Chamber of the Seven Giants - Pt 1



The Chamber of the Seven Giants

Feature article found in the December 5029 (OTT) issue of the Union Galactographic Magazine



Written and researched by Alex Cunningham.



For this assignment I travelled the 72,000 light years from Blue Moon to Klackt in a day. Before Space trains and HHWs, a ship travelled almost six month.

From Klackt to Archa in two days aboard the fast Clipper Silk Express. The destination of my journey was still 6,000 light years away, if I could take the direct route.

But the sizeable part of Coreward Freespace made a direct approach risky. Of course civilian ships could cross it, but there was no guarantee of making it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">In this lawless region, Union fleet was not allowed. Pirates loves nothing better than to raid a civilian clipper. I had been into Freespace a few times and was thanking Mickey for keeping me safe.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Since our competition magazine only recently had a very nice feature on Archa. I decided to stay at Archa Moon Port, and wait for my Liner connection to Tink.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The lounge of J’thaik Coreward Inc. was as comfortable as such places could be. Dark green carpets, upholstered Vari-Form seats and a set of floor to ceiling curved transparent panels allowing a view over the crater riddled but otherwise featureless gray dust surface of Archa Moon. Archa, the planet however was as beautiful as Earth coming up over the curved horizon.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">While I had seen many Space Ports, and this was no different, except for the organic Archa elements here and there. The businesses and restaurants offering milk products and ice cream outnumbered everything else,   and not a single business was deserted, they all did brisk business with   chirping and arm waving, crawling all over Archas. I had stepped back out of the lounge to have a better look at this utterly fascinating display of huge spiders virtually everywhere, ceilings walls and floors far outnumbering beings and travelers of other species.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Arthur’s Swine and Dine actually had a line all the way out the door.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Every other Arthur’s was selling ribs and burgers and one or two desert options in form of soft serve.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This one featured eight chrome gleaming robotic Ice cream machines, and a two page menu with ice cream flavors. At the end of the menu were two burger choices.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I noticed one of the employees in the traditional pig costume, take his mask of and taking a break. From the blocky features, and developed muscles I was certain he was a young Humano Bot.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I greeted him “Very busy today?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Mister, its Firstday morning. Most Archas work, this is just the usual crowd of school kids, mostly.” He looked to the line of spiders.” Well school kids, their mothers and teachers too.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">He took a sip of the coke he held.” You should see this place on an Eightday afternoon, when they have Spiderman specials in the big retro theatre.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">A Klack with nervous shaking Antenna clutching a brief case close to his thorax and dressed in an expensive business suit, made of Archa silk on his way to the lounge said, overhearing it.” Queen’s Abdomen, I think would pass out!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">He went on and I said to the Humano Bot.” Don’t they have such places down on the planet?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">“There are approximately 6.5 billion Archas down there. Each and every one addicted to ice cream. Eating at least two cones a day. Adding up to about <span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language:EN">405.000 million metric tons every year. We keep running out!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">“They don’t get tired of it?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">“Archas tired of ice cream? Since Science Corps found out that this is actually healthy for them, has more energy and vitamins than Nuflugs. They don’t get fat just bigger.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">“Maybe I need to come back and find out more about it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">“You do that Sir, I am about to go back in.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">“Tough job?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">“Yep, but the Archas always tip, are never rude. The most polite beings I think. Besides being an Arthur’s employee here is like a ticket to management. Do you know the restaurant manager of the eight restaurants we have here on the moon, makes the same salary as the region manager Sol System. We are building twenty more restaurants as we speak. Tough job now, restaurant manager tomorrow and a Tree House with ocean view on Archa to retire in.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">He waved put the pigs head back on and was greeted and high fived by the spiders like a sports star on his way to the ring, as he joined his hard working colleagues behind the service counter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-ansi-language: EN">With a cone of soft serve in my left, I returned to the lounge. There were about sixty passengers or so waiting to board the <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Blauba Red, flag ship of the J’thaik Coreward Inc.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">According to an info board, this would commence in about 15 minutes.