Alyssum gazed out the window into endless space, waiting as it seemed like she always ways, for ships to come and go. This day it was a particular ship, but still she was waiting. With a deep sigh she looked down at the darkened deck of the Wunder Waystation, the leaves from the research garden shimmering in their false wind under the atmo-bub, and she wondered exactly how long she would be waiting.
Two days ago she had been ready; hair done, outfit picked, water wasted on a shower... Now her shoulder length blond hair was slapped up in a bun, she was in a dirty gray mechanic jumper, and she was anything but clean. She crossed her arms under her full breasts and it was cold enough in the flight deck that her nipples hardened even under the sports bra she wore with the suite.
"No luck yet, Button?" she started as her father's voice floated up behind her from below the flight deck. Robert Wunder was the captain of the Wunder Waystation but no one would know to look at him. He wore a roustabouts gray, with only a banded shoulder patch to give him all access to the different parts of the station and visiting ships, to indicate that he was anything other than a low level scrub. He liked to "look regular" to keep people treating him the way he liked.
"I wouldn't know what you mean, dad." Alys said sarcastically, frowning with a pout to go back to staring out the window.
"Get out of here- it will feel like even longer if you just stew on it." he came up behind her and patted her shoulder "Tera! Girl, you are freezing- how long have you been up here? Since last night?"
"Stop! Dad, I'm fine- I just don't want to miss his com." she shivered when she realized how chilled she was from her fathers warm hand touching her shoulder.
"I'll stay- you go! Go try and loosen up, or you'll scream at him as soon as he arrives and that's not the way to get me grandchildren..." he dodged an oncoming smack.
"Just shut up!" she said laughing "I'm going!" but she said seated at the com-console.
"It's no wonder you are freezing- did you want him to be too distracted to fight back when he landed?" he looked out the side of his eye at her outfit, a skin tight but heartily shredded and grimy mechanics jumpsuit with only a black sports bra under, and laughed.
"No really, shut the fuck up dad." Alys said laughing as she got up, "Really! And I'm not mad- I'm just making new plans for a new life on a far off distant planet where no one will ever find me. That's all."
"Whatever you say, Button." he said, dragging out the words and ducked just in time to miss getting smacked with an empty coffee bag as Alys stomped towards the decker.
Alys got into the decker and hit the series of numbers to take her to the hanging ObsDeck at the Waystation Academy on the opposite end of the station. She was headed to the observation deck to take her mind off watching...and to maybe keep watching.
Halfway down the station the decker came to a silent stop and opened, pulling Alyssum out of her inner monologue, and opened to let in two MilOp personnel in deep dark purple. All of the military crew wore a shade of purple- the darker the color the higher the rank, meaning that this particular set was up there and Alys stood up a little straighter.
She caught her reflection in the mirrors of the decker at the same time that the taller man did. He had dark eyes and dark short hair, an attractive face, but the way he looked at her was as if he were a starving man. He took the time to let his eyes settle on her body and she watched him take it in. He took in her thighs through the thick rips in her jumper, and when his gaze landed on her abdomen she wanted to pull the zipper shut to the top of the jumper. He himself had a band on his arm indicating how much status he had, so Alys remained silent.
He gave the good old eyebrow and shifted his weight enough to slightly elbow his companion and direct with his eyes at my body. He might as well have whistled, it wasn't subtle at all. The shorter man flushed, the embarrassment visible all the way up to his hairline. He had a band as well, but a singular color indicated the taller man had higher rank.
"Lookie Rush, isn't this your crush?" the taller man's voice was rich and handsome, even if his tone was clearly bullying.
"No, no, that's --" his stuttering voice was cut off,
"I'm sure of it! This is the pod you had your eyes on, talking all that--" he elbowed his friend again and turned those lascivious eyes back to Alys.
"Love being talked about as if I'm not here, it's my favorite..." Alys said before she could stop herself.
"Oh, you wanted special attention short range?" the still nameless taller man turned on her using a slur to talk about people who never left a waystation.
"Leave her be, Gainings." the blond Rush said with crossed arms "It's not funny."
"Shut up, Rush. She asked for my attention." he said, moving a step closer to Alys. "Her daddy can't do anything about us being here, can he?"
Alys bit her lips together and held her tongue as Gainings took another intimidating step towards her. So he did know who she was, and he was bent about it in some kind of way.
"Listen, I'm just working. Not looking for any trouble." Alys gave a beaming smile and pushed confidently past at the decker stopped at the academy level. She winked as she said "No rest for the short rangers!"
"I'm sorry about him." Rush said low as she stepped off the decker and into the hallway that fed into the different portions of the school. Alys gave a false salute to the shorter guy, but didn't make eye contact, and hurried into the dimly lit hallway. The door slid solidly behind her and she let out yet another sigh as she moved onward towards the open observation deck.
