After patiently waiting his turn, he finally approached the transporter room at the Spacedock. It was a relatively large, round room with three separate transporter pads. Although it was a standard industrial gray in color, there were a number of colorful, bulging wall panels hiding various forms of circuitry to keep the place somewhat cheery. Currently, there was only one transporter chief on duty, and he looked fairly bored with his job. Tom walked up to the pad and told the transporter chief, "Brisbane Transport Center, please."

The chief nodded and pressed a few buttons on his console. A few minutes later, when Spacedock had reached line of sight orbit with Brisbane, Australia, a light flashed from red, to yellow, and finally to green, indicating the transport lane was clear. "Stand by," the chief said flatly.

The entire transporter area began to hum with an increasing frequency. Tom was then surrounded by flashes of silver light that increased in number and brightness until there was nothing but white around him. For a split second, he was nowhere, floating in an endless white with no up or down. As quickly as it begun, the light began to dissapate back into silvery flashes. He found himself standing in a transporter pad in the bustling Brisbane Transport Center.

It was a place he had been many times before, but he always took it in warmly when he got there. The Center was a massive, open structure that was made of mostly glass. The building jutted out at various points, each representing a gate. There were numerous transport pads in the center of the building along with many kiosks and even several trees and shrubs. As always, there were hundreds of people busily walking here or there, going to and from personal conveyances, shuttles, or transporters. Barely discernable over the noise was some kind of native, Aborigine music.

"Lieutenant Kelly, please step off the pad." The female transport operater stated with a wonderfully refreshing Australian accent. With a friendly smile, she motioned him off the pad and towards a roped off walkway.

"Sorry," Tom said with a smile. He shuffled off. My, she was attractive, he thought. "It's good to be home." He looked at her name badge. It read, "Good day, my name is Kathrine." His smile broadened. He wondered if she was busy later that night.

The smile Kathrine had been wearing all afternoon became more warm and sincere. Apparently, she liked him, too. "If you'd like, I can call you a cabbie from here. It would save you a trip," she said, motioning to a communications panel.

Suddenly realizing his fianceƩ was coming to pick him up was like a slap on the face. His smile vanished. Reluctantly, he admitted, "No thanks. Someone's coming to pick me up."

Her smile dimished a little. "Well, then... if you need anything, just let me know, and... welcome home." A beeping sound from her console informed her that yet another person was getting ready to come across.

"Thanks," he replied half-heartedly. Slowly, he walked off towards the northern entrance. That's where SHE'LL be waiting, he thought to himself. The events of the past several days had drawn him to the conclusion that he was too young to be nailed down to one person. He still had a life to live, and as soon as he got married, that would be over. She would want children...she always did. Then...that really WOULD be the end of his life. What WAS he thinking? He was only twenty-eight. No, the engagement was definately over, but he didn't know how to tell Corina. She would be shattered... and it wasn't like he didn't care about her.

His mind clogged with 'what if' scenarios for telling her he was breaking off the engagement, he didn't even realize he had walked out of the center. Apparently, the weathernet had programmed a perfect day in Brisbane. Although it was almost December, the sun was shining and the temperature was a cool fifty-eight degrees. In front of him was an indention in the road, meant to pick up and drop off people. After that was a large, multi-lane, multi-row highway full of personal transports, public transports, and cabs. The sound of humming electricity, the dull rumble of engines firing, the honking of horns, and the voices of pedestrians filled the air. In the middle of that was the Australian MagLev, the monorail that ran all throughout the Austrailian island as well as Tazmania.

Tom was starting to settle on ways of breaking the news to Corina when he heard a honk. As he looked to his right, he saw her yellow transport coming towads him, her fair-skinned face beaming. The engine covers were still removed from the back. He had removed them a few weeks before he left to prevent them from shorting out. The transport came to a stop in front of him and the passenger door raised. "G'day, cutie!" Her full face smiled. "Goin' my way, stranger?" She chuckled.

He smiled and looked her over. She was certainly a full-figured woman... not necessarily overweight, but she would never be described as petite. Her mother had referred to her as having 'perfect birthing hips'. That thought made him shudder. Her medium length, brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Her blue jean vest covered a light green tee shirt. The legs of her brown pants were folded over her boots. Her smile just lit up the place. "Depends," he answered playfully, "where ya headed?"

Corina cocked her head. Her features became softer. "I know of this little shack out by Gold Creek with some beef barbeque that's been slow-cooking all afternoon. Can I interest you in a lift?"

Tom eagerly climbed in. "Beef barbeque? Why didn't ya say so?" She grabbed his face as he sat down. Her kiss was sweet, loving and warm. Her's was a face he wouldn't mind waking up to every morning. To be going home and having his favorite meal waiting for him was a very comforting feeling, too; especially after what he had been through. "I missed you, Sugar." He said finally. Perhaps marriage wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Well," she replied sweetly, "you don't have to miss me any more." She looked at the passenger door. "Mind your hands and feet." Tom pulled his leg in as the door closed. "Let's get out of here," she said.