by Paul Kater
"There. That thing. Umbrella. Is that normal?"
Rhonda scrutinised the picture. "Dunno. I'm the wrong person to ask about women's clothes, Daniel. You should find a more reliable source for that. Just be glad it's the boys wearing suits and the girls wearing skirts. I once was on Ophelius. You'd really have to-" At that point she was interrupted by a beep-signal. "Damn. Emergencies coming in. I have to run, Daniel." She jumped up and sped off.
Daniel watched her go and wondered what he would have to, on Ophelius. A blinking light in a corner took his attention away from Ophelius as well as the people in the picture. He opened the message.
"Orders and information for your imminent mission to NGC6637-VIII.
Mission: you are to assist the Ship Owners Society of NGC6637-VIII in securing their sea faring vessels. The Society has requested security assistance for their vessels, as pirates have been engaging their ships in battle and 'captured crew and cargo, sinking the ships'.
Upon arrival at the planet, you are to report to Seigner Waldo Skinsh ko Talush who will inform you in more detail. You are under all circumstances obligated to adhere to local protocol.
Departure: you will be leaving on a shuttle from platform Delta 1 tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.
Others: Before being taken to NGC6637-VIII, you will stop at space station Red Eagle where your attire will be made to fit."
Attire will be made to fit. These were the only words in the message that seriously loomed over Daniel. "Did I mention being screwed?" he asked the tablet. "Pirates. I hope they don't expect me to go fight some bloody Captain Hook!"
7. NGC6637-VIII
Half an hour before his ride would come in Daniel sat on his small trunk with his things. A bag with extras lay on the ground next to him. Platform Delta 1 was deserted, which suited him fine, although he would have liked to see a few people before leaving.
There were footsteps. Daniel got up and looked, hoping to see Rhonda, or Burt. He was not happy when he saw the shape of the oncoming person.
"Daniela, girl!"
"Crap."
"I knew you would be happy to see me!" Troy held out his arms, as if he expected Daniel to come running. "Ludo, come here and say goodbye to Daniela!"
The man stepped out of the tunnel. "Daniel."
"Glarn!" The voice sounded like whip.
Troy spun around as if he had been stung by something. "Trainer O'Shaughnessy."
Daniel breathed again. "Burt."
"I would sincerely advise you to report to your commanding officer, Troy Glarn." Burt stood next to Ludo, arms crossed over his chest.
Troy looked at Daniel, his eyes full of anger, but with Burt around he did not dare to say more. Witnesses were evil things. Without another word he turned and marched off into the tunnel. "Ludo!"
"Ludo stays here, it is you they are looking for," Burt calmly said, holding Ludo back.
Troy looked even less pleased, then he walked on. Echoes of cursing came from the tunnel, painting a grin on Burt's face. "He is going to have a really nice surprise," the trainer said. "And you, Ludo, should stop being his dog. Troy is going off-base, so it is time that you make your own plans."
"Off-base?" Ludo and Daniel asked at the same time.
"Yup. Since it sucks what stunt he pulled on you, I pulled one on him. I made a few calls and arranged for Troy to get his own command."
"You what?!" Daniel could not believe his ears.
"Ever hear of Trados Noxos?" Everyone who had ever been further away from Earth than a light year knew something about Trados Noxos.
"The planet of shit?" Daniel asked, first in disbelief, then with an ever expanding smile. It wasn't exactly a planet of shit, but the smell there made you believe that, according to the reports.
"He's going to be there for a while," Burt said with a wink.
"Hey, good, you're still here!" That was Rhonda's voice. The Head Medical Officer came sauntering through the tunnel. As she emerged, she hugged Burt and then Daniel. "Troy looked like he was kicked in the balls," she remarked. "What was that for?"
Daniel told her what had happened. It made her grin.
His friends stayed with him until the shuttle had arrived and he had to leave. Burt shook his hand. So did Ludo. And Rhonda did that also. "Good luck, Daniel. Find a way to stay in touch, okay?"
Daniel nodded. "I have the standard transmitter here. It should work. Even there." He picked up his trunk and bag and walked to the airlock that would lead him into the shuttle. Just before going through it he looked back. The three people stood watching him. Two were waving. He shouldered the door and quickly went through it.
-=-=-
"Sir, we are approaching our destination. I would like to go through the disembarkation procedure with you."
"Eurhm?" Daniel woke up and looked into the face of the man whom he only knew as 'the flight attendant'. After his business on space station Red Eagle, he had come aboard a spacecraft that was hardly worth the name. The few people aboard had assured him it was safe. He would have to take their word for it.
There was rather worn red carpet on the floor everywhere in the craft. He had a room in it. Not a cabin. It was a genuine room. There was a real bed with a cover that felt as if there was something non-synthetic in it. It was heavy. He discovered a real shower. There was a table with a cloth on it in a corner of the room, and flowers, and a few candles. A chair was there too, with its legs ending in what looked like animal paws. On the wall hung a large mirror with a thick brass frame; the frame looked like it was infested with grapevines.
