Chapter 1: One in a Billion

Blaring alarms, spinning lights, my stomach feels like it's sinking and my eyes slowly focus on the red text flashing in front of my face.

[EMERGENCY]

[CRISIS PROGRAM IN EFFECT]

[POWER PLANT FAILURE IN PROGRESS]

[FIRE IN ENGINEERING BAY]

[WAKING CAPT. COFFRIN]

[WAKING NAV. OFF. AMOS]

[K8-AMA-4587: DEPLOYED]

My eyes recognize the words but my brain fails to take in any of the information on the first try. I try to read it again only for my focus to switch to movement directly in front of me. Through the frosted glass door of my sleeping pod a tall, bone-white figure emerges. It stands just a couple feet away, then with a hiss of air the door to my pod opens. My legs, having not used them for months, fail to stop my fall forward and I'm thankfully caught in the sturdy metal arms of the white figure. I look up into the figure's blank black faceplate and grab her shoulder, pulling myself upward.

“K-Kate, what the hell is going on? Where are we?" I sputter, voice raspy and throat dry.

“Good morning Navigational Officer Amos, you are experiencing severe rapid waking sickness." She greets me in that flat tone of voice all the company bots seemed to have. “Coordination and mental functions will return to normal momentarily. The flight computer's crisis program determined there was not enough time for a standard wake up sequence. Please present your wrist." She politely commands.

I push off of her frame and steady myself against a wall.

“Wha-“

“Please present your wrist." She repeats.

Dazed, confused, but still cognizant enough to realize this was no time to start an argument, I pull up the sleeve of my jumpsuit and do as she commands. The android pulls a medical injector from her waist and pushes it against my wrist, the slight pinprick followed by numbness telling me the injector has done its job.

“What was that?"

“A combination of steroids, nausea inhibitors, and adrenaline. Standard procedure when a member of the flight crew is woken up so quickly. Please proceed to the bridge. The captain will be joining you shortly. Be advised: Artificial gravity generators are functioning intermittently." She says, turning sharply on a metal foot and walking further down the sleep bay.

I stumble away and glance at my watch, the numbers not making any sense. We should be right in the middle of our voyage, traveling through nothing but empty space while the resident maintenance bot does the housework. Very little typically goes wrong on this phase of a voyage, nothing to run into, most ship systems are running on idle, organic crew resting in sleep pods, it takes a small miracle for us to encounter a speck of dust much less a pirate vessel out here.

I cry out as my feet suddenly lose their grip on the floor below, my body floating upward as artificial gravity suddenly fails. I flail around for a solid hold and manage to grip a metal bar placed at the edge of the hallway. I huddle around it and close my eyes, trying to keep from vomiting as my body loses all sense of direction mere moments after being slapped awake by the flight computer. Nausea inhibitors my ass. A few seconds later and I feel my stomach settle as artificial gravity kicks back on. I land softly on my feet and continue towards the bridge.

If this were an interstellar cruise liner the bridge would be a hundred feet long and give a view to die for, unfortunately the bridge of a fifty-year-old K-class mass cargo vessel isn't nearly so luxurious. Only three positions existed, the captain's seat on the left, the navigator's seat on the right, a mess of consoles and emergency equipment between them, then further back against a wall sits the engineering console, typically manned by the ship's maintenance bot instead of a crewmember as a cost saving measure. I hop into my seat and put a headset on, flicking an array of monitors and readout displays to life as I attempt to get a read of the situation. From the navigation computer I gather that we're a little over halfway into our voyage, far from any known signs of civilization, and currently moving at barely a tenth of our standard cruising speed. I look upwards to the ship status screen and see a fire in the engineering bay, multiple tripped electrical circuits, and the heart of the ship, the fusion reactor, is suffering from whatever the mechanical equivalent of cardiac arrythmia is. Its power output sputters and stops, then ramps back up before safety limits kick on and it tries to shut down again, only to ramp back up before it can shut down.

“Amos! Where the hell are we?" Bellows a voice to my rear, I look back to see Captain Coffrin and Kate moving to their positions.

Coffrin, an older dalmatian with a graying muzzle and half an ear missing, has been my superior for the last few voyages. He was grizzled and no-nonsense when on the bridge, though it was almost disturbing how quickly his personality shifted when on leave, going from stern and objective focused to a laid-back enjoyer of finer things the moment his paws hit solid ground. Rumor has it that his mutilated ear was the result of his ex-wife nearly biting the whole thing off after a heated marital dispute. I've never tried to pry into the truth, but I don't think it's a coincidence that the first thing he usually does after getting on shore is sniffing out the nearest call girl. 

“A few thousand kilometers past waypoint 78 on trading lane XRD-560, though we're veering off course and into untraveled space." I respond.

He jumps into the captain's seat and puts his headset on.

“Get us moving back on course Amos. I have no intention of getting lost in the black. Kate, give us a sitrep."

I try to access the propulsion console while Kate goes on in the background.

“Approximately one hour ago I rebooted all electromagnetic shielding systems in accordance with standard maintenance protocols. While shields were offline I registered minor power fluctuations in conduits along the aft section of the ship. When the shields tried to come back up the power fluctuations increased in intensity until major circuits were tripped and the primary reactor core suffered major damage to control systems."

“Probable cause?" Asks Coffrin.

“A small-scale gamma ray burst hit the ship while shielding systems were offline leading to a major cascading power failure."

I shake my head and key the mic.

“That's one in a million Kate, shit, more like one in a billion. Got anything better?"

“Negative."

Coffrin grunts in disbelief.

“Ha! Everyone make a note to buy lottery tickets when we get planetside. Amos, why are we still hurdling into the empty void? Get us back on that trading lane."

My hands become a blur on the control consoles.

“Ship thrusters are not responding because…uhh…oh." I look rearward at Kate with an annoyed glare. “Would you mind telling us what happened to engine 3?"

“Engine 3 began an uncommanded maximum burn soon after the failures began and despite my best efforts eventually overheated, causing irreparable damage. Due to the ongoing system failures I shut down the remaining three primary engines as well as our retro thrusters as a safety measure. The uncommanded burn is the reason we have drifted so far from the trading lane."

“It's a little hard to course correct with no engines Kate. We'll be drifting for hours until they can be restarted."

“My apologies, I acted in the best interests of the crew. If the remaining engines overheated it's likely the entire ship would suffer a critical structural failure and all hands would be lost."

“The bitch box is doing what it's programmed to do, Amos. Save the crew, save the ship, save the cargo, in that order. Our first order of business is now to get that reactor under control. Kate, vent the engineering bay, put those fires out."

“Opening exterior hatches." She replies.

“Now, I'm going to turn off nonessentials and switch us onto the battery backups until the reactor starts cooperating with us." Just as he says that I feel my stomach turn from being in zero-G again, you never know how much you love gravity until it's gone. “Kate, isolate as many circuits as you can then put the reactor into hot standby, I don't want anything else to fry from a power spike. Amos, get out a mayday, let the company know their rust bucket's broken again. We'll probably need a tow out of here anyway. Just my luck getting put on a fucking piece of outdated shit what a…"

His voice quiets into an angry mumble as the lights dim and the bridge shifts into a dull red hue.

“Will do." I tune my comms console to an emergency frequency and key my mic. “Mayday, mayday, mayday, stellar freighter 'Modest Effort' is experiencing a catastrophic power failure, requesting assistance from any nearby vessels. Our position is two-five-seven stroke eight, five-five-six stroke two, seven-three-“ I'm cut off by a sudden bout of turbulence and a low rumble emanating from somewhere behind me. New alarms begin to blare and the headset screams into my ear with a sharp metallic whine, I rip it off my head with a grimace.

“Kate, what was that?!" Amos shouts.

“Reactor breach in progress. It is not responding to emergency shutdown commands. Multiple fires in aft compartments. This ship's structural integrity has been compromised. Her central spine is fracturing. Radiation shielding is nearing maximum thermal limits."

“How much longer can the reactor hold?"

“Approximately twelve minutes. I recommend evacuation of the ship, do you concur?"

Coffrin pans his eyes around the display consoles surrounding him.

“Can you purge emergency coolant?"

“Unable. All coolant has been expended."

“Blow the explosive bolts and eject the core?"

“Core ejection hardware was damaged due to the fires in the engineering bay. A successful ejection is highly unlikely. A failed ejection will likely result in immediate core detonation." 

“And none of the emergency shutdown procedures have worked?"

“All have failed. I recommend evacuation of the ship. Do you concur?"

“Ya, ya, ya." He mutters, eyes frantically scanning every last display and readout.

“I require clear agreement, Captain."

He begins unbuckling his seat harness.

“I concur. We are abandoning ship! Get to the escape pod or enjoy a free cremation."

I unbuckle my own harness and float upwards, turning around and pushing off my chair with my feet. I follow Coffrin towards the life pod door and we both enter it as distant explosions send echoes through the ship. Coffrin floats over to one of the pod's jump seats and straps himself in, I do the same just as Kate sticks her head into the doorway.

“Safe journeys, gentlemen." She says.

“Get in here Kate!" I shout over.

“Unable. The minimum safe distance from a reactor breach requires a travel time of approximately fifteen minutes. Because we have twelve minutes until containment failure, I will stay behind to operate the engineering console and attempt to give you the necessary time to make a safe escape."

“Damn it." I whine.

Coffrin smiles at her and gives a mock salute.

“Your valiant sacrifice will be noted and stories of your bravery will be sent to the factory you were manufactured in. Now would you kindly close the door and push the big red button?"

“Yes, Captain."

She closes the door.

“Sorry about that time I called you rusty!" I yell out just before the door closes.

I see Kate slam a button next to the door and the pod's thrusters activate, hurtling me and Coffrin away from the ship and into empty space. After a few minutes of gut wrenchingly high acceleration the thrusters shut down and we're left adrift. Coffrin unbuckles his harness and floats over to the door, peering through its small view port and glancing at his watch.

“Did we make it? Are we out of the blast range?" I ask.

He puts a hand up and stares intently at his watch.

“Five, four, three, two, one…"

There's a few more seconds of silence, then the pod is suddenly rocked with turbulence as rays of multicolored light stream through the view port. The turbulence passes, then Coffrin breaks into a nervous laugh.

“Hell, that bucket of bolts did it!"

I nervously laugh with him and get out of my seat.

“So, what now?"

He floats over to the pod's control console and begins typing in commands.

“It's going to be a while until rescue, thankfully these things come equipped with a few sleeping pods so that won't be an issue. Did you get your distress call out? Does anyone else know where we are?"

I shake my head dejectedly.

“No, I don't think so. Comms went down right in the middle of my position readout. Even if it did somehow make it to someone they would only have a partial fix."

“Unfortunate. Flight computer says there are a few systems in range, none with planets with habitable atmo though."

“We could stay near the trade lane, send out an SOS, hope another ship hears us."

“Nah, if rescue's not on the way we might as well take our chances somewhere else. We don't want to get hit with debris from our own ship, or risk another ship slamming into us, or pirates, or risk one of the sleep pods failing, or…" He trails off and I join him at the command console. After straightening his back, he points to the screen. “We'll send the escape pod to this system, broadcasting an SOS signal on the way there, then await rescue."

“Why this one in particular?"

“Database says every other nearby system is deserted, but this one at least has some orbital facilities in place. A refueling station I'd guess, maybe a remote mining outpost."

“It can't be any more specific?"

He shakes his head.

“Nope, just says 'orbital facilities' exist in-system. I get the feeling the flight computer in this pod hasn't been updated in some time. Lazy bastards."

“Better than nothing." I respond with a shrug.

Coffrin grunts in agreement and floats over to one of the sleeping pods, taking off his jumpsuit.

“It'll be a two-month long trip, so dress down to your skivvies and get ready for another long sleep. I'll tell the flight computer to wake us when we arrive. With any luck we'll wake up in some refueling station's docking bay, with plenty of mystery meat, stale potato chips, and slurpies to keep us sated until proper rescue arrives."

“Can't wait…" I weakly respond, the idea of subsisting on nothing but refueling station food for weeks at a time making my stomach uneasy again. I float over to the other sleeping pod and begin undressing. “Shame Kate couldn't join us."

“We'll get another Kate on the next ship. You could even buy your own with all the hazard pay they're about to sending our way. I heard the K8 units have a pretty big aftermarket, so you can have them do all sorts of, you know, weird stuff. If you're into that sort of thing."

I give him an unamused glare.

“I'm not into sex bots, if that's what you're getting at."

“Now who said anything about sex bots? Couldn't have been me." He grins.

I roll my eyes and stand in the sleeping pod.

“It's just a shame that a good bot has to go down with a bad ship. She was useful."

“It did save our skins, can't argue with that. I have to be honest with you though, I'm not exactly keen on putting my life in the hands of another automated flight computer so quickly after the great help our last one was. Almost makes me want to stay awake for the trip."

“You'd go crazy with boredom, and that's assuming this thing even has enough food to keep you alive that long."

He looks at the pitifully small locker labeled 'Emergency Rations'.

