The next day, at the farm, Magda could not wait for the evening. Fortunately, her job didn't require a lot of concentration. She just had to feed the cattle with a mix of grass, cereal and other substances she didn't know about, specifically designed by the scientists of the Administratum to ensure a high production of milk. It was not a hard job, but it was quite tiring to use a pitchfork all day long. Of course, the scribes of the Administratum were never far and watched the worker's every move, occasionally reporting something on their long parchments.
The farm was only one of the five of complexes surrounding the town. Behind the farms, various fields were stretching as far as the eye could see. Magda's farm was specialised in cattle, and she worked in a team of ten people in the dairy cows section, consisting in five hundred cows. They were raised in battery and weren't supposed to go outside. But in the summer, the East and West walls of the farm were open, allowing the cattle, and the workers, to receive a few rays of sunlight. The milk and the dried meat made from the cows who didn't give milk anymore were the property of the Administratum, who then distributed them among its numerous institutions.
Everything in the huge farm was branded with the Aquila and the symbol of the Administratum, even the cattle. In the centre of the farm, on a pulpit, a preacher was declaiming prayers to the Emperor, reminding the workers how important their work was and how proud they should be to serve the Imperium.
When the bell rang, Magda and the other workers formed a raw while servitors collected the tools, a scribe counting them. Theft was punishable by death. Voluntary degradation of the tools was punished by an immediate firing from the farms, which often meant a life of poverty and wandering at the edge of the society. After a collective prayer, the workers were finally free to go.
Magda had half an hour of free time before going to the tavern. On her way home, she walked along the immense fields where the workers were still working. In the distance, the military camp was visible, spreading a thick white smoke in the summer sky. She thought about the young soldier. Would he come tonight ? She realised she didn't even know his name. If he came at the tavern tonight, she would ask him. She giggled alone. What kind of name could he have ? The old man's name was Mihail, and her daughter's was Aksanna. She had never heard such names before. Their world must be very far.
She was particularly excited when she got home. She just had time for a quick shower before dressing up for the tavern. The water was tepid. Warm water was a luxury that her family couldn't often afford. But it didn't matter. The shower helped her relax and wash from the filth of the farm. Besides, she wanted to look good tonight, for her cute soldier. No, what was she thinking ? She didn't even know if he would come tonight. However, after drying her hair, she chose her cloths with great care. Her father wasn't rich enough to buy uniforms for the waitresses, so Emilie, Annelise and Magda were allowed to wear what they wanted, as long as it looked formal. So she put on her only little black dress, made of cotton, over a white shirt, who was light grey rather than white now. Then she exchanged the rubber boots she used at the farm for more comfortable sandals.
"Oh, you're pretty today !" said her sister Emilie, when she arrived at the tavern.
"Thanks." Magda answer nervously. She scanned the room, searching for the young foreigner's face, but he wasn't there yet. "I hope he'll come…" she added more to herself than to her sister.
"So you like him, hum ?" Emilie asked, poking her with her elbow.
"I told you ! I don't know yet…"
"No, that's not what you said," Emilie answered, giggling. "You said you had a crush on him."
"Oh, leave me alone !" Magda said with a smile. "Come on, we have to work."
Magda was doing her work the best she could, but she was startling every time the doors opened, turning her head toward the newcomers with hope. But as the hour passed, and as the young foreigner didn't appear, Magda began to lose hope. But that was logical. He was a soldier of the Imperial Guard, how can a silly native girl like her make any impression on him ? He was only playing with her yesterday, obviously. Showing off.
"Don't worry, he'll come tomorrow," Emilie said, trying to comfort her. "He can't spend money every evening at the tavern. I don't think soldier earn that much."
"I don't want to be pessimistic," Annelise said, "but maybe he doesn't have any interest in you."
"Why do you say that !" Emilie was shocked.
"Hey, I'm just saying he's a soldier. He goes from planet to planet. He probably met a lot of girls."
"Yea, you're probably right…" Magda sighed, sitting at a table. "I'm stupid."
"Most likely, if he comes back to see you, he'll just use you to have sex." Annelise added.
"What !" Emilie shouted, while Magda opened her mouth in stupor. "No way ! My sister's still a little baby girl, I'd never allow that ! I'm going to their base right know, to kick his sorry ass !"
"No, don't go !" Magda cried, grabbing Emilie's arm.
"It's just my opinion !" Annelise said, on the defensive. "Maybe you're right Emilie, maybe he does like her !"
"Sure he does !" Emilie grumbled. "Or I'll kick his butt."
"I don't see how…" Magda complained. "I don't even know his name."
"How could he not like you ?" Emilie asked, taking Magda's shoulders in her arms. "You're the nicest and the cutest person I know. And remember, he promised you a drink, didn't he ? I'm sure he'll come tomorrow."
But the next day either, the young foreigner didn't come.