onto its side as the droid struggled to readjust itself in the doorway. "We thank you for your patronage, and hope you'll join us again for the finest lodging accommodations this side of the Milky Way!"

I remained silent as the droid made it finally into the hallway, the door sliding quickly shut behind it. A few moments passed before I gained the strength to turn back to the computer terminal, leaning my palms against the face of the desk with a heavy sigh. "You know, I always used to think that tech would get better the further from home I got," I laughed. "Turns out it's just as shitty out here."

I stood in silence for a few seconds more as I stared down at my fingertips. "You don't have to call back, Mom," I said. "I just hope you can someday understand why I came out here in the first place. You and Sophia both. I could see how angry she was with me when I told her I was leaving - no matter how hard she tried to hide it."

My gaze drifted out the viewport to my right as I spoke. Albright Station orbited high above the gas giant Takconia, thick clouds of dark blue and purple vapor swirling down below as the light of its orange star began to shine over the horizon in the most beautiful sunrise I'd ever laid my eyes upon.