Sunbucks Cafe

[Redon]

In recent weeks, Doug had found himself spending more and more of his evenings at Sunbucks on Fort Bush. Just one year back, he still used to work in a small planet-side security establishment on Manhattan, and rarely got the chance to fly out into space, not to mention doing so beyond the orbit of his home planet.

Now, things had changed. The new employment in space had a huge impact on his life and habits. No longer did he return to his rented apartment at night - one he had cancelled in exchange for a cheap room on Fort Bush by now - and no longer did he visit his mother Liz every day. Not that it was an impossibility, but the coffee bar had something more appealing, the feeling of something different. Somewhere between the cruel shifts and the laughable pay, he liked it. He was out in space, he had the exciting routine of an officer and was flying a fast ship all but his own. That was what he signed up for, after all.

And after a stressful day of chasing Liberty's scum, there was nothing better than to spend the evening with fellow officers in this cozy place that had almost turned into a third home. On many days, he could be found sitting in the very same spot, talking to friends, exchanging stories, drinking coffee. When there was nobody to talk to, he would always find a way to entertain himself with that tablet, be it Hoverball 820, Grand Theft Rhino or the newest issue of Snub Racer. It was only on his rest days now that he returned to visit his mother on Manhattan.