The dusty red horizon grew wider and the blue sky blacker as the freighter climbed the thin Martian sky. Home - just a lowly cluster of tenements and refineries along a mud-choked river - kept getting smaller, but she wanted to see it vanish. The freighter banked hard, and the teenaged stowaway pressed her face to the tinted glass window just in time to see the last rust-stained buildings slip out of view.
They'd still be there, she realized as she sank back onto the crates. Her father and his regrets. The Party and their broken promises. The great maw of the refinery doors and a ribbon of gray-clad workers curled halfway around town, marching to their doom...
"I said what?s your name, babydoll."
It took the woman on the landing platform a moment to get her bearings after the long flight and lingering daydreams. She flashed the official an apologetic smile and lifted her shoulders helplessly: "Sorry....kind of a long trip, you know?"
The official smiled only a little in reply.
"Jay Burwell," she added. It was the name on her ticket, it was one of her favorites, and she meant - hoped - to keep using it for a while. "Nice city here," with a look of admiration at the tall cranes and gleaming skyscrapers around them.
The official looked left and right, and his badge shifted on a wrinkle in his uniform. Ilvyn Drees, Port Authority, it said. He held out his hand, palm up.
"An introduction," she laughed and put a hand to her heart, seeming taken aback. "This sure is a nice city." But when she reached out to take his hand, he drew it halfway back.
"You're new here," Ilvyn Drees said slowly, tipping his head and leaning forward as if explaining to a small child. "Customs is a tougher job here than most places. Seeing thousands of strangers into town every day, checking their cargo, their bags..." He trailed off pointedly there, and continued with a nasty kink to his smile, "Never know what you'll find. 'Round here, guys like me, we're tipped for our services."
This close to her, the Jaybird could smell scented product on his fingers, had probably rubbed it into his hair right before he left his office. There was no wedding band, but a tan line and shiny skin where one usually rested. She dug into her back pocket, selected half of her petty cash and held it out to him.
Drees took it, counted....and grimaced. He looked down the landing platform again, gave a nod to his colleague who nodded back. Then he rested a hand on his holstered sidearm and snaked his fingers into her back pocket. The Jaybird tightened her jaw.
It's a long way down....he'd never see it coming....he'd deserve it...
"Two hundred yuan won't get you very far," he said. At least he'd stopped groping her, praise be.
"Well then, good thing I'm broke now," she replied with a cheerful smile. "That oughta serve me better." She tried to move past him. He grabbed her shoulder.
"Gonna run off without your claim ticket' And without anything for me to remember you by, either," he added with a quiet chuckle. He curled two fingers around the chain of her necklace and followed the trail down to the neck of her tank top. She stiffened, but turned her eyes to look at him and managed something approaching a polite smile.
"I thought I'd given you plenty."
Drees took a step closer and looked the rest of the way down the necklace chain, critically. He tsk'ed. "Hardly," he said, and fished the pendant out by the chain. "What's this?"
She set her jaw tighter and said nothing now, forcing herself to look straight ahead while he examined the latest trinket to add to his collection. It was a silver band with what looked like a flattened pearl set in it. Why oh why oh why didn't I hide it in my boot...
He stepped much closer, taking his time unclasping it. His nose touched her hair. Just one push, then I'll make my escape....won't have to wait but a moment, see his head burst on the pavement like a watermelon...
"Illy!" his colleague snapped from the other end of the platform. Drees grimaced and reluctantly stepped back with his prize in hand, holding it up to the light. Then he dropped it into his pocket and shoved her claim ticket against her shoulder, giving her just enough time to grab it before he let go. "You can go get your bag now, Miss Burwell. I'm done with you," he grunted, already turning his back to join his partner. She watched him go, and slowly her scowl twisted itself back into a smile.
"Oh, Mr. Drees....you are far from done with me."
They'd still be there, she realized as she sank back onto the crates. Her father and his regrets. The Party and their broken promises. The great maw of the refinery doors and a ribbon of gray-clad workers curled halfway around town, marching to their doom...
"I said what?s your name, babydoll."
It took the woman on the landing platform a moment to get her bearings after the long flight and lingering daydreams. She flashed the official an apologetic smile and lifted her shoulders helplessly: "Sorry....kind of a long trip, you know?"
The official smiled only a little in reply.
"Jay Burwell," she added. It was the name on her ticket, it was one of her favorites, and she meant - hoped - to keep using it for a while. "Nice city here," with a look of admiration at the tall cranes and gleaming skyscrapers around them.
The official looked left and right, and his badge shifted on a wrinkle in his uniform. Ilvyn Drees, Port Authority, it said. He held out his hand, palm up.
"An introduction," she laughed and put a hand to her heart, seeming taken aback. "This sure is a nice city." But when she reached out to take his hand, he drew it halfway back.
"You're new here," Ilvyn Drees said slowly, tipping his head and leaning forward as if explaining to a small child. "Customs is a tougher job here than most places. Seeing thousands of strangers into town every day, checking their cargo, their bags..." He trailed off pointedly there, and continued with a nasty kink to his smile, "Never know what you'll find. 'Round here, guys like me, we're tipped for our services."
This close to her, the Jaybird could smell scented product on his fingers, had probably rubbed it into his hair right before he left his office. There was no wedding band, but a tan line and shiny skin where one usually rested. She dug into her back pocket, selected half of her petty cash and held it out to him.
Drees took it, counted....and grimaced. He looked down the landing platform again, gave a nod to his colleague who nodded back. Then he rested a hand on his holstered sidearm and snaked his fingers into her back pocket. The Jaybird tightened her jaw.
It's a long way down....he'd never see it coming....he'd deserve it...
"Two hundred yuan won't get you very far," he said. At least he'd stopped groping her, praise be.
"Well then, good thing I'm broke now," she replied with a cheerful smile. "That oughta serve me better." She tried to move past him. He grabbed her shoulder.
"Gonna run off without your claim ticket' And without anything for me to remember you by, either," he added with a quiet chuckle. He curled two fingers around the chain of her necklace and followed the trail down to the neck of her tank top. She stiffened, but turned her eyes to look at him and managed something approaching a polite smile.
"I thought I'd given you plenty."
Drees took a step closer and looked the rest of the way down the necklace chain, critically. He tsk'ed. "Hardly," he said, and fished the pendant out by the chain. "What's this?"
She set her jaw tighter and said nothing now, forcing herself to look straight ahead while he examined the latest trinket to add to his collection. It was a silver band with what looked like a flattened pearl set in it. Why oh why oh why didn't I hide it in my boot...
He stepped much closer, taking his time unclasping it. His nose touched her hair. Just one push, then I'll make my escape....won't have to wait but a moment, see his head burst on the pavement like a watermelon...
"Illy!" his colleague snapped from the other end of the platform. Drees grimaced and reluctantly stepped back with his prize in hand, holding it up to the light. Then he dropped it into his pocket and shoved her claim ticket against her shoulder, giving her just enough time to grab it before he let go. "You can go get your bag now, Miss Burwell. I'm done with you," he grunted, already turning his back to join his partner. She watched him go, and slowly her scowl twisted itself back into a smile.
"Oh, Mr. Drees....you are far from done with me."