by Ruby Madden
5. something curved.
CHAPTER ONE
(1)
Hannah gazed out of the space-station’s window, peering down at the rotating blue dot. Her line of sight covering the curve of the world.
Earth.
For her, it was an everyday sight. Not anything new or exclusive. She’d grown up peering down at the planet where she’d come from. She was thinking about what it would be like to go down and visit her home world. A place as foreign to her as Mars or Jupiter.
Her close friend Trudy stepped up next to her. “Are you excited?”
Hannah nodded her head vigorously. “More than I can say.”
“I would be too. You’ve inspired me to consider taking some time to go down too.” Trudy wrapped an arm around Hannah’s plump, soft waist and leaned her head on her shoulder. “When does the shuttle leave?”
“At nine tomorrow. I need to finish packing. It has been such a hectic week…” Hannah’s voice trailed off.
“Well, you better hop to it! It’s not like shuttles go down there very often anymore, so don’t miss your window while it’s open. Do you need any help?” Trudy asked.
“Nope, but I wouldn’t mind some company. Want to join me later, have some dinner, and watch a serial?”
Hannah and Trudy often hung out after a long day of work and vegged out together. More like sisters, they’d been friends for so long that it was mostly an assumption they’d hang out together at least a couple of times a week.
“Deal. I’ll come around then,” Trudy said while walking away to go back to work, leaving Hannah deep in thought.
It was the eve before Hannah’s twentieth birthday and her recent request for some leave time had been approved. Most days, during her lunch-break, she made her way to the arboretum to spend time amongst the plants and green foliage. But today was different. Excited that within twenty-four hours, she’d be on solid ground, and about to experience something entirely new to her.
Today, instead, she’d decided it was time to look at her home planet knowing that she’d soon be on it. Ever since she’d decided to make the brave step – the willing journey to go down and visit.
She guessed that it was the Commander who’d ushered approval through so quickly. He’d always been like a father figure to her and she wondered if that had helped push through her request quicker than usual.
Not many in Space Command bothered to go down any longer. Safely separated from the post-warring and devastated realities, as the majority of Earth’s nations had plunged into despair. Dwindling natural resources and entire populations wiped out from the scourge of ongoing and uncontrollable plagues or relentless drought, in certain regions.
Much of it a result of nuclear fall-out.
Working in space was her godsend. Her green-card. Oh, the irony that someday, Americans would clamor for the privilege to leave the plutonium-doomed coastal lines. The privilege to escape the North American continent and go where the nuclear pollution from fallout could no longer reach them, was something that would only be afforded to those deemed vital to humanity’s survival in the future.
Space.
Her home.
Hannah was grateful that her father had the foresight to see where things were headed. He’d used his clout with the beginnings of private space tourism and colonization to ensure that his children had the chance to survive the calamities that ravaged Earth. Written right into their business agreements and contracts. He’d bartered, sold and traded his inventions and essential technologies as an insurance policy for the future. For his family. For Hannah.
Like him, Hannah was tech-savvy which allowed her special status in her space community. She’d tested out of school by age fourteen and was done with her first college degree by age seventeen. Two years in, working for Space Command and she’d already been promoted three times.
She’d also been working seventy to eighty hours almost every week, rarely taking breaks. Driven and motivated. Until now.
Hannah decided that her entire youth and young adult life was going to vanish, disappear and be vanquished sooner than later if she didn’t force herself to go enjoy it. Take some time to just play, enjoy life and have some fun. As it was, she was very much concerned about being one of the only virgins left amongst her peers, friends and colleagues. Since a real relationship had yet presented itself, she was growing increasingly frustrated with her predicament.
So, going to Earth, despite what any of them knew, was really a way to solve her V-card problem. She’d looked into some of the upper-scale sensual services strategically placed in spots around the world where sex-trades were legislated and carefully monitored, to prevent violence, illegal slave-trading and transmission of STD’s. Pleasure providers in Pleasure Houses had become an esteemed profession.
She’d managed to make her private reservations, paying extra for twenty-four-seven bodyguard service and security. She also paid for an area tour guide who would join her when she was out seeing the city and surrounding area. She’d even considered some of the companion droid offerings, wondering what it would be like to have sex with a sophisticated machine? She’d always been especially curious. In the end, she’d decided she only wanted the real thing. A pleasure worker.
Since most of her colleagues were men, she’d grown accustomed to all the banter and discussion surrounding sex. Most of them considered her, one of the guys, and so they didn’t filter out much of what they talked about. It made sense, when she’d started college with them, she was still just a pubescent teen who didn’t fill out until her last year of school.
It didn’t help that she’d always been a tomboy type, her long hair always pulled up in a bun or pulled back in a ponytail. The need for makeup or facial enhancement, as they called it now was very rare. Her skin was smooth, free of blemish and other than chap-stick and moisturizing creams, she saw no need to use any.
Although some of them noticed the change in her shape and physique, their relationship had been long since sealed. To most of them, she was like a sister and therein was the problem. They were protective. Although it was touching and sweet, she’d been inadvertently cock-blocked so much that she was still a virgin.
