"For fucks sake!" Katla looked up from her drink at the bar where she was still trying to determine if the waitress was flirting or just doing her job. The woman who'd complained was clearly a bit tipsy and likely to be cut off soon. Her brown hair was cut helmet short, likely indicating her as a dock worker who worked in zero-g often considering the usual clientele of 'The Lonely Spacer'.
"What?" The exclaimer's friend was asking.
"My favorite net serial just went on 'hiatus'."
"So? Just wait for the writer to come back or something."
"Hiatus just means the author canceled it but doesn't have the tits to say so. They say hiatus, maybe give some messages indicating a return then just go all quiet. It pisses me off. At least if it was canceled there wouldn't be misguided hope." The frustrated woman put her face in her hands. "Right when it was getting good too."
"Wait. This better not be the one about that duck..."
"DR. VON QUACKERS!"
Katla returned her attention to the waitress as the woman went into a spiel about the significance of the title.
"That's Randa, she's a good sort but she gets way into some stuff. She one time brought a full-on whiteboard to explain one of those IAA cartoon shows to someone." The waitress explained, refilling Katla's drink. The bar was still fairly empty right before the shift change. "She's a good fuck if you're willing to let her talk at you a bit first."
"I think I'll pass," Katla said, "I'm more socially interested. I'm a bit new to the area."
"Where are you from?" She asked
"Asgard, I came here for work," Katla said, not technically lying.
"Ah, that makes sense, I almost had you pegged for a noble. Some of them like to slum here thinking we can't tell. You didn't look quite right for it though." The waitress said.
"How's that?"
"Your suit actually looks used." She was referring of course to the spacer suit Katla was wearing which was a common item for everyday wear in the station, she'd come from inspecting the new destroyer and giving the work foreman a heart attack when she'd insisted on doing an actual vacuum inspection. Particularly after she'd found something that needed fixing on the hull. Ryder had been onboard doing systems checks and you had a feeling the foreman had gotten a double helping of displeasure.
"Nobles don't use them?" Katla asked, feigning ignorance.
"If a non-working noblewoman went into the black the work chief would have a heart attack." The waitress said with a laugh, "The peers and dames who actually had to get a real job are one thing but can you imagine a ship captain or something?" The waitress shook her head in amusement.
"Might as well make it a Commodore," Katla added
"Oh they would never allow that." The waitress said, "I mean, I guess they couldn't stop someone like that if they insisted but can you imagine being the person who has to tell the work chief a Commodore went out?"
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