At the moment the flight attendant had notified him, he had been dozing in the lounge of the spacecraft, something that would have looked perfect in a gentlemen's club in ancient times on Earth.
The flight attendant smiled benignly at the space soldier who removed himself from the deep leather chair and fumbled with his tie. "If you'd allow me, sir." With quick movements and a few pats, the man rearranged Daniel's obligatory attire into something more or less acceptable.
Daniel suppressed the obligatory groan. This had happened every time he had gotten up, and he had so far not gotten it right. Three days on Red Eagle had not been enough. Three years would be better, but there was no time for that.
The flight attendant then explained the manner in which Daniel would be taken to the surface of the planet.
"You're kidding me, aren't you?" he asked after hearing the man out.
"I most certainly do not... kid... sir. If you would please follow me to the exit. The porter will bring your luggage."
Daniel was taken to a small hall where four other men were waiting. There also was a woman. Gentlemen, he corrected himself. Gentlemen, and a lady. Dressed in the old fashioned things he and Rhonda had laughed about before.
The flight attendant showed Daniel to a brass handle. "Hold on to this, sir. You may find that the entry into the atmosphere can be rather disheartening, there is however no reason for alarm."
"Thank you." Daniel tested the grip. It felt solid. "I appreciate your service, sir."
"The pleasure was entirely mine, sir, but I thank you."
As the man left them, Daniel was certain that the flight attendant had had more than his share of fun over his fumbling with these clothes. His ponderings were broken up by a slight tremble of the floor.
"Oh my," the lady said, reaching out and finding support on Daniel's arm. "I do hope you don't mind, sir."
"That's quite alright, ma... my lady." Close call, just in time. To avoid further mishaps, he stared at the door that was the way out of this crate. A crate, he had to admit, that had held together pretty well. The door looked like it was lined with real wood. He shook his head. This was all a dream.
The dream shuddered once more, there was a hiss that made the lady grab hold of Daniel's arm one more time and then there were footsteps outside the spacecraft. The door swung open and a man in a black uniform greeted them. "Welcome, dear lady, gentlemen. Please mind your step. Do let me lend you
a hand, my lady..."
Moments later, Daniel found himself standing on a large platform, about sixty by forty feet. It also looked as if it was made of wood. There was a high fence-like railing around it from the same material. The uniformed man ushered them away from the spacecraft and waited for the porter to bring out the luggage. Then he closed its door.
Daniel watched it happen in disbelief. There he was, on some impossible platform wherever, a spacecraft hanging next to it, and people unloading as if they stepped out of a magnet train.
The uniformed man shoved a piece of the fencing to the side, so the spaceship's door was no longer visible. "The gondola will be here any moment, I hope you will allow for some time." A shudder ran through the platform as the spacecraft fired up some propulsion system and moved away from the platform. "No cause for alarm," the man in black said, "the ship will not leave until we are well and safe aboard the gondola."
Daniel took the man to the side. "Excuse me. I am new here."
The man smiled. "Yes, sir, you are indeed."
"Can you explain to me where we are and what we are waiting for?"
"Naturally, sir. We are at the embarkation platform. This is platform 1, it is the eldest of the twelve on the planet. We are at this moment twelve thousand feet over the surface of the planet. A gondola is on its ascent and will collect us once it arrives. The gondola, of course, will bring us to the surface safely."
Daniel looked around over the fences. "Can you tell me what keeps this platform here?"
"Nothing, sir. Well, nothing in the way of support beams and such, I assume you are referring to that."
"Right..."
"Anything else I can help you with, sir?"
"No. Thank you. This is enough for now." The thought of being this high on a wooden platform that just hung there was something he was not prepared for. It gave him a feeling that he had not had in his entire space career.
The gondola, when it arrived, was another surprise. Not that he'd had any idea what it might look like, but he had not expected something that resembled a closed carriage.
The man in uniform opened another gate in the fence as there was a knock on it. "Good day, Bradnik," he said to a man who came out of the carriage.
"Wishing you a good day, Fderroh," said the man. He was impeccable in appearance. "Lady, gentlemen. My apologies for the delay. Your belongings will be loaded up speedily. If you would please board the gondola..."
Fderroh, in his black uniform, quickly worked to get the suitcases and trunks loaded into compartments of the carriage and then Bradnik came in again also. The carriage rocked slightly as he moved and took the seat marked 'reserved'.
"Welcome aboard, esteemed guests. We will now commence the journey to the surface. Please sit back and enjoy the view. If you are not inclined to look outside, I have a few newspapers here for your entertainment. The very newspapers that caused the delay, I hasten to add." He then pulled a few brass levers, kicked a pedal and sat back with a professional stare directed to the outside.
