The End to Come - Page 26 3D Render, Digital Artwork by emarukk

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The End to Come - Page 26

3D Render by emarukk

Even in the bleakest scenario, if Olivia were to be registered for a lifetime of indentured servitude, she couldn't bear the thought of being labeled as a farmer girl. She was not a farmer girl; the intricacies of farming were foreign to her. Olivia had never shied away from hard work, even the kind that left her covered in grime, but the idea of toiling with soil and plants held no appeal. Olivia was oblivious to how the roles and jobs of thralls were assigned. Yet, she sensed that this registration initially held significant weight. Only to add seriousness to the situation, she well remembered how she overheard adults whispering in hushed tones along the corridors about the grim destinies that befell some young females under indentured servitude. Also, secretly watching drama serials inappropriate for her age had exposed her to the peculiar world of entertainers, a realm unfamiliar to her, and made her think about options she didn't want to know. Olivia believed that tagged profession might shield her from the direst outcomes, should everything go awry. Yet, she refused to dwell on the worst-case scenario, burying it deep within her mind. Hope was her constant companion. Her primary concern was to erase the incorrect designation of "farmer girl" from the salvage manifest and replace it with the accurate details of her capabilities.

Olivia was industrious and determined. She had tinkered with systems, bridged backup batteries, crafted electric connections, crawled through narrow engineering ducts, and assisted in maintaining server banks. This she did out of pure fascination; her efforts were remarkable for someone her age, surpassing most boys, except for Hans. Beyond her laborious endeavors, she grasped the complexities of jump drive theories, orbit mechanics, and engine tolerance curves. Olivia spent countless evenings absorbed in starship dramas and classified naval breakdowns alongside Selena or Hans. She had memorized hull classifications and dreamt vividly of commanding majestic ships, rather than tending crops or transporting nutrient tanks like the agricultural guild workers. Olivia had repaired a collapsing station's failing gravity platings and powered sections. She rendered the airlock functional and secure. Olivia was sure that in Confederation's infallible system, that must count.

"I'm not a farmer girl." Olivia's voice sliced through the cacophony of mixed sounds filling the shuttle, her words clear and unwavering. Her gaze bore into Aldo with an intensity that seemed to ignite the air between them. "You could have read my file until the end. I will be an engineer."

Aldo leaned forward, his face emerging more fully into the light that reached Olivia's seat. His cybernetic eye shimmered with shades of electric blue, like electricity that tries to jump over connectors, while his human eye brimmed with unspoken questions.

"I have learned mechanics, electronics, and automation for two years as optional subjects," Olivia continued, her voice gaining momentum like a water flow breaking free of a fractured container. "I have used my free hours to work alongside real technicians and engineers. I've applied to technical college, and after conscription, I plan to attend engineering school at Polaris Ascendant."

As she laid out her plans, Aldo's mouth hung open in silence, his attempts to interject drowned by the torrent of her determination. The ease with which her words flowed surprised even her. "I fixed the power and gravity plating of the section beyond the collapsed greenhouse! I pulled cables and connected batteries to the auxiliary power. I changed batteries in the airlock."

Recounting these feats, Olivia felt the weight of exhaustion settles into her small frame. Each battery had been a burden heavier than herself. Still, she had been fortunate to have assistance from a faithful robotic companion, now resting in the void of space. The memory of Lucas brought a shimmer to her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall.

Despite her fatigue, she looked up at Aldo with an undiminished fire blazing from her emerald eyes. "I will work in Axanar Forge, not another farming station."

"Correction to manifest," Aldo murmured, his expression a blend of confusion and newfound respect, "in case somebody receives this one day. The female salvage is a technician. Not farmer." He closed the communication channel, still grappling with the revelation of Olivia's resolve.