by Joe Crouch
“We’ll talk soon,” she replied. Pushing the loose tubing and wires away as they circled the room, they soon made it to the exit and waiting for them was Remulus, Fez, and Zarid who each showed off the tiny trinkets they had purchased. “What you got there?” she asked Zarid who held up a satchel made from a scaled leather. Pulling out her weapon she showed it off to the crew who gathered around.
“How did you afford that?” Fez asked.
“I suppose there were a few benefits to becoming a celebrity on Earth…” Sean sighed, ignoring the gawping Ioutions, “Can we get down to the surface?” Agreeing, Fez corralled the crew through the cold, wide hallways of the station. Everything aboard had the feel of being over-engineered, it was bulky, heavy, and would withstand all but the strongest of barrages. Every race of alien he had ever wished to encounter strolled past, deep in conversation with another, often they turned to give him a questioning look. Humans were still tadpoles in the galactic community, their faces were becoming more commonplace as others ventured off world to see the galaxy, but as of now, it was common that others wouldn’t know a thing about his species. The Terran Empire Fleet began to expand its operations outside of Sol, colonies other than on the Moon and Mars hadn’t been established but the possibility grew.
Turning the corner, they stood, watching as the throng of people in front of them each vied for position in one of the three barricaded lines that led to a different shuttle destination. Fez dragged them over to the queue of people which waited for a shuttle to the capital. Fights broke out as arguments raged but hailing from what used to be Britain, Sean was an expert at waiting patiently in a queue. Shuttles popped up with surprising frequency but common courtesy seemed to be dead as people attempted to pile into the vessels as passengers tried to leave. It was chaos.
It didn’t take them long to find themselves at the front of the queue, and with a satisfying clunk, the large metallic door slid open. Sean pushed against the raging crowd, holding them back allowing those on board to leave before they got on, if he introduced one thing to galaxy it would be common sense. Finally, once the tide from within had abated, he stepped aside allowing the agitated crowd to move past him. He followed Taris inside the beat-up craft and sat beside her on one of the many stained seats whose fabric was worn and battered. The smell of body odour was almost overpowering as he began to feel lightheaded, but just in time the overhead air conditioning clicked into life as the heavy door to the shuttle was slammed closed.
Within moments the ship pushed away from the station, turned in place and engaged its weak chemical thrusters. He watched out the small portholes which lined the side of the vessel as the details of the ocean planet became clearer. Islands were dotted across its entire surface with virtually no green vegetation seemingly present on the main continent. As they entered the planet’s outer atmosphere turbulence shook the craft, this is it he thought, digging his nails deep into the armrests, I’m going to die in this rust bucket. The motions became stronger, violently throwing the vessel from side-to-side, his eyes were welded together so tightly in fear that he was afraid to open them as the ride smoothed out.
Skimming through the lower atmosphere the coast of the main continent became visible in the distance. Tall, affluent buildings which looked to be hotels and offices lined its cityscape. The deep blue sky, clean oceans, and smooth buildings looked appealing, he was eager to explore and see what he could find. The picture soon changed, though, as they approached a rundown shanty this world called a spaceport. Its buildings were dilapidated; their smooth walls were chipped and their metal roofs fell away from the poorly constructed structures. With the landing thrusters active, the shuttle gently lowered itself towards their designated landing spot, and with a thump, they were on the ground. Sharing an exasperated look with one another, Sean and Taris rose from their seats as the large metal door snapped open with a long ramp extruding out from the belly of the ship.
Each planet had its own specific smell, and this was no different. They had landed within the inner city, an overwhelming stale smell wafted through the air. Other ships rocketed away from the spaceport with a forceful rumble from their engines. “Wow…” Sean said, looking around the tightly packed together landing pads, “This world is something…” Hordes of beings rushed out from their shuttles heading towards the large, imposing gate at the other end of where they stood.
