Hello cowgirl in the sand

Is this place at your command...

Sand and dirt, everywhere. Grit. Its in my hair. Its in my teeth. Its in my eyes. And I love it.

I'm feeling torqued up and ready for action. Thing is, I really need to get out of here unnoticed.

Nothing to stop any of the fine settlers down in that what passes for a settlement from deciding they'd like to keep me for some reason or other. It ain't like there's many women there, in fact other than the dancers, I only saw one, and she looked mean as all getout.

...

I can't believe I slept all day. I mean, I've been asleep since a short time after straight up midnight, and it looks to be about five or six now, sometime early evenin' anyway. I ain't sure, to tell the truth, what day it is. I think its Tuesday, but it could be Wednesday. Or even Thursday. The past few days are somewhat of a blur. I can't seem to think straight sometimes.

I know that tonite I have to get down to the 'local scene' and see if I can talk to Nack and Lo..no, not Nack. I meant a...what's it called. Cargo police. No..pilot. I need to find a way to Eavesdown Docks, or any place on Persephone. That's where I live. My parents must be wondering wh..no, that's not right. I don't live with my parents. I live at where they used to live and work. At the Zhangsun Family Annex and Diplomatic House. My name is x0x0 Zhangsun, and I live in Downing, on Persephone, and I'm just wantin' to get home.

I will go down there as soon as I get some nourishment. Just a little, not a full meal worth. I just need a taste of it to get me thru the feelin out the locals ahead.

...an hour later...

Ok, here I go.

and here I am....

.........several hours later, around 2 a.m....

I think I met my way out of this place tonite. Quiet guy, over in a far corner of the local saloon, lookin' about as hard as steel but with questionin' eyes. He came in about midnight. I heard a couple of the locals talkin' about how hes in every so often with varied small 'cargo' items, some of which he unloades to other merchants who happen to stop in at just the right time and the right place....and other cargo that no one dare discuss.

That cargo he picks up out in the middle of the big mountain out by where I been camping and transports it to Persephone, Hales Moon and wherever his cargo needs to go. Don't matter to me what he picks up, as long as I can hitch a ride with him. Talked to him about 10 minutes, the first 8 of those being small talk and my buying him a drink. Last two minutes we arranged the price, pickup and payment.

Tomorrow night, midnight, we meet up here. If he ain't here, I'm to wait for him and if I ain't here, he'll take off without me. Sounds like every good Captain I've ever known, so I'm in. Payment is half now -with now bein' when I board the ship, but before we take off-and half when he drops me off.


Only thing, I ain't going to Eavesdowne Docks. I was really hoping for Persephone, but it seems its Hales Moon or nothin'. He said Hale's Moon was the only place he was headed and he didn't intend to make no detours. Since he has the fastest ship I seen come or go since I been hidin out in the sand, I figure it's still a good deal. ...

One thing was kind of weird, though. He had a newspaper with a 'missing' ad in it, and it was about me. I can't imagine who would have reported me missing, as everyone that I know knew I was going. They may not have liked it, but they knew. So why 'missing'? Oh I hope my family isn't involved in some kind of hunt for me. That would not be good.

But how would they even know I was not around? Anyway, he didn't recognize
me from the picture, what with my hair cut and blue and all. But last thing I
want is some smuggler knowing I have . He didn't ask any questions, and I didn't
volunteer any information. Just said I wanted to go for a ride, where was he
headed.

...

I'm makin camp closer in to this 'settlement' tonite. I'm feelin really tired. I brought in enough food to make it all the way back to civilization - left a few things back in the mountains, but really needed to lighten up this backpack a bit. Don't imagine anyone's going to 'inspect' it on the way out of here, so the weaponry should be fine - and, almost forgot, the catalyzer Shadobroker said he buried, he didn't bury. He's as lazy as ever. I found it with a 'for sale' sign on it at a junk dealers on the other end of this place. So, looks like he scouted out this place pretty good before this whole thing went down, all the way to finding a place he could sell off whatever he could beg, borrow or steal.

...

You know, he ain't even an honest smuggler.

...

But that's done and overwith. Tomorrow night, midnight, back at the Saloon. Meet up with Captain Ooragnak, ride out to his ship (that's his horse in the photo), and head for civilization. Heh, I never thought I'd call Hale's Moon 'civilization', but guess that shows how one's perspective can change.