Fire Fury Frontier

by Amanda Rose

  Raiden stared blankly at him for a moment, “Uh, yeah, it is me. Is this a bad time?”

  “No, no, come in,” Takeo said, standing aside to let Raiden by.

  Raiden entered the room and then bowed to Norita, “Pleasure to see you again, Empress.”

  Takeo closed the door and walked back over to the desk to sit down, “I was expecting to hear from you sooner once we’d boarded the station.”

  “As was I. We were beginning to think we’d never see you again,” Norita smiled, “I’m glad you’re OK. When you didn’t come back through the worm hole… well, let’s just say we were all very concerned.”

  “I’m sorry, everything happened so fast, and well…”

  “Please,” Norita shook her head, “there’s no need to explain.”

  “Right. Well, after I arrived on the Bastion I went to the merchant’s wing, and after some tiresome negotiations the past couple of days, I’ve secured enough water to fully resupply the Saisei. I just need your permission to provide the goods I offered in exchange,” Raiden extended a data pad to Norita which she took and read over closely.

  After a few moment Norita placed her thumb on the data pad to transmit her signature to the digital form, and handed the data pad back to Raiden, “That’s quite some deal you made. You know, you’d have quite a promising future in politics.”

  He took the pad back and slipped it into the inner pocket of his jacked, “Thanks ma’am, but I think I prefer the skies.”

  “Good work, Lieutenant. I knew you were the right person for the job,” Takeo said, pride ringing in his voice.

  “Thank you, General,” Raiden said, feeling elated. “Well, I’m going to head back to get this handed in to the broker authorities.”

  “Take a day to enjoy the Bastion before you had back to the Saisei, but then I want a full report. And send off a transmission to Dr. Takei about where your ship docked, he’s eager to get his hands on the flight records from the scanner,” General Yamamoto instructed.

  “Right away sir, and thank you,” Raiden said with a smile.

  Takeo curtly nodded, and then Raiden bowed quickly and left. Norita slowly meandered over to a small sofa-like piece of furniture and sat down. “I can’t believe the water crisis is finally behind us,” she said, feeling as if the weight of the world had finally been lifted off of her shoulders.

  “He’s a good soldier,” Takeo said.

  “Yes… he is.”

  |

  Freya had been sitting in a decontamination chamber for over 20 minutes. The room was dark, and time felt like it was moving slowly. The customs procedures had been swift up until this point. Beyond the docks, to get into any of the inner sanctum of the Bastion, everyone from every ship was required to go through this sterilization process. As a new species aboard the ship, while data was being fully complied about their biology and possible transmittable diseases, bacteria, and viruses, each member of the Saisei was subjected to a full 30-minute decontamination for safety.

  As soon as the Saisei had docked with the Bastion Freya had applied for shore leave in hopes of finding Raiden. The list had already become extensive by the time their ship had docked and she’d been forced to wait. Now minutes away from getting to explore the station, each second ticked by slower and slower.

  The room was all metal, with a metal bench bolted against one wall. An intricate system of air purifiers and filtration systems was integrated into a triple protected ventilation shaft that vented directly out into space. The room had top of the line sensors, and scanners that could extract medical data on every species down to the subatomic particles.

  Freya sat on the bench with her back against the cool metal of the wall. She let her head tilt back to lean against the wall as well, and felt the cold permeate her scalp. It was strangely soothing. She rested her eyes shut and let out a deep breath. A split second later she heard a loud BEEP! and she snapped to attention. The decontamination procedure was finally over. The inner door, leading into the Bastion, had electronically unlocked.

  Standing up from the bench, Freya promptly walked over to the door and pushed it open. Finally, she thought, exiting the chamber. After a long walk down a stark white corridor, she came to an opening, which lead into the main body of the station. Her impatience dissolved entirely as she entered, marveling at all of the wonders.

  Much like at the docks of the Bastion an array of different aliens walked about the promenade. But unlike the docks which, although well maintained were somewhat dirty from the many travelers, congested, and had an overpowering smell of fuel from the frequenting ships, inside the inner sanctum of the Bastion was a paradise. Trees lined the walkways, the air was pure and fragrant, a welcoming warm light mimicking a sun lit up the entirety of the central Bastion, and the walkways were all unbelievably clean. Amongst the shops, living spaces, and other building, were vast amounts of greenery.

  In this central part of the Bastion, gravity was caused by centrifugal forces; the circular center was always spinning. The curve of the ship was gentle, giving the near appearance of a flat surface to walk upon. When Freya looked up to see where her ceiling would be, she found that she was simply staring across to the other side of the interior of this section of the Bastion where aliens, upside down from her perspective, went about their business.

  Science had never been her strong suit, so Freya didn’t even try to fathom how all of this was possible. After several people pushed past her to get down the pathway she’d just come up from, Freya snapped out of her trance, and moved to get out of the way. She walked up to the nearest guard rail, overlooking a small pond full of aquatic life, and took in the sights, entranced.

  “Freya?” a voice called from behind.

