This week’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge gave me plenty of choice. I ended up picking something old, rusty , and of no use to anyone. And realised that I’d never mentioned Jo’s Junk Shop in all the Viridian series books. So it’s time to put that right.
It’s 150 words. I worked hard for that 😀
CCC051- Jo’s Junk Shop
Jo’s Junk Shop was a rarity. Most junk ended up in great whorls in space. Some made its way to a planet, where there were scavengers or traders seeking strange bits of equipment in poor condition. It might just fit their own rust bucket. But you needed passing trade to make a living.
Jo had set up on Sunset Strip. It had a rich enough city, given its existence to deal in what the asteroid miners brought in. Everything revolved around orichalcum.
Jo had no orichalcum. She dealt with anything else: bits of ships, engines found in space, sheets of cladding, old settler shelters, worn-out mining tools… She specialised in metal junk, but would inspect anything that could be recycled.
This, though. It looked like a winch for hauling boats out of the water.
Who in Sirtis’ great galaxy brought something for boats to Sunset Strip, a desert planet?
© J M Pett 2025
Note
The more I thought about this, the more possibilities I could see. It might start as a series… so watch out for more 150 word episodes until I decide to go for something longer. But then, I’ve never gone any further with the idea of a galactic breakdown service (yet). Oh… hang on…
This is a great idea and I really like it 💜
I’m chuckling, especially to your added note. But also the use you made of that rusted old winch. I love sci-fi stories that are gritty with decay and realism!
I love the idea of Jo and the breakdown service merging! Go ahead—play around with it!