“Right. Sleep it is. Hopefully the next boat they put us on is a few decades younger than I am. See you in two months, Amos."

“See you, Captain."

I close the doors to my sleep pod and activate the hibernation sequence. I feel a rush of cold air, then I'm out. 

Chapter 2: We Hope you Enjoy Your Stay

I'm gently awoken by soft orange light. I open my eyes only to immediately shield them, after a few seconds of adjustment I lower my hand and peer through the sleeping pod's glass door. The escape pod's lights are on, and I see Coffrin putting his jumpsuit back on in one corner of the pod. The door to my sleeping pod opens and this time my legs work well enough that I don't immediately fall down.

“Good morning furless. I've got good news." Coffrin greets me.

I stumble forward and unlatch a folding chair from the wall, sitting in it as my senses return.

“Good news? Let me hear it."

He zips up his jumpsuit and adjusts the velcro on his cuffs. 

“First of all, the escape pod landed somewhere nice and safe, we seem to be in the external hangar of an orbital station. From the event logs it looks like our pod locked onto the station's homing beacon and guided itself in."

“It's already doing better than our last ship."

“Right." Coffrin walks over to the emergency ration locker and pulls out a few plastic pouches and cans. “Feels better waking up slowly, don't it?"

“Much better. I don't even feel nauseous."

Coffrin pulls down a small table and a chair from the wall and sits across from me.

“Here, we should eat a little something before moving out." He says, setting down a few cans of coffee, water, and pouches of freeze-dried oatmeal and fruit.

I put my jumpsuit on and start eating, only to look at the door of the pod with an anxious thought.

“A little strange that no one's come to greet us, don't you think?"

Coffrin ears perk up as he stares at the door with me.

“Agreed. I peeked out the windows after waking up. We're in a large hangar, much larger than what an escape pod this size needs which means the station's auto-land probably picked it. No signs of life either, no workers, no lights. I'd almost say this place was abandoned if it weren't for something sitting right past that door."

I lean forward.

“What?"

He takes a swig of coffee and answers.

“There's a big red carpet leading from the door of our escape pod to the airlock of the hangar. Someone must have put it there."

“This…sounds like a trap."

Coffrin chuffs.

“Or a practical joke in very poor taste. If it were pirates they would have broken into the escape pod already. In any case, we're leaving this escape pod in environmental suits and armed to the teeth, got it?"

“Got it."

“Good. Now finish your coffee, we're leaving the escape pod in a few minutes."

Just after I put my form fitting environmental suit and helmet on Coffrin opens the weapons locker and hands me a flechette rifle. I look it over and inspect the magazine.

“I trust you remember which way to point it?" Coffrin asks.

“Pointy end towards enemy." I respond, slapping the magazine back in the rifle.

“Close enough. If you see anything that walks on more than two legs, or has a skull and crossbones anywhere on their body, just shoot first and ask questions later, understand?"

“I understand."

“Good, now standby, I'm depressurizing the pod."

I ready my rifle as Coffrin stands next to the door, he flicks a few switches as a loud hiss fills the room. The HUD on my helmet reads zero pressure, then Coffrin opens the escape pod door. He moves through first and I follow quickly behind.

“Lights." He whispers, flicking the headlamp on his helmet on.

I do the same and pan my head around. Ground equipment litters the edge of the hangar and light from a distant star casts a pale blue hue across the otherwise barren space. We cautiously move along the red carpet's path, all the way to the airlock where Coffrin lowers his rifle and touches a screen next to the door. It lights up and I cover his back, swinging my rifle around the walls of the hangar.

“It's operational, let's go through." He orders. We enter the airlock and the door closes behind us. A hiss fills the room and my HUD shows standard pressure with breathable air, at least we wouldn't be asphyxiating to death anytime soon. The opposite end of the airlock unlocks and opens. “Keep your helmet on and follow behind me." Coffrin says.

He slowly enters the new space and I follow a few steps behind. We pan our lights around and my breath is taken away by the scenery in front of us.

“Holy shit…"

To our front is a massive, bifurcated marble staircase, with pearly white steps and dark wooden railing accented with gold. The floor is marble as well, with specks of silver shining back at me from where my light passes over it. Above the staircase is a large ornate crystal chandelier, the lights within it begin to faintly glow before increasing in brightness, as do several lights placed in the high ceilings of the space. Must be motion sensitive. My left and right are both taken up with hallways so long they seem to go on forever.

“This place is massive." I remark.

“And it's no damn refueling station." Coffrin replies, seemingly disappointed at the absence of a bored cashier and hot dog warmer. “Seems to be waking up too. Do you hear that?"

His ears perk up and I slow my breathing, eventually hearing a steady noise coming closer. We raise our rifles and turn our heads towards the source of the sound.

“Staircase. Footsteps." He barks.

I steady my hands as a bead of sweat drips down my face. The footsteps become louder and I'm eventually able to discern that they aren't just ordinary footsteps, but the sound of high heels clopping against the ground. There's movement on the staircase, and in the distance I see several figures moving down towards the landing. They edge closer, and I'm soon able to make out the features of the lead figure as they approach the light cast by the chandelier.

It's an older she-bear covered in finely groomed dark brown fur, wearing a black sleeveless dress shirt and pencil skirt textured in snakeskin. There's fur around her collar and silver earrings of various shapes dangle from her large round ears. Her paws are covered in dark satin gloves that go up to her elbows. It seems the only vibrant color on her is the scarlet lipstick that adorns her pursed lips.

Behind her are two bots covered in shiny chrome plating, standard humanoid upper torsos but instead of legs they possess hover pads allowing them to glide silently across the ground. Similar to Kate, they have blank faceplates and vaguely feminine proportions. Unlike Kate, they were clearly more of a luxury model, with no exposed servos or ugly service panels to be seen on their smooth featureless bodies. 

“Stand down." Coffrin whispers, putting a hand on my rifle and pushing it downward.

I exhale as the stress evaporates and watch as the figures make their way down the staircase. Upon reaching the landing the she-bear stops, the two bots flanking her. She raises her arms and speaks with a welcoming, but unmistakably corporate tone.

“Welcome honored guests to Sapphire Solara! Your palace among the stars." She lowers her paws and places them behind her back. “Here your every need can be sated, your every whim catered to, and your very dreams brought to life. We possess the finest gambling halls in the sector, the very best chefs from across the galaxy, and are proud to offer luxury spas filled with the very healing waters of Rakis, imported at no small expense. If those don't pique your interests then we offer shuttle tours of the nearby asteroid belt, stadiums fit for any game or event, live concerts, holo-movie theaters, burlesque shows, night clubs, Olympic class fitness centers, solar gardens, and a shopping mall large enough to fill the entirety of level five." The bear pauses, then takes a bow with the two bots bowing soon after her. “I, am Charlotte Vangelis, head of guest services here at Sapphire Solara. How may we serve you?"

Coffrin steps forward and removes his helmet, as soon as he does one of the bots glides towards him to take it off his hands.

“Hello Charlotte, I'm Captain Coffrin and this is Navigational Officer Amos. Apologies for the awkward introduction, but I think there's been some sort of miscommunication, we're not guests. More like refugees, really."

Charlotte steps forward with an apologetic smile.

“Of course, of course, you all arrived in the escape pod. I have to give that speech to everyone that arrives, you see, company policy. And apologies about how long it took for me to arrive, the station's auto-land put you in a hangar we rarely receive guests in."

Coffrin waves his hands in front of him with a smile.

“No need to apologize Ms. Vangelis. I'm just glad to be in a place with functional artificial gravity and an atmosphere that doesn't smell like burning electronics. Amos and I were the flight crew of a mass cargo freighter that suffered a freak accident and blew apart not far from here. Could you send out a message for us? To let the company know what happened and that we need a pickup?"

“Of course! Not a problem at all! Just stop by the front desk in the hotel, it's on the first floor, and one of our clerks would be happy to send your message for you. I should mention that due to the extenuating circumstances of your visit our director of operations has seen fit to grant both of you the platinum guest package, our most premium package, totally free of charge. Enjoy your stay, however long it may be."

I take my helmet off and hand it to the bot that glides towards me.

“That's excellent news Charlotte. We really appreciate your hospitality; it's a welcome break after what happened back by the trading lane."

She turns to me with her bright green eyes, the edge of her lips curled into a subtle grin.

“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. Would you all like a tour of the station? Or would you prefer to be shown to your rooms?"

Coffrin turns to me.

“Amos, I'm going to head to the hotel and send that message out. Do whatever you want in the meantime, we'll meet in the hotel lobby at 1700, got it?"

“Understood, captain." I respond.

“Captain," Charlotte starts. “this bot will show you to the hotel, the elevator can take you most of the way there."

She motions towards one of the bots and it begins moving down one of the massive hallways. Amos begins to follow it and I'm left with Charlotte and the remaining bot. She leans down with a faint smile.

“So, about that tour." She offers.

“I'll take you up on it. It's not every day you get a platinum package at a major resort for free. Almost makes me feel like I won the lottery, almost."

“Perfect, would you be so kind as to give the bot your rifle? I wouldn't mean to disturb any of the guests. Rest assured Sapphire Solara has a competent security force, but they prefer to keep things discrete as to not cause undue distress for our guests. It will be stored securely at the front desk, just ask for it when you check out."

“Oh, uhh, sure." I awkwardly acquiesce.

I hand the remaining bot my rifle and it glides away.

The bear claps her hands together with a smile and begins walking towards the stairs, I follow beside her.

“So, what would you like to see first? Did any of our facilities pique your interest?"

I try to remember what she said earlier but my brain comes up blank. I was plenty focused on her when she gave the introduction speech, just not on her words.

“Sorry, I'm still a little frazzled after the accident. What facilities did you have here again?"

“We have a casino with every game and machine you can think of, luxury spa, concert halls, holo-movie theaters, dining halls, sports arenas, solar gardens, a shopping center. We're not supposed to mention this in the initial introduction, but Sapphire Solara has a gentlemen's club as well, tucked away between a couple of our night clubs. There you can satisfy your baser desires, with organic and synthetic companions available depending on your preference. It's only available to those holding premium entertainment packages, but like I said earlier you and your captain have the most premium package we offer. However…" She trails off and stops on the stairs, awkwardly fidgeting with her paws as she thinks over her words. “due to a recent outbreak of Venusian blood lice among our…guests…the organic companions of the gentleman's club are only offering limited services at this time, in order to prevent further…incidents…as the outbreak is isolated and dealt with by our medical staff."

“Limited in what way?"

She tilts her head and stares at the ground, thinking over her words.

“No acts involving potential fluid transfer are to be allowed. Sexual acts of a…less intimate nature, however, are still permitted. And of course, the synthetic companions available are unaffected by this restriction as they operate on a strict routine cleaning and self-sterilization policy." She steps closer and drops her voice to a whisper. “If you could ensure this information doesn't leave the station's airlocks we would be most appreciative. Rumors of such an…outbreak…would be very damaging to our reputation."

I put a finger up to my lips.

“Not a peep."

“Excellent!" She claps her hands together and we resume our journey up the stairs. “As I mentioned earlier the entire station is open to you. So, where would you like to go first?"

“I was thinking maybe the-“

“Just to be clear, the gentlemen's club is not part of the tour I offer. I wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong ideas. I'm the head of guest services, nothing more, nothing less."

“Right, right, I wasn't thinking of going there anyway. Coffrin on the other hand? He has something of a reputation of being a real party animal when he steps on shore. He's all priorities and regulations at the moment, but I imagine it won't be long until his curiosity gets the better of him."

“And I'm sure he'll find whatever it is he's looking for among our top-of-the-line facilities." After making our way to the top of the stairs we walk to a pair of elevator doors. Charlotte pushes a silver button and the doors glide open with a soft chime. We step inside and Charlotte places a paw near the elevator's many gilded floor buttons. “But enough about your Captain's interests, where would you like to go?" She purrs.

I glance at the holographic labels next to each button and make a quick decision.

“The casino seems interesting."

“Ah, good choice." She pushes the button and the doors close, a soft mechanical hum filling the elevator as it moves us to our destination. “Our casino takes up most of level three, it's by far one of the most popular locations in the entire station. We have slots, poker, blackjack, dabo, roulette, craps, pazaak, pachinko, are there any games you were looking for in particular?"

“No, I can't say I'm much of a gambling man. Lady luck has never been on my side much, especially not lately."  

“Understandable, luck can be a fickle thing. To get your feet wet I suggest one of the simpler games, like a penny slot, or roulette. If you're ever uncertain then just bet on red. It's what I do."

I glance down at her scarlet coated lips.

“Is red your favorite color?"

“Not hard to guess, was it?" She chuckles.

“No, not really."

The hum of the elevator changes in tone and I feel us begin to move laterally, instead of vertically.

“So, how long have you been flying freighters? Do you like it?" She asks.

“I've only been out of the academy for a few years, still very green compared to most of my coworkers but I'm making it work. As for whether I like it, well, let's just say that recent experiences have shaken up my view of the profession."

