* * *
“You no cage Hlopek! Humans will pay!”
“Shut him up, will you?” Judge Grew asked the bailiff. The bailiff hit the centaur with a shock stick that temporarily disabled his speech. “We have clearly enough physical evidence that has been provided with him to sentence him to a prison sentence on the colony of Ross 154. The officers that brought him will transport him there on Monday and a cell will be ready for him the following Sunday. Court Adjourned.”
* * *
“I feel like shit,” Orion said as he woke up.
“How do you think I feel? You were having nightmares again. I really wish I got a separate room. All these pioneers heading to Cygni 2 had to just take up most of the space. Last time it was the asteroid collector's convention. Why is it always when we're sent to these dumpy places?” Adelaide looked at her computer.
“I need some water.”
Adelaide picked up a bottle, “Catch. You should have drank last night, when you were drinking, that way, you wouldn't have a hangover. Don't they teach you that on Titan?”
“Yes they teach you that on Titan.” Orion scratched his head. “When we leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“What was I doing last night?”
“Well, you were showing girls scars from the Centaur that you have nightmares about.”
“Did I break down?”
“Not until after we got back.”
“Good, good. Did I get any numbers?”
“You might have, girls hear seem pretty stupid and easy. Check your pockets.”
“Ha! Two! You get any guys last night Adelaide?”
“No, I was too busy dragging your drunk ass back then consoling you about the damn Centaur and telling you ours isn't going to break out or anything. What exactly happened on Gagarin 15 years ago?”
“I went through the hell that no 18 year old ever should. Maybe I'll tell you the whole story sometime. I don't really feel like it now.”
“OK, Orion, I'm gonna head down to the bar and get something to eat. I'll see you later, OK?”
“Ma'am yes ma'am!” Orion said and gave her a salute then flicked her off. “That's for saying I smelled like a Uranian.” He leaned back and smiled.
Adelaide laughed and left the room.
* * *
“What I would give for some good earth food,” Adelaide sighed to herself as she ate a dish that came probably came from an Armstrongian Howler-beast's armpit. A man with blonde hair sat down across from her. “Here have an orange,” he said, smiled, and handed her an orange.
“Thanks!” She ripped open the orange and bit into it. “What's your name?”
“Ryp. Yours?”
“Adelaide,” she said with her mouthful of orange, and spit out a seed.
“That is a beautiful name. Very old sounding.”
“I should have known this orange had strings attached. I leave tomorrow Ryp, and I'm an honest girl.” She smiled and spit another seed out.
“You got me completely wrong! I could just tell you aren't from around here, probably feel uncomfortable, and hate that cheap shit they sell here.”
“So, what do you do that lets you give away oranges in a place like this?”
“I'm a trader.”
“And what do you trade?”
“Goods.” Ryp cracked a smile. “What do you do?”
“Right now, transporting.”
“What may I ask?”
“Goods.” Adelaide smiled.
Ryp's minicomp started beeping. “I must go, it was a pleasure to meet you miss Adelaide, maybe we will meet again.” He kissed her hand then he was gone.
Adelaide finished her orange and looked up to see an angry little man staring right at her. “Where did he go?” the man asked.
“Where did who go? You gotta be more specific.”
“The man you were just talking to.”
“I don't know him. He was just flirting with me.”
“We'll see about that, come with me.” The little man carefully pressed a concealed blaster to her back. “Take my arm dear!” He nudged her in the back with his blaster.
She took his arm and they left into the back alley. “Where are you taking me?” Adelaide cried silently.
“Nowhere” Orion shot the little man in the back. “I don't know what kind of trouble you got yourself into, earthling, but lets lay real low for the rest of our time here, alright? I contacted one of the girls from last night, her name is Gean. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you came with.”
“Good idea, let's go.”
* * *
It was quite an uneventful morning for Gean getting the large ship ready for take-off. She replaced some parts on the ship, filled in some small holes from debris, and then she checked all the fuel and supply levels.
“Smithfield 1 is clear for takeoff,” she announced over the radio. And with that, everyone cleared out of the airlock, the hatch opened and the platform ascended. Then the ship lifted up off the platform and blasted out of the moon's thin atmosphere.