Sophia formed a hollow with both her hands under the faucet in order to splash the water collecting in it onto her face. She had been stranded here for a standard core year with no rescue in sight. This dump of a space station was so rarely a port of call for ships that there had never been a way to get away from here. The woman watched in the faded mirror of the toilet of the dive where she carried her meager pay as the drops of water ran down her delicate face. Sighing, she brushed back a strand of orange-red hair that she had been tickling on her snub freckled nose and tucked it behind her right ear.

For a moment, Sophia's almond-shaped, emerald green eyes fixed the silver pendant depicting a star that hung around her neck in the dreary neon light. In her right calloused hand she clasped the amulet her sister, Theo, had given her before she left on board the Albatross.

What was I thinking? I wanted adventure, not crashing out in this one-room dosshouse for pittance. Why is everything so much harder? What's the point of my studies if nobody who has an ÜLA takes me with them? At that moment, the door to the ladies' room opened, allowing the previously muffled noise of the pub to pour in at full volume. Sophia gave a little start when behind her a lively female voice stood out from all the chatter and jazz music: "Get something to drink. I just need to wash my hands quickly.” She leaned back on the rusting steel sink as a bubbly young woman hopped to the sink next to her and turned on the water. Not paying attention to whether Sophia was listening to her, the small woman she only saw out of the corner of her eye babbled on: "Well, what brought you to the ward?" She began to wash her hands while she continued without giving the engineer a chance to reply. "We're here because Kev felt like grabbing one of the power lines. Didn't survive, but..." she cut herself off, pausing for a very brief moment before continuing, "Maybe that was just in bad taste, -sorry- but he wasn't particularly nice. He always called me little, the complete idiot."

Groaning exhaustedly, Sophia wiped the water from her face with the sleeve of her faded university hooded jacket before the engineer turned her tired eyes on her. The non-synthetic cotton fabric felt soft against her skin as she gazed at the young woman without really paying attention to her looks. She put on her most annoyed look she could control. That was just what she was missing: a buoyant young space traveler who was probably just as green behind the ears as Sophia herself. The blonde with the conspicuous violet strands didn't seem to notice any of this and shrugged her shoulders and continued to talk: "Well, now we're flying First of all without a drive engineer, but that..." The blonde interrupted herself again, only now she seemed to notice Sophia's facial expression. She eyed her counterpart with a smile as she said, "I'm annoying you, aren't I? -Oh, not again.” She slapped herself on the head while apologizing to Sophia. She waved it off because she had only been listening casually and could hardly remember what the young woman had said. "You don't look good at all. What do you think if I buy you something for the stolen nerves? I'm Elaria, but you can call me Ela,” said the young woman, with an insistently happy grin on her lips.

Sophia appraised her counterpart sullenly, from top to bottom. Sparkling steel blue eyes glared at the engineer from a round face that was completed by a pointed chin and blond hair. Her slight stature, as well as amazingly strong arms, were covered by a printed bodice. The engineer's eyes lingered for a moment on the fabric that displayed the ornate lettering: Seren'Sana, a drawn map and the phrase: Born of blood and sworn to victory with blood. What is Seren'Sana? Maybe this is one of those new music groups that are springing up like mushrooms everywhere? It doesn't matter... The young woman had a sky-blue hooded jacket tied around her waist over her gray jeans.

When she then gave Sophia an encouraging pat on her shoulder, she admitted defeat. Her wages were overdue anyway and she wouldn't be able to afford any more drinks. So she agreed with a shrug and followed Elaria into the crowded taproom of the pub. Flickering neon lights, on the verge of going out but holding up well, illuminated the main room. About twenty tables with four times as many chairs offered the thirsty customers enough space to drink in addition to two corner niches and a long counter with ten stools. As always at the end of the week, pretty much all the tables were occupied with chattering customers, so that it was difficult to understand one's own word, which of course only led to everyone yelling at each other in the end. She knew something like this from last year. The blond woman, whose face constantly wore an exhaustingly happy grin, led Sophia through the station's other machinists, business owners and service providers she had come to hate over the last few months, to one of the two corner booths.

In the corner alcove, upholstered in cheap red synthetic leather, sat a group that couldn't be more different. It was undoubtedly a spaceship crew, as they were usually a motley crew. At the right end, a short, stocky guy with auburn hair snuggled up to a tall woman in a lab coat who looked stern. A spunky-looking, lanky man followed, with her legs crossed on the table, and last on the far left, a graceful woman, sipping from a tin beer mug before giving Sophia a double-talking look with a wink.

She wore a scarlet colored dress with long flowing sleeves ending in black hems that flattered her muscular body. Two doe eyes shone in the middle of the narrow, caramel-colored face, framed by loose black hair and high cheekbones. A pendant of the same material hung from a silver chain around the thin neck. The engineer couldn't look away, as if the sight of this attractive woman would force her to stare. It took a few seconds for Sophia to be roused from her reverie by the said lady's voice: "Do you think I'll disappear if you look away?" devious? I can understand that, but you don't have to worry, because for a beauty like you, I'm happy to stay."

