sesh_khem

Another Path

Poppy Bol stood in line at the bank. The line was long and she was nervous. On a world where commerce was king, the lines were always long at the bank, especially for the working class.

She took a step forward as one more customer left the teller's window ahead. She fought the urge to tap her foot; it wouldn't do to draw attention to herself.

Poppy wasn't her real name, of course. It was the name her first long-term client had christened her. A human male who loved the popping sound her mouth made when she blew him. The name stuck. She shook her head at the memory. Fortunate enough to have never been sold into slavery, and lucky enough to have a half-decent manager, here she was standing in line at a bank scared to get her own money.

Her manager, Fetz, was a member of the Syndicate, and while he normally couldn’t care less about what she did with her money, this time there’d be trouble. She had another asset she needed to withdraw quickly: her daughter. Fetz seemed to think that when little Gaila reached legal age, she’d be his to employ as he chose. Poppy was here make sure that never happened.

She finally reached the teller and managed to stay calm throughout the transaction. She made the last of a series of withdrawals of seemingly random amounts. She walked unhurriedly out of the bank and made her way to the education center to pick up her daughter.

She’d put this plan in place long ago; she’d made friends in the right places and made arrangements only with non-Syndicate sources. Now, as long as the other parties stuck to the timetable, everything should work out.

“Hi Mama!” Gaila called when she spotted her mother.

Poppy held her arms open as the 6-year-old ran to her. She held her baby tightly. “Come on, honey. Let’s go home.”

They took the local tram back to their lodgings. As they entered the small apartment, Poppy saw the message light blinking. She got Gaila settled, sat at her desk, and hit the “play all” button on the comm.

“Poppy,” came the voice of Fetz, “Got a client for you. Some human from the Federation has requested you by name!” he grinned greedily. “He’ll be on Risa for a week and he wants you there. Call me.”

She sighed with relief. This might actually work. She hit “reply.”

***

Gaila lay asleep on the small bed in their tiny cabin on the transport to Risa. She’d been awestruck at the relative luxury, having no idea that her mother’s work took her into much larger and more luxurious bedrooms than this.

Poppy sat on the edge of the bed, watching Gaila sleep. In a little over a week, she’d send her baby off with strangers. Trustworthy people, but strangers nonetheless.

She quietly undressed and climbed into the bed next to Gaila, who reached for her mother in her sleep. Poppy gathered in her arms. Tomorrow they would arrive on Risa, where they’d spend a wonderful week together at the beach. She’d meet her contact and introduce him to Gaila, and let Gaila spend some time with him. Now the only thing to worry about was telling the child. She’d written a long letter explaining why she’d made this choice, and packed it, along with holos of the two of them and some favorite toys, in a box that she’d hand over to this Commander Pike.

When this was over, Fetz would certainly have her beaten, but not badly; she knew she was his biggest earner and there’d be no income from damaged goods. And he’d certainly wouldn’t want the Syndicate to learn he didn’t have total control over his employees. So he’d keep it quiet, and she’d keep working until she could buy out her contract. And when she did, she’d find her baby.

“Please,” she whispered into her sleeping daughter’s hair. “Please forgive me.”