A quick note about my free fiction: this is raw draft with little editing. I don’t know where the story is going, or if it’ll even get completed on the blog. But it’s fun to do.

The clips from this story stay up for a limited time and then they will turn back into a pumpkin. Those available at the time I’m writing this are:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Let’s proceed, shall we?

Deep Space Omega (#6)

by Dawn Blair

Mouse stopped and waited for her to catch up. “What did you use to do for fun, before coming out here to the edge of nowhere?”

“I read.”

“Ah, reading. Books are good. But you probably didn’t socialize because you always had your nose stuck against a tablet, didn’t you?”

“What does it matter to you if I am social or not. I prefer my own company.”

Mouse’s shoulders drooped as she turned away, but not before Jadz caught the crestfallen look. “Okay, I get that.”

“I’m sorry, Mouse,” she said, wishing she’d stopped herself from snapping just a moment earlier.

“Look, I get it. Maybe I’m overeager myself. I’m usually stuck out here with all males. It’s not often we get a woman out here. I see them buddy-buddy out here and I’m like the third wheel. Isn’t that the way the old expression went? I miss the girl talk.”

“Mouse, I…” Apologizing again felt weak. Jadz shrugged. “I’m not use to having friends, so I’m sure I suck as a companion.”

Mouse gave a weak grin. “Ah, you’re not so bad. You just need some retraining.” When Jadz laughed, Mouse’s smile grew, then seemed to struggle to stay, but evaporated completely.  “I’m sorry you were hurt so badly. He really did a number over on you, didn’t he?”

Jadz realized she’d let tears enter her eyes. Girl talk, huh? Maybe that was what she needed. “Yeah.” Her tongue seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth as she confessed it. Feeling her eyes trying to flood once more, she blinked quickly. She’d given Ryhn enough of her. “He was the social one, if you get my meaning.”

“No!” Mouse rushed over and wrapped her arm around Jadz’s as she started to lead the way again. “Tell me more.”

“You really have missed this, haven’t you?” Jadz laughed.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

Jadz didn’t get too deeply into her story, basically her meeting of Commander Ryhn and how he wooed her immediately, when they came to the Astrolab. Jadz had yet to be in this section of the station as she knew when she did, there would be people. All the male astronomers would be watching her as she worked. It wasn’t a sensation she was ready to deal with, so she’d avoided it.

Even now, she wasn’t certain she wanted to enter.

Deep Space Omega – copyright ©2020 Dawn Blair * Published by Morning Sky Studios