Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Two: To Be or Not to Be #10

With the addition of Sophia's Earth-side friends, Sara had nearly a full crew for her bottom court crew. They'd scrubbed the floor, cleaned the windows and were starting to prep the floor. A maintenance crew joined them, cracking hidden covers in the floor to reveal pipes and utility hook ups in places.

"Tapanga!" Sara barked. Sophia looked in the direction of her exasperated stare to see Tapanga squatting on top of a round pipe with his pants down.

"What?" he replied. "I had to go."

"You couldn't wait 'til we put the walls up?" She complained.

Sophia and Sherry exchanged a look. Sophia shook her head as she looked away. Tamela and Kerry came over to where they stood, carrying a long plate of frosted glass.

"What'd he do now?" Tamela wondered. The two hoisted the plate up. "Oh." She shook her head. "He's really an idiot isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Sophia agreed as she directed the two of them to line the frosted glass up square to the last one they'd erected.

It wasn't so different from the construction she'd done with her father back in her old life. Except the materials were mostly prefab and attached with tools she hadn't had then. They were currently creating square huts of frosted glass around tubes, like the one Tapanga was currently using. They were toilets. They had erected about a half dozen so far, spaced around the open market for public use. They would have hand washing stations nearby, though the consortium toilets had some bidet-like system and you didn't actually have to touch down there.

Nearby Animika and a couple of Native youths were putting together tables and stools in front a small stand. The stand was empty and according to Sara, unsold. Who knew what would eventually go in there.

They'd had several consortium business people show up and scout out stand locations while they worked. Shannon Otterdance of the Shoshone had been down with the station captain to check on progress and discuss which stands would belong to the collective and what they would do with each.

Slowly the place was taking shape in Sophia's mind. She could envision how the court would look with the shops in place and people. It made her feel immensely proud to be part of setting it all up, being part of it.

The most amazing thing to her was far off to their left. Maintenance workers were erecting solid fences, running from floor to ceiling over a large section of the floor. Inside they were creating a mountain landscape. When they were done they intended to bring up a small herd of mountain goats. There would be a museum of sorts next to it, with information about the Shoshone, their culture and their life.

"I hope you washed your hands," Tamela commented as Tapanga joined them and helped Tamela hoist the final piece of glass in place.

"Umm, we need a door," Sophia said.

"Crap," Tamela said as she lowered the wall. "Kerry, grab us that other piece," she called as Tapanga and her started to haul the wall away.

"Just drag it over there," Sophia told them. "That's our next station."

"Yeah, good idea," Tapanga said.

Sophia found Sara standing next to her. They exchanged a look.

"I'm so glad I have you on my crew," Sara muttered and moved on to scold Animaka and her crew over something.

They lifted the door piece up and Sophia leveled it. "Clear," she called as she stuck a wand-like instrument into a slot in one corner. Everyone stepped back and she triggered the mechanism. There was a faint crackle and the charge triggered some reaction in the prefab walls that bonded them at the corners. She shook the whole piece and found it stable. "Another one up."