God, how did she ever end up in this dump!
She had hitched a traveler from the planet Armides hoping to make the Warness Cluster, but due to slight miscalculation on her part, she had ended up here in some godforsaken mining asteroid at the arse end of nowhere, with a month to kill before she could get off planet. She was low on credits, but if she was careful she had just enough to see her through. Though she might be forced to get a job, heaven forbid!
Trailing her gravbag behind her, she glanced around the terminal as she cruised through entry. It was grey and functional. The place must be pretty big though, as there was lots of room here, and out in the far reaches they were very tight on space. Almost without exception, all the people around her were wearing buff colored company uniforms and as far as she could see they were mostly male, in her shorts and crop top she stood out like a beacon. She stared around her looking for any signs, finally having to ask a passing security guard the way. He pointed down the hall with his Hypnostic.
At the far end of the terminal was an info desk, where a blowsy looking woman sat filing her fingernails. She looked up as Ellen approached.
"Excuse me, where can I find a hotel around here?"
"You'll be lucky girlie, there ain't no hotels here, If you're not company you'll have to stay in the transit quarters." She pointed over to an air-door in one side of the terminal. "Through that lock and just follow the main corridor, you'll find the place down the end, 'bout half a K from here, there's a big T on the corridor wall."
"Is there somewhere I can eat, like a cafe or restaurant?"
The women shrieked with laughter. "Gor blimey woman, this is a mining station, not a blooming tourist resort. The crew eat in the canteen, but you'll have to get your tucker from the store. Bazza runs that. It's the only store, come pub, come anything that's not company in town so you'd better be nice to Bazza, or you'll go hungry and thirsty! Go and dump your stuff first and then pay him a visit, and remember this ain't no tourist haven, so take my advice, a good looking girl like you," she looked Ellie up and down, "should keep her head down and stay in until you can get out. And remember be nice to Bazza, he owns the place, and I mean owns!"
"Thanks."
"You're welcome; hotel!" The women again laughed, shaking her head.
Ellie walked out the door and down the main corridor. Everything was under a dome, as there was no atmosphere on Arieas. Again she noticed both the lack of color, and the lack of women. For the first time she felt strange in her trav gear, her tight body clinging clothes seem to draw attention from the wandering crowd. She noted the men didn't look her in the face, but they surely gave her tits and her crotch a good going over!
She found the Transit quarters. An old crone sat watching some soapie at full volume in an alcove off the side of the entrance.
"Can I get a room for a month?"
"65 a night, pay up front. You'll be down in three."
She shouted over the noise, never taking her eyes off the vidi for a moment.
Ellie decked her credit and transferred the cash; which was going down fast.
"Press yer hand on the pad."
Ellie pressed the pad. "OK, that's all." The woman had already switched off after that tiring episode.
Ellie wondered what she had walked into here. She found her room, and walked in.
It was an earth standard single unit, of which there were millions all over the universe. A blind man could find his way around one in two minutes and never so much as bark his shin. The vidi was already on and filling the small room with soap crap. Ellie dropped her bag and decided to take a walk and look for the store to get some clothes. She always traveled light, buying what she wanted when she wanted. She'd also need some food if there was no other source.
It didn't take long to find, being the only shop in the place. There was no front window, just a low rail, behind which a fairly large supermarket disappeared behind the shelves. She saw several people cruising the place. In the middle of the rails was a gap where a guy stood at the exit console watching everybody. He was middle aged, balding, and wore a greasy looking T-top over his fat belly. Below his baggy shorts, his skinny legs finished his look of seediness. She walked through the gap and passed him avoiding his eyes, which she could see roved over her.
"Hey! Where you going, girlie?"
Ellie immediately bristled, and stopped, to turn and face the guy.
"I'm getting some stores in, what's it to you buddy, I don't talk to sleazy old men."
"Oh a smart arse, eh, fresh off the traveler, eh?"
"Is this some kind of put on? Let me tell you now I don't go for fat bald men. So if you don't mind, I'll get on."
