Gore.odt

This assignment would take me to one of the most unusual worlds in Union space. The trip from Sol Hub was quite uneventful and took less than 3 days. At Sol Hub I took the space train to Upward Junction.

There was a train going this way every hour and I crossed the 800 light years in less than 20 minutes.

At Upward Junction I went on with a Fast Clipper to Old Xunx, and covered another 150 light years in 6 hours. The final leg to the Gore System aboard a massive Core service Space Bus was the longest part of my journey. After threes stops, 479 light years and sixty one hours I had reached Miller Port, a Class B space port on Gore III. The largest Union port in this system.

As I passed CITI control, I saw a man in an elegant business suit with a floating project-a-sign above his head, reading Mr. Alex Cunningham.

I aproached the dark skinned man and said.”I am Alex Cunningham.”

“Welcome to Gore System, Mr. Cunningham. I am Mogli Swandawawi of SII Public Relations. Your personal tour guide. Did you have a pleasant journey?”

“Yes Mr. Swandawawi short and eventless especially compared to my usual trips.”

“Please call me Mogli, Sir. I have read many of your reports and I am delighted to meet you and quite lucky to have been assigned to you.”

“Then drop the Sir and the Mister and call me Alex.”

“Great, Alex. Do you have any other luggage than this bag?”

“No, this is it.”

“Would you want to eat and rest before we go?”

“No, I had plenty of rest on the bus. “

I followed him onto a slide belt.”It is not far to the Intra System berth and the trip to Gore II takes only about an hour.”

I acknowledged him.

Miller Port was a typical Class B. as you found them all over the Union. Since this was deep into the Old Xunx space and had been part of United Earth before it became Union, there weren't any special cultural design elements, unless you would say that these clean designs of white plastic, glass and chrome was typical Terran.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Port was not overly busy and most of the travellers were tourists, unmistakeably identified by their uniform dress of colorful leisure clothing and the fact they travelled in larger groups. A Shail teacher herded a Class of kids to an Arthur's.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">A group of at least thirty Klack stood before a huge piece of pinkish organic matter displayed inide a transparent viewing case, while a White Nogoll appeared to hold a lecture.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Souvenir vendors hawking T Shirts and all the things considered Souvenirs for as long as there had been tourists.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“This is a 1000 kilo piece of Gore tissue.” Mogli explained pointing at the display.”Do you want to stop and hear the lecture?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“It appears the Nogoll is already well into the presentation. Is there another one?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Yes, every hour, but I am quite familiar with it and you can hear it on Gore II during one of the tours.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“In that case, let us proceed to Gore.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“It is the first time for me to actually conduct such a tour, Alex. We normally deal with general information requests and corporate visitors only, but management instructed me to assist you to the fullest. Is there something in particular you are looking for?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“I never look for something in particular. I visit a place, try to gather as much information I can and in doing so, some interesting aspect materializes. Once I found it, I built a feature around it with the information I have and hope our audience and readers like it.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Then I will do my best you find that aspect.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">With a gesture he pointed at the next deceleration section and we left the belt and entered a wide corridor. A sign designated it Local Berth 2.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Moments later we boarded a sleek and brand new looking SII-Executive shuttle.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The interior explained why this was called an executive shuttle. The seats upholstered with the softest leather and judging by the scent quite real.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Shuttle past through the energy membrane seperating the perch from the cold methane atmosphere of Gore III and climed fast into the sky. Not even the slightest vibration could be detected.