This embarrassed her. A lot. She wanted to enjoy and experience sex. That meant getting as far away from her peers and the orbiting space bubble they inhabited. It was time to explore a new frontier.
o ~ o ~ o
Trudy took another swig from her beer, giggling as she swiped left to go to the next profile of the pleasure workers at Madam Suri’s Pleasure House.
“Goodness! This place certainly has some great-looking pleasurers… Choices, choices,” she said, tsk’ing.
Hannah grinned and took a sip of her tea. “I know, I couldn’t believe it when I first started checking into the options. It’s like a kid in a candy store, how do you choose?”
Trudy broke out in salacious grin, “One for each night of the week, perhaps?”
Hannah busted up, laughing and smacked her friend lightly on the arm. “Naaawwhhh… Please! For real? Would you do that, Trudy?”
Trudy gave her best friend a sideways wink. “Yes, I would actually. It’s a vacation! For crying out loud, Hannah. Let your hair down. Have some fun. None will be the wiser.”
Hannah was amused by her friend. “It reminds me of stories my Great Nana would tell me about going to Las Vegas in the USA. She had this funny saying; ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ I always found that to be interesting.”
“What does it mean?” Trudy asked.
“Well, people went there to gamble and party. So lots of strip clubs and prostitution. They called it Sin City. Apparently, people flocked there for long weekends and got crazy. But, when they went back to their everyday lives, they left whatever they’d done while there, in the dark. That was before it got nuked.”
Trudy nodded her head, listening and searched ‘Las Vegas, Sin City’ on her tablet and started to read about it
. “Looks like that place was a lot of fun. Apparently, it is located in a very warm region in the USA. Like over a hundred degrees every day. Not that anyone cares. It’s considered a zone-out region now. Not habitable…”
Hannah had been very careful to select a location on Earth that was still quite habitable. A safe place to visit for a month or two.
“Yeah… I ended up reading a lot of Earth history while researching for this trip. It’s scary and depressing,” she shared with Trudy.
Trudy nodded empathetically. “It’s true. I’ve tended to avoid it too. The problems and issues are so large, it’s overwhelming.”
“Want another beer?” Hannah nodded in the direction of her friend’s empty cup.
“Yes, thank you. It’s the weekend, I can sleep in tomorrow. By the time I wake up, you’ll be long gone on your journey to Earth.”
Hannah opened another beer and poured it for her friend. “Thank you for coming over tonight. I have pre-travel jitters. Is that silly?”
“Of course it’s normal. Don’t worry, everything will go fine. Promise me you’ll check in with me every day and give me the deets, okay?”
Hannah nodded. “Of course, I want to share it all with you and only you. Everyone else will be in the dark. It will be like I never left.”
“Oh, I doubt that. The guys are gonna miss having you around.”
“You think so?” Hannah wondered.
“Yes, of course. You’re the glue in that department. Honestly, I think some havoc will break loose while you’re gone. Not sure how, but I know it’s gonna be funny. My team is always the first to hear about this stuff.”
Hannah snickered. It was true, she was the one that kept the team on good behavior, on time with the schedule and sticking to the plan. “Awh, it’ll be good for them. I need a reprieve from being the Mother Hen. But do keep me looped in on the antics that happen. I know they’re likely to pull a prank or two.”
Trudy continued to scroll through profiles of the pleasure providers who worked at Madam Suri’s Pleasure House. “Whoa! Get a load of this looker….” She uttered beneath her breath, smitten.
Hannah was busy packing again, but glanced at the profile. He was indeed very attractive. But there was something more there. And it pulled her in. But she just as quickly forgot about the handsome man in the profile when she heard her communicator trill. She jumped up in surprise when she saw the name of the contact. It was her brother.
“It’s Jacob, I better get this. I haven’t been able to talk with him much since he went on this mission in deep space,” Hannah said.
“Of course, I’ll just be sitting her lusting after these men…” Trudy said.
Hannah answered the trilling communicator with her voice. “Hello Jacob! I’m glad you reached me before I headed down to Earth.”
“Hey Hannah, I’m glad I could reach you. There have been some crazy space weather storms preventing us from getting through as often as we like.”
Hannah was relieved to hear her older brother’s voice. It had been almost a month since their last chat. He was in deep space scouting out planets for resources that could be used to help rebalance Earth’s wounded skin, so to speak. But it came at a risk. The regions of space they were in were being explored for the first time and it took very brave astronauts who were up to the ‘Wild West’ challenge of being the first to go there.
“That’s what I heard from the last update we received. Glad you’re okay. How is the mission going?” Hannah asked, concern and pride laced in her voice.
“Very well. Dangerous at times but we just take it slow and steady. We’ve hit the jackpot but I can’t divulge much right now. We’re still in research and investigation mode. There is a lot to uncover over the next few months.” Jacob shared, excitement in his voice.
“Wow… I can’t wait to hear all about it. That’s amazing!” Hannah said, pride beaming in her voice.
