Nice story background start. Got me hooked into a couple of why's. Like why all the different jobs for Gyne, and why the owners apparent nonchalant attitude toward his own ship the White Orchid? What caused the Virus out break? A lot of things to make for an interesting long or short story.
Gyne is one of many adventures who want to see the universe but in order to be able to do that, they work passage on the trade ships. They don't want to go 'there and back again' but to go further into the stars and see as much as they can of space, if not the planets in Gyne's case as they don't interest him.
I came up with the story as I typed it and needing motivation for Gyne I went with the big news in the real world, a viral outbreak. The ships name was what I saw as I looked out of the kitchen window and being in a rush to get away he had to sign on to a job on a beat-up ship he'd not usually take. The owner of the ship runs a two-bit operation and just sees it as a tool to use and as long as it stays space-worthy he doesn't care what it looks like.
A great way to take the day and make a story out of it.