Trevor ran through one last pre-flight checklist. Engines, fuel, life support, shields, everything was green. His dark brown eyes went out of focus as he thought of the month ahead of him.
Trevor's step-sister, Vera, had just turned 18 and completed her final high school exams. To celebrate Trevor was going to take give her and some of her friends a tour of the galaxy.
A starship pilot, Trevor had earned his wings in the military, piloting patrol craft. After his tour of duty he had worked in the freighting industry, saving up enough money until he had bought his own ship.
His pre-flight check finished, Trevor made his way out of his ship and onto the docking bay. Turning once outside the ship, Trevor looked over it with pride. Its fresh coat of black paint gleaming in the sunlight, The "Intorqueo" couldn't have looked more hawk-like and sleek in the somewhat worn docking bay.
Trevor's inspecting gaze was interrupted when a familiar voice called out his name.
"Trevor!" called a sweet, innocent looking blonde.
As Trevor turned, his heart couldn't help but speed up. "Vera! It's been forever," Trevor exclaimed.
Vera set down her heavy suitcases she was carrying and embraced her step-brother. After a moment, they broke apart and considered each other.
"Wow, you've grown up a lot," Trevor couldn't help but observe.
"Yeah," Vera smiled, her green eyes blinking a few times in the glare of the sunlight. "You...really haven't changed at all."
Vera's eyes moved from Trevor to the Intorqueo. "Wow, is this your ship?"
"Yup, got it freshly painted and everything," Trevor said.
"Nice," she responded, looking the craft over. "This will be my first off-planet by-the-way."
"Really?" Trevor wondered. In his line of work, traveling between Earth and the other colonized systems, the prospect of someone never having been in space before seemed odd.
"Not that I'm scared or anything," Vera said. "Regina said she has been to Mars before though."
"Speaking of, where is her and your other friend?" Trevor asked.
"Flirting with some pilots we met back on the shuttle bus," Regina answered.
Trevor grabbed one of Vera's suitcases and together they boarded the Intorqueo. After showing Vera the cabin where she and one of her friends (the two passenger cabins on the Intorqueo had room for two, so one person would have a room to herself) would be sleeping Trevor took her on a tour of the ship. Finally when they had moved all through the ship they sat together in the common room/dining area, filling each other in on their lives since they had last spoken.
As the time for departure neared and Vera's friends still had not arrived, Trevor became anxious. Vera got out her cell phone and dialed Regina's number.
Meanwhile...
Regina ran her fingers through her long, shoulder length, blazing red hair. She stretched her neck by moving her head side to side and opened her mouth wide, stretching her jaw muscles as well. She looked up into the eyes of the curly haired pilot.
He pilot was tall; his longs were jammed against the bathroom stall, Regina on her knees between them. The pilot bent forward, his hands brushing across her forehead and moving back a stray bang.