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I noticed the Klack business man standing with two more Klack and a being I think was a Tinkeheel.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">Since they were the only ones other than me in the A Deck line. I simply asked.” Excuse me, for asking, but about that comment you made, you don’t like Archa?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">“Human, I am Klack. Archas very much resemble what Huttnn’tkt looks like. Now I know it is superstition. Our queen is best friends with the Sac Mother. Arriving jointly at the Diamond Ball, but 100,000 years of ingrained genetic fear is not easy to overcome. Intellectually I know they are friendly, emotionally it takes all my will power not to run in panic”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">The Blauba Red, was not one of the main line giants, but it was still a 990 meter DeNoir Marseille Class passenger and freight ship <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">that would take me almost 15,000 light year further towards Galactic South and to the home system of a very recently joined member, the Tinkeheel. They joined us less than ten years ago.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">From what I heard they had been at the verge of extinction, almost wiped out by the aggressive Siucra.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Siucra were a forgotten Thrall species of our special friends the Kermac. Not even the Kermac appeared to have known that they still existed. Guarding the original abandoned home world of the Kermac, known as Koken.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The story went like this: A Union explorer ship unknowingly closing on Koken and was attacked without warning. Something all Galactic Council species controlled by the Kermac seemed to be very good at. The ship was lost, many hands perished.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The survivors tried to escape in escape pods and long range shuttles. Yet these vile Siucra attacked the unarmed escape pods.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">In a truly historic decision, the Klack queen sent the only armed ship with a chance of making it in time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The only remaining active Klackt Battle moon (UGM 5/4998 “The biggest Antiques”)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Moon was just about to make its first test flight, with the largest ISAH pods ever built, she decided to abandon this test and risk a sacred and irreplaceable antique to rescue handful survivors of the Union explorer.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Boarding commenced and it didn’t take long. The steward was just opening the door to my suite, as the space port buildings and the moon surface dropped away outside the view ports.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The porter, a Kathk Oghr put my bag down and thanked me for the ten credit tip and said. “I am a big fan of your magazine Mr. Cunningham. That feature you did three years ago about the Hidden Chambers of Kathkko palace was of course my favorite. I guess the Tinkeheel are next?” (UGM 1/5026 “Hidden Chambers of Kathkko”)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“Maybe some other time, I am going all the way to Tomb World.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“I am looking forward to see your feature.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“Has Kathk applied yet?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">He shook his head. “No not yet and by the things are going we won’t ever apply.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“That surprises me. I hardly visited a society more ready and excited, what changed?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“Nothing, Sir. As you know we got rid of our king about twenty years ago and we decided to become a democracy. We still try trying to untangle all those deeply encrusted nobles from our government in a peaceful way. This is of course the issue the PUMA report identified.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“It does not sound like a big hurdle.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“No it is not but it drags on and most don’t want to wait. Of the 89 Kathk worlds that made up our old Kingdom, 24 already joined the Union. Simply by declaring themselves independent from the rest and applying. Millions who are of the old worlds with lots of the Old structures and Nobles still trying to run things, simply immigrated and every day millions more do. I did it, eight years ago. By the time we are ready to join, we already have.” He spread his big arms. “We are going to be the only society that joined the Union by osmosis.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“Now that might be a great story too. Does it bother you?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“Why should it? It should be an option for all societies who can’t make up their mind or when the PUMA report finds too much issues their leaders can’t or won’t fix. Let them immigrate individually. Saves the integration department lots of time and credits. Everyone integrates themselves.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“You should tell that to OOP, sounds like a great idea to me.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“You know, I am going to do that right after my shift ends, but while I am still on duty, is there anything else I can serve you with?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“No I kept you long enough. Just suggest a good restaurant before you go.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">“The Aft View recently was awarded with the Golden Spoon. Natural Sourced, Carbon / NiOx specialized. Not too crowded. “

