I hear running, but ignore it until it’s too late.
Someone knocks into me from behind.
I stumble.
My grip on my bag loosens.
It’s ripped out of my hand, and they keep running.
“Hey!” I take one quick step before I immediately stop myself.
They bolt out of sight, and I take a deep breath, counting to ten and letting the adrenaline ebb.
You don’t run after thieves.
You don’t chase down people who could decide they want to hurt you more than they want replaceable things.
When I was twenty and broke, I might have run after them. Now… here? I’m not taking one more step in the direction that guy went.
A few more breaths, and my focus expands from the pinprick it had narrowed to, and a sweet little Andulen woman comes to my side, asking… I assume if I’m okay. I tell her I’m fine and try to head for the elevators—I’ll call station security when I’mhome—but she takes my hand and tugs me to a brightly glowing information terminal. The pillar of light gets brighter when we step closer, and it greets us in a strange echo of her language and mine.
“Thank you for reporting this security infraction. Please wait one moment while we connect you with the correct response team.”
She doesn’t let go of me, and with a few more taps of her fuzzy fingers, she lets the column translate, keeping me occupied with vague questions, and I’m honestly grateful for the distraction.
When she finally lets me go, abruptly saying goodbye, I question what’s just happened until someone clears their throat on the other side of me.
The Opodean man flanked by a security bot tips his head to me. “I’m very sorry that your return to the station was punctuated by such an inconvenient offense. We have been able to locate your belongings. One of our other bots, like this one, will bring it along shortly.” He holds a tentacle out, motioning for me to walk, and I get an uncanny feeling.
“Have we met before?” I ask.
“I don’t believe so.”
“Then how do you know I just got back?”
“I’m so sorry. I am Sirin, the station administrator. As soon as Nelee reported the crime, I pulled a brief overview of your file.”
“Oh.”
“I do realize that may have been unsettling without knowing who I am. I will try to do better.”
“Thanks.”
The bot makes a clattering noise, and I know that Sirin understood it when he says, “The thief is not a permanent resident of the station. In fact, he is already back on his shipand has been barred from reentry, as the ship’s captain will not release him to us for questioning.”
“I see.”
We’re almost to the lifts by the time the other bot arrives, handing me the bag and handing Sirin something small and shiny.
“What’s that?” I ask, trying to see it more clearly.
“I was just about to ask you if you had a tracking device in your belongings for this sort of eventuality, but it would appear this may have been the reason they took your things.”
“To put a tracker on me? I don’t think I have anything worth stealing.”
“It may have been you they wanted, or… Perhaps someone is trying to find Earth?”
“Oh.”
