TITLE: Upon Terrei By Anthony S 11/08/09 |
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Easeing his ship out of nano space Sean watched the blue and white of one dimension concentrate and shatter into a millions of stars. The flight had been peacful, thankfully, and before him lay the planet of Terrei*. The sector was located on the lower side of the Milky Way on the last edges of a star birthing nebula. In fact the nebula was the only reason this system held any value for corporations or civilians.
The nebula, known as Fiice O, was constantly spewing out the remains of old extinguishing stars at speeds that could slice a battleship in two. The astronmical bile eventually slowed down untill Terrei's own star gravity began to weigh on the atoms thus pulling them together. Eventually the remains of the nebula's exports collected into a mass which proved to hold atomical elements necassary to the new nano drive of the Seaons.
The mass for some time deterred the UA when they first discovered the system. With a single planet, who's surface was largely reduced to ash and flames seven out of nine months, only corporations* saw value in the system. Added was the atomic radiation strong enough to destroy sensors and mutate even the steel of Seaon science vessels.
Ultimately, with help from then newly discovered Ogrins, the technology for processing the molecular properties found in Terrei radiation was developed and built. Now a massive shipyard hovered just a few certs from the main harvest site. The titanic sized mechanical depot provides the Terrei system with a limitless source of credits.
While he waited for clearence to land, Sean ran a check of all the contracts he would consider the next few dai. Being a noncorporate trader the money was actually fairly decent. He had a bit saved up and was in the market for a new ship and a place to stay when he finally left the buisness. His father had been a merchant for his younger life and less then Ic-20T* ago had started up a small buisness on Earth. Sean always thought he'd follow in his father's footsteps but now he was starting to think his dad had sacrificed a blessing to stay in one system. Nearly every dai Sean traveled to a system where the sky was a color he'd never heard of. Where the stars reflected light off a series of moons creating near beams of starlight which looked like eternal fireworks in the blackness.
Now as the Terrei system security cleared him, he flew past the outer fringes of the collection site: The deep near transparent blue gave him the erie image of a organic membrane with clouds that swirling beneath. Occasionally there was a ripple which ran across the surface amidst flashes ofyellow lightning. Even the very tip that he now saw measured 20 Ic* and could have left a poet speechless like it left Sean who glanced at it; amazed something like this could be formed by a collection of dead atoms.
Flying past the last traces of this mining site he thought he saw a slight shimmer in the space still before him. He smiled, A cloaked battlecruiser? Terrei was borderline infamous for it's security. They were among the harshest in the UA. The value of Terrei space fuel was beyond estimation. He himself had flown once with a sample power cell of it. The ease with which his ship flew had amazed him. It was very much right for such a comody to be gaurded so. He kept his attention focused, on the display in his cockpit which marking his flight path.
Two fighters appeared seemingly out of the vacume of the space and flew with him for a short period. Likely the point where pirates ships revealed themselves, he guessed. At the thought of pirates Sean flinched slightly: The memory of his time in prison came back to him. "Idiot," he muttered for the tenth time. It was still fresh in his mind. The idea of nearly being executed, regardless of his reasons, had not yet ceased to trouble him.
Flying under the southern pole of the second moon he watched two more fighters take up a spot on either side of him and follow him to the station pad where he'd been instructed to land. Up till his landing gear touched down they flew just far enough back that he could be disintegrated before he'd have a chance to power up his shields.
He powered down his ship for the short duration he would be there. A further indication that he had no intention of picking up smuggled power cells and flying out before security could lock him down. It was troublesome, visiting places like this, yet at the same time he appreciated the safety. He could go anywhere within the UA and not find a safer sector lest he traveled to the UA Central itself. That space dock there was a fortress of near impossible size. The fourth largest station in the known galaxy. He had seen it's glistening white walls. The virtual continent that it's size conjured up thoughts of. The various arms with their countless windows. Even the holographic image had left Sean stunned. He considered it unreal when he saw it in person; and to describe was hopeless.
A slight beep notified him of his clearence to leave the ship. He opted to leave his belt behind this time. The weapons would only attact attention he didn't need. Raising the hatch to his ship he climbed down it's 'walkway' and went around to the rear of his vessel. Typing in the code, he heard the TAL* unfasten and the doors slid open.
He stepped inside, noting the total number of crates and making sure their ID numbers had not changed and checking each for damage. He softly chided himself for not doing the routine prior to take off. Not one to take honesty as a given in the merchant buisness he took to heart a check list that made sure he wasn't being robbed at any given stop during a shipment.