  Freya turned around to see Raiden standing behind her, “Raiden!” she nearly yelled once she laid her eyes on him and then she ran over to tackle him with a hug.

  “Haha, shit! Nice to see you too,” he laughed, catching his breath after she knocked the wind out of him.

  She let go and then punched him hard in the arm, “You scared the shit out of me, man! Fuck…” she shook her head.

  “Ouch!” he recoiled, holding his arm.

  “Don’t you ever pull that shit again, OK? Disappearing like that… I thought you weren’t coming back,” she said.

  “Well damn, maybe I shouldn’t come back,” he said pointing at his arm.

  “Oh baby, get over it. So, tell me already, what happened?” she insisted.

  “I can’t right now,” he said, holding up a data chip, “I’m on duty, I have to get this to our ship.”

  “Oh,” Freya said, trying not to sound as disheartened as she felt.

  “Tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that’d be great,” she smiled.

  “Keep your comm open, I’ll let you know when I’m back aboard,” he said, and began to walk off.

  “See ya,” she said and watched him leave.

  Tomorrow… what am I going to do today? She asked herself, looking around. Without any plans she began walking aimlessly down the nearest pathway.

  |

  After a long walk through the central structure of the Bastion, Hiroshi had found himself drawn to checking out the Ecological Wing of the station. Extending from the main structure of the bastion were 5 Wings, each dedicated to a major function of the Bastion. With the alarmingly large size of the Bastion, it had made sense to do so, to cut down on travel times for people needing to conduct their affairs with others in the same field. The 5 wings were Business, Ecological, Politics & Law, Entertainment, and Military.

  Each wing had restaurants, living quarters, businesses, and picturesque greenery, making each wing its own livable space. The main central structure of the Bastion was for those who’d taken up a more permanent residence; those who worked solely aboard the ship, maintenance workers, engineers, cleaning staff, among the plethora of people needed to run the shops and inns. It was a perfect orchestra.

  Hiroshi sat down to eat
in a delectable café, after the scent had beckoned him in. Like everything else on the Bastion, it was perfectly situated for the best view. There was wall to ceiling windows in the café which made up the entirety of one wall, which overlooked a field of berry bushes in full bloom.

  After a long look at the menu, Hiroshi decided to be adventurous, and asked the server, a tall alien with tan colored reptilian-like skin, a short tail, and black eyes, to bring him what his favorites were. His waiter had smiled, clearly ecstatic to get to share his culinary picks. As Hiroshi waited for his food and drink he leaned back in his chair. His feet had begun to throb from all of the walking. I guess I need to exercise more, he thought to himself as he caught his breath.

  He’d brought his camera with him to capture as many sights on the Bastion as he could. He’d longed to bring his pad of paper to capture an artistic rendition of the station, but with such a short time allotted on the Bastion he knew he’d be better off exploring and focusing on his art later. He reviewed some of his photos while he waited for his food to come, just as astounded by them now as when he’d taken them. After a few moments he set the camera down and took in the sights, sounds, and smells around himself.

  The café was full, and bustling with energy, and yet he felt serene. He stared out the window into the field of bushes, and noticed a small furry creature eating leaves off of one of the plants. He quickly picked up his camera and took a photo of it. One amazing sight after another, he thought feeling incredibly grateful.

  His waiter returned with a small tray of delights; there was a cup filled with a hot liquid with an earthy smell, a dense pastry-like desert, and a bowl filled with what looked like tiny rocks. Hiroshi leaned over the table to look at them all, then looked up at his server, “Thank you,”

  A smile pasted on his face, his server beamed, “You’re welcome,” and walked away.

  First Hiroshi took a sip of the hot drink. It tasted earthy, just like it smelled, like a sort of white herbal tea. The earthy flavor gave way to a sweet almost vanilla like after taste, that was quite satisfying. The hot drink was quite refreshing.

  Next, he wanted to try the pastry. He’d been given a utensil, similar to a spoon, but flat and rectangular, which he scooped into the pastry with. The pastry gave way, in the same way gelatin does when cut. He lifted the utensil to his nose to smell the pastry, which had a warm aroma, similar to nutmeg. When he took the bite into his mouth a vast array of flavors exploded that his mind tried to explain with familiar foods; citrus, and cinnamon, hazel, and peach. Hiroshi closed his eyes and savored the experience. For all the space between us, there is so much similarity across this huge galaxy, Hiroshi thought.

  Unable to pull away, he finished the pastry off. Last he looked to the small bowl of rock-like food. He picked one up from the dish and it felt just as hard as it looked. How the hell do I eat this? He wondered. He looked around for his waiter, hoping to ask, but he was nowhere to be seen. After a moment of indecision Hiroshi finally decided to just pop it in his mouth.

  The hard rock-like food rolled on his tongue, the edges sharp, making it tantalizing to the senses. He rolled it around in his mouth, and as his saliva came in contact with it, the rock ever so slowly began to dissolve, creating a syrup consistency that tasted almost like a mulberry. The rich flavor was incredible. After the first had finished dissolving he found himself grabbing another.

