Editing Azar Shah
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"Thanks..." Azar said as the Kergan walked to her own station. She resisted the urge to rub her shoulder. Not that it would have done anything through the suit anyway. It was indeed an anniversary of a sort. She had been in the mining outpost for exactly a year now. | "Thanks..." Azar said as the Kergan walked to her own station. She resisted the urge to rub her shoulder. Not that it would have done anything through the suit anyway. It was indeed an anniversary of a sort. She had been in the mining outpost for exactly a year now. | ||
| − | + | Four more years of this! Azar thought as she stepped into the suit station, waited for the docking clamps to attach, and started getting out of the suit. Well, it still beats being back home. When your parents are ultra conservative, and your government is an oppressive, hidebound theocracy stuck in the past while the rest of the universe was moving forward, the mining consortium's offer had seemed like a literal gift from the stars. Sign up for a five year contract at a remote asteroid mining outpost, and when your term is up you get to keep the mining gear you were assigned as a bonus. Leave before the term is up and you forfeit the bonus. She signed up, and was excited all the way through her first space travel to the outpost. Then reality hit. | |
What they did not tell you at the hiring was that the consortium could afford to hand out the mining gear. To them, after five years it was already used goods past its expiration date. And whether the gear you got at the end of the term was actually worth anything depended on how well you maintained it. Neglect your gear, and it will be worthless after your term is up. That was why, even though her throat was parched from thirst, Azar dutifully cleaned the asteroid dust from the suit, including every single joint and attachment port. | What they did not tell you at the hiring was that the consortium could afford to hand out the mining gear. To them, after five years it was already used goods past its expiration date. And whether the gear you got at the end of the term was actually worth anything depended on how well you maintained it. Neglect your gear, and it will be worthless after your term is up. That was why, even though her throat was parched from thirst, Azar dutifully cleaned the asteroid dust from the suit, including every single joint and attachment port. | ||
| − | She always used up the suit's supply of drinking water during the shift. Asteroid mining was backbreaking work even for the Kergan, but with their prodigious strength they did not need to exert themselves nearly as much as Azar, who had to push herself to her limits. She would have been sticky with sweat if not for the suit's recycling system. It collected her sweat for later recycling. Along with any other excretions. You could not take a bathroom break out in the asteroid belt. | + | She always used up the suit's supply of drinking water during the shift. Asteroid mining was backbreaking work even for the Kergan, but with their prodigious strength they did not need to exert themselves nearly as much as Azar, who had to push herself to her limits. She would have been sticky with sweat if not for the suit's recycling system. It collected her sweat for later recycling. Along with any other excretions. You could not take a bathroom break out in the asteroid belt. Considering that the shower times are limited to a quick rinse twice a week, it is a good thing that everything is recycled in the outpost, Azar thought as she removed the recycling container from the suit and put it in a chute that sent it to the recycling center. |
The maintenance done, Azar walked to the locker room. Despite her thirst, one more thing remained to do. She deftly made her way through the Kergan towards the enclosed section at the rear, only stopping to grab her towel and a change of underwear she had left ready in front of her locker. Space was at a premium in the outpost, so there were no separate locker rooms for different species, or different genders. The entire shift shared the same locker room. And one important thing of mining suit maintenance was to properly store the undersuit, so automated systems would cleanse and sanitize it so it would be ready for the next shift. The recycling features worked through the undersuit, and you really did not want them to malfunction during a shift. | The maintenance done, Azar walked to the locker room. Despite her thirst, one more thing remained to do. She deftly made her way through the Kergan towards the enclosed section at the rear, only stopping to grab her towel and a change of underwear she had left ready in front of her locker. Space was at a premium in the outpost, so there were no separate locker rooms for different species, or different genders. The entire shift shared the same locker room. And one important thing of mining suit maintenance was to properly store the undersuit, so automated systems would cleanse and sanitize it so it would be ready for the next shift. The recycling features worked through the undersuit, and you really did not want them to malfunction during a shift. | ||
