Morrachi sat in her pilot’s seat looking out into space. She took off her hat and put her hair up in a shaggy ponytail then relaxed in her chair. She was dazing into thought, a long past memory…

 

She sat at the kitchen table, clutched in her hands was the interview offer from Nozama Lightspeed Deliveries, the prestigious intergalactic, mammoth of a company, space delivery service, as a Project Manager. Her eyes traced the words on the paper, the weight of the moment sinking in. A mix of thankfulness and disappointment stirred within her as she realized that her dreams of becoming a space pilot were getting farther from her view, but a relief as she saw poverty behind her. Her desperation led her to taking the interview as a Project Manager and ended her search for a piloting position.

 

Her gaze drifted around the kitchen, the familiar sights and sounds triggering a flood of memories. She would have to leave this place to join Nozama on Old Earth. This was the place where she had shared laughter, late-night conversations, and countless meals with her six roommates. They had become a close-knit family, supporting each other through the highs and lows of life during the past three years.

 

The kitchen had witnessed it all—the birthday celebrations filled with parties and joy, the days of mushroom haze, broken cups from tense board games gone salty, and the cozy evenings when they huddled in the living room watching the most bizarre shows.

 

As Morrachi's mind journeyed back through time, she couldn't help but smile at the precious moments that had shaped her journey. Her roommates had been the pillars of strength during her darkest days, the wind beneath her wings when she aspired to reach for the stars. Alex, Ben, Marcus, Murphy, Kevin, Jermaine… The laughter echoed in her mind, and she could almost feel their presence, as if they were right there with her, cheering her on as she stepped forward in her life. “Even if I don’t make it,” she thought to herself, “at least I can always return home.”

 

Her eyes caught a photo of her parents and brother, an old photo from her childhood. She knew she was going to have to leave them as well. Her parents and extended family all had lived in the same area on Temi 066 for as long as their bloodline could be traced and before migrating from Old Earth some centuries ago. She was afraid of leaving them behind, she loved them so much, and she would miss all of their family get-togethers. It had been impossible for their family to leave Temi 066 after the government first enacted sponsored programs.

 

In the early stages of space travel, the Goloba Governing Group, the GGG, provided support to low income families by offering them jobs on the resource-rich planet, Temi 066, as laborers. These workers were given a modest stipend and shelter, but the cost of interstellar travel made it nearly impossible for them to return to Old Earth or any other livable planet. They found themselves trapped, unable to escape the cycle of labor and low-income living.

 

As generations passed, the descendants of these early space laborers found themselves at a disadvantage. They were not guaranteed the same government support as their ancestors. The promise of a better life became elusive, and a perpetual cycle of poverty plagued the planet. With limited opportunities to improve their circumstances, many struggled to make ends meet and escape the clutches of economic hardship. 

 

As she tucked the interview offer safely away. Morrachi felt ready to embrace her destiny as a Project Manager. As she stepped out of the kitchen, a spark of excitement ignited within her. Even if this wasn’t her dream at least she could help her family live a better life and be thankful for what she had. She knew that, no matter the challenges, she was not alone—she carried the love and camaraderie of her roommates and family with her, forever woven into the fabric of her life.

 

It was time to enter the unknown.