Traipse Ch 01

Journal entry: Trask Allhew March 04 2216 10:27 AM

I decided to run. I thought about it a long time and I have made up my mind; I'm done letting other people live the life they wish they'd had through me. I'm logging this account on my PDI (personal data interface for those who don't know) so I can have some kind of memory of this insane decision that I'm making. In fact, this PDI, along with a few other possessions, are the only things I'm bringing from home and I'm not planning on coming back. I bought a ticket for a personal FTL lounge shuttle; an expense I had to afford, if only to get through customs at the common relay checkpoints. My Uncle can't find me if I use a private relay, I'm just going to have to factor in the cost. I checked my credit and I'm nervous; the money hasn't gone through yet, it usually doesn't take this long, but the ticket scans as verified by the conductor. Oh well. It's a six day trip to Vale, the Lounge is boring but comfortable I'm sure. I am going to have a lot of time to myself.

LOGGED

Journal entry: Trask Allhew March 04 2216 2:42 PM

I've got to catch my breath, I'm so confused. This is all wrong and I'm not sure I can deal with it. Shoot, If I freak out over the smallest things I'm never going to survive being on my own, I've got to calm down. I'm going to write my journal in a narrative form now, I'm a bit of a savant when it comes to these things. English is one of my best subjects so it shouldn't be too difficult for me.

I boarded the shuttle when it stopped in the port and looked around. Its pretty big, probably about fifteen hundred square feet, ridiculously huge for a single person FTL shuttle. It has two rooms, a huge bathroom with a walk in shower and benches, and a fully equipped kitchen. The main living area has two big couches, a love seat, and a huge window looking out into space. I set down the only bag that I had and plopped down onto one of the couches.

I heard the integrated computer chortle out in her usual husky feminine voice,

Welcome Mr. Allhew, please make yourself comfortable. Shuttle now departing, please bear with me while I pressurize your cabin. Please...

Blah blah, you get it. I closed my eyes while I zoned out the computer's monologue, wondering how the hell I was going to entertain myself for six days. A few minutes went by before I felt the gentle pulling of the FTL relay, then I knew I was in space. In reality, I knew I was hurdling through time and space at thousands of miles per minute, but I was far too distracted with my own thoughts to dwell on it. How was I going to make a living? What were the people like on Vale? Hell, what were the people like anywhere else but High fare earth? I heard the computer ramble again and snapped out of my wondering.

Your shuttle companion is eager to greet you Mr. Allhew, please let me know when you would like me to send her in.

"What?!" I exclaimed suddenly, not really expecting an answer but receiving one anyway.

The companion you requested Mr. Allhew, Patricia Fwen, is awaiting your permission to enter the room.

My blood turned cold. Patricia... here on this shuttle with me? Damn it. This was one of the things I was running from; a forced marriage to a woman that didn't love me. This also meant that my uncle not only knew where I was but where I was going. I was screwed.

I stuttered, "Computer, please tell Patricia to wait a moment while I gather myself."

Of course Mr. Allhew.

I looked around the room more closely this time in somewhat of a panic. I saw candles on the table and a bottle of expensive champagne. I shook my head and gestured to the holo-screen on the wall. It turned on immediately and began streaming smooth jazz music through the shuttle's speakers.

Suddenly I understood, my uncle was trying to reunite us. I took a deep breath and tried not to hyperventilate. I faced the door to the second bedroom and steeled myself.

I turned off the jazz in disgust, "Computer, let the companion through."

Certainly Mr. Allhew.

The few seconds that went by felt like a small eternity as I waited for the doors to open. I took a deep forceful breath as the door finally slid open and stopped short.

It wasn't Patricia.

It was a different girl, totally different. She was short, maybe about 5' 2'', small yet strong frame, with a cute kind of litheness. She was wearing a cream white button up blouse with short sleeves and a dark skirt, white tights and black ballerina shoes. Her skin wasn't white exactly, but she wasn't all that dark: almost Spanish I'd say. Her face was a little sharp featured, and she had hard looking eyes, can't remember the color. She also had short black hair which was a little higher than shoulder length and a small blue synthetic orchid pinned to her hair.

She curtsied, "Good afternoon Mr. Allhew, how are you today?"