“Restocking will take a day,” Fez declared whilst strolling towards them, throwing a satchel over his shoulder, “I’ve booked us into a hotel for the night if you want to stay there you’re more than welcome.” Excited at the prospect of spending a day in one of the extravagant buildings they flew over beside the coast, Sean perked up and raced towards the gate dragging Taris along by the hand. It was only as they were about to leave that she dragged him back, pinning him in place.
“We don’t even know where we’re going or staying,” she said, “What hotel are we in?” Disappointed, they waited for the others.
“I’m going to go and do my own thing,” Remulus said, breaking away from the group.
“… Follow me,” Fez laughed as they passed through the checkpoint.
Chapter 12
Walking through the slums of the sprawling city was a dangerous and disappointing prospect, it was a far cry from the luxurious first impressions Sean had gotten as they raced over the coast. The glum faces of the Fre who waddled through the streets matched the face of every building they passed. From what he had learnt this area was where the miners and manual labours were kept when off duty. The Fre were free, but the imprisoned workforce mentality seemed either difficult to shake or opportunities were so limited they were forced back into it for work. A depressing dimness was carved into the way of life here and the upbeat, clean, and comparatively wealthy team strolling through these parts made life a little more disconcerting.
Stalls were set up along the side of the long, straight road they walked down. Their construction was as rickety as the elder Fre who manned their small businesses, with a pang of guilt Sean tried to purchase something different at each stall, it wasn’t much, but if it helped them to feed themselves or their family tonight it was something.
The difference was night and day as they turned the corner off from the street and headed towards their hotel. With every step the affluence of the area became apparent, buildings grew taller and cleaner with a workforce that that darted between buildings wearing nothing but the finest tailor fitted suits and clothing. A savoury, salty breeze from the sea rolled down the road, guided by the towering structures. The deep blue of the ocean came into view as it crested over the marine defences which lined the beach in the distance. Friendly Fre greeted them as they walked, welcoming the team to their small, humble city. Sean looked towards the sky and marvelled at how tall the buildings were, their windows glistening in the midday Sun. But his concentration was broken as a female Fre in a bright, light blue dress approached them.
“Welcome to Sarimunio,” she smiled, her cheerful red eyes went against everything Sean’s instincts told him, “I’m the proprietor of that restaurant there,” she declared, pointing to a building with multiple stories and balconies. “Take these, it will grant you fifty-percent off any meal, tonight only,” she smiled, handing each of them a thin piece of paper, “We’re always open to serve fleet members,” she winked at Fez who looked away blushing and uncomfortable. Sean thanked the woman and gave the captain a comforting pat on his back.
“Looks like Mr Unflappable has been flapped,” Sean laughed, slapping Fez on the shoulder, “Why don’t we go there tonight? Candle-lit dinner, a bottle of wine, or whatever they drink in restaurants out here, but make sure to wear something nice, can’t have the lady knowing how bottom of the barrel you really are.”
“Rude,” Fez replied, puffing his chest out, “We will go back there tonight, but only because it saves the Ioution fleet on expenses, nothing more.”
“Sure thing,” he winked at Taris who stifled her laughter a
nd shook her head, “Whatever you say El Capitan.” Continuing, their hotel came into view. It loomed over all others as its vast shadow was cast along the faces of the structures that stood before it. Its double-helix-like shape was constructed from mirrored glass and high luminosity metals. Grav-lifts pushed and pulled elevators on the outside of the building, stopping at one of the eighty-seven floors the hotel had within.
“Incredible,” Zarid declared in awe, “I have rarely seen my species construct such a wonderful piece of art before, thank you, captain, for letting me stay here.” Approaching the double doors, they gently swung open to reveal its innards. The inside was hollow as each floor was a ring that sat independently on top of each other, the carved marble floor they walked over was arranged into a confusing insignia the Fre adopted. Spinning in wonder, Sean noticed the glass was one-way, he could see out but not in.
