Murdina Ritchie had ridden the Intergalactic Railway to the far-flung planet of Oymyakon twice before, but this third time was very different from the first two.
She was coming back from a mid-year vacation. That was definitely new.
And hard for her to forget, even for a moment. Her skin was tanned a golden color that startled her every time she caught a glimpse of her bare arms. Not only was the tone different from her more usual pale flesh of a space station dweller, it felt like she had actually caught sunlight within it. Like her body felt warmer to the touch, even though she was no longer in the sun.
And the salty, not quite briny ocean smell still clung to her hair, its waves now a shade lighter but also curlier.
She thought she remembered her childhood well, all the endless days
