Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode 9: Asha-Tanga #5

Jake made his way down the aisle of the spaceship's main seating area, three drinks in his hand. "Here is your juice, and your tea," Jake said, handing his mom and his sister Cynthia their drinks.

"And for the little ones," the young woman behind him added with a smile. She'd seen him struggling with so many drinks and offered to carry a few for him. She was short, olive-skinned with dark hair. He'd guess Asian if they were on Earth, but she was Consortium. She leaned across the row of seats and handed over her drinks to Mike and Jamie, his younger siblings.

"Guys, this is Alok—" Jake began, fumbling on her name.

"Alokina." The name rolled off the young woman's tongue easily.

"She helped me carry the drinks," he finished.

"I will be up in the lounge, if you want to talk," she said to him and headed back down the aisle. They were on the spaceship to Saras, and the pilots had just recently called the clear to unbuckle. About three quarters of the passengers had chosen to do so, gathering in a lounge above and behind where the passengers sat. They gathered around tall tables to talk, drink, and socialize.

It beats Earth-style planes, where everyone was cramped together in small seats, Jake reflected as he watched her go. She was wearing a tight-fitting Sari-like skirt and top. The ship was the Zalayna, which meant "arrow" or something like that. The seats were spacious, and the lounge even more so. Much larger and classier than the orbital hopper he'd taken from Shoshone to Bamako and back.

He looked back to find both his mom and Cynthia smirking at him. He blushed.

"You can go, if you want," Mom said. "Cynthia and I can watch the kids."

"I might go take a look at the lounge later," Cynthia commented. "But I would hate to cramp his style."

Jake blushed even more. "It's not like that," he said as he found his own seat. He fished his drink—a can of some tea beverage also available on the base—out of his pocket and opened it. "She was just helping me because I had so much to carry."

"Sure," Cynthia drawled.

"They are all like that—really friendly." Jake wasn't so sure. He'd never been good with girls. He didn't know if they were interested in him that way or not.

"Cynthia's just teasing you," Mom said. She reached over and ruffled his hair. He blushed even harder. "Besides, you're not a kid anymore." "Still, I don't . . ." He shook his head. He wasn't about to go hitting on strange women on a trip with his family, of all things. Though she was definitely cute, and he was reasonably sure she was interested.

Mom might be done, but Mike hadn't even started on him yet. "Jake got a girlfriend?"

"Hush," Mom said. When Mike had turned away, she added, "Do you? Not her. I mean, is there . . .?"

Jake shook his head. "I spend most of my time on long-range missions."

"So?" Cynthia said. "Could have a girl in every village that way."

"It's Africa. They'd all be black," Mike said, just shy of a snarl.

"So?" Cynthia barked. "That doesn't mean anything."

"Does too. Kevin says—"

"Mike!" Mom snapped. "I grew up with Kevin's dad. I know what they all think. They are wrong. It doesn't matter."

Mike looked chastened. Jake felt sorry for him, but it was good to hear Mom put those thoughts down so quickly. Jake had grown up with Kevin's big brother, Scott. He'd considered him a friend once. But since starting at the African Administration, he couldn't stand to listen to any of the crap that came out of guy's mouth. Veiled and not so veiled insults about blacks or Muslims.