Farewell Gift: A New Era, #2

By Eva Holmquist

A New Era – Near-future science fiction

The spaceship Rimor heads out into interstellar space. The first to leave the solar system. Big as a small city, self-sufficient, and using rotation to simulate gravity.

Bojana boards the spaceship to escape her past. A new place, a new life, a new identity.

But an amber colored pendant threatens her new life and forces her out of hiding.

Is it possible to start anew on a spaceship heading out into interstellar space?

A science fiction story about new beginnings and a past that doesn't let go.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eva Holmquist
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9789188381682

Book preview

DESCRIPTION FAREWELL GIFT

A NEW ERA – Near-future science fiction

It's a hundred years into the future and humanity has reached the stars. There are colonies within the solar systems and the first ships are sent out into the galaxy.

The stories in A New Era series follows those individuals that experience the start of a new era.

The spaceship Rimor heads out into interstellar space. The first to leave the solar system. Big as a small city, self-sufficient, and using rotation to simulate gravity.

Bojana boards the spaceship to escape her past. A new place, a new life, a new identity.

But an amber colored pendant threatens her new life and forces her out of hiding.

Is it possible to start anew on a spaceship heading out into interstellar space?

A science fiction story about new beginnings and a past that doesn’t let go.

The second novella in A New Era series.

FAREWELL GIFT

BOJANA STOOD IN the line waiting to board the spaceship Rimor that was heading out into interstellar space. A new place, a new life, a new identity.

Just what she needed.

It was chilly, and she’d got goose bumps. A strange smell permeated everything. The acrid tang of burned metallic filled the tunnel leading from the shuttle to Rimor. She wrinkled her nose. It was not unpleasant in itself, but the unfamiliar smell made her nose itch.

Air conditioning hummed in the background. The thrumming of engines made her tense. Her shoulder-blades were tight, and it was hard to turn her head. The rise and fall of voices didn’t help matters.

Her banana pancake breakfast had transformed from sweet deliciousness to a foul-tasting layer covering the inside of her mouth. It made her feel like a nobody with a slow mind and nowhere to go.

But she’d made sure she looked just like an ordinary middle-age woman with her long black hair cut short and dressed in an unassuming yellow blouse and black trousers. Nobody would recognize her.

She hoped.

The shuttle had docked alongside the large ship, but it was impossible to see the exterior of the ship. She’d hoped to see it while boarding, but the only thing she saw was the retractable tunnel, made of a material that looked like plastic, leading from the shuttle to the Rimor. The material was probably something else, much more durable than plastic.

There were many people trying to get ahead in the line, but she didn’t protest. No need to stand out. She waited patiently—appeared to, at least—with her stuffed bag on her shoulder. All the stuff for her new store had been transferred onto the ship earlier. She’d only brought her personal belongings.

At the head of the line, a young man spilled his baggage all over the place. Some girl helped him gather it all up. The steward seemed to hurry him along. During their conversation, the girl took her own bag in one hand and a bonsai tree in the other and stepped back to make room for a family who seemed to be in a hurry.

The mother had a small child on her hip, bellowing his discontent. By her side, a small girl had her thumb in her mouth and a firm grip on her mother’s trousers. The father was squatting and talking to an older boy with a scowl on his face.

Bojana was so happy that it was just her. She couldn’t imagine how it would be to bring small children aboard.

The small girl had let go of her mother’s hand and was examining something on the floor. Children always found the strangest things interesting. Not that Bojana had much experience with children.

The steward rushed the family forward. The mother turned her head towards the girl.

Maya, she yelled. Come on. We have to board.

Maya jerked her head up and hurried to her mother’s side. The family disappeared through the opening into the spaceship. The next person hurried forward and began talking to the steward. Bojana sighed and moved along with the crowd. This would take a long time. Her thoughts tumbled, landing on the one concrete plan for her future.

Her store.

Had she brought enough supplies with her? She’d gambled that the demand for entertainment would be huge, but it was impossible to know. Most of her merchandise would be digital, but she’d brought some pocket computers and virtual reality equipment in case there were citizens on the ship who had brought none.

She had a substantial supply of books, movies, games, and simulations. It would probably be possible to develop new ones onboard, but she needed to have enough for it to last until new material would come in. She had some contacts on the ship that she hoped could give her a steady supply of brand-new experiences.

It would work out. It had to work out.

This was a one-way ticket. Rimor wouldn’t go back, only travel further out into interstellar space.

If the store didn’t do as well as she had hoped, she would have to give it up and seek employment on the ship. She really hoped she wouldn’t have to.

The tunnel was flexing as the line slowly moved forward. Just a couple of more people and then it was her turn. The first thing she would do was to go to her assigned quarters and leave her stuffed bag. After that, she would go to the store and start setting it up. They would soon be on the way. She was on one of the last shuttles.

Something on the floor caught her attention. It had to be what interested Maya as well. It was impossible to see what it was. Something small, amber colored. She stooped and picked it up.

It was a pendant. Smooth and cold to touch. Part of a necklace, perhaps. She looked around. Nobody seemed to be looking for it. Most likely belonged to someone already on board. She would bring it and see if she could find the owner.

The pendant went into one of her pockets. The steward raised his head to look at her. It was her turn.

* * *

Bojana stepped out of the elevator onto the market deck. It smelled of fresh greenery, trees, and flowers. Must be some fragrance they’d added to the air conditioning. Surely, they couldn’t have plants in the hallways.

She stopped for a moment to take in the scenery. It looked like a market street in one of those old movies from Earth. Wide hallway lined with trees, gray-brown trunks with green narrow leaves, reaching all the way to the ceiling.

Really?!? Had they brought trees?

She had no experience of trees, so she couldn’t guess what kind. There were no trees in the Moon Colony.

The market street was as wide as a four-lane road used for cars on Earth. And paved with cobblestones. On a spaceship?!?

Ridiculous!

Did they try to make it look like on Earth? She’d bet most of the residents hadn’t even been there.

In the middle, in between the trees, were smaller market stalls. They would house temporary market and food stands. Nobody had moved into them yet.

On both sides, restaurants and stores lined the street. Again, just as if she was on Earth. Or in an old movie from Earth. There was nothing similar in the Moon Colony.

The storefronts had gigantic windows. She could use hers for a magnificent display. After she decided to take the plunge and board Rimor for a one-way-trip, she’d researched entertainment stores and how to display the merchandise to optimize sales. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?

Inside some stores, owners were setting up their store display. It would probably take some time before everything was set up. Rimor had barely begun its journey. When she left her quarters, she’d felt the vibration that indicated the engines were starting.

The ceiling was high up, so if she hadn’t known she was on a ship, she could’ve imagined herself being in a city on Earth.

Her mouth was dry, and she swallowed. She’d wanted something new, not a movie set from Earth. Somehow, she’d imagined being able to see the stars, but they weren’t present. At least, not here.

In fact, she had a very vague picture of the layout of the ship, so she wasn’t sure what to expect. The feeling of wanting to escape the Moon Colony had driven her relentlessly, and she hadn’t really stopped to think apart from her research into being a store owner.

The smell of eggs frying filled the air, and her stomach growled. It had been a long time since breakfast, but she didn’t have time to eat now. First, she had to set the store in order.

There hadn’t been any way of finding out