Toareth Moves In

Posted on Wed Sep 27th, 2023 @ 12:28am by Cadet Senior Grade Toareth Darqa
Edited on on Wed Sep 27th, 2023 @ 6:41pm

599 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: **ARCHIVED** 1 - Cruising through the galaxy
Location: Toareth's Quarters
Timeline: Current

Two duffel bags. That was all that decorated her room at the moment. Sure there was a sofa, three chairs around a small table meant for no more than two people eating comfortably, a small lavatory, a look out into space as well as a few standardized SF issued generic artwork hanging from the walls, but Toareth’s quarters was the embodiment of standard issue. The first thing she did was open one of her duffels and remove an animated picture frame. It was a portrait of the last image taken of planet El-Auria. The animation was only the slow rotation of the planet, the slow movement of clouds, formations of storms and the like. The image was literally never the same thing twice.

She removed a random art of a dog sitting amongst a spray of reeds and looking out over a pond. The image had no life or story to it whatsoever. She replaced it with her animated image of El-Auria, which likewise had no life to it. A story, yes. But no life.

Toareth turned away and went to her closet. Opening it, it was inhabited only with hangers. She returned to her duffels and emptied it out upon her bed. She rummaged through her clothes and started putting them away.

“Computer.” There came a bleep. “Play Loneliness by Clan of Xymox. Put their catalog on shuffle and repeat.” The computer bleeped again in affirmation then the dark tunes sounded into existence. Toareth thought on how someone long since dead, since before even she was born, had written a song that would speak to her to personally and powerfully. “Loneliness is loneliness I suppose,” and she pressed on with hanging her clothes.

Emptying her second duffel, Toareth rummaged through the contents and separated everything into groups of where they were going to be. There was a pile for artwork for the walls, décor for the table and nightstand, items for the lavatory, SF issued boots as well as her own footwear ordered by size from basic running shoes to her shiny black platform boots. She also set aside the rest of her casual attire to hang next to her uniforms. Next was jewelry, which was not much at all. She was never one for jewelry but did enjoy the occasional earring set, her navel stud, a nose ring on occasion, plenty of waist chains equally adorned with onyx gems like her navel stud, hair ties and bands as well as other inserts. And finally, her undergarments and night time wear as well as slippers.

Toareth spent a the time to put everything away in its place and finally got the place to look like it was lived in, not by anyone of grand interest however. Just, lived in.

Her computer terminal sat off to the side and that was where she placed her satchel with her own gadgets. She tapped upon the blank screen of the terminal and it sprang to life. Clan of Xymox was suddenly silenced and her terminal spoke up instead.

“Hello newcomer and welcome to the U.S.S. Stardancer. This is your ship’s orientation video. By the end of this video you will be able…” and Toareth started messing with the progress bar, skipping ahead to the end, checked the ‘Acknowledge’ button indicating she had watched the video and swiped it away.

“Computer, resume Clan of Xymox.”

As the tunes continued on, she sat upon her bed then fell back to lie down. It was soft and comforting.

 

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