Finding nothing amiss, he exited the hold and closed the doors making sure the ss reset before leaving to enter the station.
Upon being cleared he stood upon the entry way to a looming industry dock. The Terrei dock was unlike many other docks, devoted to mining and industrial, in that it was not unkempt. The soft yellow was not at all unpleasent as the lone star in the system cast rays upon the strangely built shipyard. It went ahead of Sean, dropping down from his landing pad into a basin-like shape. All around him he could see other falling ramps that led from the landing pads into the complex. The station had more then fifty of these ramps, and though they looked small from the distance, all of them including Seans were nearly 3 miles in length. Hidden from his sight but just as large were an additional fifty ramps that went into the belly of this space dock.
He began the long journey to a merasi* that, after checking it's location on a holo map built into a wall, was about half way down this branch. The trip itself may have been long, but Sean did not notice as he traveled amidst the races that also walked down the arm. The slope was only slightly inclined thanks to Ogrin design. And it slowly spiralled downward to the main station.
Sean caught sight of the massive four towers that contained the companies who invested in Terrei. No two were alike. One had a sharp golden color, shown upon by the system star, while one other was a striking lunar silver. The third and fourth exchanged various blues and reds from top to bottem giving the impression of a purple cloud cover. Sean could see why these companies considered themselves 'a new horizon'. The towers made to reflect the motto of the company quartet which owned the station. Sean had once considered working for Evening Sky, once a opponent of Horizon Terrei but ended up becomming a private contractor when he realized how little time he'd have for himself. The choice seemed silly, now, he was still flying everywhere he didn't want to, saving up credits and hoping for that big shipment that would allow him to take a break, buy a new ship and just tour the galaxy.
He ran his hand through his dark hair. He felt weary of the trips and yet couldn't picture himself doing much else. These contracts were his way into unknown parts of the galaxy. A sector he never knew existed might be his next drop off. Though flying the ship was rather sedentary, it at least had a better view then those occupations stuck on one planet. He had wanted so bad to escape the Solar System that even now, tired as he was, he wouldn't dare go back.
The various races along this branch of the station spoke as one babble. Sean had always been facinated with different languages in school yet out here, he realized it would be near impossible to learn more then two. The constant trading made it difficult for him to even think beyond the next drop off he had to finish. He had managed to learn only a few phrases in one or two dialects other then the UA basic. What he knew did not come close to functional outside a few greetings and the dull mix of dozens of races made him well aware he needed to study the variations of speech once again.
He rounded another turn in the station path and was nearly half way when he spotted his destination. The merisa* stood in stark contrast to the station around it, yet blended in away that the difference was not alien. The white walls of the enterance were laced with the name of the building in holograph icons. The merisa was unusally large and there was a large wave of citizens moving in and out of the structure's opening. He entered and noted the usual music that these establishments all played. Inside he found a table and sat down. Pulling out a small box shape, he pressed a symbol on one side that activated the device.
It was one of the most used inventions of merchants: Like the device for discovering missing belongings. The small box acted like a beacon giving off a signal that the corrosponding device - itacrep - could pick up and lead the holder to their guest. It definitly made it easy for Sean to find his contracts once he was on the planet.
He had just ordered a drink when there was a slight cough behind him. He turned and saw a Resit* looking down at him.
"Sean Rean?" It asked in the deep voice that the race posessed. It's rubber face gave away no emotion, while the spikes that covered it's head (and Sean knew the greater portion of their body) were startling to say the least. In short, Resits were an imposing species appearence alone.
"Yes?" Sean responded.
"I am Do*" the alien spoke, "I presume you are the one with my shipment?"
"Yes, would you like to see it now?"
Do nodded, "It would help yes, I am on a bit of a time *sehedual."
"Of course," Sean bowed and left a tip for his order. "It's up this branch of the station."
The two left the station and began the long mile long journey up to the plateform where Sean's ship lay. Sean was silent and said little but about half way there Do plied him with questions.
"I heard you were attathed on the way to the se'tor. My 'argo was not damaged?"
"No, I had stopped for repairs on Kaito and checked your merchandise then," he tried to sound nonchatlent; it was good ethics to report the care one gave toward his shipment but lieing was not.
"Excellent, I'm sorry to hear about the incident in Kaito's system. I hope it did not disturb you."
