Tonja escapes the company she works for. She dreams about constructing spacious spaceships instead of maximizing cargo space and minimizing material usage.

The new alien party, which is opening trade routes, seems perfect for her escape. She manages to sneak aboard and hide in the storage room.

When the aliens kill a fire in the engine room, they discover Tonja. She can help them. Instead of letting her go, they want her to stay as their mate.

Can Tonja convince the aliens to not return her to the company and let her walk away?

An original stowaway short story in the Trade Network Universe.