When I finished writing Barriers, my mind shifted to focus on the second story for my patrons, a Science Fiction tale. Unlike Barriers and the Thriller, I didn’t have a single clue where to take this story. The only thing that I knew was that I wanted to focus on the Drifter and her crew. So, with the cast selected and my imagination freed up, I turned my attention to my patrons’ next tale.
Unfortunately, despite sitting in front of my laptop, my mind steadfastly refused to cooperate. Instead of fighting with my unwilling mind, I freed it up by leaning into some Star Trek DS9. During a recent use of the show as background noise, I was reminded why Quark was such a lovable character. And I leaned into that unique mix of traits to devise the latest tale for Charles and his crew.
Grab a seat as we witness a merchant barter with Charles to convince him to purchase upgrades for the Drifter.
After unloading their recent cargo, Martin drags a merchant to his captain, to ease Charles’s concerns with the Drifter…
“Boss, do you have a second?”
Charles ran his fingers through his loose hair as he closed the Drifter’s hatch. As the captain released a pent-up breath, he pulled his jacket around his shoulders. With a forced grin, Darren jerked his head toward the vessel.
With a broad smile, the crewman grabbed a nearby stranger’s shoulder and dragged him to Charles’s ship. As the two men flowed through the dwindling crowd, Charles massaged his temples, muttering a series of curses. When they neared, Charles lifted a hand, compelling the two to halt. “Martin, who’s your friend? But first, weren’t you going to appreciate your visit to the station? You remember that we’re not planning on having a lengthy stay. If you aren’t careful, you won’t be able to unwind.”
A chortle ripped through the man’s lips as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I was relaxing.”
“Let me guess, you went shopping?”
“I enjoy exploring a station’s marketplace,” Martin said as his shoulders climbed towards his ears. “However, I ran into someone who claims he can upgrade all the Drifter’s less reliable systems.”
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