OTF's Blue Publication May 2011
Seb had known Tess since she first started working as a flight controller at Platform III late in 4356. It was her first dero on the job. Despite the ease of her shift, traffic was beginning to back up on her. She was trying to sound calm but Seb could hear the telling, almost imperceptible tremor in her voice. When his turn came and he was ready to go, he spoke gently into his comset. "Listen, Miss. When you can't seem to move fast enough, then take a deep breath and slow down. Trust me. It works." Then he went on his way and forgot about it. On his return, as he was leaving the docking bay, a beautifully animated young woman with dark, dark eyes and flowing, black hair walked right straight up to him and blocked his path. She extended her right hand. His mouth agape, he brought his own hand up slowly to meet hers.
"Hi! I'm Tessellea Pevez," she effused, "and I've just gotta thank you! I did what you said. I took a deep breath and slowed down. Sure enough, it worked! The rest of the noff was a breeze. So if you're hungry, dinner's on me and if you're not, then you're having caff whether you want it or not!"
Allowing himself to breathe again, he smiled, shook her hand warmly and said, "I was new once and somebody told me to try that. I'm glad to see it still works. I'm Seb Strellus, and caff's fine."
"My friends call me Tess," she said. Then, with a grin, "and so do you."
They were close from that dero on.
Here's the Strellus Glossary.