Heartbroken is kind of like sick...

Posted on Sun Jan 27th, 2019 @ 10:48am by

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Women's Tent
Timeline: after Arts and Crafts
2011 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

Walking into the crew tent, Mona found Sami awake. She walked over to her and said, “Hey Sami. Are you feeling any better?” She went to the replicator and retrieved the tea that Estelle had said Sami should have, if she was awake, taking the glass over to her. Peppermint and chamomile, a mixture Mona didn’t think smelled all that great, but it was medicinal, so it had to be at least a little nasty, no?

“Not really.” Sami replied, though physically she was already feeling some sort of recovery. She wasn’t about to go into the other thing, not wanting to be shamed any further. She took the offered tea and sniffed it, pulling back a little as the smell was… strong, to say the least, “Almost the twenty-fifth century and they still can’t improve the smell and taste of medicine. Travel faster than the speed of light? Easy! Energy shields to protect the ships travelling at that speed? No problem! Medicinal tea that doesn’t burn the hairs out of your nose? Sorry!”

“Well, who needs hair in her nose?” Mona quipped. “Estelle asked me to come check on you, and give you this. So, well, don’t shoot the messenger, okay?”

“Nobody’s trying to shoot the messenger.” Sami sighed, wondering if all Orions personalized things that had nothing to do with them or if it was just this one. She sipped the tea, happy that it at least tasted better than it smelled, “Just remarking on the lack of advances in certain aspects of medicine.” She looked over the Orion quickly, something was different about her… It was the jewelry, “Those are pretty. Where did you get them?” She thought she’d seen something similar at IFFY the night she bought Anya the jacket. That, she thought, was two hundred credits wasted. Everything I saved for my vacation and now she’ll wear it for that bitch, lovely. Good move, melonhead.

“Gallia and Estelle made them”, Mona smiled. “They’re for my undercover mission, to infiltrate the compound where they’re holding Liorga.” She pointed at her blue nurse’s uniform. “I’m going in as a caregiver, can you believe it? I bet they sent me here to get you the tea so I could practise for the role.”

“Training to be a nurse by acting as a waitress.” Sami snickered, “That sounds about right.”

“That part I know how to do. I worked as a companion on a cruise liner for several years, before joining the marines”, Mona said.

“Hey, I’m an engineer and spent the first couple days here working as a firefighter.” Sami shrugged, “It’s par for the course, I suppose. Anyway, two questions.”

“Two answers, shall we see if they match?” Mona grinned.

“One, how is the jewelry going to help you infiltrate a place?” Sami began, wondering if Gallia had installed a micro-transporter in them or something, “And, two, what is a companion?”

“Well, a companion is a sort of entertainer, for wealthy people”, Mona explained. “A fun voyage can be had if you’ve got a companion to take care of your needs, you see?”

“Needs?” Sami raised an eyebrow curiously, “You mean like a tour guide or something? Or do you like cook for them? I’m still not clear here. I’m sorry if I’m asking too many questions, I just don’t really understand. I’ve never been on a vacation in my life. Not sure if my parents ever were, either. Anyway, if it’s too personal, I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now.”

“It’s mostly for sex”, Mona said. “But you also dine with them, do all kinds of things. But definitely for sex.” She grinned. “Good thing is, you get to pick your clients, unlike some of those Ferengi brothels. Orion women won’t be forced, one way or another.”

“Oh.” Sami replied, instantly ashamed for having asked, “I’m very sorry I asked, you shouldn’t have had to talk about that. I’m going to go now. Got to get back to work.” She apologized, rising to leave, again, stopped when her legs refused to work, “In a minute anyway, but you don’t have to talk to me anymore. Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s not a bad thing”, Mona said, fighting down the annoyance she felt every time someone thought it was, reminding herself that there were certain cultural differences. “I enjoyed it, and wanted to do it. I can’t tell you a lot of specifics, you understand, as much of it is very private, for the clients, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t be talking about it.”

“Well, I mean, I guess if you wanted to do it and weren’t forced it’s okay.” Sami stated, glad that even on Earth the stigma towards sex workers was beginning to go away. Probably a good thing, she decided to herself, since I’m never going to get one for free, I’ll just have to pay.

“You were brought up very… sheltered, weren’t you?” Mona asked. “I mean, from my perspective anyway. I’m from Risa. I’m sure you know what it’s like, even if you haven’t been.”

“Gallia told a story in engineering once.” Sami laughed, her face turning a little pink, “Apparently she and someone named Selina had a great time there.” I wonder how much it costs to get a companion to Risa? She thought, then quickly decided she couldn’t afford it on an enlisted woman’s salary, especially not if she kept buying fancy things for women who would, invariably, reject her, “As for sheltered, I mean, I guess so. Didn’t see much outside of the deli until I left for Starfleet.”

