see she looked nervous. ‘Please don’t tell anyone.’
‘You can’t just run off like that…without telling your Mum and Dad where you’re going.’
‘I will tell them…when I get settled and sorted out.’
‘It’s not going to be that easy. New Haven’s a rough place. A really rough place.’
‘I can get a job.’
‘That’s what I’m worried about. There are jobs and there are jobs. If you know what I mean?
‘I’ll work something out.’
Silent. The stirring of tubweeds, the burbling of the toob in the family dome.
‘Listen Ellie, I won’t tell anyone if you promise to wait a little longer. Why don’t you hang on here for a couple more years? Grow up a bit more and then try out city life, uh?’
‘Because I’ll go mad, that’s why. Because I can’t face the drudge of being a farm girl any longer. Every day the same old routine, and every night sitting out there and seeing the freighters pass in the sky, the glow of New Haven. Even seeing the faint twinkle of ships entering and leaving orbit and the flicker of light as they go into hyper. That’s the worst part, being teased with a glimpse of those ships, reminded of all the things out there I’ll never, ever , see. All the things I’m missing.’
Sean knew what she meant. Most of the farm kids living on isolated farm plots like theirs seemed to be content with their lot, but he, like Ellie, wanted to see more.
‘Listen Ellie, I’m not telling anyone, okay? I promise.’
She nodded gratefully.
‘But I’ve got to say something. Running away over there,’ he gestured in the direction of New Haven, ‘is going to be a hard deal. Life is harsh and expensive. I’ve been there a few times with my Dad. If you’ve got money, yeah, it’s a playground. But if you don’t…well, it can be rough. There’s all sorts living there, non-humans, off-worlders. There’re a lot of bad areas, a lot of people who will happily take advantage of you, rip you off.’
‘I know it’ll be hard at first. But I can’t not do it.’ She looked at him. ‘Does that make sense?’
He nodded gently. Of course it made sense. But he was worried that Ellie would walk into New Haven looking like the perfect target for every lowlife there. She was young for nineteen; looked young, behaved young. Add to that the instantly recognizable hick-naivety of some poor soil-scratcher from out of town looking to find her fortune. She’d be a walking target.
‘I know you’ve probably thought a lot about this, and think you’ve thought this all through and have some kind of perfect plan to get yourself sorted out quickly and-’
‘At least I’ve got to try.’
‘Sure, but maybe if you were to talk this through with your Mum and Dad, they’ll be able to help you.’
‘They’ll just try to talk me out of it Sean. You know that.’
‘Uh-huh. Of course they will. They at least deserve the chance to do that. Your Mum and Dad, they’re good people Ellie…they love you.’
‘I know, but don’t you think I’ve considered everything you’ve said just now? Crudge, I can see how my cruddy life goes…staying on here farming indefinitely and watching everyone else my age disappear off to the city or even leaving this world. And me, slowly growing old, alone in my own three-square-acre universe. If I don’t go soon I’ll find myself getting sucked into running Dad’s farm, and then I’ll never get the chance!’
He knew there was nothing he could say in response to that. Because she was quite right.
‘Please don’t tell them,’ she asked.
An awkward silence.
‘I’d better head back home, it’s getting late.’
‘Promise me you won’t tell anyone,’ Ellie pleaded.
‘I told you. I promise,’ Sean replied solemnly. ‘I’ll let myself out.’
He headed towards the entrance to the domestic area then found himself turning back to look at her. Ellie was gazing up again at the stars.
‘How much chore money have you managed to save?’ he
‘You can’t just run off like that…without telling your Mum and Dad where you’re going.’
‘I will tell them…when I get settled and sorted out.’
‘It’s not going to be that easy. New Haven’s a rough place. A really rough place.’
‘I can get a job.’
‘That’s what I’m worried about. There are jobs and there are jobs. If you know what I mean?
‘I’ll work something out.’
Silent. The stirring of tubweeds, the burbling of the toob in the family dome.
‘Listen Ellie, I won’t tell anyone if you promise to wait a little longer. Why don’t you hang on here for a couple more years? Grow up a bit more and then try out city life, uh?’
‘Because I’ll go mad, that’s why. Because I can’t face the drudge of being a farm girl any longer. Every day the same old routine, and every night sitting out there and seeing the freighters pass in the sky, the glow of New Haven. Even seeing the faint twinkle of ships entering and leaving orbit and the flicker of light as they go into hyper. That’s the worst part, being teased with a glimpse of those ships, reminded of all the things out there I’ll never, ever , see. All the things I’m missing.’
Sean knew what she meant. Most of the farm kids living on isolated farm plots like theirs seemed to be content with their lot, but he, like Ellie, wanted to see more.
‘Listen Ellie, I’m not telling anyone, okay? I promise.’
She nodded gratefully.
‘But I’ve got to say something. Running away over there,’ he gestured in the direction of New Haven, ‘is going to be a hard deal. Life is harsh and expensive. I’ve been there a few times with my Dad. If you’ve got money, yeah, it’s a playground. But if you don’t…well, it can be rough. There’s all sorts living there, non-humans, off-worlders. There’re a lot of bad areas, a lot of people who will happily take advantage of you, rip you off.’
‘I know it’ll be hard at first. But I can’t not do it.’ She looked at him. ‘Does that make sense?’
He nodded gently. Of course it made sense. But he was worried that Ellie would walk into New Haven looking like the perfect target for every lowlife there. She was young for nineteen; looked young, behaved young. Add to that the instantly recognizable hick-naivety of some poor soil-scratcher from out of town looking to find her fortune. She’d be a walking target.
‘I know you’ve probably thought a lot about this, and think you’ve thought this all through and have some kind of perfect plan to get yourself sorted out quickly and-’
‘At least I’ve got to try.’
‘Sure, but maybe if you were to talk this through with your Mum and Dad, they’ll be able to help you.’
‘They’ll just try to talk me out of it Sean. You know that.’
‘Uh-huh. Of course they will. They at least deserve the chance to do that. Your Mum and Dad, they’re good people Ellie…they love you.’
‘I know, but don’t you think I’ve considered everything you’ve said just now? Crudge, I can see how my cruddy life goes…staying on here farming indefinitely and watching everyone else my age disappear off to the city or even leaving this world. And me, slowly growing old, alone in my own three-square-acre universe. If I don’t go soon I’ll find myself getting sucked into running Dad’s farm, and then I’ll never get the chance!’
He knew there was nothing he could say in response to that. Because she was quite right.
‘Please don’t tell them,’ she asked.
An awkward silence.
‘I’d better head back home, it’s getting late.’
‘Promise me you won’t tell anyone,’ Ellie pleaded.
‘I told you. I promise,’ Sean replied solemnly. ‘I’ll let myself out.’
He headed towards the entrance to the domestic area then found himself turning back to look at her. Ellie was gazing up again at the stars.
‘How much chore money have you managed to save?’ he
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