Opticon 7
That was what every person graduating from the program wanted to read on their assignment papers, and Maryn still couldn't believe that's where she had gotten. There were never open positions on the Opticon, because they said once you started a position there, you never wanted to leave.
It was the premiere station in the entire galaxy. Anchored in the Snake Nebula in Ophiucus, it was the largest travel hub ever erected. There was luxury shopping, nightlife, dining, entertainment - everything a high-class space traveler could ask for. And since it was so popular, it was a huge spot for flights to stop to refuel, change crew, or just take a break between journeys. And Maryn was finally going to live there.
As she sat on the space cruiser that was delivering her from the Academy to the Opticon, Maryn fidgeted nervously. It really was divine luck that had brought her here, and she was terrified that one wrong move would ruin it. All of her classmates had been incredibly jealous when they heard she had been chosen for the one open spot on O7. And it wasn't as if she had been chosen on merit - the placement system for graduates of the Space Leisure Utility Training program (or SLUT) was run entirely on lottery. It could've been given to anyone who was graduating the program, or anyone currently working as a Utility Worker - the proper term for sex workers within the program - who was looking to transfer. But Maryn had been given the spot, and she definitely wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
When the cruiser pulled out of hyperspace, she and her fellow passengers braced against their seats from the change in momentum. Everyone around her looked so glamorous. Maryn knew she was beautiful - she wouldn't have made it far in SLUT if she wasn't - but she wanted to fit in with the wealthy, sophisticated crowd she knew would be her clientele on O7. She had spent days going through her clothes, getting rid of anything she felt wasn't good enough to pack for her new home. Pleasure cruises and luxury travel all came through this base, and it was commonplace for a pilot or traveler to want to buy the company of a gorgeous woman for a few hours on their way through. But when the station came into view, all thoughts on self-consciousness vanished, replaced by an incredible sense of wonder.
Maryn certainly hadn't grown up destitute, but she had never visited O7 before, and it was even more magnificent than all of the pictures and holograms she had seen. Firstly, it was HUGE. By far the largest space station she had ever seen. Its massive form was like a rounded disk floating in the heavens, bulbous windows set in clusters adorned different areas. Glowing lights in varying colors glowed from within, making it looks like a floating disco ball. Dozens of smaller ships seemed to be buzzing in and out of various openings and laneways. There was excitement here - Maryn could feel it, and her heart began to beat quickly.
"Opticon 7, Port 9A, arriving," an announcer said over the loudspeaker. The passengers all began to gather their things as the cruiser pulled into one of the many ports on the station. Once they cleared the overhead, the port came into view, and Maryn saw dozens of other cruisers parked, some unloading passengers, some dropping off expensive ships with valet, porters rushing to open doors and man the ships. There were people everywhere - bustling about the sidewalk, waiting for friends who were just arriving, or looking for a cruiser to take them to their next destination. People shook hands and hugged arriving passengers, some people setting off into the station arm-in-arm.
Scanning for the supervisor who was supposed to meet her, Maryn spotted a woman holding up on data pad, her wrist proffered forward, as a hologram figure of Maryn glowed above it. She hurried over to the woman. The hologram had been made when she had first started at the Academy, but she was still recognizable.
"Hi, I'm Maryn. I'm supposed to be meeting Damona?" She hated that she sounded so unsure and young, so she tried to straighten her shoulders and tossed her long, brown hair behind her shoulders.
But apparently there was no reason to be nervous, because the woman who was clearly Damona pulled Maryn into a hug. "Maryn, hi! We're so happy to have you with us!"
Damona pulled back, holding Maryn away from her by the shoulders. She looked her over, her eyes friendly and bright. "Was your flight in okay?"
"Um, yes, thank you," Maryn saId. She hadn't expected her boss to be so friendly. They had been taught at the academy that these programs were run strictly, so she had been expecting someone with the same demeanor as her serious instructors.
But Damona eventually released her, continuing to smile. "Oh, I'm so glad! Those transport cruisers can be a gamble sometimes." Damona placed a hand on the small of Maryn's back and guided her forward, toward the interior of the station.
Maryn hesitated. "Oh, I think I need to get my luggage, and--"
"Don't worry about that, hon," Damona chimed in reassuringly. "I've already arranged to have it sent up to your suite." The woman jerked her head toward one of the many automated bellhop carts carrying luggage that zoomed past them, in a marked lane close to the wall.
Maryn quickened her pace to keep up, but her mind didn't miss the word suite. She had been living in student quarters for the past several years, and she was thrilled at the prospect of a room she could really make her own.