Chains rattled and after a slight jolt the gondola started downwards in a way that was so smooth that Daniel could not believe it. He was not really able to look outside as he was squeezed in between two of the gentlemen, so he opted for a newspaper. That was not a lucky choice either: he had no space at all to fold open the large sheets of paper. He ended up skimming the few headlines he could make out and silently praised the speed learning training he'd done to actually be able to read the language of this planet.
A bump announced the end of the ride. Everyone was helped out of the carriage by a young man who stood by, pointing out the two steps down and 'take care not to trip'.
Daniel thanked him and stepped out on a round platform- no, this was not a platform. This was a circle, paved with cobblestones and sand. He resisted the urge to bend down and touch the floor. He got out of the way after assuring that his now three pieces of luggage were unloaded. The chest with his new clothes surpassed both other items together in size.
The smell of the place filled his nostrils. There was a strange scent in it, something he could not place. He blamed the Bactine implements for it and decided to ignore it as nobody seemed to be bothered by it. If, at all, they noticed it.
A sign told him he was standing on Embarcado Circle. All around the circle, people were walking, not paying attention to the affair with the gondola. Daniel also saw carriages of all kinds and shapes, occupied and empty, move around. They made no sound except for the wheels rattling on the street. Then he looked around for someone who might be able to help him.
Another young man, merely a rather grown up kid, walked up to him, as if waiting for this cue. "Sir? Are you looking for help?" He had a sign on the lapel of his coat, stating that his name was Mr. Benjin and he was an employee of the Airlift Enterprise.
"Yes, I am. I need someone to bring my luggage to this address..." Daniel fumbled a piece of paper from his pocket, checked that it was the right one and handed it to the boy.
"I can arrange that, sir, no problem, sir." Mr. Benjin lifted a small wooden box with a round brass plaque on it. The plaque was severely scratched.
Daniel stared at the box, then at the boy, not making the connection for several long seconds. "Oh, crap," it escaped from him. Well done, Daniel. Two minutes on the face of this planet and you already kick protocol in the balls, he told himself. He fumbled with the ring he was now wearing, aimed and tapped the ring's green stone against the brass plaque. It would deduct a number of credits from some shady bank account he should have here.
"Thank you sir," the boy said. "Is there anything else of your wishing?"
Daniel felt uncomfortable with all this sir stuff. He found another paper. "Yes. I need transportation to Seigner Waldo Skinsh ko Talush." He hoped he pronounced the name correctly, which was doubtful given the puzzled expression of Mr. Benjin. "He is the president of the Ship Owner Society?"
The boy's face lit up. "Of course, sir." To Daniel it almost sounded like 'learn to pronounce our language, idiot.' The young man, dressed in a shrunken version of the suits Daniel saw all around, asked him to follow.
8. The mission
Mr. Benjin guided Daniel over one of the many pathways that were cutting through the meticulously maintained lawn that lay around the Embarcado Circle. At the end of the path was a funny looking building, a mix of a tent and a waiting room. Inside were benches with cushions, tables with refreshments and a friendly young lady who was delighted to assist Daniel.
"Welcome to our planet, Seigner, and to the town of Skarak," she said. "I see you need some assistance to find your way in our town. Let me help you with this." She led Daniel outside again, after offering him some tea which he gladly accepted.
After drinking his tea, he followed her to one of the carriages that were waiting outside the tent. The young woman, who had introduced herself as Miss Ridding, explained that Daniel only had to sit down in an available carriage ("preferably one that is at the front, for easier departure, sir") and tell the carriage where he wanted to go.
"If you have a hydger, you can simply bring up the location and hold it in front of this copper plate," Miss Ridding said.
"A what?" Daniel did not remember reading or hearing about something called a hydger.
"You will probably get one soon, sir, do not worry. If you have no hydger, you just touch the copper plate and state the number that makes for the location where you want to go." Miss Ridding pointed at the row of numbers on Daniel's paper, beneath the name of the president of the Ship Owners Society. "Also hold your ring in front of the plate, to identify yourself. If the fare is pre-arranged no credit will be subtracted. Will you be well with this, sir, or would you require someone to escort you?"
"I will give this a try, Miss Ridding. Thank you. Is there a fail-safe system, or an emergency call in this carriage, in case things go wrong?"
Miss Ridding smiled at the ignorance of this tall man and his somewhat crumpled appearance. "What could possibly g
o wrong, Seigner? If you feel uncomfortable during the voyage, just touch the copper plate and tell the carriage to take you home. It will then bring you back here."
"Thank you. Miss Ridding. You are very kind."
"It is my work to assist people, sir. Have a pleasant stay." Miss Ridding smiled and nodded, then stepped back. She waited until Daniel had climbed into the carriage, touched the plate, recited the numbers and the carriage pulled away.
Daniel watched out the windows left and right as the carriage took him through the streets. Most of what he saw matched the things he had seen in the videos and pictures. He marvelled at the buildings and statues and gardens, grinned about the people who were walking around.