I stammered, "Who are you?"

She looked a little taken back, "Patricia Fwen, at your service."

I shook my head, "No, you're not Patricia. Who are you really and what are you doing here?"

She looked scared, "I... um..."

I panicked and ran up to her, "Do you work for my uncle?! How did you find me and why are you pretending to be Patricia?!"

"Please, don't hurt me, give me a chance to explain!" She shrank back a little.

I realized how loud I was yelling and took a step back. I nodded, "Fine, I want the truth though, I can't handle any more lies."

She nodded, regaining a confidence that surprised me, "Okay. My name is Starway Finn and I work for the Siris companion agency. Or

worked

I should say, because after this little stunt I'm never going to get my job back. A few days ago I logged onto one of the customer rosters without permission and saw your file. I've been wanting to go to Vale for a long time and thought it would be a great opportunity. The administrations girl accidentally left herself logged in, so I switched my information with Patricia's and kept the name. It didn't say anywhere on the file that you requested her directly, or even if you were a returning customer. I swear, if I had any idea that she was someone you knew, I never would have tried it... I'm sorry."

I took a moment to absorb what she'd told me, then replied, "I guess that makes sense but I'm suspicious of why you picked me in particular. There's a lot of guys in private shuttles heading to Vale, why me?"

She smiled coyly, "I thought you were cute, no other reason."

I blushed despite myself. I'll be honest; I don't have a lot of experience with women. Patricia is the only girl I've been with for years, and even then she wasn't the most socially engaging creature. As educated as I am, I have no way to combat this kind of woman, and I think she know it.

"So..." I said after another pause. "This leaves us with another problem."

"What's that?" she frowned.

"My uncle will be waiting to pick me up when we arrive in Vale. I can't let that happen."

"Why are you so scared of him?"

I studied her for awhile, "Can we sit down? I'm feeling dizzy."

She nodded and we made our way back to the couches. I sat down and pinched the bridge of my nose, "I guess I've got nothing to lose in telling you. Long story short, my uncle has spend a fortune on me and my education and is trying to force me to marry Patricia for political gain."

She frowned again, "Sounds complicated. Why doesn't he just cut his losses and let you go?"

"Its... a lot more complicated than that. I'm going to have to be more careful in the future if I ever get out of this situation. I didn't know I was going to be this easy to track down."

She nodded, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I looked up at her and furrowed my brow, "You? No, god, this is perfect! I'm stuck out here in the middle of space for six days with a prison waiting for me on the other side and a prostitute is asking me if I want help," I spoke out of fear, and I felt guilty as soon as it came out of my mouth.

She looked hurt at first them angry, "Look, I'm sorry you're in this position but that doesn't give you the right to insult me. Fuck you, rich boy! You have no idea what its like to worry about survival and real problems because you've never had any, except for maybe trying to find a way to pull out that silver spoon that's stuck up your ass!"

She stormed off into the bedroom she had come from and closed the door, leaving me with my guilt and fear. The thing was... she was right and I deserved it.

LOGGED

Journal entry: Trask Allhew March 05 2216 11:12 PM

I'll admit, I woke up this morning feeling guilty as hell. I rolled out of the ridiculously comfortable luxury bed and dressed myself. I had to pee of course, which meant that I had to make my way into the living area to make it to the bathroom. I braced myself and open the sliding door.

I peeked around the room and looked around: Starway wasn't anywhere to be seen. I sighed in relief and made my way to the bathroom. As I was taking care of business at the stand up urinal, I looked around the large room to distract myself from my thoughts. I looked at the shower more closely, damn it was huge. Thermal glass wrapped itself around the outside of its square area. It had dual shower heads lowered out of the ceiling, probably adjustable with a million different settings on that, plus wrap around benches and a table in the middle. I chuckled, I knew what that was for. There was probably a sauna feature as well, that would explain the benches. I finished up and washed my hands in the waterless sink, then slogged my way into the kitchen.

I had no appetite at all, and out of habit I mumbled, "Computer, make me some coffee, black."

Certainly Mr. Allhew, I currently have a wide selection of artisan blends. Would you like to hear the...

"I don't care, surprise me!" I blurted out in irritation.