| − | Azar unzipped her suit, wrapped herself in the towel and, holding the towel with one hand, used the other to slip out of her suit and into her underwear. The towel was her one concession to modesty. She smiled, imagining her parents' reaction if they learned that their daughter was undressing in front of men. | + | Azar unzipped her suit, wrapped herself in the towel and, holding the towel with one hand, used the other to slip out of her suit and into her underwear. The towel was her one concession to modesty. She smiled, imagining her parents' reaction if they learned that their daughter was undressing in front of men. They would be so shocked of that - and of everything else out here she thought as she ran her hand through her dark hair that she kept in small braids hanging down the back of her head. Her hair brought to mind the filaments of the Navarians. Which was on purpose. She had intentionally made her hair resemble them. One more thing she would not have been allowed to do back home. |
In truth, hardly anyone paid any attention to Azar when she changed out of her suit. And not just because most people in the shift did not find Terrans appealing. Work shift was a tight knit unit. If something happened out in the asteroid field, help would not arrive in time, so everything depended on how well they worked together and looked after each other. It always went the same way. New people to the shift would at first steal glances at those they did find appealing, but soon enough it was like seeing your sister in her underwear, and people stopped paying attention. Which was why Azar pretended not to see as the new guy - a burly, thick necked blonde Terran - kept ogling her as she walked to her locker in her underwear. | In truth, hardly anyone paid any attention to Azar when she changed out of her suit. And not just because most people in the shift did not find Terrans appealing. Work shift was a tight knit unit. If something happened out in the asteroid field, help would not arrive in time, so everything depended on how well they worked together and looked after each other. It always went the same way. New people to the shift would at first steal glances at those they did find appealing, but soon enough it was like seeing your sister in her underwear, and people stopped paying attention. Which was why Azar pretended not to see as the new guy - a burly, thick necked blonde Terran - kept ogling her as she walked to her locker in her underwear. | ||
| − | With a small sigh of relief, Azar opened her locker, grabbed the sports drink she kept there, and started drinking. Water alone was not enough. To get the lost electrolytes back, you needed special drinks. Not that the consortium provided them. The station store had a good supply, but you had to pay for them out of your salary. | + | With a small sigh of relief, Azar opened her locker, grabbed the sports drink she kept there, and started drinking. Water alone was not enough. To get the lost electrolytes back, you needed special drinks. Not that the consortium provided them. The station store had a good supply, but you had to pay for them out of your salary. And of course, you need to recycle the bottle afterwards, Azar thought as she finished her drink. |
"Hi there, gorgeous!" | "Hi there, gorgeous!" | ||
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"And what is your first name?" | "And what is your first name?" | ||
| − | Azar felt like saying | + | Azar felt like saying Ma'am, but they were supposed to work together, so she decided to cut the guy some slack. "It's Azar. What do you want?" |
"My name is Drake. I saw you out in the asteroid field." | "My name is Drake. I saw you out in the asteroid field." | ||
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"What I meant is... I could make it easier for you. I don't know how you ended up here, but this really isn't a job for women." | "What I meant is... I could make it easier for you. I don't know how you ended up here, but this really isn't a job for women." | ||
| − | A couple of lockers away, Zarka let out a derisive snort. Only, to tell that the sound indicated derision rather than rage, one had to have been around Kergans long enough to pick up the nuances. Drake nearly jumped and hastily amended: " | + | A couple of lockers away, Zarka let out a derisive snort. Only, to tell that the sound indicated derision rather than rage, one had to have been around Kergans long enough to pick up the nuances. Drake nearly jumped and hastily amended: "Terran women!" Trying to regain his momentum, he turned his attention back to Azar. "So, want to talk about it after the shift somewhere private?" |
| − | Azar was done cutting the guy any more slack. Putting her hands on her hips she said "So you think I am not good enough for this job? Well, if you ask any | + | Azar was done cutting the guy any more slack. Putting her hands on her hips she said "So you think I am not good enough for this job? Well, if you ask any real men here, they will tell you that a soft little thing like you is not good enough either!" |
Several of the Kergan started laughing. Humiliated in front of a crowd, Drake turned red in the face, and his nice guy act vanished. Leaning towards Azar, he said "I could show you that I am anything but soft and little!" And grabbed at his crotch for emphasis. | Several of the Kergan started laughing. Humiliated in front of a crowd, Drake turned red in the face, and his nice guy act vanished. Leaning towards Azar, he said "I could show you that I am anything but soft and little!" And grabbed at his crotch for emphasis. | ||
