Ari shifted in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. She hadn't expected a free meal and secretly it made her a little nervous. You know what they say, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
But then again, these were fellow Junkers. She let out a sigh and her shoulders finally relaxed.
"I'm a scrounger. I go from system to system looking for wrecks to salvage and sell. This last time, though was a little rough." She takes another swig of beer just as the food arrives.
"I was out in the Texas radiation cloud. I had hoped that there were wrecks in there that nobody had discovered, and I was counting on my ships higher stores of nano-drones to get me in and out in one piece." Ari takes a bite of bratwurst and continues.
"The short of it is, I found several wrecks, but most of the gear was either obsolete technology or corroded from the radiation. And of course, I didn't keep a good eye on my nano-drone stores because I was too intent on my scanner. I just about became a new wreck for other Junkers to find."
She shakes her head and tries some of the mashed potatoes. "This is delicious, by the way."
Alycia smiled warmly. "Why thank you. Cook's been trying some new recipies lately. I'll be sure to pass along your compliments."
There was a moment of silence as both women continued to eat.
"Do you mind if I inquire about your tattoos?" Alycia grinned. "They're quite the statement."
Ari's entire body visibly tensed and she stopped eating. There was an awkward pause. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... to upset you. I was just curious."
"No, it's alright." Ari sighed. "Ever heard of the Crucible? Slaver ship. Run by slaves to catch slaves. The crew are all former slaves that were caught by the Crucible and promoted by the captain. Anyone, slave or crew alike, that is caught trying to leave is executed. This..." She gestured to the tatoos on her face, "is their way of marking their slaves. Frakkin hard to run away and disappear when you've got a neon sign all over your mug."
"I'll be right back." Ari stood up and walked briskly for the women's room.
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