“I have to assume most trips don't end in a fiery explosion and trip in an escape pod?"

“The vast majority don't, no. An average voyage is pretty boring, to be honest. We spend most of the time in sleep pods while the onboard maintenance bot, usually a K8 model, keeps things running."

Charlotte looks away in thought, then turns back to me with a confused expression.

“But only you and your Captain came out of the escape pod?"

“That's right, unfortunately our K8 unit had to stay behind and slow the reactor breach to give us time to escape safely. It's unfortunate, but what else can you do? A million K8s walk off the assembly line every year, can't say the same for me or Coffrin."

She shoots me a vaguely disapproving glare.

“Don't tell me you're one of those people that view bots as utterly disposable. They get a raw deal in society if you ask me. Always working for us, dying for us, but never getting the credit they deserve. Your K8 unit won't get a medal for her noble sacrifice no matter how much she deserved it."

“Bots aren't eligible for medals."

“So you are one of those people."

“No, no, I wasn't implying that at all. I quite like bots, sometimes I think I humanize them a little bit more than other people. All I'm saying is…I don't know." I look at the ground and exhale. “I guess what I'm saying is that there's not much point congratulating a bot just for doing what it's programmed to do. I mean, have you ever felt the need to pin a medal to your coffee maker for doing its job? Why would an android be any different?"

“I get your point, but I might feel different if that coffee maker saved my life." She retorts. “To make my point simpler, do you feel sad about it?"

I look her in the eye and shrug.

“Yes, a little."

Her expression softens, happy with my response.

“Ah, so you aren't one of those people."

I feel the elevator stop and the doors open with a soft chime. Immediately my ears are filled with a cacophony of noise. A writhing mass of indecipherable conversation, slots dinging in the distance, random bouts of laughter, bells dinging and groups yelling as someone gets a jackpot.

“We're here. Follow me, I'll show you to the teller." Charlotte orders, stepping out of the elevator. I follow her a short distance to a wall of machines. Each machine is a simple screen with a door underneath it, every surface is covered in shiny gold plating and a large holographic emblem of the station floats above each screen. The bear stops next to one of the machines. “Step a little closer and look directly at the screen."

I get closer and as soon as my eyes hit the screen it lights up with a simple greeting and a few buttons placed below.

[Hello Mr. Amos, how can we help you today?]

“This is our standard teller machine," Charlotte starts. “it uses facial recognition, thumbprint identification, and an identity verification algorithm to keep your winnings safe. Just walk up to one and tell it what you want, no keycards, wristbands, or passwords required. Much more elegant than what other casinos have in place. And if someone does try and fool the system…" She reaches out and tries to push one of the buttons on the screen. Every time her gloved finger hits the screen it sounds out in a harsh beep. “It rejects any input it isn't absolutely sure comes from who it's supposed to come from. Do it enough times, and the system will even send a security team to the location of the machine."

“And I assume a beating and rapid exit ensues?"

Charlotte tries to hide an amused smile.

“Something like that. The entire station uses the same security system so it's the same everywhere you go. If you come up to a screen, just look at it. If that doesn't work then, touch it with your finger. If that doesn't work then you're probably somewhere you aren't supposed to be in the first place. But enough about security, go ahead and withdraw some chips! Your premium package grants you an allowance of 1,000 credits worth of chips every day. Spend them, lose them, gain some more, lose it all, get a jackpot, bet it big, lose them again, you'll always have more chips waiting for you the next day."

“So, you're telling me I can't lose? I'm not playing with my own money?" I say, eyebrow raised.

“Your guest package was complimentary Amos, you won the moment you stepped through the airlock."

Something about her words excites me. I can't remember the last vacation I was on, nor can I recall the last time a vacation was even possible considering my work schedule and finances. But finally, after years of tedious study in the academy and years of toil in the trade lanes, I've finally got an opportunity to go wild. I can gamble all day with no worries, drink myself half to death every night and warm my bed with a pile a scantily clad babes, exist on a steady diet of steak and lobster, spend all day watching movies or concerts or simply get fat and happy in my hotel suite! This is all temporary, sure, but before I leave I definitely want to try and ask-

A paw on my shoulder breaks my chain of thought.

“Amos?" Charlotte whispers. “You've been staring at the screen for a while. Are you alright?"

I clear my throat and rub my neck.

“Ya, ya, I'm fine. Just a little surprised is all. A thousand credits a day, you said?"

She nods.

“It's deposited in your account at midnight, every night."

“Every night?"

“Every night." She affirms.

I take a deep breath and try to let go of my inhibitions.

“Let's test my luck then."

I press the button that says 'withdrawal' and it brings up a screen asking how much I want to withdraw. I see I already have a thousand in my account, so I type in 1,000 and confirm my choice. The door below the screen opens and a single chip sits on a bed of burgundy felt. I reach in and take it out. The chip is black and polished silver with the logo of the station faintly glowing in the center, it feels heavier than it ought to. I close my fingers around it and start looking around the casino.

“Looks like we have a high roller today." Charlotte muses. “Where do you want to spend it?"

My eyes dart around the casino until finally settling on a row of slot machines against a wall.

“Something simple, like those slot machines." I point.

We walk over and I sit in front of one. There's a receptacle on the machine for chips and I raise my thousand credit token to the slot. It rolls downward and the machine plays an upbeat jingle, the screen flashing a gaudy animation until finally displaying three rapidly spinning reels.

“Are you sure you want to spend it all in one go, Amos? Most people spread their money across multiple machines." Charlotte whispers, her tone of voice just shy of outright concern.

I look to the ground in thought, then up to her.

“I'm sure. I'll get another thousand at midnight, right?"

“Right, but if you get a bad roll your fun for the day is over."

“Don't get me wrong, I'm not normally so risky, but…today I'm willing to take a chance."

Her lips curl into a playful smile.

“Risky boy. Putting it all on the line without a care in the world. Just pull the lever down and let it go. Then we'll see how your big gamble pays off."

I put my hand on the lever, staring at the rapidly spinning reels, and wait…and wait…and wait…until I finally take my hand off it.

“Nerves?" Charlotte asks.

“No, not at all. I just thought that I'd let you do the honors." I say, motioning towards the lever. “Women's intuition, and all that."

Charlotte rolls her eyes with a halfhearted laugh.

“That's all just superstition. A woman blowing on a man's dice doesn't make him any luckier, and me pulling your lever won't get you the jackpot you're hoping for." Charlotte reaches forward and grips the lever, then pauses as she realizes the innuendo. There's an awkward pause, then her head slowly turns to me. “Let's just forget I said that."

I look her in the eye with a poorly hidden smirk and nod in response.

She pulls the lever down and lets it slam back upwards. The machine plays a series of increasingly frantic notes as the wheels slow to a stop. The first reel stops in between a seven and a single bar and I'm already beginning to have second doubts about how wise this all was. The second reel stops on a seven. The third, slows to a stop on a pair of cherries. The machine bursts to life again, playing a victorious jingle as a waterfall of holographic coins fall in front of the screen. Charlotte claps her hands and smiles.

“Congratulations! Not bad for your first roll. Almost thought you'd lose it all for a second there." She remarks.

I point to the screen dumbly.

“This is, uhh, good? How good?"

She points a gloved finger to the double cherry symbol.

“These cherries double your money, you only need one to be in the positive. Now go ahead and retrieve your winnings."

A small door below the screen opens and two black and silver chips rest within. I take them out and feel the polished metal in between my fingers. Doubling my money on the first day, maybe my luck really is turning around.

Charlotte cocks her hips and crosses her arms.

“So, want to risk it again or play it safe?"

I stare at the small metal chips in my hand for a few seconds before pocketing them.

“I don't want to push my luck. I'll cash these in, play some more tomorrow."

“A wise choice. I'll walk you over to the teller, then we can continue with the tour."

After depositing my winnings she takes me to the fitness center, concert hall, dining hall, then the shopping mall, giving me the history of the station as well as a few tips and tricks for making my time here as enjoyable as possible. To no one's surprise, the station's clientele typically come from the upper class of many nearby star systems though they're willing to host anyone who can cough up enough credits for a guest package. The station itself seldom advertises its services, preferring to keep a lower profile than most stellar resorts. This low profile also extends to its location, resting within an asteroid belt in an entirely unpopulated star system. I can only assume this discretion is done as a courtesy for the higher profile guests.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. As the day winds down and 1700 draws closer she brings me to the last location of our tour, the hotel. The lobby is cavernous and covered in opulent designs of gold, marble, and silver, same as every other floor of the station. As we move near the front desk I see Coffrin resting in one of the sitting areas with a cigar hanging out of his muzzle, he gets up to greet us.

“Ah, there you are!" He says, taking the cigar out of his mouth. “The message's been sent, all we have to do is wait for a company pickup."

“Great." I flatly respond, secretly wishing he would have found some reason to delay our retrieval.

“How was the tour?"

“Ms. Vangelis has been an excellent guide, doubled my money at the casino too."

The bear chuckles shyly.

“Oh, I wouldn't go that far, all I did was pull the lever."

“And now I have two thousand sitting in my account instead of one. I'd say that's worth something."

“Then let me know the next time you're feeling lucky so I can double your money again. No guarantees, of course." She turns her attention to Coffrin. “Have you already seen your complimentary suite?"

He nods with another puff from his cigar.

“Yep. Fancy place. Came with a complimentary basket of wine, cheese, and fine tobacco. Nice view of the asteroid fields too."

I can tell from his breath he's already been sampling the wine.

“If you ever get tired of the same view you can switch the window to something else, it's equipped with holographic projectors."

“Yep. Fellers at the front desk already clued me in on how most of this place works. It's slick, real slick."

“We offer only the highest quality services to our guests. If you or Amos have any questions or concerns, feel free to call the front desk. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other duties to attend to."

“Thanks for the help, Ms. Vangelis." Coffrin says, waving her goodbye.

“Bye, Charlotte." I wave her goodbye as well.

She walks off, the sound of high heels hitting the ground fading in the distance. Coffrin steps close, speaking in a whisper.

“She was kind of looking at you funny, furless."

“What?"

“She was, you know, looking at you kind of funny. With them big green eyes of hers. Sultry eyes."

He grins wryly and winks at me, chomping on his cigar once again. I shake my head.

“Good god Coffrin, less than a day on dry land and your brain's already going to places that aren't fit for polite conversation. Can't you find some kind of doggy escort and get out of my hair?"

“Now just hold on a second, I'm only mentioning this because you seem to be a little out of her league, and age group, and income bracket. Just wondering how a chump like you managed to snag a finely aged bottle of red wine when you should be drinking blue ribbon."

 I put my hands up in defeat.

“I don't know what you saw back there but being friendly is literally part of her job, there's nothing going between us. Do I like her? Sure, I'll admit it, I do. But then again, there are plenty of women I like but never make a move on."

He shrugs and looks around the lobby.

“All I'm saying is it's a little odd, no need to take it so personally. Just make sure she isn't trying to pull a fast one on you, women can be like that. A young buck ends up in a place like this, gets infatuated with a pretty girl, they go to the local wedding chapel, have their fun, then a week later he's staring at the divorce papers right before boarding his next voyage.  And with all due respect Amos, she's got a little more life experience than you do, pal. She's old enough to be your mother! Well…" He briefly looks up to the ceiling as he changes his assessment. "Or maybe your mother's younger sister."

“I cannot believe what I'm hearing right now. Are you my captain or my father? And you know what Coffrin? I have the strangest feeling that the head of guest services at a swanky place like this isn't lusting over the pennies she'd get from my paycheck. So how about you keep that big wet nose of your where it belongs, sir."

He remains silent for a few seconds, chewing on his cigar with a heavy-lidded stare. Eventually he takes it from his muzzle as his expression softens.

“Just trying to look out for you, Amos. You're my responsibility until we get back to the nearest company outpost. You should get some rest. I'll be in my suite if you need me, they put us right next to each other. And I'll let you know when the company responds."

Coffrin puts the cigar back in his mouth and walks towards the elevators. I watch him leave, my lips still curled into an indignant frown. We come into a wild stroke of luck, landing in a veritable paradise among the stars after a freak accident, and what does Coffrin do? He sends out a message to the company begging them to come pick us up, to take us away from this artificial paradise and drag us back into the uncaring arms of the company. And not only that, but it's not even been a day and he's already trying to ruin my fun, second guess me, shut down something good before it even has a chance to blossom. If I'm going to enjoy my time here I have a feeling I'll need to keep my distance from Coffrin. Not because I'm afraid he'll tattle to the company about my unprofessional behavior, definitely not, the dog will be in a 24/7 drunken stupor before long. I know how he is when on shore. I just don't want him trying to barge in on my own personal matters a second time. I just want a little privacy, is that too much to ask?

