At first glance, people tended to dismiss Alrika Nilos – Rika to her friends. For one thing, she stood shorter than average, and while her features were striking, she was not what was commonly considered pretty. Overall, she gave an impression of sharpness: sharp nose and cheekbones framed by unfashionably short cropped hair, sharp blue eyes that seemed able to see right through a person, sharp wit, sharp intelligence, and sharp attire.
Rumor had it that she had single-handedly saved the battle-spaceship that she served on during The Conflict. If asked, she only smiled and admitted that she was the ship’s electrician and so had been able to help out during the difficulties. Then she usually changed the subject. Of course, if you bothered to look up her record – all public information freely available on the Net – the sheer number of her decorations belied her simple description of events.
But that was all several years ago, as she would be the first to tell you. She still served in the Spacecorps, but now in a less official capacity, one where her talent with languages served her well, according to rumor. Again, she was not saying much, but tales of her exploits seemed to constantly circulate around the station.
© 1996