Certainly Mr. Allhew, randomizing selection.

I waited at the integrated drink station and received my beverage a moment later. I sipped at it, barely tasting it although I'm sure it was delicious. I stood idly at the kitchen counter and wracked my brain about possible ways out of this situation. A few minutes passed before I heard a door slide open and Starway walked into the room. She was wearing one of the purple silk pajamas that came with the room and she was carrying a handful of other clothes.

She glared at me as she made stomped her way into the bathroom, her eyes looked puffy like she had been crying, "I'm taking a shower, feel free to come in and watch, I am just a hooker after all, that's why I'm here."

I opened my mouth to say something but she was gone. I lowered my head, disgusted with myself; I really needed to apologize to her. I realized something else too: what was going to happen to her when we arrived in Vale? All this time I had only been thinking about myself, but it was likely that she might end up in jail or worse. I felt my concern shift a bit off myself and finished the coffee. I walked over to the fridge and took a quick stock of what it contained. I pulled out some eggs, peppers and cheese and searched for a pan and knife. After finding a pan, I placed it on the induction heat pad and started chopping. Maybe fifteen minutes later, I finished making two omelets and placed them on the counter after plating them. A minute after that, Starway exited the bathroom in the clothes she'd been wearing the day before, and made a bee line for her room.

"Please wait," I heard myself say as genuinely as possible.

She turned to me sharply and her eyes went to the plates on the counter then back to me, "You've got some nerve if you think I'm gonna just..."

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed suddenly, not meaning to cut her off. "I'm really sorry about what I said, I didn't mean it. I'm just... scared. I deserved what you told me and you're absolutely right: I've never had to do anything for myself. I appreciate your asking me if I needed help. The truth is, I need all the help I can get, I've got no real friends, no real future and nothing that's mine. I'm sorry for yelling at you and I'm sorry I'm such a selfish ass."

I sighed and looked up at her hopefully. Her hair was wet and her face was a little red from the hot water, and it was then that I realized how beautiful she was. I dropped my eyes again, not wanting her to think I was staring.

I felt her walk up to the edge of the counter and couldn't believe how sweet she sounded as compared to last night, "Alright rich boy, I'll forgive you, but this omelet better be good."

The comment forced a smile out of me, "Thanks. It better be, I got an A in culinary arts."

She grabbed the fork and took a not so lady like bit out of the omelet, "You pass for now. Culinary arts huh? What else did you study?"

I frowned, "Everything basically. If you can believe it."

She looked up at me and spoke with her mouth full, something I was taught never to do, "Everything? Seriously? Like what?"

I shook my head, "I dunno, everything. The basic stuff, science, math, art, language. Political science, finance, anatomy, tech, mech, social studies, dance, music, martial arts, psychology, the list goes on."

I saw her eyes widen, "Now you're just jerking me around. You took all that? How? In such a short time no less?"

I went back over to the drink console, "I'm twenty four now, and I've been studying since I was four years old. Computer, give me another coffee, whatever you gave me last time."

Yes Mr. Allhew.

I heard Starway scoff, "Let me guess, you got all A's in those subjects as well?"

I cringed and replied meekly, "Yes."

Her face went flat, "You serious? Damn, what are you, some kind of perfect prodigy child?"

I grabbed my coffee and shook my head, "Yes and no. You don't really want to hear the story, trust me."

She threw out her arms, "We're in the middle of space with no way out of here. I'm stuck with you and vice versa. I'm all ears. Also, are you gonna eat that other omelet?"

I grinned and pushed the other plate over to her, "Well, I wasn't born normally, I was tank bred. I don't know the details to be honest, but I know that I was created to be as genetically perfect as a person can be."

She shoveled the second omelet into her mouth, "So, you're like a superhuman?"

I sipped the coffee, "No, not quite. I do know that everything about me was chosen. All my features, immunities and talents. Custom tailored to be the perfect son, perfect heir... perfect retirement plan."

Her eyes darkened, "I think I see where this is going. But, how long have you known about this? I get the feeling you're not entirely okay with it."

I took a big swig of the hot coffee, "I've known for about two weeks."

"So... you were raised thinking you were normal while everyone else hated you or was secretly jealous of your success."

"Bingo."