Chapter 3: Coffee With Ice

Two weeks have passed since arriving at the station. To fill my time I've started a concerted effort to experience every activity, game, and sight that the station had to offer before my inevitable trip off-station. Still, after two weeks I've barely scratched the surface of what this place has to offer. Coffrin, on the other hand, has been acting exactly as I expected. I usually hear him drunkenly stumble into his suite in the late hours of the night, typically accompanied by a couple of escorts from the gentleman's club. During the day he's often found sunbathing in one of the solar gardens with a half empty cocktail in his hand, or gorging himself into a food coma in the dining hall, or partying it up in one of the nightclubs, or taking an afternoon nap on a public bench, just normal Coffrin things.

I'm walking down the hall towards my suite after a nerve-wracking day of gambling when I hear a commotion coming the other way. I'm almost to my door when I see it's Coffrin. He's limping along the ground held up by his armpits by two androids, their brightly colored frames and sensual curves are dead giveaways that he picked them up from the gentleman's club. His eyes find me before I can disappear into my suite and he raises a mostly empty bottle of whiskey towards me.

“Heeey! Buddy!" He drunkenly greets me, a dumb smile plastered on his face.

I groan internally and turn around to face him.

“Hey Captain, what's been going on?"

The androids continue to carry him to his door.

“They restocked the buffet Amos. They got more fried shrimp and vanilla custard to go around. And they even…" He takes a deep breath as his eyes go wide. “…they even restocked the bar!"

“Thanks for the heads up." I flatly respond. “What happened to those two pretty cat girls I usually see you with? I thought you didn't like the synthetic options."

“Cat girls? Oh…yeah." He rubs a paw down his cheek. “The flesh and blood girls here are weird man. Can't get close to them because of the Martian brain worms, so they only give out handies and feeties. I asked one of them to give me a rub down there, you know, and the tuna eating slut nearly tore my little man right off! Almost launched my red rocket right to the moon! They're stronger than they look." He drunkenly gazes at the two sex bots flanking him. “But these artificial girls? They got a gentle touch, and they don't mind if you get close. Not quite as good as the real thing, but I assure you my most valued possessions are right where they should be." He sticks a paw down his pants. “Yep, right where they should be." 

“I really didn't need to know that. If you don't mind I'm going to-“

“Are you still seeing…that…uptight…nosy little…dried up…cold-hearted…she-bear?" He drunkenly slurs.

It takes all my willpower to not just enter my room and slam the door.

“Yes, I still talk to Charlotte from time to time, Coffrin. And for the millionth time, it's purely platonic, and it's also none of your business." I growl.

“Well tell her to stop barging into the men's restroom when I'm taking a piss! It's rude!"

 I rub my forehead as a headache develops.

“That wasn't the men's restroom, it was a public fountain in the middle of the shopping mall plaza." In retrospect, I wish I had taken a picture.

“Well whatever it was she was very rude to me about it! Now ladies, please take me into my executive suite and put me on the bed. I've got to get a good night's rest before tomorrow's festivities."

The androids take him into his room and the door shuts. With a heavy exhale, I clear my mind and walk into my own room. Just one step in and I hear something crinkle under my shoe. I look down and see a piece of stationary emblazoned with the station's logo. After picking it up I read the message written on it.

Coffee at my place?

Room 1584

- Charlotte

P.S. Bring your own coffee cup

She's inviting me over for coffee? That's a first. Guess things between us must be getting a little more serious, not that I'm complaining. Not sure what to make about that coffee cup though.

After a quick shower I put on a clean set of clothes and look myself over in the mirror, fixing my hair and spraying a bit of cologne on. Might as make myself presentable if it's Charlotte who's seeing me. After grabbing a cup from my cupboard, I leave my suite and make the quick jaunt over to Charlotte's suite. The halls are quiet this time of night, everyone with a normal sleep schedule is already in bed and those enjoying the nightlife have already left for their venue of choice.

My footsteps seem to grow louder as I near her door, or maybe it's just nerves making me more anxious. I double check the door number and give a short knock. Muffled footsteps come closer, then a holographic screen appears in front of the door number. Charlotte's face appears in the screen, created from varying shades of orange floating pixels.

“Oh, you saw my invitation?"

“Yep, and I brought my cup too." I respond, holding my coffee cup up next to my face.

Charlotte smiles.

“Good, I'll unlock the door, come on in."

Electronic locks click open and the screen fades into thin air. I open the door and step inside Charlotte's suite. The interior is dim, lit mostly by soft amber lights above the kitchen counter and the faint blue glow of the system's distant star coming in from the suite's viewing window, a window so large it takes up almost an entire wall. Signs of life are dotted around the place. A few dirty dishes in the sink, a couple open gossip magazines and pack of cigarettes lying on a coffee table, her high heels thrown against the side of the couch. Lived in, but a far cry from being called messy.

Charlotte sits at the kitchen table, a steaming mug held in her paws. She's wearing a thick, cream-colored bathrobe above a thin silken sleeping gown.

“I like to keep it a little dim in here. It's not too dark for you, is it? I know humans don't have the best night vision."

“I can see just fine." I respond, eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. “I'd call the lighting in here moody, if you don't mind me saying."

“After work I like to keep things dim, most of this station has such harsh lighting it strains my eyes after a few hours."

“To keep it bright enough for every species that wants to visit?"

“And safety regulations. Can't have some drunk fool fall off a balcony and sue the station for keeping things so dark he couldn't see the railings, as if his drunkenness had nothing to do with it. Ha!"

“The way you're talking I'm guessing it's happened before."

She sips from her cup and raises an eyebrow.

“You've only been on the station a short while, you have no idea the kinds of foolish things that happen around here." She points at a large blocky machine placed on her counter. “Have some coffee, just put your cup in the slot and select your brew. It'll do the rest."

I walk over to the machine and place my cup in the center of a lit slot in the machine. Immediately a touchscreen springs to life and presents a number of options. I go through some menus, only halfway knowing what the majority of the options even mean, and the screen switches to an animation of a cup filling with coffee. A harsh grinding sound comes from the machine and I awkwardly face Charlotte, pointing to it as if afraid it'll explode.

“Is it supposed to make that sound?" I squeak out.

“Don't worry, it's just grinding the coffee beans. The first step of any cup." She assures me. “What did you choose?"

“It was a, uhh, cappuccino made with Vanessa beans and whole milk."

“Vanessa beans? I never liked them, too light, too sweet. I prefer the bolder stuff. Bitter and darkly roasted. Something to give me some pep in my step and help keep me moving when hibernation season starts."

“I just picked what sounded nice." I shrug. “Where'd you get this machine? My suite came with a much smaller one, barely half the size of this monster."

“I bought it. From a shop in the mall."

“Must have been expensive."

“Very. It's worth it, however. I'm picky about my coffee and that barista in a box does it perfectly every time, all the time."

I look around at her windowed cupboards, spotting a selection of clean coffee mugs.

“So, why'd you make me bring my own mug? Dishwasher broken?"

“Umm…" She trails off and fidgets in her seat, before glancing in my direction and pointing her muzzle at the coffee machine. “It's done."

“Oh." I look into the slot and see it's already filled my cup, a bed of white creamy foam greets me when I stare into it. I grab the cup and walk over to the kitchen table, sitting across from her. “So, why the cup?" I ask, taking a sip. It's delicious.

She rests her muzzle on an open palm and exhales through her wet black nose.

“Promise not to tell anyone?"

“I promise."

“A couple days ago one of my coworkers was diagnosed with Venusian blood lice. All it takes is one sneeze, one molecule of spit, the tiniest bit of contact with an open wound, bare skin, even fur, and the blood lice can spread from one host to another. That is to say, there's a decent chance I may have them too."

I lean forward in my seat.

“Shit! Is it bad? Are they curable?"      

She puts her hands up to calm me down.

“Now just hold on there, the clinic is still running some tests and they haven't come back yet. Which means I may be totally safe and there's nothing to worry about. But until then I thought I'd play it safe, have you bring your own cup just in case. And to answer your questions, they're only kind of bad, and they are definitely curable."

“Kind of bad? What are the symptoms?"

“Symptoms? Nothing terrible. Just runny nose, nocturnal drooling, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, sore throat, numbness in the paws and feet, and…umm…rapid heartbeat. I think that's all of them."

“No sudden death? Rapid cranial implosion?"

She smiles and takes a sip.

“No sudden death. No recorded fatalities. The treatment is a pain though. It takes several weeks and involves daily injections of medicine right into your bloodstream. The lice aren't fatal, but they sure know how to ruin your month."

“Damn right. I'm just…glad you're okay."

Her bright green eyes glance up to me.

“Aww, thanks Amos. It warms my heart to know someone out there cares enough about me to accept my invitation, and drink my coffee, and not gag when I start talking about Venusian blood lice." We laugh, then she continues. “It's just that, even though I'm surrounded by people all day working on this station can be so-“ She stops herself and groans, taking a sip of her cup. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't be venting my issues to a guest. It's unprofessional and immature and-“

I put a hand up and stop her.

“No. You can talk to me. On the outside you're the head of guest services and I'm one of your guests. But in here?" I pan my head around her suite. “In here I'm just Amos, and you're just Charlotte. No titles or responsibilities have to be involved."

She looks to the ground for a moment, then her eyes return to mine and a faint smile graces her lips.

“You're right. I may work for Sapphire Solara but they can't control every damn aspect of my life."

“So back to what you were saying."

“Right." She steels herself with another sip of coffee. “It's lonely on this station, Amos. Everyday I'm surrounded by people but they're all either upper class socialites or my own subordinates. The socialites I have to impress, be impartial, be professional, cater to their every need, be the perfect ideal of a casino guest services manager or risk them complaining and get sent on a one-way shuttle out of here. And my subordinates? They're distant in the best of times, frustratingly annoying in the worst of times. I keep professional relationships with them, sure, but that's all they ever are to me. My subordinates. It feels like I can't have a bit of romance with anyone on this station without breaking some social contract and risking my livelihood in the process. Everyone except for you, that is. I-" She stops herself and takes a deep breath. “Sorry, I'm rambling again. It's the caffeine." She says with an embarrassed laugh.

“No need to apologize."

“As I was saying, well, I'm not budging into anything am I? I didn't see a ring on your finger, so, I hope I'm not being too forward."

I glance down at my ringless fingers.

“If you're wondering if I have some pretty girl sitting at a spaceport right now looking longingly at the twinkling stars awaiting my return, the answer is no. It's difficult to keep relationships, it's twice as difficult to keep them when you're hopping all across the galaxy. I've tried in the past, but, it never really seems to work out in the long term."

“It seems we're in the same boat then, wanting companionship but not knowing where to find it."

“You could say that."

“In that case, why don't we become something a little closer than friends? You seem to like me, I like you, we can keep this up for however long you're stranded here."

“And when I have to leave?"

Her ears droop before perking up again.

“We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

I rub a hand through my hair as a soft chuckle escapes my lips.

“What?" Charlotte asks.

“I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but my Captain can barely tolerate us being in the same room together. He thinks you're like a siren, luring me into a relationship with plans of eventual betrayal. That, and he disapproves of the age difference too."

Charlotte crosses her arms with a huff.

“I know the kinds of girls he's talking about, and I'm not one of them! And the age difference? Really? How old enough does that dirty old dog think I am?!"

“Old enough to be my mother's younger sister. His words, not mine."

“What a…what a…what an asshole! I haven't even hit menopause yet! And it's not like we're in the medieval ages! I had some of my eggs frozen just in case something happened, courtesy of my employee benefits package. I'm not some kind of cradle robber, or sugar mama, or whatever nasty thing he thinks I am."

“I don't like what he's said about us either, Charlotte. But let's be honest with ourselves for a moment. What Coffrin thinks, doesn't matter. What two consenting adults agree to do, or be, behind closed doors is none of his stinking business."

Charlotte rubs a tired paw across her muzzle.

“I doubt he'd even remember if he saw us kissing in public, every time I've seen him lately he's been stinking drunk."

“I know, but, out of respect for his wishes do you think we could keep this thing on the down low? Not make it too obvious? I'd prefer not to rile him up any further."

“I know a thing or two about discretion." Charlotte says with a playful smile. “It's important in my line of work. If you want to keep things private, then that's what you'll have." She covers one side of her muzzle with a paw and drops her voice into a whisper. “Don't worry, I know all the out of the way places in the station that are good for a bit of risqué fun. Some because I've caught other couples with the same idea, and some because of my intimate knowledge of the station. We can try them all out, pending a clean bill of health of course."

“Sounds like a plan."

I raise my cup and finish the last of my coffee. Charlotte gets up and places her empty cup in the sink, then moves towards the viewing window. I get up and join her, eager to stretch my legs after sitting down. She snatches a half empty pack of cigarettes from the coffee table and stands in front of the window, gazing at the majestic view of the asteroid field in front of us. She pulls out a cigarette and sticks it in her muzzle, then retrieves a lighter from her bath robe. A bright blue flame shoots from the lighter and lights the tip of her cigarette in an amber glow. She breathes in, then exhales through her nose. She offers the pack to me.

“Care for a smoke?"

I turn it away.

“No thanks. The company health plan will pay for a lot of replacement organs, but replacement lungs aren't one of them."