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">   --

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">After I had freshened up, called my wife and my editor I took the Carpet slide towards the rear of the ship instead of using IST

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt">I made that decision because four Ellie entered it before me, one holding a bag of Stink Pulse maggots. I did not want to take the chance to be in a confined room while they sampled a few. (UGM 3/5018 “The Assembly Evacuation Incident”)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Of course I could have taken the next capsule, but I didn’t want to be misunderstood why I rather not shared the IST, so I stayed on the carpet slide.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">A few doors ahead, a Holdian stepped out of his cabin and onto the slide just as I moved past. He greeted me and then studied something on his PDD.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">A Datry floated in his Phys-Aide-Shell from behind and caught up with us. The large Polyplacophoran life form from Andromeda said while thousands of stubby tentacles wriggled like a field of finger long worms. “You made a good choice citizens. They just shut down the forward ISTs. I understand an Elly guest had an accident with a food item.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I thanked my instincts and the little Holdian added. “Thankfully you do not have a sense of smell, Stink Pulse Maggots caused the Narth representative to become sick and the old Highlander losing his lunch.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“I bought me an olfactory nose simulator just three month ago. This is why too choose this route to the aft.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The belt had carried our group to the end of the corridor and deposited us on the top tier of the Red Mall gallery. A transparent chest high balustrade separating it from a cavernous cylindrical room of at least 200 meters across and twice as deep. Above us a transparent roof with the star filled eternal night of space and below huge circular shaped swimming pool, with passengers bathing and lounging.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Datry wished us a safe journey and directed his Phys-Aide over the barrier and descended fast towards the pool.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Holdian also went on his way, while I made mine towards the tinted glass doors on the other side. A floating sign identified them as the entrance to the Aft View Restaurant.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">It was still early in the day, just a few minutes past Eight-Hour (about 11:00 in OTT) Union Standard and only a few guests other than me had come here to eat,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">While Union standard divided the ten hours active and ten hours rest periods and did not use any local day and night standards or times (Only the fleet still used the age old Earth based 24:00 hour day) most of the Union disregarded the natural day and night cycles of local world and organized their live according to Union time. The Aft View Restaurant was only one of many places one could go to eat, not to mention you could have food served just about anywhere. It was listed as a dinner place and that explained the few guests.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">A heart stopping beautiful Delicate, looking as if an artist of great skill combined a flower, a butterfly with a human female shape using semi translucent materials in the softest pastel peach, pink and blue hues and draped whispering wisps of finest Archa silk over these human sized living piece of art.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I could never tell where the silk merged with the shimmering insubstantial wings, or determine if they walked or floated.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">She greeted me.” Good day, Sir. I am Meliea your hostess. Are you planning to eat or have a drink at the bar?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Her round face surrounded by hip long hair of soft pink dominated by huge green eyes, above a tiny nose and a tiny mouth, was just like that of any Delicate but I could never really stop to stare, no matter how often I interacted with one of this race that joined the Union only about fifty years ago and came from the furthest regions of the Large Magellan Cloud.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Her voice was melodic with a silvery din and she asked the same question switching to Squack.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Please accept my apologies for staring, in my defense please consider that I find Delicates fascinating and beautiful and you surpass all I have seen so far.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“No apologies necessary, I too catch myself staring when confronted with all the many forms life has taken.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“I am here for dinner actually, a bit early perhaps.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“It is never too early for good food, Sir.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">She guided me to a table right by the big view ports. This region was thinly populated, but I could see a few brilliant stars turned into quasi streaks and of course the bright blue glare of the ISAH pod to the side.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">With a swiping gesture she activated the Candle and the avatar copy of a leather bound menu flickered into existence before me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“May I kindly inquire if you have a suite number or are you traveling on a Space Bus Ticket, Sir?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Suite 12-12”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Thank you. Can I get you something to drink? Ovidio your waiter will be with you shorty.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“A Green Saresii Spriz made with Vodka, please.” Before she left I asked her. “Space bus?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Yes Sir, J’thaik Coreward Inc. provides space bus service to Tink. They have joined us only recently and the necessary infrastructure for regular space bus is not in place. Regular space busses are not able to bridge the 14,434 Light years. Space Bus tickets are subsidized and most of the amenities provided are not included in that ticket.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">She floated away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Ovido was a stocky human and he took my order, recommended an excellent Thauran wine to the Filet mignon I ordered. It was perfectly aged, tender and grilled to medium rare perfection.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">As he took the plate away and I asked for coffee. I noticed a red and blue flash outside.” Did you see that?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Yes, that was probably one of the Wolfcraft escorts, overtaking us. As long as they stay behind their photons never catch up with us so they stay invisible, but if they zip by close enough you can sometimes see a flash.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Wolfcrafts? We have an escort?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Red, display interpreted view.” He said

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The empty space changed. A Union Fleet escort became visible .I counted nine Wolfcraft and two Scorpions

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I was not easily scared but the fleet would not provide this kind of protection if this was safe space.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“When my Travel arrangements were made I was assured the route to Tomb World is safe.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The waiter said. “No it’s not safe but the safest. “

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">A voice behind me said. “The other route via Orkh-Ogh and Garra to Quadro is about 3500 light years shorter, but as long as the war rages, it isn’t safe and traffic is rerouted to Tink.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">I turned to a human man sitting at the next table. Wearing a black turtle neck and a kimo cut suit. He, like the waiter was of stocky built but was clean shaven. Before him a sniffer with a coppery liquid and a cigar in his right.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The blue smoke did not penetrate the invisible odor shield, almost all restaurants that expected to serve guests with very different ideas of what smelled offensive and what not, evident in the Stinkbug incident earlier.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Even though he wore civilian clothing, he had this unmistakable flair of a person spending most of his life in the military.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“What war, Sir? I am fairly up to date. We are not in any war!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">“Sir, the   Union is not at war as a whole, but we are currently involved in 788 local conflicts in three Galaxies, prepare for   possible wars in the Small Magellan Cloud, one in the Fornax dwarf and we expect the Shiss to make their move within this century. Half the Upward is under alert because all Non Dai united in one big tribe.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;tab-stops: 357.75pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">