Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode One: Not a Good Day to Die #12

After their midday meal, they drove the scrubbers again. Sophia wondered why they couldn't have just made a robot to do this task, but the others reacted with outrage at the suggestion.

It was mid afternoon when they wrapped up for the day. Tapanga showed Sophia how to customize her bank account so she got paid daily instead of monthly. "You're just starting out," Sara said. "So it's understandable that you need the resources now. But don't get in a habit. Set your bank weekly, then back to monthly. Too many laborers get into the habit of daily or even hourly pay. They spend as fast as they earn and never get ahead."

Tapanga just rolled his eyes at Sara's speech and Animika joked, "Yes, mother."

"Where are you staying?" Animika asked as the lift stopped at fifteen above and let them off.

"Umm, I had a hotel." Sophia looked around the circular lobby area. "Down that way, I think."

"Sleep in a tube," Tapanga said. "Save you lots of money."

"I have an apartment," Animika said, loftily. "We could get supper. If you want you could even sleep on the floor. I've a good mat."

"Supper might be nice," Sophia said, evading the offer to stay. It would be a good idea, to save some money, but she wanted to be certain of the place first. To Tapanga she said, "What do you mean, sleep in a tube?"

"Cheapest place to stay, isn't it?"

As they walked Sophia became more confident of the direction. "Yeah, it was right down here. I got a locker for my things. Can we stop by before we go?" she asked Animika.

She nodded. "There's a place I want to go anyway."

When they reached the laborers section, Tapanga showed Sophia a hotel of sorts where instead of rooms, you rented a sleeping cot. It could be covered over with a round top so you had privacy. "See," he said. "Sleep in tube."

"Okay, but I think I prefer a room," Sophia said.

Tapanga ran into a couple of people he knew vaguely and left them. Sophia followed Animika to another mall, a couple of blocks down. The store she wanted to stop at was a small place. A picture in the window showed a cartoon couple, in a style that struck Sophia as remarkably like Manga back on the surface. They were young, almost kids, and were holding hands.

"Chiya-batu," Animika said as they entered the store.

One half was filled with "plate books." The consortium had either never developed paper or had forgotten it long ago. What they had instead were books composed of thin but stiff plates of some metal. Most people read on slates, Animika told her, but special collector's books were produces on plates.

The other side of the shop was composed of data cubes containing videos. Each display had a small holo-projection above it showing pieces of the video, and a case filled cubes underneath. "Just want to see if they have a new story from my favorite storyteller."

Sophia pulled a plate book and inspected it while Animika went to check the videos. It made Sophia think even more of Manga and it made her think of her friends back on the surface as well. Tamela loved anime and her and Sherry often took up half the support group meetings discussing various series they were both obsessed with.

Animika came back holding a data cube and smiling. "Just got to pay quick," she said.

"Okay, I'm going to step out and call some friends down on the surface, if you don't mind. They'll be worried," Sophia said. She called Tamela and gave her an update on her day. Animika came out with her purchase and waited while Sophia talked. They stopped at a food stall and found their supper meal to take to Animika's apartment.

It wasn't a large place by any standards. It was maybe half again as wide as the hotel where Sophia had stayed the night before. It had a kitchenette to one side, a cubicle bath and shower to the other. The living area included a long low mat that draped up one wall to form a couch of sorts and the back of the efficiency had a sleeping nook and closets.

They watched Animika's new story while they ate. It was animated and Sophia's translator collar provided a decent enough translation. Still she found it hard to follow. Part of it was her. One night of sound sleep couldn't shake off month's of living on the edge, never fully relaxing. She found herself nodding halfway through.

But the story itself was perplexing as well. It seemed to revolve around a young girl who was almost pathologically shy. Another character, who might have been a boy or a butch girl, it was hard to tell, courted the shy girl in what Sophia found to be an almost painfully oblique manner. To make matters worse, the video ended with the shy girl and her paramour interlacing their pinkies and smiling.

Whatever Sophia thought, Animika found it a satisfying ending. She smiled. "That was a great one," she said. "I think it will be one of my favorites now."

"Yes," Sophia agreed, forcing herself to smile. "Thank you for showing me."

"You may sleep on the couch, it's quite comfy," Animika said. "And I'll take the nook."

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