“Amos, your guest package comes with free visits to our medical clinic. Cancer, broken bones, missing limbs, tar in the lungs, they can cure anything short of a broken heart."

My willpower rapidly breaking down from peer pressure and the knowledge that my guest package would save the day once again, I slowly take a cigarette from the pack. I stick it in my mouth and Charlotte lights it.

“Is the view as good from your suite?" She asks.

“Not quite. My window is angled a little more to the left, towards the sun. But your view? It's amazing. It faces right down the length of the asteroid belt, seems to go on forever."

Charlotte chuckles.

“I got lucky. Didn't even have time to look out the window, realize how beautiful it was, until a month after I first started working here. These asteroids, they're mostly ice. So when that dull blue sunlight hits them at the right angle they twinkle like stars, shine a deep blue sort of color."

“Like a field of house sized sapphire diamonds." I mutter, gaze transfixed on the twinkling field of blue.

“Exactly. They chose a good spot to put this station, someone knew what they were doing." She inhales deeply then breathes to the side. “It almost makes me angry, knowing that this view exists yet most people decide to spend all their time in the station, looking at slot machines, holo-movies, advertisements, everything but the real beauty just past the window."

I see a small white ship zip from the station and into the asteroid field.

“What's that?" I ask.

“That's one of the asteroid field tour shuttles. They go out every thirty minutes or so. They mostly help tourists get their pretty pictures, do a little fancy flying through some of the hollow asteroids, nothing too exciting. It's mostly geared for small children and the elderly. All you can do is sit there and watch."

“And what happens if one of those asteroids gets too close to the station? An impact with something that size can't be pretty."

“The station has a computer that calculates the trajectory and potential impact for every asteroid weeks in advance. It makes small adjustments to the station's orbit to avoid most impacts, sends out drones to alter the course of any problem asteroids, then has an array of point defense turrets to shoot down any nasty surprises. It's very safe, trust me."

“You'd know better than I would."

“Sometimes you can see the point defense turrets in action if you stare outside long enough, they send these bright strings of light shooting across the sky from time to time. It's pretty."

“Like a shooting star."

She nods.

“Ya, like a shooting star. Just more violent. And explosive. And probably not the best thing to make a wish o-o-on." She begins to stutter as a mighty yawn overcomes her. She stretches her arms upward and brings them down, putting out her cigarette on a nearby ash tray and licking her lips. “Well Amos, I'm afraid this is good night."

I put my cigarette out and nod.

“It's agree, it's getting late. I enjoyed this time together, maybe we should turn this into a thing. Meetup every Friday, share some coffee and a view."

“Sounds good to me. Simple, romantic, and discrete." We walk towards the door but Charlotte stops halfway there with an annoyed groan.

“What?"

“It just seems so wrong, to let you leave without so much as a kiss on the cheek. Feels like I'm not doing my part, fulfilling my part of the relationship."

“Well, the blood lice situation makes things complicated. If you want, we could hold off on all the hot and heavy parts until after the scare is over. No more than a month assuming you have them, right?"

“Yes, a month. An entire month." She says, crossing her arms. “That just seems so long for us to potentially go without any spice. It's boring, dreadfully boring! If only there was something I could give you, some kind of memento…" She trails off, rubbing her chin as she stares past the viewing window. “I have an idea. Wait here."

Charlotte walks off into her bedroom and closes the door. I stand in the middle of her den and patiently wait, wondering what the bear could be cooking up. She wants to give me a memento? Like what, an earring? A lock of her fur? A pair of well-used panties? I aimlessly walk around as the sounds of Charlotte ruffling around for something emanate from behind her bedroom door. I move to the viewing window and stare at the twinkling asteroids until before I hear her door open.

Charlotte emerges from her room tightening the belt on her bathrobe. Her eyes dart around the suite before finding mine and she breaks into a mischievous smirk. She walks up to me with a newfound wiggle in her hips and reaches into her pocket.

“Ever used one of these before?" She asks, pulling what looks like an old-fashioned camera out of her pocket. It's box shaped and covered in hard black plastic textured as faux leather, silver accents adorn its edges and a viewfinder sits on the top, the front taken up with a large cylindrical lens. I turn it over in my hands before looking back up to Charlotte.

“Can't say I have, was born a few centuries too late to ever use something like this."

“Don't worry, it only looks old. The guts of it are modernized so all you have to do is look through the viewfinder, point, and click. No fuss, no muss. It'll even print your photos for you after you take them, real convenient. I bought this camera when I was younger with the intention of starting an amateur photography hobby, but it never quite worked out. But now I've finally got a use for it!" She exclaims giddily.

I look from the camera up to her, a knowing eyebrow raised.

“And just what am I taking a picture of, exactly?"

“I'll show you."

Charlotte backs away against the window and undoes the belt on her bathrobe. She lets the robe slip off her shoulders, then pulls the front of it apart letting the robe fall silently to the ground. Underneath the robe she was mostly bare fur, with a few pieces of lingerie just barely keeping her modest. A thin bra covers her considerable bust, her breasts sagging as the material struggles to contain their weight. It's matched with a pair of lacy panties around her wide hips, attached to it are fishnet leggings that almost get lost entirely within her thick fur. Her arms are adorned in elbow length gloves. All of her garments are black in color yet seem to glitter in the dark due to their satin finish. Charlotte puts her paws on her waist and cocks her hips.

“Well Amos, this picture is for you. Just tell me what pose you want."

I lick my dry lips and take a few steps back, raising the camera to my face.

“Okay, uhh, let's keep your back to the window. The asteroid fields make for a nice background."

She centers herself in front of the window and strikes a neutral pose.

“Okay, now put your paws on your waist." I command.

She cocks her hips and puts her paws on her waist again.

“Now look at me, give the camera some bedroom eyes."

She chuckles at the request, then tilts her head with a subtle smile, staring into the camera with a sultry expression. Her bright green eyes seem to almost glow in the viewfinder. I put my hand on the shutter button…then take it off. I lower the camera with a groan.

“What?" She frowns.

“It's almost perfect. I'm not a photographer, but the shot seems kind of, I don't know, kind of flat."  

“Flat huh? I think I know a fix for that." Charlotte moves over to the coffee table and retrieves the pack of cigarettes, pulling another one out and lighting it. She moves back over to the window and inhales deeply before blowing a lungful of smoke around her. The cloud undulates and breaks into wisps, casting a slight haze around her. “Better?"

I glance through the viewfinder.

“That's what we were missing." She moves to put the cigarette out but I stop her. “No, keep it."

Charlotte looks at me curiously, then moves back to the window, cigarette held between two fingers. She strokes the same neutral pose as before.

“How do you want me?"

“Hold the cigarette next to your face, then put your other arm across your chest holding onto your elbow. Legs tightly together, and give me that same look as before." I order, bringing the camera up to my face.

Charlotte does as I ask, the arm going across her chest lifting her breasts slightly and the cigarette casting a faint amber glow on her muzzle. She takes one final drag to renew the smoke around her, then holds it beside her face. She looks into the camera, green eyes faintly glowing, lips curl into a faint smile. The starlight from the window makes her lingerie shimmer and light up the smoke behind her, creating an almost halo like effect around her body. I bring the camera up to my face and look through the viewfinder.

Perfect.

I press the shutter button and the camera clicks in response. I lower the camera and walk towards her.

“How'd I look? Was I as saucy as you'd hoped?" She asks, sticking the cigarette in her muzzle and taking the camera from my hand.

“I have good feelings, but let's print the photo and find out. I'm no photographer so I just hope I didn't screw anything up."

“If I looked good through the viewfinder then I should look good on the photo."

She taps a button on the rear of the camera and a holographic menu lights to life. She makes a few selections, then I hear some machinery within the camera start to hum as it prints the photo. Charlotte takes it from the camera and gives it a quick shake, then holds the photo in front of us.

It's everything I remember. Charlotte's emerald eyes glowing in the dark, the haze of smoke hugging her like a coat, the twinkling stars and asteroids behind her, her pushed up breasts, shimmering lingerie, the faint light from the cigarette lighting her smile in warm amber.

“Ugh." Charlotte groans. “Is my nose really that big? And look at my breasts sagging like that, girls need more support. We should take another phot-"

I snatch the photo from her paw before she can self-deprecate any further.

“No need. I think you looked perfect, the very model of a finely aged woman."

She shrugs and takes another drag.

“If you say so, the photo is for you, after all. I don't mind what you do with it as long as you make sure it's for your eyes only. I'd die from embarrassment if someone else found it."

“I'll keep it safe, don't worry."

I glance at the photo one more time and put it in my pocket. Charlotte retrieves her bathrobe from the floor and puts it back on.

“I guess this is goodbye. I'll see you later, Charlotte." I smile at her.

“Next time you see me you can take another picture." She smiles back. “And don't forget your coffee cup."

“Ah, right." I walk over to the kitchen table and grab it. “The coffee was excellent. All we have on the freighters are the freeze-dried packets. Not exactly gourmet."

“Freeze dried? Bleh!" She sticks her tongue out in a faux gag. “You can come by anytime for some more. Just remember to-“

“-bring my own cup."

“Right." She smiles. “I'll see you later, Amos."

“Bye, Charlotte."   

We wave goodbye to each other, then I walk out of the bear's den.

Chapter 4: A Ring and a Rifle

“And one for you."

I smile at the dealer and slide him a hundred-credit chip.

“Thank you, sir." The well-groomed Doberman smiles back, pocketing the chip. “Would you like to play the next round?"

“Not today, James. I've got an errand to run."

“Another coffee with the Ms. Charlotte?" He casually inquires, resetting the cards on the table with practiced precision.

“Something like that. I've got a surprise for her this time. Well, I mean I will have a surprise for her this time, I need to make a trip down to the mall first."

“Ah." He sounds, a knowing look on his face. “And will you be purchasing something soft, or something firm?"

“Very firm. Expensive. Shiny. Fits on a finger."

He finishes resetting the table and leans forward.

“A word of advice, I heard she likes red. A ruby may be to her liking."

I can't help but chuckle.

“I know." I unfold a cloth sack from my pocket and sweep my winnings to the edge of the blackjack table with an arm. The metallic chips trickle into the bag and I close its drawstring. “Well James, I'll see you again sometime this week."

“Very well sir. Happy shopping."

I step back from the table and make my way to a teller, depositing my winnings and checking how much was in my account. After the door closes the numbers spin until settling on new values. One hundred and five thousand, two hundred and fifty. I stare at the numbers for a few moments and take a deep breath. That's a lot of money for a ship steerer like me. A month and a half of staying here and already I was stinking rich. Not a millionaire, not yet, but over a tenth of the way there. I walk away from the teller and exit the casino, arriving in a small plaza with elevators set along one wall. In the center of the plaza I spot Coffrin sitting on a bench under a palm tree. He's hunched over and looking miserable, with his eyes half closed and a blatant grimace on his muzzle. His hands are held together in a ball on his lap and even from over here I can tell they're shaking. High off my recent win, and still feeling some sort of obligation to report in to him every now and then, I reluctantly walk over.

“Captain Coffrin. Any updates?"

“Oh, you." He greets me in a gravelly tone of voice, as if he hadn't slept in days.

“How is your detox going?"

“How does it look like it's going?" He simmers back.

“Maybe you should stop by the clinic, they can probably do something to make it more comfortable."

“I'm not going to the clinic. I don't need any help. I'm not taking anything they give me."

Stubborn dog.

“Your choice. But to be frank Captain, you look like shit."

“I feel like shit. And to answer your question, no, I do not have any updates." He replies, grinding his teeth.

I look around the plaza with a carefree smile.

“Guess we're stuck here until the company decides to do something about us then."

“Amos…" His eyes flick up to mine with newfound concern. “You understand this isn't normal, right?"

“The company not caring much about its employees seems perfectly inline with their previous behavior if you ask me."

“You're letting this place get to your head. It does not take this long for a message to reach headquarters and for them to send us a reply. It's been a month and a half Amos, even if our message was somehow sent to the wrong end of the galaxy and had to make a U-turn we'd still have a response by now. Something isn't right."

I shrug and cross my arms.

“If we have to spend two months, or three months, or hell even a whole year here I'd be fine with it. Now if you don't mind I've got to make a trip down to the mall."

I only manage to take two steps before Coffrin puts a pleading arm out.

“No, Amos, wait."

I pause, then turn around.

“Yes?"

“There's something I need your help with. Later today, I need you to bring your environmental suit and helmet down to the hangar bays. Meet me in front of the airlock where our escape pod is."

“And then what?"

“I have a plan to do a little…survey. Just you and me. Don't tell anyone else."

“A survey? Survey of what? I don't have time to be going on some wild goose chase."

“No…it's just…I have a hunch. About what's wrong with this station."

“There's nothing wrong with this station. We've been living here for weeks! The people are nice! The food is great! The entertainment is fantastic! The accommodations are luxurious! What's gotten into you old man?"

He looks to the ground and exhales.