She loved her brother more than anyone else. After their parents had passed, they’d depended on one another for a sense of unity and purpose until they reached an age where they could gain their footing and purpose within Space Command on the space station, Tetris. A name given the space station as a sort of joke as it was continually in a state of construction and deconstruction to meet the needs and demands of the inhabitants and crew over the years.
“I saw that your sabbatical to Earth was approved and that you’re officially on leave. All set to go?” Jacob asked.
“Almost, I’m packing even as we speak. Trudy is here celebrating with some beer.” Hannah shared, a smile in her voice.
“Hey Jacob!” Trudy called out, raising her glass of beer in a cheers.
“Hi Trudy! Thanks for taking care of my little sister before her big trip to Earth.”
“Of course. It’s a best friend privilege,” Trudy said smiling into the communicator camera, which was wavering badly with static from Jacob’s side.
Hannah smiled to herself at the interaction between her brother and best friend. She was pretty certain they’d both never acted on a mutual, shared attraction between them. In one way, Hannah was grateful for it, since she would be sad to lose her best friend to her brother as his girlfriend. But then, a part of her thought that maybe they might become more serious and her best friend would eventually become her sister-in-law. That, she would love. Time would tell.
“Thank you both…” Hannah piped in, glowing with love for the two most important people in her life.
“So, got any big plans besides getting your Earth legs back?” Jacob asked.
Hannah and Trudy shared a knowing glance between one another, both suppressing a giggle.
“Um, just gonna explore the region mostly, take a food holiday and be spoiled and pampered at the spa house where I will be staying,” Hannah shared. There was no way she’d ever divulge or reveal her true reason for the vacation. Some things were better left unsaid.
“Good, good. Did you hire a body guard and area guide?” Jacob asked, his big brother persona coming through, concerned for Hannah’s safety.
“I sure did. It’s all set. I’ve got VIP status too, courtesy of the Commander. Not sure what to think about that, but grateful for it.”
“That’s perfect. Now I will sleep better. I’ll have to let Commander know I appreciate it. Serious. Remember, Earth is a desperate place to be now. People will do just about anything…”
Hannah headed Jacob’s advice. It was a reasonable concern. She nodded in agreement, forgetting that the communicator was wavering for the visual.
“I mean it Hannah…” Jacob’s voice wavered out as well, a sign that they were about to lose communication. “Shit! We’re losing our connection…”
“I love you, Jacob,” Hannah blurted out, realizing that at any moment in time, they might not ever see or get to speak to one another again. A risk they took, being in space. A risk, anywhere really when it came right down to it. But more-so in space.
“Be safe! Keep a log of your trip and don’t forget to share it. Okay?” Jacob said, his voice fading out.
“I will. I promise. You too.” Hannah said.
The communicator went to static and the signal was lost. Hannah’s smile wavered with it. As proud as she was that he was risking his life for the greater good, a noble cause – she resented that her only remaining family member could disappear from her life – forever.
Trudy sensed the shift in Hannah’s mood. “It’ll be okay. He’ll be okay. They’re being very smart out there. Our team has been reviewing a lot of the progress reports and safety is king. Like not even kidding. They’re really playing it entirely by the rules and protocols. Promise.”
Hannah let out a sigh, trying to hold back her tears. “I know… It’s weird, I’m okay until I hear his voice. It just reminds me how fragile we are. All of us. None of us never know…”
“Yeah, I hear ya. I do,” Trudy said, watching her friend’s face closely.
“I thi
nk I need a hug!” Hannah blurted out, feeling silly.
Trudy just smiled and leaned over to give her good friend a long, comforting hug.
“Thank you,” Hannah said, genuinely appreciative of her best friend’s simple act of kindness. This was why they were best friends. They could tune into one another with ease and there was no shame for their feelings about life. Just compassionate understanding.
“Let’s finished getting you packed and into bed. It’s later than I realized.”
Hannah nodded, “Okay. I think I’m mostly done. I really just packed a few days’ worth of clothing. I want to rely on their laundry services while I’m down there.”
“Not to mention, any new clothes you can buy while there,” Trudy said with a wink.
Hannah blushed, “Good point. I hadn’t even thought of that! Are we allowed to have lingerie in space?”
They both bust out laughing.
“I think you’re ready,” Trudy said.
“So do I,” Hannah replied, agreeing.
CHAPTER TWO
(2)
Xasper was frustrated. This was the third client within a month who’d filed an unsatisfactory service complaint. It wasn’t like him, which made it all the more humiliating. Typically, he was getting rave reviews and compliments, not dissatisfaction.
Maybe he was just burnt out? Needed to go on holiday, take a vacation?
Being a full-time pleasure worker was a lot more demanding than most realized. Yes, he earned good money, had his psych and behavioral degrees, always completed the competency exams with flying colors, and was practically famous for his amorous talents – but that didn’t mean he was some sort of sex demi-god?!
Sometimes, living up to his own legend was a nuisance. Not an enhancement.
Suri, his Madame-manager peered at him, waiting for an explanation. “So, Xasper? What is going on with you?”
He decided it, right then and there.
