<div align="center"><strong>-=the stowaway – aboard the Gamble, Eavesdown Docks – cockpit=-</strong></div><br/>Never in her imaginings could the stowaway have anticipated that there were no locks or security on the computer before her. She’d only hoped to find a destination in mind, maybe the last reported announcement before the pilot had left the bridge. Instead she had a simple shutdown to overcome and the bridge could be teeming with electric life, worlds opened up to her, knowledge and headings and history all there for the learnin’. She slid unfamiliarly into the starboard chair, touched a single button, and smiled into the welcoming glow of a screen already loading with standard statistical info about air quality, fuel amount and registry. However, it was the blinking new information that drew her attention first.<br/><br/>One small uploaded file blinked in the corner, the advertised next destination:<strong>Bernadette</strong>. She could have cried from relief. A straight shot to Bernadette would bring her within the perfect staging ground for her resettlement onto a border planet. Even without proper identification, she could probably trade her work and skills for time aboard a cargo ship to Whittier or Aberdeen. Hm, if only she knew just what her work capabilities and skills were exactly.<br/><br/>Ready to laugh and dance and sleep all at once, the girl shunted aside her fears for the future and took care of the now. She could keep an ear out for the crewmembers and possibly take a shower before moving into a secure place for her rest. So many hours to sleep through! She was giddy with the prospect of her safe recovery. Patting the ration of whatever it was in her pocket, she grinned, turning off the view screen and accompanying readouts without paying much attention to them.<br/><br/>Swinging out of the chair, she leaned to replace it to the angle at which she’d found it. Thinking quickly about the advantages that just fell into her lap, she wondered about more clothing and if she could risk another grab at some. She found no enjoyment in being filthy – it was all of necessity that she’d gone this long without caring more for her hygiene. Blending in with the unwashed and unnamed crowds had worked before but aboard ship, her very scent could rouse suspicion much less detection of her presence. Before taking a chance at the shower, she would need replacement footwear and bottoms – at least a skirt or pants or (Buddah forbid) another lumpy jumpsuit.<br/><br/>A thrill raced through her at the memory of the names she’d heard when hiding at the edge of the cargo bay… several were female. There must be some variance of clothing choices then, maybe even a fit for her curvy build. But the washer and dryer area was just outside the infirmary. How could she ensure that no one inside the infirmary or just passing by would see her at that area again?<br/><br/>She opened the bridge hatch, sneaking a peak out before stepping through it. Letting the door close without a backward look, she ducked and hugged the wall again, avoiding looking over the rail into the cargo bay lest someone below be looking up. Quickly retracing her steps to the shower near the operations room, she jumped inside and secured the door. One quick rinse over herself with whatever scraps of soap were around would keep her for a while. At least she could imagine herself being clean that way, even if her preference would have been to enjoy a hot soak for an hour, surrounded by bubbles. Bubbles? When had she ever seen a… Ouch! She grasped the sides of the tube, holding herself upright as another piercing headache started up.<br/><br/>Memory… something about her<em>jing tian dwohn di</em>headaches were related to her memories. How? Was she officially<em>feng le</em>? Why did they occur and how could she stop them? Falling back against the wall to undress as the water started up, she placed the proudly won foil of food aside, safely out of the way. Stomping the nasty jumpsuit and socks into a pile, she was more careful about the T-shirt, it being clean and soft. Laying it over the towel hook, it didn’t occur to her to wait for a towel to begin her shower. Stepping under the spigot, she slid a hand toward the controls, incapable of waiting for a perfect temperature. She lifted her open mouth to the source, scrubbing everywhere she could reach. Willing her headache to abate for just another 5 minutes, she scraped what she could of the soap remnants from an inset holder and cleaned her hair somewhat. Feeling much more confident about things, she smiled and made certain her face was scrubbed before turning off the water.<br/><br/>Next… oh yes… usually next meant a towel or some version of drying off, hmmm… Standing inside the coffin-like shower stall, her ears grew sensitive to the musical drips her body and hair let off due to Persephone’s natural gravity. She reached for her jumpsuit, just about ill at the thought of pulling it back on. In fact, why do so? If she were going to be discovered aboard at this point, would it be so different if she were found disheveled and undressed rather than suspiciously dirty? At least she could feign some bunkplay with one of their crewmembers if she had to… smirking at the T-shirt and the adorable innocent figures upon it. Nodding to herself, she winced at the headache waiting to regain her attention. She pulled the T-shirt on, wriggling inside it to wipe most of the moisture from her upper body. Wondering how best to dispose of the ruined garments, she picked them up into a tight ball remembering the galley’s disposal system.<br/><br/>Leaning to the door, she listened beyond the metal, praying not to meet anyone outside. Just as well that she had. Steady footsteps at the end of the corridor – not in a hurry or extremely heavy but close enough to have given her a fright. Someone used a hatch to enter a room on the starboard side. Then, silence. She waited her customary count of 200 before grabbing her food packet, opening the door and ducking immediately to her left. Utilizing the escape pod corridor, she listened at the hatch to the common room and galley again before opening it and rushing to dispose of her old clothing.<br/><br/>*****<br/><br/><em>Jing tian dwohn di</em>= earthshaking<br/><em>Feng le</em>= loopy in the head<br/>