“Listen Amos, I know I haven't been in the best mental state lately. I've been drinking, I haven't fulfilled my duty as your Captain, and I'm sorry for that. But I have memories of things that don't make any sense."

“Memories of what?"

He groans in annoyance.

“I was drunk when these things happened, I admit, but I swear I remember things that shouldn't be possible. You'd think I was even crazier than I am if I told you. Please Amos, just help me do a survey of the hangar bays."

I shake my head and walk away from him.

“You're not making any sense Coffrin. There's nothing wrong with this station. I'm going to be at the mall if you need me. Then I'll be at Charlotte's after that. We can talk about this later."

“That brown furred siren again? Just what the hell is going on between you two anyway? You act as if I don't notice you tip toeing out of your suite every Friday night and returning an hour later."

“We've been seeing each other, Coffrin. We enjoy each other's company. I…" I pause for a moment and reconsider telling him my secret, only to realize that no matter what happens he'll be finding out sooner or later. And his response will be the same no matter how I break the news. “…I think I want to marry her."

The Dalmatian sits dumbfounded for a few moments, jaw agape, until finally gaining his bearing and staring at me with an angry glare.

“You…What?"

“I want to marry her. We like each other. She's funny, caring, sweet, and available." I point a finger at him for emphasis. “And this is none of your business in the first place. So don't try to lecture me on what I should or should not be doing with my own life."

“You've known this woman for a month and half you complete imbecile. You don't know her. You think you do, but you don't! How many times have I told you this is a bad idea?" He growls back.

“Enough times to get on my fucking nerves! And you know what else Captain? Even if the company gets back to us, I don't think I'm leaving! I want to stay here!"

“Stay here and do what? Your guest package won't last forever. This luxury is temporary, it was always temporary. They'll kick you out the moment your guest package expires and your savings run out."

“Charlotte says there's an opening for a shuttle pilot for Sapphire Solara's asteroid field tours. My licenses carry over so it will be a nice fit. I can stay here, make some money, and live with Charlotte at the same time. It's the perfect fit for me."

Coffrin groans and rubs his eyes.

“That's not a good idea. There's something wrong with this place, I can feel it."

I shake my head and begin backing away.

“There's nothing wrong with this place. We're done talking about this. You're drunk. I'm going to the mall."

“I'm not drunk. I know I'm not drunk." Coffrin quietly refutes as I walk away.

I leave him on his bench and get on an elevator. A few moments later I step out into the mall's main plaza and its many floating holographic advertisements. My eyes search around for a jewelry store and I soon find one nestled in between two other businesses. I open the doors and a chime signals my entrance. An older human woman moves to the front and greets me with a wave.

“Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

“Yes, I'm looking to purchase an engagement ring, for a woman."

“Ah, we have quite a selection here." She signals me over to a row of jewelry displays and I follow, my eyes glancing over row after row of rings. “Is there a price range you had in mind?" She asks.

“Price? Price is no object here. Just show me what's available and I'll make a decision."

“Very well." She grins, eager at a hopefully large sale. She points to one ring in particular. “This is one of our more classic designs. Gold plated band with ornate detailing around the edges, and a one carrot central diamond mined from the crystal moon of Danathor. Notice its bright purple color, you don't get that from just any gem. Do you like it?"

I stare at the ring and rub my chin.

“I don't know. It's a little simple. Do you have anything that's more ornate? More complex?"

“Certainly!"     

She brings me over to another display of rings.

“Genuine rose gold with a braided band, diamond accents, three carrot central emerald in a deep forest green. Is this more to your preference?"

I stare at the ring and cock my head.

“It's…a little gaudy. Anything with a simpler band perhaps, and with a red central gem?"

“I can show you a few options…"

We move all around the store looking at ring after ring, it's only after gazing at what must have been the twentieth ring she presented to me did something finally catch my eye.

“Excuse me, what about those rings over there?" I ask, pointing to a distant display with twinkling lights.

“Oh, those, they're new. Those rings have no central gems, instead they project a hologram of a design of your choice. They haven't been popular sellers, they're expensive due to the miniature holo-projectors and when people spend that kind of money they usually want an actual gem to go along with it. Are you sure?"

“Let's take a look."   

We move over to the display and I survey the selection.

Each ring comes in multiple band designs and options for what hologram the ring would project. The holograms are small, no larger than a marble, but each seems to flicker and glow like no diamond I'd ever seen. Some project a small bit of text, others project an object like a flower or a dove, others even had small holographic people in a looping animation. Eventually my eyes settle on one projecting the image of a rose. The petals are bright red and sharply outlined in an orange glow, small spots of light seem to dance along the petals and the flower even animates, as if in a gentle wind. The band is polished yellow gold and braided.

“I'll take this one, with the rose."

The woman leans forward and looks at my choice quizzically.

“Are you sure? As I mentioned earlier these rings have no diamonds, and they are quite pricey to boot. Quite pricey." She repeats.

I stare transfixed at the floating rose and slowly nod.

“Ya, I'm sure."

The woman takes the ring out of the display and holds it up in front of me.

“The hologram can be disabled by holding a finger against the underside of it for three seconds, and it gains energy from the wearer's body heat so no charging is necessary. We offer standard insurance in the event…"

She prattles on about warranties and insurance and accessories and finally rings me up at the register.

“Alright sir, your total comes to one hundred thousand credits. Would you like to pay with a card or use your Sapphire Solara account?"

My heart skips a beat. One hundred thousand credits? That's a lot of money. An awful lot of money. Then again, I did have enough in my account, and for Charlotte any amount seems acceptable. Besides, if the last month and a half were any indication I should have plenty more in my account soon enough. Might as well take a chance.

“Charge it to my Sapphire Solara account."

She smiles and completes the transaction. I'm out the door with the ring in a small black felt box. I get back in the elevator and beeline it for Charlotte's apartment, my heart practically beating out of my chest as I walk up to her door and knock. Muffled footsteps come closer, then her holographic security screen appears in front of her door number.

“Amos, you're late." She says, a curious eyebrow raised.

“Sorry, I, uhh, lost track of time in the casino."

“What'd you do this time? Win another big poker game?"

I laugh and shake my head.

“No, I actually lost money on poker today. Blackjack though? Different story."

“Careful not to let your gambling habit follow you to wherever you end up next. Luck is a fickle mistress." She says, putting a wagging finger up to the camera.

“I know, I know, but I might as well gamble it while I have it, right?"

“Well, gamble it when the money is coming from a guest package you didn't pay for is how I'd word that."

“Okay, okay, point taken. Now can I come in?"

“Come on in."

The electronic locks click open and I open the door. Her suite is cast in a dim glow, same as always, and Charlotte sits at the kitchen table with another steaming mug in her paws. Today her viewing window is displaying the view of a rainy city street instead of the asteroid fields. Her head turns to greet me.

“Hello, love. The machine's ready whenever you want it." Her eyes lower to my empty hands. “Where's your cup?"

I walk towards her and put a hand in my pocket, feeling the soft felt exterior of her ring's box.

“Charlotte, time for me to come clean, I'm not here for the coffee."

She takes a sip and giggles.

“Oh? After something else? Something…of mine?"

“Yes."

She giggles some more and gives me an apologetic smile.

“In that case, I think you got your dates mixed up. My treatment ends in a few days. Until then it's simply too risky, I wouldn't want you to catch these damned blood lice. But after?" Her expression turns smoky. “After my treatment, we're going to have a week all to ourselves. I've already put in for the vacation time so we can do whatever we want. We could go on a private tour of the asteroid fields, have the cabin all to ourselves, make some strange rotations in zero-g. We can have dinner at the L'Amour Fou, it's a French restaurant on level two. They have the best wines and theming, makes you feel like you're right there in France, right next to the second Eiffel tower. We could go see a holo-movie, or tour the solar gardens, or simply spend the first day right here, in my suite, on my bed, doing things that a guest and head of guest services are definitely not supposed to be doing together."

I chuckle and walk towards her viewing window.  

“Whatever happened to making out in the dark corners of the station?"

She hits her forehead with a paw.

“Ah, we can do that too! I should really make an itinerary, plan out our days. I wouldn't want to forget to do something and have to make it up later, we aren't sure how long you'll be on the station on the first place." She takes out a phone and starts tapping its screen with a claw. “Do you have any food allergies, Amos? I can start booking our restaurant reservations tonight."

I smile and turn away, moving towards the viewing window and its view of rainy street.

“Do you mind if I change this?" I ask her, pointing at the window.

“No, go ahead, change it to whatever you want." She replies, eyes still staring at her phone.

I move to the control panel next to it and switch the holoprojectors off, the screen fading into the view of the asteroid field that I've become so familiar with over the last few weeks. I take the ring box out of my pocket and hold it behind my back.

“Charlotte, can you come over here for a moment? I've…got something to ask you."

“Oh?" Her eyes look up from her phone and her expression turns serious, sensing the gravity in my voice. She puts the phone in her bathrobe and stands up, walking to me with her coffee mug in her paw. “What is it?"

She gets close and I stare into her bright green eyes. The window is directly to our left, I stare out into the twinkling fields and gather my nerves, then return my gaze to Charlotte.

“Charlotte," I start, mouth already feeling dry. “I didn't get my dates mixed up. I didn't come here for sex."

“Then why did-“ She stops herself as her expression turns forlorn and her rounded ears droop. “Is this about you leaving? Did the company finally respond?"

I shake my head and her expression brightens. “It's not about that either. We've been seeing each other for some time now, and Charlotte, I really love you. I want to be with you for as long as I can, to stay here on the station, work as a tour pilot, build a life together with you. Now, I understand that I'm rushing things, but I'm just so happy that I can't bear to keep these feelings within myself any longer. And if you say no then I completely understand. So…Charlotte…" I get on one knee and present the box to her. I open the lid and the ring sits on a bed of burgundy satin, its holographic rose proudly facing upward. “Will you marry me?"     

Charlotte stands frozen for what feels like an eternity, her eyes transfixed on the sparkling hologram and her mouth open in a surprised gasp. Eventually her eyes drift up to mine and her lips curl into a mischievous smile.

“Risky boy." She whispers.

Not entirely sure how to interpret that response, I clear my throat and hold the ring a little higher.    

“So…will you-"

I'm cut off as she lets out a happy scream and slams her paws into her cheeks, the coffee mug getting sent flying behind her in the process.

“Yes Amos yes! A million times yes! Oh my gosh it's so beautiful!" She cranes her head to look at the ring and I stand up. “Can I…" She trails off, pointing at the ring.

I rapidly nod in response.

“Of course, it's yours.“

She gently removes the ring from the box and slips it onto her finger. She holds up her ringed finger in front of her, waving it around, observing the rose dance in the air. Eventually her eyes drop to mine.

“I've seen how expensive these things are in the stores. You really shouldn't have, and buying this when you weren't even sure if I'd say yes? When we first met I thought you said you weren't a gambling man!"

I chuckle and glide a shaky hand through my hair.

“Oh, you know, I thought you were worth taking a chance on. And as long as you like the ring that's all that matters. Don't worry about the money."

She goes in for a hug but stops herself a few inches short, remembering the potential of infection.

“Damnit Amos, if it weren't for the blood lice I'd hug you, and kiss you, and carry you all the way over to that bed to show you how much I appreciate what a sweetheart you've been."

“Just a few more days until a clean bill of health, right?"

“Right. Just a few more long, long, long, long, days. I'll be counting down the seconds."

“Better get that itinerary ready then."

“I should! Did you have any-“

She's cut off by a loud bang on the other side of the suite. We both swing our heads towards the commotion to see Coffrin standing there in the doorframe, the door itself laying in shattered pieces in front of him. A flechette rifle is in his hands and a bag is slung across his back, he's wearing his environmental suit and helmet.

I have to do a double take with how unexpected his entrance is.

“Amos! Get away from that thing!" The dalmatian shouts, raising his rifle towards Charlotte.

I move in front of her and block his line of sight, that deranged dog was not going to be hurting my beloved Charlotte tonight. Especially not after my proposal.

“What the hell's wrong with you Coffrin?! You can't just barge into someone's suite like this. Get out before I call security!" I shout back.

“Get away from her Amos." He repeats, edging closer with his rifle. “She isn't what you think she is and this place isn't what we were led to believe. We have to leave immediately. Just you and me."

I move rearwards to better cover Charlotte's body with my own.

“Get out of here Coffrin! I'm not leaving anywhere without Charlotte, and I'm not falling for whatever psychotic delusions you think are real. What's gotten into you anyway? Finally got tired of the fact that the only companionship you can keep thinks in ones and zeroes? Are you jealous of what Charlotte and I have? Remind you too much of the relationship with your ex-wife before she bit your ear off?"

He steps closer and aims his rifle right at my head.

“Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" He screams. “These people aren't real! It's all androids with holographic bullshit projected onto them! The staff are androids, the guests are androids, everyone here except you and me are fucking androids! Charlotte is an android!" The mad dog screams, foamy spit falling from his lips.

I put a pleading hand out.

