Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode 9: Asha-Tanga #13

Jake was groggy when he woke—or more accurately, was woken by the sounds of the kids out on the island. Abioya was in his room, snoring. Jake stumbled to the island to find some breakfast.

Dhanesha handed him a cup of coffee with a knowing look and a sly smile. "Fun night?"

"Yeah," he replied. "The others make it home okay? We got separated."

"Abioya is sleeping," Dhakshana said. "Haven't seen our Chatura yet."

"Are you worried?" Mom asked, placing a hand on Jake's arm, as though to tell him he shouldn't have come home without the others.

"Why?" Dhanesha wondered.

"Mom," Jake said and then sipped on his coffee. "Crime is almost nonexistent here. Nothing to worry about."

Sure enough, Jake was just starting to pick at the fruit plate that Dhakshana had set out for breakfast when Chatura arrived. He danced through the door, over to the island, and around the kids, who giggled madly at his display. He had a bundle of leis and threw them over the kids' heads as they ate.

All he would say about his night was that he had taken in an early dance at the Temple of the Mother, after taking in a late dance somewhere else.

Dhanesha joked that he must be tired. Chatura protested that he wasn't, but when he collapsed in a lounge chair, he was asleep in moments.

"Now you boys must make up for being out so late," Dhanesha scolded Jake, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. He left a list of items for the feast he wanted to make that night and forced some more credits on Jake for the cost. Jake and Chatura were to get everything ready while the others went to the temple to watch the dancing.

"You're supposed to juice fast on Asha-Tanga," Dhakshana groused but then immediately said that the fish, Red Gripper, did sound good. Jake just shook his head. She's been doing that all week, saying she should fast and then eating instead.

Cynthia shooed the kids off to dress, and Dhakshana and Dhanesha went to get ready. Jake found himself alone at the bar with Mom. She was nursing a cup of coffee. Jake set his aside; if he and Chatura weren't going, he would go back to bed after breakfast. The shopping Dhanesha wanted them to do wouldn't take long.

"Did you have fun?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"Did you meet someone?"

Jake blushed. "Yeah, sort of." Then, he said to his mom's coy look. "Chatura . . . he didn't explain the idea of a 'friendly bar' right. It's not about hooking up or anything. It's just . . . they have these hostesses, or hosts, at each table. Help you get conversations started. There are games too. Not like a regular bar. So, if you don't have an easy time meeting people or socializing, it's a bar for people like that."

"And this someone you've met?"

"Shanesha," he said. "She's studying at the university on Shin. She's here with family. They wanted her to go out, you know. But she didn't want to party and doesn't really have any time for something serious. So it was a good way to spend the evening, no?" I'm starting to talk like one of them, he recognized as it came out of his mouth.

Mom gave him a wry smile, as if recognizing the same thing. "Abioya came home first, but he said you'd left before him. They told me not to worry." Clearly, she had anyway.

"Yeah, it's safe here, Mom. Seriously. We were both heading home, and Shanesha said maybe we should have one dance, for Asha-Tanga. It led to several more." And one hot makeout session. But he didn't need to tell mom about that. "It's nothing serious, but she said maybe I could visit Shin sometime if I wanted. I might. It would be interesting to see."

"You can come to my place," Chatura put in. Jake hadn't been aware that he had woken until he spoke. "It'll be fun. Could see the university. Just don't tell my mom. She wants me to go really bad."

"She just wants the best for you," Mom told him. "And I should get ready as well. I'm glad you had fun." She stood and then kissed her son's forehead. "You've grown into quite a young man, Jake."

He blushed and couldn't meet her eye.