she staggered as someone bumped her in the still busy corridor. She needed to find a room for the night and relax away from the ship. Someplace fine, not one of the many pod-complexes where one could rent a coffin-like, enclosed space to sleep for a few hours. No, it had been entirely too long since she’d slept in a proper bed and she wanted something larger than her shipboard bunk, someplace where she could stretch and roll about. Perhaps even a proper bath all to herself.
There was a sharp tug at her sleeve and she looked down to find a young boy at her side.
“You looking?” he asked.
“Looking for what?” She paused and bit the inside of her cheek then blinked rapidly to try and clear her head a bit.
He smiled widely. “You tell me, I help you find it!”
Alexis smiled back. “How old are you? Should you be out so late?”
“Station runs all the time. I’ll sleep later. Now, what you looking for?”
Alexis looked around, she didn’t see any place that looked likely to rent a room for the night, and she could see the boy, like those in any village back on Dalthus, was anxious to earn a coin or two.
“A place to spend the night,” she said. “Someplace nice.”
“Yes, nice,” the boy said, tugging her arm to get her moving. “Not here though — nothing nice on the Navy side. We go to the civvy-side. Nice places there for the nice lady, yes?”
“All right, yes.”
The boy led her down the corridor and up several levels to leave the pubs and shops that catered to Navy crews. She saw more and more women in civilian ships’ uniforms as they went, crew and officers on the merchant vessels in-system. Alexis nodded and smiled at those that met her eye and they nodded back, though some looked askance at her naval uniform.
They turned into a small side corridor with hatchways that looked more residential than commercial and the boy stopped before one and held out his hand, palm up.
“Nice place for the night. Very nice.”
Alexis swayed a bit and eyed the hatchway. There was no signage to indicate it was a business or had rooms to let.
“Are you certain?”
“Very nice. Customers always pleased. Come back many, many times.”
Alexis laughed. “All right, then.” She took a few coins and placed them in the boy’s outstretched hand. Apparently it was enough, because he clenched his fist tightly and smiled. “Nice lady have nice night,” he called and dashed away grinning.
She watched him go, then looked at the hatchway again. If she had not had quite so much to drink she might go in search of another place. She pressed the call button beside the hatchway, expecting to find that it was, indeed, someone’s home and the boy had taken her coins for naught. Though why he might do so, instead of leading her to an inn of some kind, she couldn’t fathom. She smiled again. Well, and if he has, then I’ll look up the nearest inn with my tablet and be done with it.
The hatch slid open and a well-dressed woman of middle-age peered out. “Yes, dear?”
Alexis tried to look apologetic for bothering her. “Pardon me, ma’am, but I was told you might have a room for the night?”
The woman smiled and slid the hatch fully open. “Of course, dear, come in.” Alexis entered into a nicely appointed sitting room and the woman slid the hatch shut behind her. “What did you have in mind?”
Alexis felt herself sway, possibly the last glass of port catching up with her, and she closed her eyes to a wave of dizziness. “Just something nice for the night, before I have to go back aboard ship.”
“Something nice?” the woman asked and Alexis opened her eyes to find her smiling curiously. “Nothing more specific for me to work with, dear?”
“Well, no, I suppose. It’s just for one night, after all.”
The woman reached out and took one of Alexis’ hands in hers. “Is this your first time, dear?”
Alexis blinked. “I suppose it is, yes. I went straight from home to aboard one ship or
There was a sharp tug at her sleeve and she looked down to find a young boy at her side.
“You looking?” he asked.
“Looking for what?” She paused and bit the inside of her cheek then blinked rapidly to try and clear her head a bit.
He smiled widely. “You tell me, I help you find it!”
Alexis smiled back. “How old are you? Should you be out so late?”
“Station runs all the time. I’ll sleep later. Now, what you looking for?”
Alexis looked around, she didn’t see any place that looked likely to rent a room for the night, and she could see the boy, like those in any village back on Dalthus, was anxious to earn a coin or two.
“A place to spend the night,” she said. “Someplace nice.”
“Yes, nice,” the boy said, tugging her arm to get her moving. “Not here though — nothing nice on the Navy side. We go to the civvy-side. Nice places there for the nice lady, yes?”
“All right, yes.”
The boy led her down the corridor and up several levels to leave the pubs and shops that catered to Navy crews. She saw more and more women in civilian ships’ uniforms as they went, crew and officers on the merchant vessels in-system. Alexis nodded and smiled at those that met her eye and they nodded back, though some looked askance at her naval uniform.
They turned into a small side corridor with hatchways that looked more residential than commercial and the boy stopped before one and held out his hand, palm up.
“Nice place for the night. Very nice.”
Alexis swayed a bit and eyed the hatchway. There was no signage to indicate it was a business or had rooms to let.
“Are you certain?”
“Very nice. Customers always pleased. Come back many, many times.”
Alexis laughed. “All right, then.” She took a few coins and placed them in the boy’s outstretched hand. Apparently it was enough, because he clenched his fist tightly and smiled. “Nice lady have nice night,” he called and dashed away grinning.
She watched him go, then looked at the hatchway again. If she had not had quite so much to drink she might go in search of another place. She pressed the call button beside the hatchway, expecting to find that it was, indeed, someone’s home and the boy had taken her coins for naught. Though why he might do so, instead of leading her to an inn of some kind, she couldn’t fathom. She smiled again. Well, and if he has, then I’ll look up the nearest inn with my tablet and be done with it.
The hatch slid open and a well-dressed woman of middle-age peered out. “Yes, dear?”
Alexis tried to look apologetic for bothering her. “Pardon me, ma’am, but I was told you might have a room for the night?”
The woman smiled and slid the hatch fully open. “Of course, dear, come in.” Alexis entered into a nicely appointed sitting room and the woman slid the hatch shut behind her. “What did you have in mind?”
Alexis felt herself sway, possibly the last glass of port catching up with her, and she closed her eyes to a wave of dizziness. “Just something nice for the night, before I have to go back aboard ship.”
“Something nice?” the woman asked and Alexis opened her eyes to find her smiling curiously. “Nothing more specific for me to work with, dear?”
“Well, no, I suppose. It’s just for one night, after all.”
The woman reached out and took one of Alexis’ hands in hers. “Is this your first time, dear?”
Alexis blinked. “I suppose it is, yes. I went straight from home to aboard one ship or
Similar Books
