She walked gingerly as she held on the ropes in the walkway, it seemed she would fall. She knew it was an illusion, but up and down were concepts alien to her nature now. She was spaceborn and had never been planetside.
Her life was spent on her Spaceship, The Driller contracted to Nokiaexxon for the next 50 years - renewable at their option, and closed to negotiation. She forced herself to pay attention as she approched the airlock which cycled out the air and opened to the vaccumm of space.
Getting in the airlock, she pressed the button in sequence for closure, and waited patiently for repressurising. She stood silently and stared outside reinforced porthole, waiting for the alarm to sound the all-clear. The moon stared back at her and she noticed the Earth just beyond, the blue planet a mystery to her. Why would people want to live there? Space was her life.
Her mother and father ran The Driller with her. They were an amazing spacer family. She was the third generation of miners on the asteroid belt. But the Near Earth Orbit mining was so much more lucarative. She heard a hiss and the alarm sounded. She took off her space suit and climbed out of the airlock on the other side. The Nezzer who greeted her was short and stocky. He spoke in a gruff voice "You have new orders after you complete work on this asteroid. You are to go back to the asteroid belt on Saturn and mine the asteroids there." He passed her the coordinates and looked away. She knew there was no point arguing with the Nezzer. They owned all the companies which managed the mining in this Galaxy. She took her time savouring the soft carpeting and luxury of the station. The Nezzer turned away, he had no time for some inconsequential human.
Sentine knew it would be a long trip back, she had almost got used to the good life here close to Earth.
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