“Welcome to the Zazimar, can I take your names please?” the cheerful Fre said from behind the wooden counter, typing furiously on the terminal beside her. With their details handed over each of them were assigned their own rooms all on the same floor. Stepping onto the elevator, Sean’s wonder and joy didn’t stop as the tube was lifted from the ground in a fluid motion that felt as if they hadn’t moved. Floors zipped by as the lift shot upwards, the cityscape came into view behind them showing off the distinct difference between the prosperous area they stayed in and the favela not half-a-mile from the hotel.
Ding! Rang the loud noise as the elevator came to a halt, its doors sliding open to reveal their destination floor. Stepping out onto the plush carpeted floor he took in the sight as paintings hung from the off-golden walls and busts sat atop podiums as a warm light lit them from underneath. Hotel staff scurried about, nodding to the guests as they passed. Looking down at his key card and looking up at the signage affixed to the wall, he followed the arrow to the left for room one-hundred and twenty-seven. The thick fabric underfoot felt as if he walked on clouds, it was a welcome change from the rock-hard surfaces aboard the ship.
“There,” Taris said, pointing up ahead to a wooden door, “That’s ours.” Sean put the card into the door, it slowly swung open with a satisfying beep, caressing softly against the wall inside the room.
“Ho-ly-shit,” Sean enunciated. The room had a level of wealth he wasn’t comfortable with; golden coloured fixtures and fittings were dotted about as a crystal chandelier hung centrally from the tall ceiling. With a belly flop, he jumped high in the air and slammed onto the ultra-cushioned king-size bed, ruffling up the linen bedspreads. Everything to him was amazing, he was disappointed in indulging, but when in Rome he thought as he slid open the dark wood cabinet to reveal layers upon layers of chilled beverages. He grabbed a light green radioactive looking drink and slumped down into a chair that faced out the window, watching as the entire floor slowly rotated. He watched as the shallow waves rolled up onto the crisp, golden beach but a gathering of massive structures in the distance caught his attention.
“What are they?” he asked, turning to see Taris grabbing the same drink and pulling up a chair beside him.
“They’re H2O harvesters,” she replied, slipping her shoes off, propping her large feet up onto Sean’s legs, “They go deep under the surface to get clean water which is then transported off-world… Rub then.” With a groan, he massaged her smooth but tortured soles before looking down at the people that walked by. Trees rustled in the light breeze that rolled in from the ocean to create a perfect, sanguine environment.
“Well, this is nice,” he said, letting out a long, relaxed breath, “I could stay in this room from now until dinner.”
“Well…” she smiled, “We could do that…”
***
Stepping out from the shower, Sean threw the lavish towel to one side and slipped into his clothes which were scattered about the room. The night was rolling in and the world outside was starting to burst into a vibrant mixture of colours that ran the whole spectrum as the front of restaurants tried to stand out from the rest with vibrantly illuminated bricks. The towering structures in the distance flashed in the deep evening sky as the chemical burn trails from ships streaked across the atmosphere.
The pair left their room and got into the elevator. Sean watched the bright cityscape disappear into itself as the lift descended. They waited patiently for the rest of the team in the hotel’s foyer. Sitting on benches that circled the massive windows they watched as different aliens came and went, some looking more unsavoury than others. He had learnt a lot about the Fre so far on the trip, they were courteous, upbeat, and all shared the same coal-coloured skin with deep, piercing red eyes. To him, their eyes were fascinating and their personalities went against everything cinema had taught him from back home, red doesn’t have to mean bad he thought.
With a confident swagger, Zarid stepped out from the grav-lift with a not-so-confident looking Fez who trundled along looking as if he was going against his own will. Zarid had managed to find a perfectly fitted suit with a ridiculous looking fedora style hat to match. “How’s it going ladies and gents,” he swirled on the spot excitedly, “Tonight’s the night ‘ole downtrodden Zarid gets to meet his dream Fre lady friend, I can feel it.”
