Rain Check

“Ah well. Sounds like that’s something that will have to be taken care in therapy! Look forward to that in 20 years kiddo.” Blackfire mocked as she spun towards the air lock, walking with a spring in her step “I’m off to party.”

“Really do sound like my mom.” Layla muttered as turned back toward the kitchen, head down cast.

Blackfire just gave the child a slight finger wave goodbye from the other side of the door. Ah this was what she wanted; No 'husband', no annoying child, and all the energy she wanted. Shame it wasn't somewhere she knew.... though that could also be a bonus; no one would kick her out of any establishment out here in the sticks.

It was going to be a fun night, so long as there was one club on that station. Nothing could stop her now.

Tap tap tap

Durza shook his lizard like head, making the parchment like substance covering his face fall to the ground. Contraband mags were easier to hide from his bosses than cyber surfing. He shook his head before looking around for his partner Ruga, wondering why he was woken up from his quick nap cycle. He still had time to rest given it had been a slow shift all day.

Ruga was there, on the other side of the small if long room, working at panels and cogitators. The pair were but one of many set up on the station dedicated to answering hails and calls from incoming and out going ships. The automated systems took care of most things, but several answering ports like this dotted the station. Their job was to provide better answers or directions if the AIs couldn’t.

In short for human terms; their job was a mix of traffic control and customer service.

Today it had been rather slow, save for one big convoy coming in early on their shift and another one slated for later. So Durza had nodded off for a quick rest cycle. But his companion was still working, and if Ruga hadn’t woken him up, what did?

Tap tap tap.

That sound again. But that couldn’t be the case, it came from his right side and over there was nothing but the viewing glaaaaaaasssssss…..

The lizard like creature’s purple skin started to turn blue as his scaled head fins shrunk down near his scalp.

It was a person, some Alien of arace he didn’t recognize, wearing clothes that clearly didn't defend her from what was around her. Just out there, in the vacuum of space, tapping at the glass. Well highly durable crystalized plastic… blah blah Durza wasn’t an engineer or crafter. Point was, that was not a sight that should be happening. He'd heard of some races that could survive in a vacuum but to just float over to the viewing panel like this? Without any kind of proportion?

“Hey. You. Navigator right?” came a voice that was curt sounding but at the same time, had a smoothness that drew his attention.

The orange figure was speaking into something on her… looked like her hand appendage. When she did so, Durza heard a voice in his receiving equipment. Even with that and the translator, he could feel the mixed tones of her voice when she asked again.

“Errr yeah…., I am… I mean… cough” the lizard had to try and compose himself a bit, straightening his suit just a bit to try and look more presentable before continuing.

“This is Com station Alpha 21, what is the nature of your… well visit today?” Durza asked, putting on his best ‘How can I help’ tone.

“Ah good this works.” The figure said, a grin appearing on its mouth. It didn’t seem like a pack hunter like some other races Durza had seen but those teeth sent a shiver down his spine.

“Listen I have a question and figured just asking in person would be faster” the figure held up its other hand before a hard light image expanded from said hand.

Seemed to be emitting from some gem it had stitched into it's clothes. Said image looked to be a rough approximation of the station and surrounding repair yards.

“What’s the safety range around the station. Another words, how far away do I have to be before I can fire off weapons or vent some excess energy without getting into trouble?” The figure asked, pointing at the rough map.

“Errr, how much…” Durza asked, hand scratching the top of his head.

“Oh… maybe a small fission generator’s worth…, or if you know about some of those harmonic crystal generators…, maybe three of those? It’s not in any danger of exploding right now, but kinda have an energy feedback cascade. New engineering crew…” the orange figure said with a strange motion of its shoulders(?).

“Err right one moment…” the lizard said as he pulled up data and crossed referenced it.

If this alien needed to vent that much energy, it would need plenty of space. At least enough to make sure said discharge didn’t interfere with any ships coming or going. Had to find a section of space that wasn't going to be used any time soon. He quickly found a section of space off away from expected travel routes.