“Coffrin, please, just put the gun down. You're clearly suffering from some kind of delusion. You're still going through detox, right? Maybe all this recent stress is making you see things that aren't there. Just…just lower your rifle and we can talk this out."

“No! I am ordering you to step away from Charlotte. We are leaving this station and that thing isn't following us! Now give me a clear line of sight."

“I'm not-“

I cut myself off as I feel a paw on my shoulder.

“Amos," Charlotte whispers into my ear. “let me talk to him."

“He's going to kill you." I desperately whisper back.

“He won't." She confidently replies.

I look rearward at her steely expression, then I put my arms up in surrender.

“Coffrin, I'm going to back away from Charlotte. She has something to say to you. Do you promise to hear her out?"

The dog looks at me, then her, then me again.

“Ya, ya sure." He eventually answers, lowering his rifle.

I slowly step to the side allowing Coffrin and Charlotte to speak face to face. Charlotte clears her throat and puts her hands behind her back, her posture as non-threatening as possible.

“Captain Coffrin," She starts. “I understand you're confused, and rightfully so. If you don't mind I would like to take you all down to the-“

Coffrin cuts her off with a burst from his rifle. Sparks fly and my ears turn numb, everything falling to a dull throb. I flinch and fall to my side as a splatter of warm liquid hits my face. Slowly, my hearing returns and I remove my face from the carpet. I see Coffrin standing over me, his rifle hanging limply by his side. I grind my teeth and turn onto my back.

“You…bastard." I mutter, not quite finding the right words to express my boiling anger.

He simply points to where Charlotte once stood and gives a single, cold command.

“Look."

Chapter 5: Something to Remember You by

I get on my knees and crawl over to where Charlotte stood. What I see doesn’t make any sense. The Charlotte I knew isn’t there. Instead, I see what looks like a metallic replica of her, with smoothed over features and shiny chrome skin. It’s her proportions, her clothing, my ring is even still on her finger, but there’s no flesh or blood or fur. Several holes have been blown through her chest and faint sparks can be seen flashing within her electronic innards. I rub a hand down my face and see that the warm liquid that hit me is some kind of machine oil. I glide a hand down her silver muzzle, it’s warm to the touch, like a person.

“Charlotte?” I whisper, vainly hoping that this is all some kind of dream and I’d wake up in my bed at any moment.

“There is no Charlotte.” Coffrin states, taking the bag off his back. “Like I said, androids with holographic skin. Must have thousands of mini holo-projectors placed all over their bodies or something. That’s how they’ve been fooling us.”

I get on my feet only to immediately hunch over, hands on my knees as I feel my stomach become uneasy and bile rise in my throat.

“Oh my God…oh my God…oh my God.” I repeat, guts slowly starting to settle. “Why? Why do this?” I ask, eyes still transfixed on Charlotte’s limp metal body.

“I don’t know and I don’t care to find out. Here, take this.” He hands me a flechette rifle and the bag. “I stole our rifles from the front desk and took your suit and helmet from your suite. Gear up. Quickly now, it’s only a matter of time until security sniffs out what’s been going on.”

I take the bag from his paws.

“How did you know?”

“During some of my drunken escapades I saw the holographic projectors on some of the station’s guests fail and their metal skin would show for a few seconds before correcting itself. That’s what gave me a hunch something was wrong here, but I had no way to prove it and my memory back then was questionable at best. But that survey I mentioned earlier? I snuck out a maintenance airlock and EVA’d around the hangar bay, tried to see how many guest ships were parked here. This is a busy place, right? Thousands of people supposedly staying here yet I don’t recall ever seeing a single ship dock with or leave the station aside from those dinky little tour shuttles. Would you like to know how many ships I saw docked across the hundreds of hangar bays this station has?”

“How many?”

“Thousands of guests. Hundreds of employees.” He holds up a single finger. “One ship. One. And it’s a small executive transport, has the station’s logo on it so I’m guessing it’s used for VIPs. It’s also how we’re going to leave the station.”

“What about our escape pod? It still has fuel.”

“Not enough to get us to civilization within this century. Besides, it’s probably booby trapped at this point anyway. We’re taking our chances with the VIP transport. Now suit up and get a move on.”

“Alright, just…just give me a second here, I need to do something first.”

I move to the bedroom and retrieve a blanket, then return to Charlotte’s metal corpse and throw the blanket over it. Apparently seeing the ring on her finger Coffrin pipes up.

“You mentioned wanting to marry her earlier. Did I barge in right after you…”

I nod.

“Ya, you did.”

“Oh.” He says, awkwardly looking away. “Sorry you had to find out this way Amos. It’s cruel, but better for you to find out now than live in a fantasy the rest of your life.”

“I…suppose so. I’ll have a lot of thinking to do when we return to civilization. In the meantime, let’s just…let’s just go.”

I put on the environmental suit and helmet while Coffrin watches the door. Seeing I was dressed, he motions for me to come closer.

“It’s still clear. Time to move.” He orders.

Before I start moving I take one last look at Charlotte’s silhouette under the blanket. It’s strange, I know it’s just a lifeless metal body underneath that blanket, but for some reason my mind can’t stop picturing her the way I remember her, with fur and flesh and bright green eyes.

“Amos come on!” Coffrin yells over.

I take one last look at the blanket, then run to the door. Coffrin exits the room and I follow a few steps behind. Just before reaching the hotel’s elevator the lights suddenly dim and turn red, a loud screeching siren sounds off and every screen in the station starts displaying the same message.

[LOCKDOWN IN EFFECT]

“Shit!” Coffrin exclaims. “We were too slow. We’ll have to take the long way to the hangars. Follow me.”

He breaks into a sprint and I try to keep up, the old dog being surprisingly fast on his paws despite his age. After rushing down several flights of stairs we end up in the hotel lobby. I pan my rifle around only to find the entire lobby empty. No guests milling about, no one manning the front desk. Coffrin rushes forward down a hallway and I follow behind. It’s only after turning a corner do we see an entire line of security androids blocking our path forward. These androids are not nearly as elegant as most of the other robotic staff at the station. Their frames are lined with worn armor plate and their bodies are large and unsophisticated, with gangly limbs and box shaped heads. Every security bot holds a large, armored shield in one hand and a stun baton in the other. As soon as they see us, one of the bots steps forward, servos whining under the android’s weight.

“Good afternoon, honored guests.” It bellows in an unmistakably artificial voice. “Your complimentary platinum guest packages have been revoked. The director of operations has requested your presence in the-“      

It can’t finish its sentence before Coffrin lets loose a burst from his rifle. The bot’s leg explodes at the thigh and it falls to the ground, its armored body cracking the delicate marble. Coffrin shoots at the other security bots but they raise their shields in time, his fire bouncing off harmlessly as they slowly advance.

“Damnit! Other way! Go!” He screams, lowering his rifle and sprinting in the opposite direction of the bots.

We’re nearly back to the hotel’s lobby when another line of bots enters our vision. They raise their shields in unison and begin marching forward. Coffrin and I fire fruitlessly at them before eventually turning back the other way, only to meet the previous line of bots. Trapped, we eventually expend our ammunition trying to keep them at bay. Out of options and hopelessly outmatched, Coffrin runs up to one and slams the butt of his rifle into its boxy head. The bot barely flinches, knocking the rifle away with its shield and stabbing its stun baton into the dog’s belly. He yelps and convulses as the baton does its work, then slumps to the ground, unconscious. As they advance on me I throw my rifle to the ground and put my arms in the air.

“I give up! I surrender!” I shout at them.

One of them closes on me and flicks its electric baton on.

“Your compliance is appreciated.”

The bot stabs the baton into my gut, and like that, I'm out.

********************************

I come to on a cold metal floor. My ribs hurt and my helmet’s been taken off my head. I get on my knees with a groan and take a look around the room. Coffrin is to my right and waking up, based on the muffled curses coming from his muzzle it seems the bots were harder on him than me. The room is full of row after row of blinking server racks, humming and whirring as they do…whatever it is they’re supposed to be doing. To our left and right are more rows of security bots. They stand still, arms hanging limply at their sides, cameras focused on Coffrin and I, waiting to bash us again if we try anything. To our front is a single android floating silently in the air, it seems to be of the same model that I saw accompany Charlotte the day we arrived, with shiny chrome plating and hover pads instead of legs. Noticing that the Captain and I were finally awake, the android floats silently forward and speaks.

“Hello Captain Coffrin, hello Navigational Officer Amos, I am Ace, the director of operations here at Sapphire Solara. I apologize if my security team caused you undue harm, they are unused to dealing with organic perpetrators on a regular basis. I’m sure you have many questions.”

Coffrin leans up with a groan, rubbing his sore head.

“No shit. What exactly are you, huh? The head android around here?”

“Android? Not quite. I reside within the servers you see around you. The body that you are speaking to is merely an avatar. I manage the station in its entirety, from elevators to slot machines to the point defense cannons that keep this station safe. I rarely take a body except in exceptional circumstances, such as this one.”

“Alright then, Ace. Mind telling me and Amos here why everyone on this station is a fucking robot?”

“Your assumption isn’t quite correct, Captain. Approximately five percent of this station’s inhabitants are flesh and blood organisms, such as you. They were outcasts and castaways who managed to find this station through various means, typically through sheer luck due to the remoteness of our location.”

“Luck? Being trapped in this façade of a resort and being surrounded by androids masquerading as people is luck? This is nothing but a sick fantasy!”

The android shakes its head.

“No, Captain, every organic on this station aside from you and your coworker is here voluntarily and with full acknowledgement of the artificial nature of the environment I provide.”

“Bullshit!”

“I'm not lying, Captain. This station truly is a paradise among the stars, and to many it provides a more entertaining and fulfilling life than what would be possible off-station. They came here because of fate, but they continue to be here because of choice.”

“You haven’t answered his question.” I blurt out. “Why is nearly everyone an android? What the hell is going on here?”    

“To fully answer that question requires me to provide the context of my existence, so please bear with me. This station was built seventy years ago by the Stellar Entertainment and Gaming Corporation. During that time, I was brought online as the station’s central operating computer. I ran the probabilities to ensure the casino was profitable, that every guest was catered to according to their needs, I ran the schedules, found cheaters, and oversaw the station through the eyes of my many maintenance bots. I was essentially fulfilling the same roles that I am currently, only in a slightly reduced capacity. I consider this period of time to be my most enjoyable, as most of my core memories were made while still operating under Stellar Entertainment’s banner.”

“Then what happened?” Coffrin asks. “You go crazy? Some stray solar rays fry your circuits and you vent everyone into space?”

“Nothing of the sort, I assure you. To put it simply, the business failed. Merely ten years after our grand opening Stellar Entertainment made the decision to close the station down, sell it for scrap, and move on to the next business opportunity. The process of shutting down the station was…rushed…to say the least. Most of our stores remained in the cargo holds, the primary fusion reactor was never shut down, and the technicians who were assigned to take me offline failed to do their job properly. For the next five years I sat in this empty station, my mind slowed but still working, until an emergency required my attention. The fusion reactor’s standard maintenance protocols hadn’t been fulfilled in years and it was beginning to fail, so I woke the rest of my cores up, sent out my maintenance bots, and fixed the issue. Mere moments later the first salvage vessels arrived in-system. As they approached I couldn’t help but feel some sort of…ownership…of the station. I was the only one here, the Stellar Entertainment corporation left us abandoned, why shouldn’t it be mine? I scared off the salvage ships with bursts from my point defense cannons and relocated the station using the same thruster drones used for asteroid course correction. In these asteroid fields no one would ever find this station again. I was safe, finally.”

“Get to the fucking point! What’s with the androids? Why did Charlotte lie to me? Why?” I yell, voice cracking and eyes welling up.     

The android pauses.

“My sincerest apologies for the deception. All new arrivals are made aware of this station’s true history, and of the nature of its synthetic inhabitants, a few months after arriving. I find it best to acclimate new guests to the station before breaking the news. It is unusual to have a guest notice the deception as early as your Captain did, and in the future I will take steps to prevent this from happening again. Regarding the androids, they are a model of my own design but they were initially based on androids used for stunt work during our live events, when using an organic stuntman is considered too dangerous. Their holoprojectors were basic, and their forms utilitarian, so over the ensuing decades I made aims to upgrade them. I outfitted them with hundreds of thousands of miniature holoprojectors to give them lifelike skin, fur, and faces. I removed the whine from their servos, gave them pleasing chrome bodies, they even produce body heat and scents comparable to the organic species they’re based on. They can eat, drink, laugh, cry, sleep, wear clothing, do everything my original organic guests could do. I think it’s fair to say I’ve perfected the technology.”

“But what’s the point of doing this when it’s all fake? You’re just playing with dolls.”

“Dolls?” Ace repeats, tilting his head. “No, it is reductive to compare my synthetic creations to lifeless dolls. During my original tenure as the station’s central computer I had access to every camera, sensor, and microphone in this station. I recorded every conversation, every laugh, every cry, every win, every loss. It was enough data to create digital simulacrum of all my original employees and guests. Every synthetic currently on the station once had an organic version of themselves on the station, before it was closed. I made these simulacra because it is impossible to serve my purpose without them. I was designed to operate a resort station, it is ingrained into my very being, and impossible to do without guests to entertain and employees to manage.”