“See how you feel about it in the morning,” Sean laughed, pushing himself up and heading out from the hotel lounge. The area was abuzz with life as people strolled along the streets at a leisurely pace, almost everyone was dressed to the nines apart from him, he hoped the lack of knowledge about Earth customs meant he could talk his way around looking too casual. Street bands lined the way playing what sounded like music from the Caribbean on steel drums as a backing band provided an electronic undertone to it all. For now, this is exactly where he wanted to be with exactly who he wanted to be around, in his eyes this was perfection as he already planned his retirement to the world.
“You look happy,” Taris smiled, watching the Human bop his head to the music with a large grin on his face.
“I am,” he nodded, “Everything is perfect, nothing could spoil the night.”
“Well now you’ve just jinxed it,” she scoffed. Rambling up to the restaurant, a bulky Fre opened the brushed steel door for them to enter. They stepped through and it was as if they had been teleported to another world. The floor space was scarcely illuminated by the dim mood lighting that came from the ceiling, a soft jazz band played in the corner to patrons that looked far wealthier than he could ever be. Taris, unafraid of sticking out like a sore thumb, waltzed into the restaurant and found the female Fre that spoke to them earlier.
“I’m so glad you made it,” the ever-happy maître d said, locking eyes with the captain, “I’m especially happy you made it,” she winked.
“We just had to bring him back here,” Taris sighed, “He didn’t stop rambling on about the ‘beautiful Fre we passed earlier’ so here we are.” Watching his captain’s colour fade away as he was thrown head first into an awkward social situation, Sean spoke up and asked if they could have a table for four. Slipping into his snugly fit velvet chair he looked around at the curious eyes which darted in his direction, he made eye contact with a couple which sat on the table over from them, he smiled as the man leant over.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but can I ask what is wrong with your skin pigment? I haven’t seen a condition like that before.” Taris ripped into a fit of laughter, spitting out the little water she had just sipped on.
“It’s not a condition,” he smiled, “Our race is new to the galaxy, I’m most likely the first Human everyone in this restaurant has ever seen.”
“Human!” an Ioution female boomed, getting up from another table to inspect him closer, “I’ve heard about your kind, how very curious, your skin is so…” she trailed off, rubbing the back of her hand down his face, “… so smooth.” Strolling into the establishment just in time to divert attention away from him was Remulus. Her white cocktail dress bounced about as she fiddled with its seams in a futile attempt at comfort. She dragged a chair across the
floor with a loud squeak and slumped down beside Sean while grabbing the pitcher of water, drinking directly from it.
“What?” she questioned as prying eyes bore holes into the back of her head, “I’m thirsty, I’ve been running on the beach.”
“That’s where you’ve been…” Fez said nonchalantly. The group made small talk as each of them ordered their respective meals, Sean soaked in the atmosphere while he could as come tomorrow morning it would all be gone.
“You don’t just tear into it like that you barbarian,” Taris fumed while instructing Sean on how to properly eat the, what could only be described as, sea creature he accidently ordered, “You snap this… and this… then suck out the flesh.”
“I don’t want this much work when I’m eating,” he moaned before taking a bite, “I bet it tastes like… oh wow,” he declared, his eyes widening as he sucked the first piece of buttery smooth meat out from the crustacean. As they continued devouring their meals Fez and the female Fre continued to share casual glances until she walked over.
“I’m Ambronia, my shift just ended,” she smiled, holding out a hand to formally greet Fez.
“Hello Ambronia, I’m Feghouli-Azer-Taren of the Ioution Fleet vessel Mar’Ell, it’s nice to meet you properly.” The table watched as the two engaged in an awkward conversation. A smooth jazz beat from the musicians filled the air, an excited but relaxed mood gripped the table as they spoke amongst themselves. Sean noticed Zarid was unusually quiet, leaning over he whispered in his ear.
“Everything alright?”
“Hm?” the Fre replied, his attention clearly in another universe, “Oh yeah, fine, don’t worry your socks about ‘lil ‘ole me.” Watching him closely, Sean noticed that he continued to exchange glances with a table across the room. Four well-suited, vicious looking Fre sat at the table clinking together tall crystal champagne glasses, the bulkiest one with slicked back black hair raised his glass towards Zarid who looked down towards his feet.