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KIM

Risda III has absolutely got to get a second restaurant, I decide as I take a seat at one of two tiny tables in the cantina Oh sure, there’s a bar, but you can only stand at the bar if you’re buying a drink, and everything they serve here is far too strong for ht I arrived

Water it is

I set my datapad down on the table and look around, just in case I’ve missed my contact So far, the cantina’s e There’s an alienarea is e in the kitchen comes and thumps a plate of fried rekesh leaves ontoa small puddle onto the table itself

“Thank you,” I sayup the spill when the surly alien stomps away Service with a smile, I think to myself Always service with a smile for hus I nibble on one of the fried leaves and swipe on uage book files are scarce and traded ast a few of us human “colonists,” and I ran out of books to read a feeeks after landing on Risda After hearing some of my fellow colonists complain, I decided to takestories for the other girls I post them to a private foru and comment It’s a lot of fun and makes me feel connected to my fellow colonists even e’re a jillion miles apart, thanks to the spread of farhts when there’s nothing to watch but alien broadcasts talking about things I don’t understand It helps me feel connected to my past To my people

And because I’ today’s chapter for the seventh time before I post it later Just in case there’s typos I eat fried leaves as I proofread while I wait for my contact to arrive

“You the one they call…Cheem?”

I glance up I’ve been so engrossed in hlander that I wasn’t paying attention to the door I flush with erossed that I’ve also eaten allacross from my table has probably been there for at least a minute or tard “Hi, I’m…what did you call me?”

The hooded figure glances down at the datapad held in a three-fingered blue hand “Cheem?”

I guess they’re addressing me “Kim?”