Frost and Frontiers by Jessica Payseur

Author:Jessica Payseur [Payseur, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2017-11-25T05:00:00+00:00

Orbits

The accommodations were far better than Ruby had hoped, three hundred fifty square feet of living space complete with a stunning view of the Earth through the nearly floor-to-ceiling window on the far wall. The door shut behind her as she entered, her bags already sitting on the couch which took up the space beneath the window. Directly above her was a loft where she would sleep. The rest of the living space was sparse, meant for her to fill.

She crossed to the couch, pushed a bag to the floor, and sat. Raft was the first orbital colony in existence, a dare to the universe and a prayer for the human species. At fifty-one, Ruby had hardly dared hope she would live long enough to experience a breakthrough such as this, and now here she was, a functioning part of the Raft colony. Earth looked gorgeous out the slowly orbiting window, a view Ruby doubted she would ever find mundane.

A glance at her empty kitchenette made her stand.

“Ready to explore, doctor?” she asked herself, moving back to the door. The sight of her pale, slightly wrinkled skin as she placed her hand on the latch made her pause, then laugh. This was exactly where she wanted to be.

* * * *

There was less gravity in the marketplace and Ruby stood adjusting for a few minutes, taking in the multi-level shopping area with one long glance. The pictures and videos sent back to Earth really didn’t do the place justice. Spanning a large section of the very center of Raft, the marketplace was a hub of activity. The noise was loud and excited, like the din in a popular mall, and Ruby allowed herself to be caught up in it. She decided she would wander first, see what the place had to offer, before picking up a few supplies.

She bought a coffee in a degradable cup and walked, taking in the variety of restaurants, the retail shops. The marketplace was very much like a mall in a way, with the exception of the various services scattered throughout: a dental practice, an optometrist office, a veterinarian. Raft thrived on the swell of scientists sent to keep it running and the wealthy people who invested in the colony—Ruby had heard their living spaces were even more impressive than her own.

As she passed the veterinary practice, a woman and son pushed past her, what looked to be a Savannah cat in the boy’s arms. Ruby stepped aside for them, though she doubted they paid her much notice.

“It had better not be Dr. Barrett’s day off,” the woman, white, middle-aged, and pinch-faced, was saying. The boy, about twelve Ruby guessed, glared.

Ruby doubted it was the same Dr. Barrett, but her heart fluttered for a moment all the same. The memories she had…she smiled to herself and lingered, finishing her coffee. She’d had a lot of lovers over the years, but there was one who would always hold a special place in her mind. She wouldn’t

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