| Date & Time: | Day 04, 1019 |
| Location: | Promenade |
| Written By: | Charlotte Preston Katelynn Bancroft |
| Post Date: | 02/25/2026 |
| Episode: | Ep. 1 – Fool’s Errand |
Katelynn was still thinking about the conversation she’d just had with her mother as she stood on the second level of the promenade. The twelve-year-old was staring out the window watching as the civilian transports started to arrive and prepare for docking procedures. She had her arms crossed over her chest and she leaned into the small railing. The preteen wasn’t excited about her mother teaching her classes.
Katelynn just didn’t quite know how to explain to her mother, and she certainly didn’t want to tell her Dad that either. She heard footsteps and at first she thought it was the civilians that were starting to finally come aboard. But when Katelynn turned around she saw Charlotte coming closer to her, and the twelve-year-old smiled.
Charlotte was quite happy when her mother allowed her to finally wander the station, it felt nice to actually get to stretch her legs out a little bit. The quarters where she lived with her mother had started to feel quite cramped. The daughter of the Exec on board the station came to a stop right next to Katelynn, “I’ve been freed.” She said.
Kate had a slight grin on her face that barely formed and it was quite a weak attempt at that. “The promenade and the habitat ring are both ready, the outer docking ring is still getting fixed if I understand what my father said.” She turned to look at Charlotte, “I found out who’s teaching the classes.”
“Oh?” Charlotte asked as she stared out at the distant planet coming into view as the station slowly rotated on its axis. “Who?”
Kate sighed heavily, “My Mom,” She answered. And before Charlotte could say anything at all Kate continued to speak. “I don’t know how I feel about that,” She started, “I love my Mom and all, but I feel like I’m not going to escape her if she’s teaching the class.” Kate felt rather guilty for thinking that way but it was true.
Charlotte didn’t know what to say nor did she know what to do. “So, I’m guessing you didn’t tell her you weren’t a fan?” The question wasn’t so much as a rhetorical one, but rather it was one that Charlotte already assumed the answer for.
Kate shook her head and knew she’d probably just confirmed whatever Charlotte was thinking. “How can I tell her that?” Kate asked, “Mom please don’t teach the class, I feel like you’re smothering me by doing it.” Kate sighed heavily as her voice went up in pitch by a slight amount. The words made Kate feel like a horrible person and a horrible daughter.
She sighed, “No I can’t tell her that,” Kate answered. “I’m just going to have to deal with it as best as I can I suppose.” Kate looked over at Charlotte before walking away from the window and standing next to the rail that overlooked the bottom level of the promenade. She could see the civilians as they poured in.
“I’m just going to find a different way to get away from my Mom as much as possible,” Again Kate felt bad for saying the words. But, Kate wanted some freedom and independence from her parents, or at least as much as she possibly could get from them. The quarters on the last ship were so cramped and here was her chance to not be so close to them, and it seemed like that was fading.
Charlotte followed her while trying to find the right words to add some sort of comfort for her friend. “Maybe we can talk to my Mom and see if someone else can do it?” Charlotte suggested. She knew it was a terrible suggestion, but it was one she’d be willing to attempt. “I don’t know how my Mom would react or respond though to be honest.”
Kate was still watching the promenade filling up as people were coming and going as the civilians who’d leased the different shops and offices began entering them. She knew the shops would start opening soon, probably not today or tomorrow, but soon. She shook her head, “I think that’s a good idea but I don’t want you to get into trouble for doing it.”
Charlotte looked at Kate, “I don’t think I’d get into trouble. What if you talked to someone else, like a neutral observer or something.” She suggested next. The twelve-year-old was simply trying to find a solution to the problem her friend was facing. “I don’t think being quiet is really going to do much to help.”
Charlotte didn’t know if she wanted Kate’s mother to teach them either. Part of her had hoped it would have been someone else responsible for that. She looked over the promenade before sitting down onto the deck and putting her legs through the railing so that her feet dangled. She looked up toward Kate from where she sat, “Counselor what’s her face,” Charlotte suggested.
Kate managed to stifle a slight chuckle when she heard Charlotte call the counselor that, and she sat down before slipping her legs past the railing. “Counselor Choyi,” She corrected as gently as she could. “Nah, I don’t think I want to talk to her about it either,” Kate pointed out. “Somehow I feel like she’d do the counselor thing and have us do some sort of conflict resolution thing.
“There’s really no conflict,” The twelve-year-old said and sounded slightly older than she really was. The words felt so strange in her mouth as she spoke them. “I think I need to just let it go and sit there in class.” She turned and looked at Charlotte, “Thanks for trying though.”
Charlotte didn’t like that answer, but at least her failure at remembering the station counselor’s name caused a bit of a smile. She rested her chin on her hand after placing it over the rail. Charlotte sat there in silence for a moment watching the civilians, “The shops will be opening in the next day or two, in time for school to start. Maybe after class we can walk the promenade or something?”
“I’d like that,” Kate answered as she watched the people. There didn’t seem to be a good answer to the problem. Kate found herself sighing heavily as she thought about it, and how she’d responded and reacted to the news from her mother. She’d tried to sound excited, but somehow she felt like it may have come across differently.
Kate knew saying that she just needed to let it go, and actually letting it go were two different things. She’d struggle to do it even if saying the words weren’t so hard to do. She looked over at Charlotte, “I’ll get through it,” She said.
Charlotte tried to smile warmly before looking toward Kate, “C’mon let’s go walk around for a little bit.” She said and stood up before helping pull her friend up to her feet. The twelve-year-old felt somewhat awkward as they started to walk because she didn’t know any of these people. And the promenade was starting to feel rather crowded too.