But she couldn't dwell on that bit of good news for long, as Damona was walking briskly ahead of her. They passed through a set of doors and onto an elevated walkway that made Maryn's eyes bulge. The inside of O7 was like a bustling city - crisscrossing pathways, shopping centers, areas of manufactured greenspace, floating trams buzzing overhead - there was so much to see. Huge electronic billboards stretched out above them advertising everything from restaurants and nightclubs to spas and clinics. There was even a billboard showing the department Maryn would be in, the electronic screen glowing with a slow motion video of a woman in a silver body suit flipping her hair and dancing sexily. Maryn was mesmerized by the woman's grace and beauty. She wanted to live up to that standard. It took her a moment to register that Damona was speaking to her as they walked along at a fast clip.
"So I'll drop you off at the clinic while you do your clearance exam. Normally I would stay with you, but I got double booked with meetings today, so I apologize." The woman gave Maryn a quick smile. "Then they'll ping me when you're all done and I'll come back and get you. Once that clearance comes through, I'll be able to issue you your data pad, all your codes to access the system, and your room. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Maryn answered. She couldn't believe this was her life, and things were moving so fast. She didn't want to miss a second of it, but there was so much to take in, in addition to Damona. The woman had a shaved a patch on the side of her head, and the rest of her silvery hair hung long and straight down her shoulders. It had to be artificially colored, because the woman couldn't have been older than 40. She was shorter than Maryn, with a strong curvy build, and she was dressed fairly understated, but not as professional as Maryn had thought she would, which was promising. Her black cargo pants hugged her hips, which swayed gently as she walked, and she wore a loose fitting orange top and sensible boots, and she could see the edges of a tattoo peaking out of one sleeve. She had heard other girls at the academy talking about the kind of freedom you got once you were accepted into a program, lamenting their drab SLUT uniforms and hairstyle regulations.
After a few minutes of walking, Maryn and Damona stopped outside a wide set of glass doors adorned on either side by tall green potted trees. A sleek sign read "PT6V9 Clinic" in glowing letters, and Maryn could see a clean waiting room inside.
"Ok," Damona said, facing her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder again. "This is where I leave you for now. Just take a seat inside, they should be expecting you. I'll see you soon!" Damona squeezed her shoulder and set off in the direction they had just come from. Nervously, Maryn approached the doors, which slid open automatically on her approach.
There wasn't anyone else in the waiting room, so she just selected a chair at random and waited. On the opposite wall, there were six identical, closed doors. She was, admittedly, a little nervous about this part. If she didn't pass the medical assessment, she wouldn't be permitted to start work, and all of this would be for nothing. She wasn't sure about the details of what she would be tested on, but she hoped everything would go smoothly. The sooner she got through all of this, the sooner she could do her training and start taking clients, which meant money, something she had never had much of and was really looking forward to.
Just as her thoughts began to wander to what she would buy with her first paycheck, a blue plus symbol lit up above the second door. There was a soft "ding" and a man poked his head out into the lobby.
"Maryn?" He said, checking his tablet.
"That's me." Maryn followed him as he motioned to the door.
Inside, was a small exam room. It was extremely clean and the equipment looked new - it was much nicer than the outdated clinic they had at the academy. The man who had called her in motioned for her to sit on an exam chair, and she did, taking him in for the first time. He was incredibly handsome, and she was briefly distracted by his sharply cut jaw and bulging bicep muscles pulling at the sleeves of his light blue scrub top. He gave her a gorgeous smile and she felt her pulse quicken.
"I'm Anoti, I'll be your nurse today." His voice was deep and masculine. He smiled at her knowingly and she felt herself blush. "Just to confirm, you're here for your work clearance exam?"
Maryn nodded and he continued. "Ok, perfect. And we're doing the full exam, as you'll be a Utility employee, is that correct?"
"Yes," Maryn said again.
Nurse Antoi gave her a lopsided grin, his eyes crinkling with a hint of something less than professional. "Lucky you. Maybe I'll have to come see you sometime."
 Maryn was trying to think of something smooth to say back, but Anoti moved on quickly. "Ok, I'll have you change into this exam gown, then sit back down on the chair. I'll come back in a few minutes with Dr. Chou." He passed her a light blue gown, neatly folded, and squeezed her hand gently before going through a door on the other side of the exam room. Maryn noted that everyone was so... friendly. Much more personable than she had been led to expect and free with their affection and touch, and that comforted her some. Being on her own in this amazing but strange new place might not be so overwhelming after all.
