“Jahdra! Where’s the rest of the gang?” Mox smiles, or at least that’s what I think he’s trying to do. It’s hard to tell.

Olympia Station is always busy, but on a day like today, the only word to describe it is “chaotic.”

“They’re back on the ship. Food poisoning,” I lie. It’s not that I don’t trust Mox, but it’s busy here today, and with this many strangers around, I can’t afford to be honest.

“Let me guess—Ramy tried to cook,” Mox says with a laugh so thunderous he has to steady himself with both hands. I shake my head. I try to force out a chuckle, with little success. God, this guy really knows how to crack himself up.

“Close,” I smirk, “but not quite.”

Mox raises an eyebrow.

“Cyrilian stew. The local stuff.”

He grimaces at this.

“And apparently a little too fresh,” I say ruefully. Mox let’s out a groan at this and shakes his head sympathetically.

“Well, if that’s the case, maybe I can hook you up with some med supplies,” he says. Mox never misses an opportunity for a sale.

“You know, as much as I hate to see them suffer, I think they’re just gonna have to ride this one out,” I say.

Mox nods slowly, and I suddenly worry whether it was suspicious not to take him up on his offer. But to be honest, I have no idea what kind of med supplies you’d need for food poisoning, and I’m not about to volunteer anything that’ll give me away. Just change the subject, I tell myself. Spend some money and he’ll be distracted enough not to overthink it.

“That’s why I always stick to synthesizer food,” I say with a grin. “Speaking of…what do you got in the way of DS ration packs?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Mox says, pulling up an inventory list so long I’m not sure I’ll make it back to the ship in time for my next meal.

By the time I’m ready to load up, I’ve got twice as many rations as I’d need even if I did have a crew and a pallet of fuel cells that should get me most of the way home. The fewer stops I have to make, the better.

“Where’re you docked?” Mox asks after I’ve settle my bill.

“227-P, but leave it outside. Our de-mat re-mat is on the fritz,” I say. Another lie. The last thing I need is to get caught struggling with something as basic as porting my own supplies on board.

Mox eyes me skeptically. “You sure you can handle it?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” I say with a half-smile, waving the question off as I turn back in the direction of the main arcade. “See you in a couple months!” I shout over my shoulder.

Thank god that’s over. I let out a sigh of relief as I walk out of Mox’s shop and let myself relax, dropping my guard. Hopefully I won’t have to pull any more lies out of my ass today. Just as I start to feel like I’m in the clear I hear Mox call out from behind me.

“Hey, Jahdra!”

Crap. What now? I turn to see what he wants.

“You taking any passengers today?” he shouts after me.

“Not this time,” I yell back. And with another wave, I turn and leave for good.

The arcade is packed. A sea of people laughing, yelling, arguing. Kids run after one another, pushing through the crowds of people, shrieking with excitement. I can’t blame them. They’ve probably been cooped up on their ships for days. Weeks. Maybe longer.

The air is thick with voices haggling, arguing, cursing. The scents of exotic foods waft through the air momentarily before being sucked up into the powerful ventilation system. The smells of thousands of people from across the galaxy pressed together mingle, but don’t linger.

Normally, something like this—the crowds, the chaos, the noise—gets old fast. But it’s a welcome change from isolation. After all the time I’ve been spending alone on the ship, it feels good to be surrounded by people, even ones I’ve never met.

I walk down the arcade slowly, eyeing the latest tech gear and eavesdropping on deals gone wrong. The nice thing about traveling alone is that there’s no one waiting for me back on the ship. I’ve got all the time in the world.

There’s a crowd gathered outside a shop, people pressing in close and standing on tiptoes to peak inside. I slow down to try and catch a glimpse of what’s got everyone so excited. “The Bot Shop” reads the sign above the door. I roll my eyes and keep walking.

I’m about to head back to the ship when I smell something that stops me in my tracks. I inhale deeply and look around to find the source. And then I see it, just a few meters away. “Java Exotica.” The aroma gets stronger the closer I get, and my mouth is practically watering by the time I’m able to place my order. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for something.

I squeeze into a seat at the counter and take a sip of the steaming beverage. It’s intense. Earthy, aromatic, almost sweet in a way. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before, and a world away from the crap we get out of the synthesizer. I close my eyes and savor the taste on my tongue.

Everything about this moment would be perfect, except for the fact that someone’s been staring at me for the past twenty minutes. And that’s just as far as I’ve noticed. For all I know, he’s been watching me the whole I’ve been here at Olympia.

I let out a sigh and drop my cup to the counter. Enough is enough. I sling back the last drop of coffee clinging to the bottom of the cup and ruefully return the empty container to the merchant. I’d stay for another, but this guy has got to be dealt with.

I turn and catch his eye. He looks away, as if I’m going to believe he wasn’t staring at me this whole time.

“Hey!” I shout, pushing through the people between us and catching up to him before he has a chance to get away. I position myself squarely in front of him, and stand with one hand held out to him, palm up. He looks at me, down at my outstretched hand, and back up to meet my gaze, knotting his eyebrows into a question.

“You gonna pay for the view?” I ask. “Nothing’s free on Olympia Station.”

He stares at me, holding my gaze without wavering. It’s not a challenge. I’m not sure what it is. The hint of a smile plays on his lips for a moment, and then, without a word, he turns and walks away. I’m annoyed, confused, and buzzing with caffeine. My face feels hot as I watch him walk through the crowd toward the S-docks gate.

“Freak,” I mutter. And then head back to the ship.