The Space Between

Chapter One

Tessa stepped off the transport ship with just her guitar, her bag, and few credits she had managed to get away from Chi-Omega station with. She made her way to the customs and visitor check point hoping that she would be able to get a work visa for this station, Genoa Station.

Over the last few years she had been moving from station to station pulling small cons and working as a musician. She had never really shown up on anybody's radar since the guys she usually conned were either married or military. She had made a point to stay within those terms since military men couldn't marry till they fulfilled the service expectations and married men were not big on calling out their own indiscretions.

That was until she had landed her mark on Chi-Omega. The particular gentleman she had chosen was married, but he was also part of the Flotilla Cartel, named this because of their large number of spaceships and their ability to navigate the universe without being caught. Tessa had only just begun her con when she realized that she was in over her head and her mark had his own plans for her.

She had just enough time to get away before he would have had her on his own transport ship headed to an outer part of the galaxy to be sold into lord knows what kind of servitude. Tessa smiled as she thought about him finding her room empty except for a note that said, "See you on the flipside."

Moving closer to the front of the line, Tessa rehearsed her story she would give the immigration official. She was just a musician coming to Genoa station to find work in the entertainment district, which was one of the best in the galaxy. She planned to hide in plain sight. Lay down some roots of sorts and maybe pull a small con here or there to subsidize her income.

"Id and travel papers." The immigration official said as Tessa approached the window.

Tessa handed him her papers, the stamps in her travel passport were many, as she had jumped from station to station for years now.

"I'm Tessa Porter. I'm looking for work as a musician." She said with a smile.

"Do you have a contact at this station or job set up?" The unwavering official said as he shuffled through her papers.

"No, but I am very resourceful and have been on many stations. I usually find work within the week." Tessa smiled again to no avail.

"I'll grant you a thirty-day visitor's work pass. If you obtain gainful employment you will have to report to the immigration office within the station, deck nine, and report this. They will then begin processing your paperwork for immigration and station status. This will cost 300 credits." The official looked up for the first-time expecting payment.

Tessa pushed forward her credit com, a communication device used to store a person's credits. Three hundred credits would leave her with very few credits to find a place to stay.

"That is fine." Tessa managed to squeak out as she let go of her credit com.

The official ran her credit, handed her papers with a stamp in her book noting the date and that she was on a thirty-day worker's pass. She was given an id badge that indicated she was a musician, meaning that was the line of work she could take. It had the picture from her passport and her name on it.

"You must keep the pass with you at all times and show if you are ever asked by station officials to identify yourself. Have a nice day...Next." The official said as he shoved her paperwork at her and indicated he was ready for the next person in line.

Tessa gathered up her stuff and headed towards the shuttle that would take her to the entertainment deck of the station. There was no use wasting time on finding lodging if she didn't have a job to pay the rent. Humming to herself, she boarded the shuttle and waited for deck fourteen, the Pleasure Dome as it was referred to by locals. This deck housed anything from bars to brothels to virtual reality dens.