“I only started seeing ‘the world’, as they say, with the marines”, Mona said. “Got stabbed, not pleasant at all, and decided to learn to fight. I liked it, so I signed up. Best decision of my life. At least so far.”

“Maybe I should’ve joined the Corps then.” Sami remarked, remembering Ricky telling her that’s what people did when they couldn’t get laid. She forced the thought from her mind, laughing, “After I graduated from engineering training, they wanted to send me to a ground based shipyard, at MacDill in Tampa. Literally less than twenty minutes from where I grew up. Thankfully Liorga saved me from that fate. She, I’m not sure how, has a lot of pull, and got me sent to Elysium with her.” And now, she remembered sadly, I can’t get out of here fast enough.

“Well, if you are thinking about a career change, I’m sure the marines could turn you into an excellent combat engineer”, Mona said. “You’re certainly stronger than me, and got the endurance. Well, usually, when you’re not fighting off a disease.”

“Yeah.” Sami nodded, draining the tea, “This has sucked on many levels. As for my career, I’ve decided to apply to the Academy when I’m back on the ship. Might go Marine track though, could be an interesting new point of view.”

“You want to desert the enlisted ranks and become an officer?” Mona asked. “I’m shocked!” She giggled. “But best of luck to you, regardless. Even if that does mean you’ll be leaving us again soon.”

“Yeah, well, think I’ve gotten all I can out of this experience.” Sami said, “I mean, I’ll miss Liorga and Gallia, of course, but I’m sure they’ll understand.” Yeah, I’ve definitely gotten all I can out of this experience, she lamented internally, shame and rejection.

“I don’t think you have”, Mona said. “Getting on a ship like the Elysium, that’s a major score. Hey, here’s a thought, why don’t you see if you can get into the onboard academy?”

“I think the real Academy would be a better experience.” Sami answered, even if it was only that way for the past day; the onboard academy had, prior to Anya dropping her on the curb with the rest of the garbage, been her goal. Had been. That was then, she reminded herself, there’s no reason to stay now.

“Hm, would just take you back to your homeworld”, Mona said. “But if that’s where you want to go, who am I to tell you otherwise? Do you meet the qualifications to get in?” Mona knew she didn’t, and certainly hadn’t at nineteen.

“Yeah, it would take me back to Earth, but to San Francisco, not St. Pete.” Sami answered, “So it would still be a relatively new experience. And, yeah, I have a pretty good Academic background, done well in service, shouldn’t be an issue getting admittance.” Shouldn’t be, she thought, her mind filled with dread at the thought of what could happen if the Academy rejected her, too.

“Then you see about getting accepted, and I’ll organise a farewell party for you”, Mona said. She raised her hand. “No objections. If you make it, that needs to be celebrated.”

“Umm, okay, sure.” Sami relented, the Orion woman didn’t seem interested in hearing an argument, she just hoped that either Mona wouldn’t invite Anya and her new girlfriend or that they would do the right thing and simply not come, “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

“Good”, Mona said. “Not that any of us will be glad to see you leave. You might have to programme an autoloader for us”, she teased.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Sami laughed, though her heart was now breaking. She hadn’t thought about it, but she wouldn’t be able to have a last run in the Lady Aberdeen now, not with Anya there.

Mona put her arm around Sami, she could tell that this decision wasn’t just a happy change. “We’ll miss you.”

“Thanks.” Sami replied, though she doubted the one person she wanted to miss her would even notice she was gone, “By the way, you never answered my first question. How are the jewels going to help with your infiltration mission? I just want to know what sort of thing Gallia came up with.”

“Oh, they’re a camera and a microphone”, Mona said. “At least, one of them is. Don’t worry, they’re not running right now. But they’ll see what I see when I go in.”

“Thank God.” Sami laughed, “Who would want to see me on tv?” She looked the jewelry over, it didn’t take her long to pick out the one with the camera, “Might have been better to get their faces if these were on your chest, but I think they’d notice if you kept turning your whole body to look at people when you talked.”

“Oh, I’ll be wearing this uniform, anyway”, Mona laughed. “I don’t think they’d trust the claim if I showed up in a skimpy outfit. Though, Fernando tells me some already think I’m a sex worker again. They keep going ‘helloooo nurse’ at me, for some reason.”

“Men.” Sami laughed, they were so gross. Though, she reminded herself, nobody ever did that to her.

“In some ways, they’re all alike”, Mona agreed. “But it’s needed for evolutionary purposes, and I can’t say I’m exactly innocent, so it’s okay.”

“I guess so.” Sami nodded, “They say innocence is overrated anyway.”

Mona laughed. “Very true.” She gave Sami a kiss on the cheek and stood. “Well, you better lie back down. I’ll have to go check on our prisoners, see if they’ve divulged Liorga’s whereabouts. We’ll get her soon.”

“Thanks.” Sami smiled, lying back down as instructed, “I know we’ll get her back soon. Then everything will be better.” I mean, I’m still going to die alone, but at least Liorga will be safe….