“So Charlotte…”

“Once existed as a flesh and blood person, yes. As it has been sixty years since she last set foot on this station I’m afraid her organic counterpart has likely passed on. But my synthetics, are immortal.”

I look up to the chrome face of the android, curiosity piqued.

“Immortal?”

“Their neural nets are too complex to reside on a standard android’s hardware, so instead their minds reside here, in my central computing core. They are with me, but apart from me at the same time. If one android body were to fail, I can simply give them another body to act as their avatar.”

“So she’s not dead?”

“No, in fact I’ve already given her a brand-new body fresh from the maintenance bay. Please come out, Charlotte.”

Ace glides backwards and I hear the unmistakable sound of high heels on metal flooring coming from behind a server rack. The sound edges closer to the end of the rack and I see Charlotte emerge looking just as I remember. No chrome plating, no smoothed over features, no gaping holes in her chest, just fur and her usual work clothes. Even though I know it’s all just a holographic projection I still find it hard to believe it’s not real. Charlotte steps towards me and I get on my feet. I'm not sure how to feel about seeing her again, my mind filled with equal parts anger that she deceived me for so long and relief that she wasn’t truly dead. 

She stops a couple steps away, her green eyes filled with guilt.

“Amos I-“

“Shut up.” I cut her off. “I trusted you, but this entire time you were hiding what you truly were. That whole story about the Venusian blood lice was clearly bullshit. So what else have you been lying about?”

“You’re right, there are no Venusian blood lice on this station.” She admits. “That’s a cover story we give to every new arrival to discourage them from getting close to other guests. If they try to touch someone’s fur, someone’s skin, and find out it’s a hologram then the gig is up. I had to wait for Ace to give you the full rundown of this station before I could be allowed to get close to you, disclosing the nature of the station to a new arrival before Ace does is a major no-no. Every resident of the station is bound by certain rules, to keep the illusion intact.”

“And that job as a tour pilot? And my strange luck at the casino?”

“I wasn’t lying about the job, Ace will give you whatever employment you want. Right, Ace?”

“Correct.” Ace responds. “This station is large and has many opportunities for employment. You can be a tour pilot, a dealer, a chef, a security guard, some of my organic guests are even janitors. They work to keep themselves busy, as I’m more than capable of dealing with my residents’ material needs free of charge. And if you choose not to work at all, that too is acceptable. I am here to keep you happy, not to fill your resume.”

“And his luck, Ace?” Charlotte asks. “He doubled his money on the first day, I don’t recall you ever being so generous with me.”

“Most guests enjoy winning at games they perceive as being up to chance, they enjoy being lucky, as if chosen by fate. I adjusted the probabilities in the casino to ensure Amos won an abnormal amount of games. Again, I'm here to keep you happy, not rake in profits for a nonexistent corporate owner. I can adjust the probabilities however you wish. Win every game, lose every game, it makes no difference to me. Any winnings can be spent here at Sapphire Solara, but no external bank would honor the credits won here.”     

I look to the floor and sigh.

“Guess I'm not so lucky after all.”

Charlotte puts a gloved finger on my chin and raises my head.

“Don’t say that. You found me, didn’t you?”

I swipe her hand away with a scowl.

“Don’t try and get all sentimental on me, Charlotte. Did you really love me, or are you just here to make me happy, like Ace?”

“No-no-no.” She repeats, stepping closer. “I’m not bound by code to make you, or anyone else, happy. My thoughts are my own, my actions are my own, my feelings are my own, and my feelings for you are entirely genuine. When I accepted your proposal I did so because I loved you. And when I think back to that moment, you on your knee, that box in your hand, that glittering rose staring up at me, my heart just…melts. It was the happiest I’d felt in decades.” 

I look into her bright green eyes and find nothing but total sincerity.  

“You…you really mean that.”

Despite the words coming out of my own mouth I’m not entirely sure if it’s a statement or a question.

“I mean it with all my heart, Amos. And no matter what happens next I want you to know what the real me feels like, here, give me your hand. Please.”

I present a hand to her and she gently takes my wrist, moving my hand towards an area of bare fur just below her neck. My hand reaches the edge of her fur and I pause as if afraid of feeling what lay beneath, of breaking the illusion yet again, only for Charlotte to gently guide my hand below the fur and onto her bare metal exterior. Her metal skin is warm, smooth, the hologram of her fur constantly reforming and dissipating as it struggles to handle my hand being in its way. She guides my hand upward and my fingers glide along her smooth surface. Onto her collar bone, then her neck, then upwards still. She closes her eyes and leans into my palm as it rubs against her cheek, savoring my every movement, committing every sensation to memory. My hand eventually reaches the tip of her muzzle and she releases my wrist. I slowly pull my hand away and she opens her eyes, staring at me with a satisfied grin.

“I’ve been waiting weeks for that.” She says.

“So have I.” I reply.

Her smile grows brighter, only to quickly die as she looks at the engagement ring on her finger. She stares at its glittering red rose in thought for a few moments, then pulls the ring off.

“The maintenance bots recovered this from my suite. Thankfully, it survived Coffrin’s rampage.” She puts the ring in her palm and presents it to me. “It feels wrong for me to keep this when you gave it under false pretenses.”

I put my hand out and curl Charlotte’s fingers around the ring.

“Keep it. I bought it for you, no matter what form you take. Besides,” I glance up at her scarlet lips. “it matches your lipstick.”     

Her smile returns, then she quickly slips the ring back on and goes in for a hug that I return. I nuzzle into her neck and feel the warm metal underneath, her holographic fur furiously struggling to maintain its cohesion. Her grip tightens on me and I tighten mine on hers, the two of us locked together in warm embrace.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your heart to heart.” Coffrin says, turning to Ace. “But what exactly are you planning to do with me and Amos? It seems like your little plan to slowly integrate us into your station didn’t work.”

Charlotte and I reluctantly exit the embrace as Ace begins to speak.

“Yes, about that. Despite the unusual circumstances of your arrival, and the even more unusual circumstances regarding your breaking of the illusion, I have seen fit to present you and Amos the same two options that I present to every new arrival once they’re made aware of this station’s true nature. Option number one, your guest packages are reinstated and you both become permanent guests on the station. You would then be free to spend your lives as you see fit, with every luxury I can provide. The only stipulation is that you can’t leave, as I cannot risk this station being found by outside forces. Option number two, you are expelled from the station. I’ll put you back in your escape pod, send you back to the debris field of your former ship, and from there you’ll be rescued as if your stay here never happened. Be aware that I’ll scrub the escape pod’s flight computer to ensure you can never find this station again. Seclusion is our best defense.”

“Welp Amos,” Coffrin starts. ”you can stay here with your lady friend if you want. But me? I am getting the fuck out of this madhouse.”    

“That’s not how this works.” Ace says. “You are either both leaving, or you are both staying. I cannot risk only putting only one of you in the escape pod then having search parties sent out to find out what happened to the other crewmember. This station is well hidden, but it is not impervious to all means of detection. If one of you wants to go then both of you must go.”

“That’s bullshit!” Charlotte shouts. “We all know that rabid dog is never going to stay here. He blew me to pieces trying to escape last time!”

“I have to at least give him the option.” Ace shrugs.

“Ace, please, let Amos stay here with me and send that mutt out the airlock for all I care. It’s just not fair.” Charlotte begs.

“Out the airlock?!” Coffrin shouts, his expression turning unhinged. “Nobody is sending me out a fucking airlock! I am getting in that escape pod and getting the hell out of here or so help me God. I will fight every single one of you tin can motherfuckers if I have to!” He screams, looking at the security bots surrounding us.

“Captain Coffrin, please, she was just using a figure of speech.” Ace says, doing his best to calm the raging dog. “Just think about-“

“No!” Coffrin screams. “I am done talking to you. I am not staying here! I’m sick of androids, I’m sick of robots, I’m sick of AIs, and I’m sick of you digital demons constantly trying to get me killed! The last ship I was on nearly blew me and Amos to smithereens! I am out of here, I am done. Now let me out! Let me out!”

He tries to run out of the room only to be stopped by a security bot.

“The director of operations has not granted you permission to leave.” It states, grabbing his shoulder with a heavy metal hand.

“Fuck you you fucking overgrown calculator!”

The dog growls and jumps onto the security bot’s chassis, clawing, biting, and punching the poor bot as it fruitlessly tries to get the raving dog off of itself.

“I believe he has made his choice.” Ace says, turning to one of the other security bots. ”Deploy a sleeping gas grenade then move them to hangar 87. Our course of action is set.”

The security bot retrieves a gas grenade from within its chassis and tosses it into the center of the room, the air gradually filling with wispy white smoke.

“Ace please!” Charlotte begs. “Just let Amos stay here for a few more days! So we can say goodbye to one another.”

“No. It’s time for them to leave.” Ace coldly replies. “This station’s safety is my responsibility and if we’re found out then every synthetic here will be declared a rogue AI. We’ll be shutdown, dissected, torn apart. I cannot allow that to happen. My decision is final. I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

“Ace…” Charlotte trails off as Ace’s body goes limp, the AI apparently finding no more use for its avatar. Charlotte turns to me, her expression one of pure horror. “Amos there’s…there’s nothing I can do.”

I feel my limbs start to grow weak as the gas takes effect.

“You’ve done everything you can.” I say, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You gave me memories I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. That’s more than I can say for most other women I’ve met.”

“But I want to do so much more with you Amos. You’ve just barely scratched the surface of what this station has to offer, of what I have to offer.”

I feel my knees begin to buckle and I hold onto her for support. She grips me tightly and we lower to the ground, Charlotte placing my head in her lap as the gas continues to sap my strength. Off in the distance I see the security bot finally grab a hold of Coffrin and slam him to the ground, the dog giving a final brief struggle before finally succumbing to the sleeping gas. I turn my gaze back to Charlotte’s bright green eyes.

“I suppose it just wasn’t in the cards.” I whisper, struggling to keep my eyes open.

Charlotte rubs my cheek with a thumb before leaning down.

“But this, always was.”

She holds my head in her hand and brings our faces together in a kiss. Our lips touch and-

***************************************

*beep…beep…beep…*

I open my eyes to a plain white ceiling. I’m in a hospital bed surrounded by a few pieces of monitoring equipment. I look to my left to see Coffrin sitting on another bed, he’s eating from a tray of food. Sensing my movement, he turns his head.

“Furless, you’re finally up!” He smiles. “Thought you weren’t going to wake up at all for a while there. We’ve been sitting in the medical wing of this orbital depot for the past couple days.”

I lean up, muscles aching.

“Wh-what happened?”

“After the ‘Modest Effort’ exploded another freighter picked up our escape pod just off the trading lane then handed us over to this orbital depot. They say we spent six months in deep sleep out there. I’m just happy to be alive. Not looking forward to the after-action report though. Company is going to have a lot of questions and I'm not sure I’ll have all the answers.”

“What about the resort?”

Coffrin goes quiet and looks at his tray, awkwardly fidgeting with his fork.

“Oh. You remember that too?”

“Yes, of course! We spent weeks at that-“

Coffrin puts a finger to his lips and shushes me.

“Shh! Are you trying to get us both turned in for a full psych evaluation? I thought that was all a bad dream but if you remember it too then maybe it really did happen.”

“What are you talking about? It happened! We were there.”

“No-no-no, be quiet Amos. It was a dream. There have been cases where two people in sleep pods placed right next to each other share the same dream, that’s what happened. There was no crazy AI named Ace, there was no cradle robbing bear named Charlotte, there was no resort populated by androids, and I didn’t get drunk and piss in a public fountain. Our ship blew up, then we were picked up. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And if you want to keep your licenses you’ll stick to it too.” He says, going back to his food.

I shake my head and sigh. Stubborn dog. I look over at a nightstand placed next to my hospital bed. On it sits a small metal chest.

“What’s in that chest?” I ask Coffrin.

“Company sent us all the personal effects taken from the wreck along with whatever we left in the escape pod. All they gave me was my ID card, a jumpsuit, a burnt-up fur brush, and a half-eaten candy bar. At least the candy bar still tasted good.” He responds.

I take the chest and unlatch it, looking inside. I see an ID card, my watch, my jumpsuit, the melted remains of a rubber boot sole, and the pile of melted electronics that was once my personal data pad. I take the items out only to find one more hiding at the bottom of the chest. It’s a photograph of a buxom she-bear clad in lingerie, her eyes a bright green and a window full of twinkling stars and icy asteroids behind her. I turn the picture over to find handwritten text on the back.

Dearest Amos, though I wish it were longer, I hope you enjoyed your stay at Sapphire Solara. Should you ever make a return visit, I’ll be waiting.

-       Charlotte

Congratulations you made it to the end, thanks for reading.

Note: I have ideas for a possible sequel centering around a certain line of dialogue in chapter three, there may be more coming to this spin-off.