Sean was silent at that, only shrugging, not willing to let something slip that Do did not need to know.
"The payment for the shipment will be less as stated," Do went on, "Though I do appreciate you 'omming out this far."
"It was nothing, I had not visited this sector in some time, it's a marvel; the installation they have here," Sean replied as they rounded another corner in their way.
Do looked out one of the larger windows that gave a incredible view of the four towers and the lower city. "Yes, they have added on to this station 'uite a bit since I was last out here. 'uite a bit indeed."
A host of Ictimplia passed by them giving no heed to Do as they spoke to one another in their strange tongue. They all wore a similar armor design and, suprisingly, were carrying blaster rifles and their deadly Ich* blades. Do, however, paused and looked after them. Sean had heard of a war that the Ictimplia waged against the Resits over a small outpost in the deepest reaches of the UA. Though the information was hard to come by, Sean had learned that it was 3 tribes of Ictimplia that were responsible for the war. The Resits however made no distinction in the planetary battle, between tribes, and thus many attrocities were commited that both Ictimplia and Resits still remember to this dai.
Do shook his head and muttered what Sean guessed as a curse before continuing on. Sean remained silent respectfully until Do started again with his questions.
"My crew will be at your ship already; they were waiting for you shortly after you landed but you had already left. Did you find the merasi swiftly?"
"Yes. I had no trouble; just glad the landing pad was on the same arm as the one you indicated. It was long enough of a walk."
Do seemed to smile, the spiked hair on his head in fact rising a level. "My apologies. This station has only one merasi per arm. It's caused issues before. The system council built 3 others in the station body to appease people." Even though slight, Sean noticed the mockery in Doh's statment.
Upon turning the last bend in the station arm Do held a small communicater to his mouth and spoke something in his native dialect. He was silent for only a second when the reply came. Shutting the device off, he reached into his jacket and produced a data pad.
"My aids are ready, when we arrive, after I check the merchandise I'll need your signature for the transaction to complete," he tapped the pad twice and handed it to Sean.
Sean looked it over noting all fines and timeing records before taking a small data chip out and switching it on. He connected it to the pad and let his HDC* copy the information down before giving the pad back to Do.
They entered the landing pad Sean was on and were greeted by the carge crew who had four lifts to unload with. Sean proceeded to the rear of his ship and undid the TAl once more that the crew could begin.
Do was quiet for the duration of the crew working asking only a few questions about Sean's trade. He spent most of the period scanning each crate before it was loaded. When the last of the crates was lifted, Do handed the pad back to Sean who signed it with the HDC.
Do bowed; "Thank you for handling the shipment Sean Rean."
Sean nodded shaking Do's outstretched hand. "My pleasure. Please; do not hesitate to call on me again for private shipments." Do bowed again and then left with the dock crew.
Sean made sure the cleansing arch had sealed before boarding his ship once again. The TAL quickly sealed and he climbed up to the cockpit of his vessel. Activating the interface he scanned his ship and checked the payment balance. Everything checked out and his account showed a positive gain of some five thousand credits. He pulled up the navigation chart and set a course for his next shipment before pausing. He could make the next pick up route quickly enough and have nearly a full dai to pass.
He scanned the near systems to Terrei and noted that there was the system of Myste close by (it was a popular system, serving as a major stop for galaxy tourists.*) Nodding to himself, he powered up his vessel.
"This is Sean Rean, I have completed my buisness upon the station. Requesting a window to leave." Sending the request Sean checked his fuel to make sure he wouldn't be pushing the ship's reserves to far with his change of plans.
"This is flight tower for landing pad eight, you are clear to leave. Follow the holoimaging, out of Terrei space, to your nano point, thank you for visiting."
Sean powered the nano drive and began his accent. Following the holographic pathway, he watched the station shrink beneath him. It was magnificent even from the ever increasing hieghts he was climbing. There were hundreds of ships (mostly fighters) circling the many arms of the station and he spotted one or two battle cruisers on the far side to his left. They were each larger then the towers on the station and their brilliant gold colors suggested they were from the UA central government itself.
He was more then slightly jealous that the Central Government had access to such fuel as that found in the system. He dipped his ship and followed the flight path beyond the station's horizon and set the coordinates for his jump. Two fighters dissolved out of the nothingness of space and turned back to the station as Sean reached his nano point. He had figured there were a pair following him but did not doubt at least five others were still cloaked and within easy fireing range of his ship. Security at it's best.
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