The Adventures of Tammy Grace Federhousen

Chapter 1: The Assignment

Tammy Grace wasn't going to do it again. After her last bad idea landed her jobless and back at her parents' home, she'd promised her mother no more scheming. That meant she wasn't supposed to be in the alley offering to deliver a package for the strange purple eyed man, before her. But, he was offering her a free ticket off world. Come on! When was free ever bad?

Speaking of free. Sigh. She just remembered promising her father she'd com him if she ever heard about a free deal. She suspected that had more to do with him being cheap than looking out for his baby girl's safety. Baby girl her ass! At her age, she begged him to stop calling her that. She was beginning to get a complex.

Okay shit, she had to focus. The purple eyed man, who refused to give his name, was now looking around nervously. She couldn't figure out why. No one was around, they were in an abandoned alley after all.

"Miss?" Purple eyes pushed her for an answer.

The problem was she had an embarrassing situation stopping her from taking the offer. Reluctantly, she admitted, "I don't have a travel ident." Purple eyes looked at her as if she'd sprouted horns. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "You are of age, right?"

And there it was. The reason for her shame. Almost every Earthers obtained their intergalactic travel identifiers shortly after reaching majority. It was a rite of passage for everyone. Well everyone without cheap fathers, like her's.

While most received travel identifiers and a ticket off planet for their eighteenth birthday, Tammy Grace did not. For her eighteenth birthday her father proudly announced, "Why should I pay for a chip you'll never use?" He shoved a bottle into her hand and proudly proclaimed, "Here your first beer." Patted her on the head and left for work.

Tammy Grace squared her shoulders, fighting the impulse to hide under a rock.

"Yes. I'm actually twenty-nine."

Scrutinizing her as if trying to find some phantom marker proving her 29-year-old status he nodded. Seemingly satisfied with his findings he again attempted handing her the ticket. "The ident won't matter for this trip. Just deliver and return. Layovers less than two hours require no idents."

Of course! Why didn't she think of that? Probably because her father was a cheapskate. That's why.

"Great, I'll do it." Finally in her hand a chance to leave Earth. She didn't have to pay for the trip and from the sounds of it she'd be gone for less than 36 hours. What could go wrong?

"Where is the package?"

Purple-eyes smiled as if relieved as he explained the package would be dropped off once it was ready. Then the ticket would be activated. Tammy Grace provided her home's location indicator, headed home to await the package and figure out how to get passed her overprotective father.

Now, how was she going to explain this all to her father? Knowing he wouldn't be happy to hear his baby girl was going off world alone she needed to figure out a way to calmly let him know. Good thing her mother wasn't around to hear about this one. By the time she got home, the only idea she came up with was avoidance. Sneak in and sneak out and possibly call him once she got to Dragos Station 892.

Yes, avoid that was a great plan. Quietly walking into her room, she began prepping for her trip. Of course, as if opening her travel bag set off some type of overprotective-father-alarm, her dad began bellowing for her from somewhere in the house, "Baby Giiiirl?!" Ugh, when would he stop calling her that?

Stealing herself for the impending conflict she called, "My room." Her back was to the door but she could tell he was at her room as he was yelling again. "Where are you going? What are you doing?" Turning she saw him waving her ticket in his hand. Shoot, she probably shouldn't have left the ticket at the front door table. She needed to get better at her sneaking in and out skills.