I saw her finish the omelet and couldn't remember ever seeing anyone eat so fast, "That's really sad, I can't imagine how that must feel. How did you find out?"

"I've been teaching myself to hack networks on the side, one of the few decisions I've actually made for myself. I have a shady acquaintance that gave me a few programs to tinker with, but I didn't think anything would come out of it. For the hell of it, I accessed my uncle's private files. I was just practicing at first, but I became increasingly suspicious once I discovered how many firewalls and passwords were on his system. When I finally got through, I wished I hadn't. There were files about his business, about me, and about what he planned on doing with me. He talked about me like a was a thing, a creature. I read as much as I could before I couldn't stand it anymore."

"And Patricia? Who is she? When I saw the look on your face yesterday I thought you might try to jump out the window into space."

"Patricia is... was, my fiancee. Another long story, suffice it to say that she didn't want to marry me but her political and social standings were forcing her to. That, on top of my new found knowledge of my past, have given me enough reason to leave and start from scratch somewhere."

"So, you thought you were going to be alone during this flight, which was why you were so surprised to see me or anyone aboard the cruiser," She said as she began toweling her hair.

"Exactly. More than that, it means my uncle will be waiting to pick us up when we get to Vale, except he won't be expecting you."

She nodded, "I've always been a variable factor, my whole life in fact. My mother should have named me wrench thrower."

I put my hands up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything bad by that, I just meant that you could get into a lot of trouble when they find out what happened. Aren't you worried even a little bit?"

She sighed, "No, not really. This is the first time you've ever done anything even remotely dangerous. My entire life has been like this since I can remember. By the way, what kind of corporate name is Trask Allhew?"

I laughed, "A corporate one. What about you: Starway Finn. Where do you get a name like that?"

She smiled, a gorgeous smile, "My mother was a delivery shuttle driver that had a reputation for being kind of loose. She died giving birth to me, I guess she was already sick when she got pregnant. The doctors recommended abortion, but she wouldn't have it. At least, that's how I know the story. I grew up on welfare programs, foster parents and then the street. You weren't wrong about me being a prostitute, I've worked as one since I was fourteen."

I felt the guilt well up in the pit of my stomach once more, "I'm sorry again for..."

She put her hand up, "It's alright, you don't need to keep apologizing. I have no reason to feel shame for what I did or what I am now; its what I had to do to keep from dying."

I nodded, "I wish I could relate to that. I've only recently begun to realize how naive I am, despite my studies and age. You can't study life though, its got to be lived. In most ways, I'm sure you're more educated than me."

She laughed, "That's flattering coming from a superhuman."

I grimaced, "You're not going to let me live that down are you?"

She shook her head, "Not for the next five days."

We talked all day about everything. She told me a little about her past, her interests and aspirations. Her dream is to open a florist shop and sell flowers that are grown naturally from dirt and not synthetically. It made me realize that I didn't have any aspirations of my own, which bothers me a lot given my age. She quizzed me about different topics, and shook her head incredulously every time I gave her an answer. She accused me of being perfect, I defended myself, and pointed out all my flaws to her. Its funny, but just making her laugh makes me happy. I cooked pasta for dinner and she said it was the best meal she's had in along time. I've told myself not to become interested in her, but I'm afraid I won't take my own advice. I keep trying to remind myself that she's a prostitute and that she does this for a living, but at the same time I can't get over the fact that she's trying to climb out of that life. She knows I don't have much money personally so I have no reason to doubt her intentions. Given that fact, she has nothing to gain from me. If I am to be honest with myself, she's the most interesting... and beautiful girl I've ever met. I have to try and stop thinking about her and focus on making a plan to escape my uncle once we dock. Five more days with this amazing woman... ALONE... and I have no experience with these things, god help me.

LOGGED

Journal entry: Trask Allhew March 11 2216 9:17 PM

It's been six days since I made a journal entry into my PDI, and I don't even know where to start. I suppose, for the sake of chronology, I should say it like it happened, but I'm not leaving anything out. This is my life, for better or for worse and I'm going to live it as best I can and try to make a way for myself. I cannot be ashamed of myself or my actions. As much as possible, I will try to take responsibility for myself, but I won't answer to anyone out of obligation.