Karen got off the station, adroitly rolling off of her bunk. She had stayed there for about 4 months, frozen while the ship moved to- which planet was it again? Oh, yes, this was Novimun. While the other colonists struggled to remember how to move their bodies, jerkily making their way towards the exit, she easily strolled over to the door. There were at least some benefits of experience in this industry. Karen sighed. This was all so tiring. She had entered the "paid volunteer" program because she wanted everything to be new. Surrounded by things strange and bizarre, it's harder to focus on the past.

         But now nothing surprised her anymore, and her strategy had ceased to work- perhaps forever. She sighed again. "I've been to nine planets in 12 years and it's starting to show," she remarked wryly over her shoulder, to no one in particular.

          "N-n-nine planets?!?!?!?!? In 12 years?!?!?!?!? Wow! This is my first interplanetary trip, EVER," some guy behind her remarked. Karen rolled her eyes. She hadn't really wanted an answer to her comment. Oh well. Maybe she just still hadn't learned to not make statements like that if she didn't want answers. 

          "Yes, nine planets. I do this for a living, and eventually they stop funding a planet." Karen shouldered her way off of the spaceship. Ooh, this one was classy. A 3019 Planetary Embark, one of the greatest ships ever made especially for colonizing. What was her cabin going to be? The list had just been tacked up in the town hall, by the looks of that crowd. Pushing her way through the throng, she saw the number by her name. Cabin One- wait, what?!?!? Cabin One was always the cabin reserved for Community Leader, the person in charge of the planet. 

           She ran over to the area where the (Former) Community Leader was. "What is going on here? I demand to know why I am listed as being in Cabin One!"

           "Why, it's really quite simple," an aide replied with a smirk. "The Honorable Headman is retiring. He's going back to Earth. You have the most colonizing experience of any one of the arrivals, and so you have been selected as the new Leader. Therefore, you have been given Cabin One. You should feel honored- it's really a wonderful place. Enjoy!" He manuvered the Former Headman's wheelchair on to the ship, which would be shortly returning to Earth.

           Karen sighed, for the third time that day- and not for the last time, either. Her own opinions notwithstanding, it looked like she was going to be here for a while...