Parcelling out new Beginnings

Posted on Wed Aug 3, 2016 @ 12:11am by Civilian 'Arrival' Selah Zanaz

1,312 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Interlude - Day 1
Location: Shuttle en route to DS5
Timeline: Early morning

The discomfort was tangible. Any observer could spot it on Selah from miles away. It wasn't just the overcrowded shuttle, it wasn't just the fact that their destination was going to be light years removed from anything she had ever known, it was just the common, unflattering, slate grey clothing either. It was all of this and more. Four years of her young life had just been spent behind a force field.

The Federation always gave people a second chance to do it right. Even when said person had seen at least two dozen chances to do it wrong. Selah had resisted. However difficult it was going to be, this was going to be her new life. The straight and narrow. No more picking pockets. No more Three Card Monty. No more Bolian Shuffle. She was heading for a station near the edge of civilisation completing a job she wouldn't even consider taking planet side. She checked the parcel in the messenger bag that hung around her shoulder once more just to be sure. She was not about to disappoint her brother

A crackle and a pop indicated the activation of the public announcement system inside the shuttle.
"We are approaching Deep Space Five in about ten minutes time, we will be dropping out of warp soon. Everybody please remain seated and buckle up as we dock with the Federation outpost. Thank you for flying with us today and hopefully see you all again soon!”

The jolt of the shuttle as it dropped out of warp was something she could never get used to. She always figured that the internal dampeners should be good enough not to have that happen but there it was, just like all the times before. Even huge luxury liners had that issue. Even that one time she was on a Starfleet vessel it did that. She took a deep breath trying to regain her composure, felt that her hands were white knuckled fists and made the conscious decision to release them.

"Not a fan of space travel?" The man next to her suddenly spoke up. He had been silent the entire time, his smile was friendly and it was obviously meant to put her at ease.

Selah however grew up in a different trade. Comforting smiles sounded all the alarms in her head. There was not a whole lot she could do in this small space but she took a hold of the messenger back anyway, slightly paranoid he might try something to take it from her.
"I grew up in a big city, I never really needed to travel far. Can't seem to get used to the whole faster than light thing." She figured that as long as she kept him talking he wouldn't be inclined to make a move. Who knew, maybe she could stall him or get the upper hand on him until they reached the station.

"Don’t worry. I was born on a freighter, I never could get used to it either." The man smiled back.
"Why was there a need to travel now?"

"An opportunity arose." Selah was not about to divulge any information as to what she was doing here.

The man nodded a bit but didn’t add anything to it for now.

Selah remained quiet as well. He didn’t seem like someone she’d associate herself with in her previous life. He had already admitted to being freighter born, they tended not to indulge themselves enough. It would need a completely different approach than what she had gotten comfortable in. She quickly looked away, shocked at how easily she was slipping back into her predatory mindset. She leaned forward and buried her head in her hands. If she had been alone she would have shouted. Instead she took in a deep, sharp, breath and sat back upright then looked at the man.
"So what brings you to Deep Space Five?"

The man seemed a bit confused at her response then gave a friendly smile when she asked him a question in return.
"I'm trying to close a new contract for my family’s business. When I was born we only had one freighter, now we’re up to four. With this contract we could try to add another to our fleet."

Selah nodded a bit and effortlessly conjured a fake smile to her features.
"That’s amazing." Her heart was beating loudly in her chest. This whole situation was giving her stress. The man was obviously interested in her, he wanted to make a good impression on her. She saw all the signs. She could sink her talons in him and run him into the ground. She didn’t want to know this. She didn’t want to consider this. She liked him better when he was a low life freighter boy.
"So will you be on the station long?"

He slowly shook his head.
"Shouldn’t be longer than three to four days." He seemed fairly pleased that she was showing an interest in him.
"Will this opportunity keep you here for a long time?"

"It shouldn't really." Selah was determined to be on the next ship back to her home. If she did well on this one she was sure they would give her the opportunity to take on the next one. It wasn't raking in the cash but it was a modest living. Her counsellors had told her that she should find a way to be happy making a modest living, only then would she find rest and happiness.
"Just dropping something off really."

The man his eyes shot to the messenger bag around her shoulder. It only took a split second but she noticed. The paranoia immediately kicking back in.
"Cool, you must meet a lot of interesting people in that line of work."

Selah shrugged and smiled a bit shyly.
"Well, you know... from time to time you get to sit next to someone on a shuttle..." Immediately she got a sinking feeling in her stomach as she left that sentence hanging in the air. She needed to get off this boat quickly, away from this man. Either he was going to pull something on her or, in her mind more likely, she'd be tempted to try and pull something on him.

His eyes had now left the messenger bag and now had inspected the rest of her more thoroughly.
"I know exactly what you mean."

The vessel slowed down even further, it was clear they were on the final approach to the Starbase. Selah was glad she could get out of here soon, away from this man and the temptation of a quick, easy, dirty, buck.
"I guess I'll see you around." She said as she started to gather her belongings that were all around her. Her arm over the messenger back to keep it safe from prying hands.

"Maybe we could meet up later, for a drink or something." The docking clamps connected with the shuttle as he posed the question to her.

"Sure. I'll be headed for the Box of Delights. Maybe after you're done you can come over there as well." The lithe Bajoran squeezed her way past the man into the isle. She had no intentions of staying in the Box of Delights past dropping off the parcel. First shuttle back whence she came.

"Box of Delights. Sure. We can celebrate my family's new contract then!" A smooth white smile from the man to her.

Selah wasn't even sure what the man was seeing in her at this moment. She might as well have been wearing a bin liner. She made her way up to the front of the shuttle and waited eagerly to get through the airlock and onto the station.

---

Selah Zanaz
Back on the straight and narrow
"From the End spring New Beginnings"

 

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