Drain Space

Chapter 4 - Kejeter

We had been in drain space for two weeks. The tension, at first, was unbearable. Plu was not particularly welcomed by Fidelis and Rust, though their relationships seemed to slowly thaw. Rust managed to find common interests with Plu by telling her stories about places he's been. For Fidelis, well, Plu learned that the best thing she can do is stay out of her way. But outside of the social friction, bringing Plu on board had some technical issues as well. Namely that Rust has only purchased food for the three of us. Because we purchased food on Plu's home planet, it would stand to reason she could eat any of it, but it still meant we had to ration our meals to accommodate. This became a sticking point as well. Despite her height Fidelis did not eat a lot of food, but she insisted on having a large stock for herself. It seems her prostheses can be charged by ingesting chemical energy in the event that their internal power is disabled somehow. This would require a lot of energy, however, so having extra is a necessity. I offered to let her have my food if that were to happen but Fidelis told me, in less kind words, to simply give my food to Plu. Ultimately, I agreed that it was my sacrifice to make, and I rationed out my food accordingly. Rust was kind enough to share some of his food as well.

Plu is so far still convinced that I am from some other planet in this galactic society. She has a curiosity of other cultures, and has tried to ask me about my home planet a few times. I have deflected by saying that I was an orphan that was raised in the monastery. I have also pointed out that she shouldn't ask the histories of people on a ship you suspect may be being used for illegal activities. Her response was that she would never ask the same questions of Rust and FIdelis, but she thought it would be okay to ask me since I was a "harmless monk'. I haven't decided if this is a good way for people to see me or not.

Outside of this though, Plu and I had spent very little time together. Plu is extremely focused on completing this coming-of-age ritual, and had asked Rust a great deal about our next stop. Apparently we are going to a relatively agrarian society on a planet called Kejeter, or Oolea 5, that exports crops and wood to the Enli Empire. We need a drain point to get a planet in the Qulon system, where we can then go to Gilreon. Rust told me that one of their biggest trade partners right now is Qulon 2-4, a planet owned by the Qulon Mining Corporation, so it's a safe bet that they have a drain point that will work, we just need to convince them to let us use it.

Oddly, Plu's interest in the planet had Fidelis agitated. That night, I had cooked dinner and we were all sitting down to eat. Once we had all sat down to eat, Plu said, "I'm excited to see the culture of the Enli empire. I know that Kejeter is just a colony, but I've never been outside of the Deludo Influence, so I'm excited to see what the galaxy has."

Rust said, "I'm surprised, I would think someone with a family drain would be rich enough to have been taken on many trips to the other empires as a child."

Plu responded, "Well, my family had lost some property just before I was born, so I was usually kept at home so that I wouldn't be a target as my father tried to get it back. This will be my first branch out of Deludo and my chance to restore my family's name by completing this rite."

Fidelis squeezed her fork so hard it bent between her robotic fingers. Surprisingly, it sprung back into shape when she released it. She said, "Let me tell you about Oolea 5. It is a barren planet destroyed by a cruel and incompetent ruler. You won't find your familial honor there."

Plu seemed insulted, "This isn't about honor. It's about status. Social standing." she cast her eyes downward, "Getting people to stop whispering about us."

Fidelis was unmoved, "That's the same concept, just disguised by wording. Because in my culture, honor comes from service to others. In yours it comes from service to yourself."

Plu took a big inhale, as if she was going to say a lot of something, but exhaled when she decided better of it, "I'll finish my meal in my room, captain." she huffed. I nodded and she got up and left.