The Stargazer Gift Shop

By Steve Soult

What would you buy at the Stargazer Gift Shop at the center of the galaxy?

Would you buy a soft drink, science kit, makeup, data disk, gumball, something else, or perhaps nothing at all?

While you are there, Rhoda will always be very happy to help you find the perfect gift.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Water Dragon Publishing
• Release date: Mar 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781957146331

Steve Soult

Steve Soult graduated with a BS EE degree from the University of Santa Clara. He then went to the Navy’s OCS in Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned as a US Naval Officer. During the Vietnam War, he was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Base. After his release from active duty, he attended the University of California at Berkeley on the GI Bill, earned an MS EECS degree, and was hired by IBM in San Jose.While at IBM, Steve received an Outstanding Technical Achievement Award and had an article published in the IBM Journal of Research and Development. IBM also paid the tuition for his MBA degree in Management from the University of Santa Clara. IBM began to downsize its operations in Silicon Valley after Steve had worked there for over 17 years. After surviving several rounds of layoffs, he decided to leave IBM and join Abbott Laboratories.Steve retired from Abbott Laboratories to pursue his lifelong interests in art, photography, and writing full time. He has three grown children who are all employed as engineers in Silicon Valley. He lives in Morgan Hill with his wife of 36 years, Susanne, and his dog, Snowy.Reviews (0)

Book preview

The Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy

The Stargazer Gift Shop

Steve Soult

Copyright © 2022 by Steve Soult

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, except for the purpose of review and/or reference, without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover design copyright © 2022 by Niki Lenhart

nikilen-designs.com

Published by Water Dragon Publishing

waterdragonpublishing.com

An imprint of Paper Angel Press

paperangelpress.com

ISBN 978-1-957146-33-1 (EPUB)

FIRST EDITION

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The Stargazer Gift Shop

Rhoda woke up an hour before the shop was scheduled to open. After rising from her chair, she left her tiny room, being careful to lock its door securely.

It’s always nice to be fully charged in the morning, she thought. That way I can get through the day without having to conserve energy.

She went behind the shop’s counter, turned on the light switch, pulled out a feather duster from the counter’s drawer, and walked over to the left side of the shop to begin her morning ritual. Taking a deep breath, she began humming her favorite tune, the Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. As she moved through the shop, she inspected each item and carefully dusted it in perfect time with the music.

With great care, she adjusted the position of a Corinth Space Station souvenir mug so that it was in precisely the right position on its shelf.

It always seems that my customers want to touch or pick up items, despite the fact that most of the time they are not interested in purchasing them, she thought. It must be a fundamental characteristic of their nature.

Next, she adjusted the position of a Stargazer Gift Shop souvenir mug.

Ah well, it does not do any good to complain about it. You cannot change a customer’s behavior.

Rhoda continued on, working quickly and efficiently with no wasted motion. When she finished the first section, she moved on to the second, and so on, until she was finished. After