“Err right, this sector right here should be fine.” Durza muttered as he highlighted an area of space on the figures map. A bright red circle opened up towards the bottom side of the map, “No one is due to come in there for another few days so should be fine. If you’ll wait for an escort…”

“No need, that'll just slow me down. Thank you.” The figure said with another toothy grin and a motion with her hand before drifting out of sight from his view port.

It had happened so fast and sudden, the tech didn’t know what to think. His grand-broodma had told him about alien specters that tempted men but, was that one of them?

“Hey uh… Ruga, did you hear any of that?” He called, spinning in his chair to look at his partner.

“Hmm what? Sorry, big convoy coming in, been kinda been focused.” His companion replied, not looking up, “why what happened?”

“Just… do me a favor…, could you monitor energy levels from this location?” He asked as he went over the coordinates over. The same he’d given that alien seconds before.

Moments later, he was pretty sure he saw a large orb of energy appear off in the distance of space. Right where he expected but that size was…, unnerving. And when his companion showed that whatever happened out there cracked three sensors, he was considering putting in a transfer.

Layla sat doodling in one of her coloring books, kicking her feet mindlessly as she sat on the tall stool chair. Wasn’t fair, she gets a whole new mom, teleported to a space ship, and she just was told to sit here. And her new mom was as mean as her current mom. Well…, this one blew things up rather than just screaming… was that better or worse?

“Meanie stupid…” the blonde muttered as she took a cookie from the bag she found.

Her father let her have sweets, just not many. Her mom and step dad didn’t care, in fact her mom ate more weird things when mad or sad. A lesson the young girl had learned even if unwittingly. The guilty pleasures of food when feeling bad.

Layla opened her mouth to bite into the snack, only for a strong grip to rip it away from her hand. Her precious snack was gobbled up before her eyes.

“You know, those aren’t good for you. Geeeze what have you been learning from my sister, really now.” Blackfire groaned as she rolled her eyes and leaned back into her own chair stool.

Wait Blackfire was back? Already? But she was off to have fun right? Why was she back already? And what was up with her clothes?

“Did someone set you on fire? Or did an oven blow up on you?” Layla asked, tilting her head a bit and giving a small cough.

Blackfire’s eye catching outfit was maybe a little more eye catching than before… for completely different reasons. Several scorch marks and burnt holes were dotted across her clothes. In fact her jacket, which was now zipped up to her neck, looked like a lost burnt cause with the sleeves completely burnt away just above the elbow. Honestly she looked more like someone that lost a fight with a BBQ pit than someone looking for a night on the town.

The alien princess just gave a shrug at the little girl's confusion, like what she was wearing was the most common thing in the world.

“Oh please, Fire doesn’t burn in space. It needs air.” Blackfire quipped back in answer, her hands draping over some of the damage, “These are plasma burns.”

“…. Yes there is a difference.” She added when the girl’s confusion didn’t leave her face. Blackfire gave a long sigh, wondering how to explain Plasma to her beyond just 'very very hot fire'.

“Why am I even here?” The alien thought.

She was supposed to be partying, drinking down the best liquor she could find, moving to music, finding a thick stud or three for a private party. That was the plan, that’s what she wanted to go and do. Then the nagging started.

Not from the human child, but from withing Blackfire herself. Something nagging at the edge of her mind, kinda gnawing at her expected excitement. A feeling that tugged her towards that observation post rather than the entrance of the station. This dumb feeling is why she had quickly gone off and did a large burst of power than her original plan. Sure, Blackfire still felt a buzz, but it was much more subdued now. Besides this nagging feeling was WAY more annoying than the extra energy buzzed like feeling she had.

Was…, was this guilt? Or concern?

"Pfff noooooo. I discarded those long ago.” Blackfire thought as she observed the little human, “Squirt needs to understand some things and I’m just… investigating.”

“So…” Blackfire said, her grin widening like a cat finding a new toy, “Why compare my most perfect and wonderful self to… your mother of all people?”

“Well… you both hate me…” Layla started as she nibbled on another cookie she had pulled out.