The blonde, whose name Sophia had forgotten again to her shame, undeterred waved her past the woman in the red dress before taking a seat on the engineer's right. Excitedly, she babbled on again, pointing to each person she was introducing, relieving Sophia of the task of finding an answer: "This is Ben and his wife Dr. Med. Winter, who only he is allowed to address by her first name, who is acting reckless, is Erik, then Elfie, you have just met her, and I am, as already mentioned: Elaria.” At the mention, the doctor twisted Elaria annoyed her eyes and then she turned to the astonished Sophia. "I didn't even ask you your name," the woman commented to herself, which made the engineer grin, although she didn't feel like it.

The woman in the red dress put her mug down before turning to Elaria: "Now let the good girl take a breath first, Ela." She pushed the half-full beer mug towards Sophia, which she gratefully accepted. Once again she failed her damned name memory, because she would have liked to remember the woman's name. "Thank you... my name is Sophia, Sophia Emilia Schreiber." Pretty much everyone at the table toasted her. Sophia sipped the beer, which tasted extraordinarily tart and at the same time watery - however that was possible. Her facial expressions slipped in disgust at not being able to keep them under control. Laughing, the pretty woman to her left patted Sophia on the shoulder as she commented, "It tastes like dishwater, doesn't it? But at least it serves its purpose. At least I hope that you get at least a little blue from it.” That woman in the lab coat turned to the engineer at that moment: “What is someone who studied in Thelmon doing on such a dump of the space station, if you allow me to ask?” With a smile the engineer looked down at the University of Thelmon logo that adorned her hooded jacket. “Married here a year ago. I was”, she interrupted herself so as not to reveal too much about herself, after all she didn't know these people, “on a freighter and I had a falling out with an officer. That's why they left me here."

At this point, the woman in red joined the conversation: "What position did you hold on the freighter?" Briefly, over another sip of the ghastly beer, Sophia considered telling that, but she decided that it couldn't hurt: "I was the lead OLA engineer, after all I studied thermodynamic propulsion systems and that with top grades." She put on a winning smile, which why not at least show off her academic achievements a little, out here in the fringe systems were worth nothing. She proudly showed off the university's logo in an exaggeratedly casual manner. Elaria squeaked excitedly at her words, but the woman in red motioned for her to be silent, saying, "Hm, you're perfect. Our captain needs someone for the engines. The OLA is pretty much idle, and none of us are keen on flying standard engines into Rangariy territory. What do you think about getting off this station?”

Sophia's heart skipped a beat with joy, and she completely ignored her destination. Exultantly, the engineer covered her mouth with her hands. "I thought so. You just have to convince the Black Wolf. Our captain, Arthur Liamson, is sitting over there.”, the officer commented with a grin before calling one of the waitresses over. Meanwhile, the blonde Elaria squeaked again, which ended in a giggling sentence: "Arthur will definitely take you with him. That would be great!” Sophia nodded and smiled, immensely irritated by the whole situation, but she had learned over the past few months not to question such opportunities too much.

Don't tempt fate when it offers you opportunities. Her gaze wandered to the man the officer pointed to. There at the far end of the bar sat a broad-shouldered man of about forty-one, with fair weatherworn skin, writing something on electronic paper. Sophia took a last sip of the watery beer before Elaria let her out with a cheer and she finally walked towards the captain of the spaceship. She kept repeating his name in her mind so as not to forget him.

The man didn't notice her as she sat down at the table with him. Apparently he was too busy with a crossword puzzle. First she looked at him more closely while the captain entered: ÜLA, as an abbreviation for superlight drives. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him writing next: Synthesis, for the process of creating new stuff. His angular, hard-featured face was partially covered by a mottled gray beard. On his body he wore a knee-length worn black cloth coat with a faded badge on the lapel. Underneath she could see a plain military uniform. His hands were in fingerless gray gloves and a hat lay on the table next to a steaming metal mug.

Eventually she took a deep breath to control her pulse and cleared her throat. Without looking up, the captain said, "23 horizontal... Essential component of an OLA." Confused by the man's words, she thought for a second before answering like a shot, "Thermo-hydraulic clutch..." The man grunted in agreement when he said that entered word. Then he put the pen aside and picked up the steaming mug.

"Well, Fraulein Schreiber, you wish to hire on the Tiefenbrecher?", he wanted to know from her, which led to Sophia asking him in astonishment: "How do you know that?" A gentle smile flitted across his face, that just as quickly driven away by its stoic features as it had emerged. In a serious voice, the man replied, "My second officer just texted me about this while I was working on this mystery. I take it you'd like to fill the vacancy as propulsion engineer on my ship?” He sipped thoughtfully from his mug before wiping his sleeve over his mouth.

"So it is, Captain Liamson, I'm an outstanding propulsion engineer who graduated from Thelmon University with top marks on Tolvin Three. You couldn't find anyone better than me within two parallax seconds. I've worked on all known drive systems and even worked on Rangariy technology. I am experienced in handling the tools and systems of my trade.

Also, I don't need a lot of space or luxury. A bed to sleep in is perfectly adequate for me. Hardly anyone can't get along with me and if someone doesn't like me, I treat them professionally. With all due respect… it would be… a big mistake not to take me with you,” she rattled off the lecture she had been rehearsing fanatically every night before bed for the last two months. The captain of the Deepbreaker grunted, nodded, and said the magic words: "I pay fifteen hundred kreal a month plus food. We're leaving tomorrow evening. I hope to see you then, Fraulein.” With the last words, he gave Sophia his hand, which she took, beaming with joy. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of him getting back to his crossword as she walked back to the other members of her crew.