Harley put a cigarette into her mouth. The fire from her lighter illuminated her face. She was not wearing any make up. The hair on her head was only a couple inches long, as it was frequently shaved according to regulation. With her strong features, military haircut and unimpressive bust, she almost looked like a beautiful teenage boy, rather than a woman of 25, but not even her baggy pants could hide the wideness of her decidedly feminine hips.
The wait dragged on. The cigarette burned to the filter, and Harley let it drop to the floor. As she stepped on it with her boot, the corridor fell dark again.
A loud crank and a sustained metallic screech signalled that the doors were about to open. Light was slowly filling the corridor. Harley squinted and was able to make out four figures. There were two bulky jarheads carrying automatic rifles and two civilian women. The first had a long and slender frame and was dressed in a dark catsuit. A long, thin item enclosed in a sheath hang from her back. She wore some sort of visor or goggles over her eyes. Harley was more interested in the second woman. She had a more average build. Her stare was somewhat intimidating, but her hardness was offset by the delicate features of her face, which was framed by soft, dark curls.
"Riley McKenzie?" Harley called out.
The second woman gave a startle. The two jarheads yanked the cocking handles on their guns and aimed in the direction of Harley's still shrouded figure. Only the catsuit-wearing woman remained calm. Harley held up her arms, signifying that she was no threat.
"Could I ask you a few questions?" Harley continued.
The woman signalled for her guards to lower their weapons. "What's you're security clearance?" she asked.
"Level 3," Harley said and held up her ID-tag.
Riley folded her arms. "Then you must know I can't speak to you about my assignment here."
"I just need to know how long it will take before the cooperation lifts the lock-down of the station. My contract ended almost a month ago. I'm unable to leave and I'm no longer being paid for staying here."
There might have been a hint of empathy in Riley's eyes, but still she sighed impatiently, as if she'd heard similar stories already. "I realise that the lock-down is inconvenient for a lot of you, but I can't speak about it at this time."
Riley signalled for her party to continue walking, but Harley had one last question.
"Is this because of the shipwrecked passenger we picked up?"
One of the jarheads walked over to Harley and punched her hard in the gut, forcing her down on her knees. Riley held up her hand and gave him a disapproving scowl. The look she gave to Harley wasn't much milder, though.
"Even though you're not a soldier," she said. "You should know your station and your rank."
The party moved on, leaving Harley behind. She waited until they rounded the corner before quickly jumping back on her feet.
"Shit!"
There was little to do, except to go back to her bunk bed. Perhaps she should apply for another six-month contract at the station. At least then she would be paid. With too much free time, she was spending all her dough on booze and card games.
Before reaching to the barracks, she stopped by one of the bathrooms. When her contract expired, she had been expelled from the dormitories of the female staff and now had to sleep with the jarheads and the minimum-pay workers. On this deck, all the facilities were unisex. Therefore, to protect her modesty, as well as her safety, she didn't shower more than she felt was necessary. It wasn't as if anybody cared much that she stank. The whole bloody deck stank.
When she entered, she heard that the showers were being used in the adjoining room. Two jarheads were laughing and joking amongst themselves so loudly that she could hear every word of their Neanderthal jokes through the thick wall. Harley walked over to the sink and cleaned her face. She had long ago gotten used to the stink of chlorine and other chemicals.
When she heard that the showers stopped running in the other room, she hid herself inside one of the toilet stalls. After unbuckling her well-stacked equipment belt and letting her baggy trousers fall to the floor, she sat herself down on the toilet seat. The sound of heavy footsteps passed from the showers and out through the door leading to the corridor. Finally, she was alone.
Going to the toilet was like mediating for Harley. She could have a smoke, read the obscene graffiti on the walls and listen to the sound of urine trickling into the water. Best of all, she was alone.