After closing the cargo bay hatch behind her, Abby heaved a sigh which sent a stray wisp of hair skyward.  [i]Gaslightin’,[/i] Uncle Bob had called it.  Word made no sense to her; try her best, Abby couldn’t conjure how a gas lantern compared to folk comin’ at yah one way, then doublin’ back on ever’thing.  [i]Don’t matter now,[/i] she considered as the cash was transferred to a pocket in her dungarees. 

[i]But what did you learn, Abigailita?[/i]  

Aunt Lupe’s favorite question.  Always brought her to thinkin’, most times when she straight up didn’t want to.  But she would, Abby offered a silent promise to her aunt as she walked out into the cargo bay.

Hook was there, strappin’ down a fresh load ‘o’ crates.  They’s all painted blue, ‘cept for where the wood splintered off.  All had the same big white letters, S T, with a lightnin’ bolt between ‘em.  [i]Must be Seatronics,[/i] the girl thought as she lifted her clipboard.  “Thanks, Hook,” she offered up.  “Jest got three new passengers.  Sounded hungry.  They’ll come lookin’...”

“Scuse me!”   The man yelled from atop the ramp.  He’s wearin’ coveralls ‘bout the same blue as them crates.  “You Abby Travis?”

“Yep!”  She offered Hook a grateful nod afore facin’ the delivery man.

“Boss says give this to you,” he handed off a plump coin pouch.  “Same as in the deal.”

She accepted the purse.  [i]“Ku,”[/i] Abby flipped the clipboard open.  “Who’s pickin’ ‘em up on New Melbourne?”

“Fella named Jinks.  Clevus Jinks.”

“How’s that spelt?”   She copied the name as the freight handler spelled it out.  “Shiny.  We’ll be there’n three days”.  The coin jingled as it slipped into her pocket.  As the fella waved an’ left, Abby turned back to find Hook already gone...most like to stir up grub.

[i]But what did you learn?[/i]

She flipped to the last page, where Rex Black’s first teachin’ lay.

[i][b]DIK-CHUN[/b][/i]

Her next pondering was over his bird, Lucky.  Abby wrote:

[i][b]PAIRIT FOOD[/b][/i]

She frowned.  “That ain’t right.”  Hadn’t been a year since she read [i]Captain Blood And The Pirates Of The Outer Rim.[/i]  Fun story, she recollected, but them pirates?  She’d seen pirates afore, and weren’t none of ‘em like Captain Blood.  An’ he had a parr… “Oh yeah,” the girl smiled and corrected her work.

[i][b]PARROT FOOD[/b][/i]

Mayhaps China Doll had a cortex she could use to look them things up.  Next, she called up words as she could remember...curious words mouthed by them three as she took ‘em aboard.  Didn’t sound like no Chinee she conjured, but that didn’t mean nothin’.  She put pen to paper, sounden’ em out, tryna make sense of how they’s spelt.

[i][b]CHO[/b][/i]

[i][b]YOBO[/b][/i]

[i][b]JONEE[/b][/i]

[i][b]MOOWEE MOOWEE[/b][/i]

[i][b]KIFF[/b][/i]

[i][b]SHOT[/b][/i]

Her brow furrowed on that one.  [i]Weren’t shot from a gun, or a shot ‘o’ likker.  Mechanic says shot when somethin’s well worn out...but..green haired girl used it like it meant [b]ku.[/b][/i]  All these lessons was wont to park her on a cortex fer a good spell.  

A squeal of air brakes brought her back to the here an’ now, as a big lorry backed up to the ramp.  Passenger door swung open, an’ she could make out one fella as he jumped down.  When he stepped into the light, all dreadlocks an’ autorifle, Abby signalled “jest a minute” with a trigger finger an’ went fer the com.

“Cap’n,” she keyed the mic, “cargo bay.  Yah wanted tah know when them last crates showed up.”