Fiction Friday: Chapter Three in D-flat

So, when we last visited Fiction Friday, we read the second chapter in the Heretic story. Today, let's catch up with our D-Flat story theme. Welcome to chapter three. (If you want to read chapter two, click on this link.) If you are a first time reader, know that I am writing several different music therapy based stories - just for fun - that are set in the near future. This is one of the three storylines that I have going. The other two are the Heretic and my Persephone story. If you search for "Fiction Friday" in the labels function, you will find the other chapters. I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER THREE

I found myself on a boarding landing surrounded by my bags and my instruments. I was assigned to my new apprenticeship on Station 37. This was my second move between stations. I had left Station 88 when I was accepted into the Academy, but that move to Station 21 was all I had experienced before.

Heading off on a shuttle from a place with only a couple of layers between the inside and the outside made me a bit queasy. The last time I transferred to a shuttle from our landing on Station 88, I had held my breath and walked as quickly as possible, but this time, I had more things to tote into the shuttle. This time, too, there was more to my nausea than my fear of space. I was heading into a future that I knew nothing about. Music therapy was a life-choice that I had first heard of only 12 hours prior to this moment and that was all the time I had been able to think things through.

My parents had not been much help during our flash after the exam. “Will you get paid?” Papa always asked about the financial prospects before anything else. Mom was focused on the separation. “Why Station 37? I thought you were going to be a tuner. We need one here on 88. You would be perfect for that job and could live at home!”

“Mom. You knew that I would have to do my apprenticeship somewhere, and Ta’Lonn already has two interns. He can’t have any more. Besides, he is nowhere near leaving that post. 37 will be a great adventure."

"I just wish you had done something different. You could have been a medical tech or an environmental facilitator. You could have studied from here for those jobs.”

“Leave our daughter alone. You know she was made for tuning. She had to go to the Academy.”

Neither of them mentioned the music therapy thing. The only facts I knew about all this was that the heretic had been a music therapist before we had left Earth. She was the reason we had left, but I wasn’t sure if being a music therapist had anything to do with our migration or not.

So, here I was, standing on the small platform, waiting for my shuttle to Station 37. There were two others standing with me. I had met them both, but I didn’t feel comfortable approaching them. I stood by my bags, staring at my video display. I pretended to watch the show but secretly observed the other two students from behind my lenses.

Kirby, a quiet student who seemed to get good grades without trying, was engaged in an emotional dialogue over his own display. I could hear the timbre of the others in the conversation leaking out from his headphones. The female voice (pitched around E5) seemed to be increasing in intensity and volume. The male voice (A3) interjected occasionally. Kirby seemed to be listening more than responding.

The shuttle arrived causing an abrupt end to Kirby’s conversation and to my pretense of not watching. I packed my display into my pack, picked up my bags, and walked to the line.