  His server came by the table, “How is everything?”

  “Delicious!” Hiroshi exclaimed through a thick mouthful of syrup.

  The server smiled, “These have always been my favorites, ever since I was a boy. They’re made from those berries out there in the fields,” he said pointing out the large window.

  “They’re marvelous, thank you for recommending them. Would you like one?” Hiroshi asked, holding up the bowl.

  Happily, his server took one, and then went back about his business, clearing off a nearby table. Hiroshi rested in his chair feeling very content. Food always seems to be a Universal pathway to sharing, he thought, almost laughing at his overly obvious observation. I better stop eating these, must be a sugar high, he thought feeling giddy. He gulped down the rest of his beverage, left a hefty tip on the table, and thank strolled out of the café.

  Hiroshi found the energy aboard the station to be calming, is it the plants or the people? He questions. Both? Probably… He enjoyed watching the interactions of the various aliens as much as he loved the scenery. As newcomers every one of the Saisei passengers coming aboard the Bastion had an access link to the Bastion’s database, allowing them to scan unfamiliar plants and other species to learn basic information about each. I’m going to have to integrate this into my next lesson, he thought joyously, as he read about the various aliens and plants he passed by.

  A strange bird flew out of a tree that Hiroshi was walking past and then it perched on the railing next to where he was standing. The bird was bright red in the body, with blue and black feathers around its head and tail and had a jagged orange beak. Hiroshi stopped and scanned the bird. The scanner pulled up the information. The bird was called a Jusu and came from the home world of the Kikari, the planet Grast.

  The Kikari were a massive alien species, 8 feet in stature, broad, and appeared tough as nails. Hiroshi had seen several while he had been walking around the station and their faces reminded him of photo’s he’d seen of Rhino’s faces from the history files on the Saisei; images from before they’d gone extinct on his home world so many centuries ago. The Kikari walked tall and proud, and appeared easy to anger. The data entries he read had indicated they still operated in a tribal political structure on their own planet.

  The Jusu birds were used by the Kikari hunting parties to distract their prey. The Jusu’s favorite food was the Qas berry, which was the mulberry-like fruit Hiroshi had seen in the fields outside of the café. Despite its dynamic appearance the bird was a herbivore and known to be friendly. Hiroshi held out his hand to the bird. The bird inspected his hand and after a moment stepped onto his index finger. “Well hello there,” Hiroshi said and smiled.

  “Hey!” a deep guttural voice said powerfully from behind Hiroshi.

  Hiroshi froze, the hair on the back of his neck up, as he felt the blood drain from his face. Hiroshi went to speak, but he couldn’t. He let out a shaky exhale and turned around to see two male Kikaris standing behind him. He stood there staring at them.

  “You found my Jusu, thank you,” the one to the left said, his voice still booming and intimidating.

  “Ah, yes,” Hiroshi said, and extended his hand with the Jusu on it toward the Kikari. The Jusu finished preened and then flew and landed on the Kikari’s shoulder.

  “Thank you, human,” the same one said. The other Kikari, standing on the right, had his arms crossed, and looked at Hiroshi with what he assumed to be a hostile stare.

  “Y, you’re welcome. You know I’m human?” he couldn’t help but asked, surprised after such a short time that others would take the time to recognize a new addition to this massive array of species.

  “Of course,” the Kikari said, and gave a deep belly laugh that Hiroshi thought could be easily mistaken for a growl. “Those Ethlana practically throw a parade when a new contact is made. Everyone on the station knows who you are.”

  “Oh,” Hiroshi said, surprised.

  “Thanks again, human,” The Kikari said, and began walking away, his silent compadre walking off behind him without a word.

  Hiroshi took a moment to take a deep breath. He felt his heart begin to beat again, and the fear subsided. Shit they’re huge… he thought. Get yourself together, they were nothing but nice… well, the one was. But still… how easily could they have killed me? He shuddered.

  Once he regained his composure Hiroshi began walking leisurely down the pathway again, taking in the sights, and snapping photos. But now his mind was preoccupied. Xenophobia must be an issue. It doesn’t seem to be but… I wonder if their data base talks about wars? Not all first cont
acts must go as smoothly as ours. Though those Ethlana, there’s something incredibly soothing about being near them… I wonder if it’s a biochemical reaction? Either way I’m glad they’re the ones we ran into…

  After a few hours of meandering down many pathways, through lovely landscaped areas, the artificial sky began to turn, mimicking a sunset. Remarkable… Hiroshi thought, overcome by the beauty of it. If only we’d had such thought and consideration in the crafting on the Saisei. They knew it would be a generational life-ship for humanity and yet… I shouldn’t complain, they were working against time. It’s a miracle they pulled off building it at all with all the seismic activity they logged. They needed a ship to function, for over a million people, and they made it happen. It’s lasted for centuries at that, kept us alive, but still… how many sunsets have I actually seen with my own eyes in my life? 3? Yes… just the 3. This may be simulated, but it’s utterly… his mind was at a loss for words to describe it.