He didn't seem very phased by Ellie's rudeness, just kept on smiling.
"Not at all girlie, but you'll need a chekdisc if you want to buy here."
"Oh, and where do I get that then?"
"Right here."
"OK, and what do I have to do then to get a chekdisc."
"Well let me think."
A voice came from the back of the shop.
"Where do you want this stuff Bazza?"
The fat balding guy turned his head and shouted.
"Anywhere Pete, Dave'll unpack it later."
Ellie's heart sunk, as she remembered the woman's advice at the terminal, about being nice to Bazza, and here was she bad mouthing him. Bazza turned back to face Ellie.
"Now where were we? Oh yea that's right girlie, just take off your top and show me your tits, then you get your chekdisc."
"What, you must be joking."
"No, it's topless shopping for you today, or it's no shopping," he looked her up and down, staring at her chest, "especially for someone like you with such big tits."
He grinned, staring at them openly.
Ellie was stunned surely he couldn't mean it.
"You must be having me on, you can't do that."
"Just watch me," Bazza smiled and scratched his fat belly.
"You'll get no food here unless you shop nude from the waist up, I want to teach you a lesson, don't be sassy to Bazza. And I wanna see those nice tits of yours! Hurry up or I might change my mind and make you take the lot off!"
I'm going to tell security about you."
"Please yer self." He smiled.
Ellie stormed out and briskly walked down the road. It was between shifts, so there weren't many people around. She didn't know where to start. She asked a guy who was standing idly watching the corridor. He flicked his head in the direction down the corridor, and returned to watching her. Ellie turned and walked down where he had indicated. She found an office which looked vaguely official and walked in.
"Excuse me, is this the security station?"
A middle aged man was head down over his desk filling something in, he slowly looked up. Giving her the once over, starting from her legs and slowly rising up her body to her tits and seem to stop there.
"That's right. What's yer problem?"
"I'd like to make a complaint about Bazza, the store man; he won't serve me unless I shop topless. I want him arrested for indecent proposal."
"You say he wanted you to shop showing your tits?"
"Yeah, he was a real pain, what are you going to do about it?"
"Well we can't have that can we," he smiled, "we'd better go and see about this then."
The man walked out of the office with Ellie in tow, and after a few minutes was in the front of the store. Ellie smiled to herself as she imagined what he would say to the bum called Bazza. He strode briskly up the corridor until, leading Ellie who trailed along behind, he reached the supermarket. Bazza was still standing watching everyone.
"Hey Bazza, did you tell this girl here to shop topless."
"That's right Gary, I suppose she's come whinging to you has she?"
"That's right Gary, and I think she's got good cause. Don't you remember the last time this happened?"
Ellie was relishing every minute of this. Though she was surprised by Bazza's attitude, he just kept on smiling, in fact both men were smiling.
"Sorry Gary, I can't remember, refresh my memory."
"The last time this happened we decided that every second week, the good looking girls were to shop with nothing on below the waist. So we could have a good perv at their cunts. And every other week topless, so we could check out their tits."
"What!" Ellie could hardly believe her ears.
"Gee Gary, I completely forgot. We station bums can never keep track of time!" The two men smiled at one another. The security officer called, Gary, turned to Ellie.
"There you are miss, sorry about the confusion, just drop your pants and then you can shop here!"
"What are you two up to here, women don't have to do that sort of thing nowadays, we've got rights."
"Yea, and not a bad right it looks too, in fact the left one looks pretty good too." the men laughed, mimicking her ample breasts with their hands.
"Look, I need to get some food, and they tell me this is the only store, so let's stop this pissing about and let me get on."
"Hold on there Missy don't go getting on yer high horse, as soon as you drop your strides, your can get right on. You could even get right on my cock!
The men laughed at their crudity."
Ellie was furious, how could they treat women this way, she had heard the colony mines were lawless, but not like this. The two men stood smiling looking her over as she fumed.
"I'm going to complain to the Boss, the man at the top, I don't suppose you'd tell me who that would be would you eh?"
