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“Hi, service please!”
Freen raised an eyebrow as a young-looking, short woman sat herself on the stool next to her and waved down Vera. She was dressed in an engineer’s uniform and was covered in grease stains. She even had a smudge of the dark stuff across her nose bridge. With great amusement, she sipped at her Zero Gee Brew and watched. Was this a kid trying to play adult for a drink? She tensed, readying herself for a potential confrontation.
Vera Krivanek, the one and only bartender, fixed the newcomer with a searching look. “I’ll need to see some ID, stranger.”
The woman smiled brightly and nodded, producing a clean card from her chest pocket. Vera scanned it with her tablet. After a few moments of verifying the details on the card, she put the tablet away and gave the identification back to its owner.
“Welcome to The Lost Hope. What can I get for you, Becky?”
This time, both of Freen’s eyebrows shot up. This Becky woman was actually of legal drinking age? She found that hard to believe. She didn’t look a day over 16.
“One Purpleberry Liqueur, please.”
Freen set her tumbler down on the counter. “Put it on my tab.” She wasn’t sure why she volunteered to pick up the bill, but she was committed now.
Becky turned to her. “Wow, thanks! Are ya sure? You really don’t have to.” Her lazy drawl was endlessly intriguing—it cut some words short while lengthening others. She had a country vibe to her, and she felt like sunshine.
“Think of it as a welcoming gift. You’re new here, right?”
“Was it that obvious?” She grinned as Vera slid a glass of purple liquid in front of her. “Thanks! Could I get a straw, please?” Unwrapping the proffered straw, she stuck it in her drink and sucked enthusiastically, closing her eyes in appreciation. “Yum.”
Freen exchanged a look with the bartender, who stood close by and wiped the counter down with a rag. “Maybe not to other people, but we know basically everyone on this ship. I’m always in here, and she owns the place.” She tilts her head in Vera’s direction. “Plus, your accent makes you stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Cool! I’m Becky. Well, my full name is Rebecca, but just call me Becky.”
Although her face and hair gave an unkempt impression, her fingernails were trimmed and clean. Her hand was surprisingly rough and callused. She had a strong grip, too. Freen found herself liking this newcomer more and more. She respected a person who worked with their hands.
“Pleased to meet you. Captain Freen Chankimha, leader of the Groundbreaker.”
Becky’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. “Oh wow, no way! It’s an honor.” She set her drink down and leaned forward, brimming with energy. “Listen, I’ve heard a lot about your ship, and I was wondering if I could sit down and talk to you sometime about your machines and stuff? You see, I’m a bit of a mechanic myself…”
That got her attention. No wonder Becky was covered in grease. Really, she should have known. A woman after her own heart!
“I’d love to. I’m a bit busy at the moment, but maybe when things die down. My radiators are broken and keep overheating.”
“Damn, that’s not good at all. Do you not have the parts for it, or…?”
She screwed up her face. “The shipments with the parts I need are taking forever to come.” Looking down at the dark liquid in her glass, she scowled. “There are old radiators that we could harvest from in the bottom of the ship, but a group of bandits control that area. I haven’t had the opportunity to deal with them. I sent an engineer with a small security detail a couple weeks ago to retrieve the parts, and none of them came back. No one else is willing to go, and I don’t blame them.”
"Oh, hey—” Becky leaned forward and grabbed her forearm. “Freen! Maybe I can ask Cap if she wants to take them on! Whattaya think?”
A small bit of heat sparked from the other woman’s hand and traveled all the way up her arm, for some reason. She’d been let down so many times before, but for some reason she trusted this young woman sitting in front of her. She shrugged, unwilling to show how much this potential opportunity meant to her. “I guess it wouldn't hurt, right?”
Becky pressed a button on her wrist-bound communicator. “Cap! Cap! Can you come to the bar? It’s important!”
A voice crackled from the speaker. “Sure. The Lost Hope, right?” This voice is completely different from Becky’s. It was professional, more mature sounding, and quick-paced. A perfect voice for a leader.
