Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Two: To Be or Not to Be #1

Sophia's phone rang. She sat down the squeegee and dug in her purse for it. It was Tamela. She had expected as much. Nobody else called her, and if it hadn't been for Tamela, she'd probably have gotten rid of the phone entirely. It wasn't like she needed it up here.

Sophia had been on the station over a week and a half now. She stayed with Animika most nights. They had made the deal that Sophia would buy food in return for staying. It gave Sophia a sense of contributing while leaving most of her money towards an apartment of her own some day.

"Hey," Sophia said into the phone. She looked out the window she'd been polishing and immediately felt a wave of vertigo at the sight of the mountains almost impossibly far beneath her. She leaned back against the railing.

"Hey," Tamela said. "How are things?"

"Good," Sophia replied, glancing around to see if Sara had noticed her slacking. She was busy scolding Tapanga and two of the Shoshone boys, who had been goofing off. Sophia was Sara's star worker, or so she said. "Not to be short, but I'm at work. What do you need?"

"We figured. And we don't want to blow it for you, serious. It's just we've been staying at Sherry's for a week and..."

Sophia knew this already. She could also guess what was coming.

"She's been out of work for the last couple months and behind on her rent and," Tamela went on.

"And she's getting evicted," Sophia prompted.

"Yeah."

"What's next?"

"That's just it," Tamela said. "Our options are running pretty slim. We can't camp this time of year and our funds are pretty tight for a hotel..."

"I wish there was something I could do, now that I have a job," Sophia said. "I'd send you some money but I don't think they have any exchange system yet."

"I know, but maybe you can do something. We're debating, well, you seem to be doing okay up there. Think we could..."

"Come up?" Sophia interrupted. "That would be awesome. I know Sara is always squawking about needing more workers." Sara had finished scolding Tapanga and come over to see why Sophia wasn't working. Sophia said the final sentence louder, so she could hear. She gave Sara a slight nod, to show she was in her own way, working. Sara pointed down at the surface. Sophia nodded and Sara shrugged and mouthed something. Unfortunately lip reading didn't translate and Sophia could only hope it had been positive.

"Come up," she said.

"You sure? They are saying people can't. But you did," Tamela was saying. "And we don't want to be a burden."

"Don't worry. As soon as I get off, I'll come down to the surface, meet you at the gate, make sure they let you in," Sophia replied. "They'll give you a little money to start, I've a little saved and Dhanvin will find you something."

After several more reassurances Tamela said they'd call back when they arrived at the station below. Sophia put the phone down and found Sara frowning at her.

"Dhanvin?" Sara said archly. "You tell them him; bottom court crew," she commanded. "We should have opened a week ago, if I had enough crew. I need everyone I can get."

"I'll make sure they know before they talk to him, request the assignment specifically," Sophia said, breaking into a smile.

"How many?"

"Three?"

"All good workers like you?"

Sophia blushed and smiled. As Sara walked away, she worried. Honestly she had no clue what sort of work ethics either of the three had. She turned her attention back to the window she was working on.

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