“Yep!”
“Be there in five.”
Her work done, Becky leaned her elbows on the counter and took another heavy draw of her drink.
Freen sipped at her Zero Gee again. “So what do you do on the ship?”
It was the right question to ask. The young woman’s back shot up straight and her eyes lit up. “I’m a mechanic! I love workin’ with machines and the like. Love hearing my little creations purr, y’know?” She took a gulp of her drink. “The Unreliable has a lot of old machinery that needs fixin’, so I’m never out of work. The engine in particular needs a lot of love.”
“Oh? You know your stuff, then. Where did you learn it?”
“My poppa. I grew up in Edgewater with him. But he’s gone now.” The young woman’s face falls. “I still miss him so.”
She laid a hand on Becky’s. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
She’s surprised to find a bittersweet smile on Becky’s lips. “It’s alright. I use everything he taught me to this day, and I know he’s proud of me. I’m doing good work with my Captain. She’s the best!”
“I’m looking forward to meeting this Captain of yours. You’re really setting my expectations high, here.”
“I think you’ll get along great! Here she comes!”
A woman with a tight ponytail entered the bar, her tablet in hand. Her outfit was that of a typical spacer—black leather jacket over a white buttoned shirt, black leather trousers tucked into sleek brown leather boots. She had a weary and harried expression, but upon seeing Becky, a wide smile stretched across her face.
I guess it’s the Becky Effect, Freen mused to herself. No one is immune.
This woman had obviously taken more trips around the sun than both of them. Her dark hair was straight and thick, swinging from side to side as she approached the bar. Her stride was confident and solid, but slightly even on the left side. A leg injury that never fully healed, if she were to bet on it.
“Hey, kid. What did you get?” The new woman patted Becky’s shoulder affectionately and peered into her glass.
“Purpleberry Liqueur! My favorite. Freen here was so kind to pay for me!”
“Oh, really?” She turns to Freen, hand outstretched. “Thank you, stranger. I owe you one. I’m Looknam, Captain of the Unreliable.”
Like Becky, Looknam’s grip was firm, but not too strong. Her hand was warm and smooth, save for her fingertips. And there were curious nicks and notches, as well. She wondered how Looknam had climbed all the way to the status of Captain with such soft hands. “Freen Chankimha, Captain of the Groundbreaker. Becky’s been telling me a lot about you.”
“All good things, I hope? It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Chankimha. Call me Nam.”
Freen waved a hand. “Just Freen or Chief is fine.”
“Chief it is.” She raised a hand to call Vera over. “Is there a non-alcoholic version of whatever Becky’s drinking?”
Vera nodded, pushing her glasses up her nose. “Yep, we got a Purpleberry Juice.”
“I’ll take a glass of that, thanks.” She handed her bit cartridge over. Once she received a glass like the woman next to her, she spoke again. “So, Beck, what’s so important that you made me walk all the way over here?”
“Cap! Remember how you were talking about needing something to do? Freen here might have a job for you!” Becky put a nimble hand on Freen’s shoulder. Her smile was even bigger than before.
“Really?” Looknam perked up. “What can we do for you?”
As she told the captain what she had told Becky, she looked for signs of any emotion. But Looknam’s face is as smooth as a sheet of metal. Impassive and unreadable. It was a little unsettling, but she finished the story with her chin up. She held her breath and waited.
The captain nodded slowly and sipped at her drink. Licking her lips, she hummed. “Can it wait until tomorrow?”
“That would probably be best. It’s getting late today, and I don’t want you stuck in the Back Bays after lights out.”
“What’s the pay?”
“3,000 bits.”
There was a beat of silence as Looknam examined her. Her dark brown eyes were sharp and critical. Finally, she straightened up and extended her hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Becky whooped and jumped off the stool she had been perched on. Freen chuckled and took Looknam’s hand in hers. “Thank you, Captain. Drop by my office before you head down there tomorrow.”
“The pleasure is mine, Chief.”
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