Chapter Text
Interstellar travel is a long process, consisting of transfers, ships, and technology bordering on magic. Following my own journey, I’ll take a shuttle to the Starbase, which is a station in orbit of the system’s central star (Or stars, in this case) that denotes ownership of a system to other interstellar nations, and acts as a central point to coordinate all the operations in a system. From there, I’ll get on a Starliner, which will transport me through the Hyperlane Network linking the various stars of The Empire, until we reach a Gateway, a structure that facilitates instantaneous point-to-point travel, which will take me directly to Alpha Centauri, and then a final jump through a Hyperlane to Sol, and after docking at the Sol Starbase, a final shuttle to Earth. It will not be a short journey either, from Eternia to Earth, about 3 months.
I’m seated at a little restaurant in the New Omaha Spaceport, having taken a tram here from the Hyper-Rail station. Foolishly, I forgot to eat before I left home, and the journey so far has made me hungry. After a brief perusal of the menu, I make my selection and pay from my table. I take the time to review all my paperwork, and my lack of Imperial citizenship has created a few extra forms. My Student visa is cleared, granting me residence within the Home Islands for the four years my program lasts. My passport is freshly-issued, and I have the tickets for my shuttle to the Starbase here, my ticket for the Starliner, and my ticket for the shuttle off of Sol Starbase, all saved onto my PAD. I look up and see a waitress approaching with my food, a steaming hot bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich.
“Here you are, traveller. One breakfast sandwich and some orange juice. Anything else I can get for you?” She asks. When I look up to thank her, I notice her eyes are glowing subtly, and clearly artificial. She’s a synth.
“No thank you, this will be all,” I reply. “Oh, how far are we from Phoenix terminal? My shuttle departs from there.” She smiles and points down a security checkpoint down a grand hall to the left of my table.
“Phoenix terminal is just down that hall, past that checkpoint. Where are you off to, if I may ask?” Her voice is soft and warm, indistinguishable from a human’s to the untrained ear (much like my own). You’d honestly be hard-pressed to tell she was built, not born. “I’m always interested to hear about the various travellers coming through here, although most usually are on their way to or from the mines.”
“Ah, I’m actually on my way to Earth. I’ve made it into Imperial University, I’m going for a degree in filmmaking.” I reply, before taking a bite. To my surprise, she takes a seat across from me. She’s got beautiful dark hair, and despite the artificial nature of her eyes, they’re still simply piercing, and a stunning blue.
“Filmmaking, hm?” She rests her head in her hands. “I can’t say I’ve heard of anyone going to Imperial University for that. Isn’t the film program at the Royal Academy of Scandinavia a little more renowned?”
“Well, yes, but I want to make movies about history. The Imperial History course at the Imperial University is often called the best.” I take another bite of the sandwich, and the warmth and flavour fill me with vigour.
“I see. Well, thank you for the chat, traveller. I look forward to your films! Have a safe journey.” With a warm, very human smile, she gets up and returns to work. I wave to her as she leaves, before finishing my meal and heading over to the security checkpoint.
This security checkpoint is a simple, automated endeavour. My bags go through a scanner, and I go through another, checking for anything dangerous. I spent a great deal of time familiarising myself with Imperial travel rules, and made sure everything was in order before leaving. After being scanned, my larger bags are whisked off to be loaded onto the shuttle once it arrives. I check my e-ticket for my gate number, and head to it. The shuttle arrives in about 20 minutes, so I have almost enough time to finish an episode of the series Dr. Mainz sent me. But, the conversation with the waitress has me curious. Just how exactly are synths made? How are they so human? I open up my internet browser and begin to research.
In 20 minutes, I found every answer I was looking for and more. Synths are very extremely regulated within Imperial space, with only seven companies and the Imperial government itself having the ability to not only build synthetic “platforms” as they are called, but to create the artificial intelligences that inhabit them. Each A.I in a synthetic platform is also equipped with what is called a “personality matrix,” which as it would imply, gives the A.I a personality. The process is very secretive, but each A.I is apparently “raised” differently for each company that produces them, and since each personality matrix is also largely unique, these two factors combine to create truly unique A.Is. But the gate attendant announcing the arrival of my shuttle forces me out of my research and back to the present.
“Shuttle 1204, service to Caledonia Starbase, has arrived. Travellers, please gather your belongings and line up for boarding.” The message is repeated as I head to the gate. Dozens of others all take their assigned spots in line. I see a few families, but for the most part it seems to be miners. Men and women scarred and rough from their time underneath the surface of Eternia. The doors to the hangar hiss open, and the line slowly starts forwards. Each of us in line places our PAD on a small sensor as we pass by the gate attendant’s desk, signifying we did indeed board the shuttle. From there we pass into a small-ish hallway with some advertisements, and then into the hangar. It’s a very large, open room, standardised across all the Spaceports and Starbases of The Empire. There’s a small windowed room overlooking the hangar, where everything inside it is controlled. The shuttle itself sits in the centre, a sleek craft designed for atmospheric travel as well as space travel, but importantly not for interstellar travel. As I cross the walkway to board the shuttle, I see the crew below loading luggage, checking statistic panels, and unhooking hoses. I turn my attention up to the massive doors above, open, as the weather is nice, but able to be closed in the event of rain or snow. Inside, the shuttle is rather spartan. Two seats in a row, with bathrooms at either end of the craft. Boarding itself is a rather simple process, with everyone filling the seats from front to back, securing their small luggage below them, and then buckling in to their seats. By the time I’m seated, the craft is just over half full. My backpack fits neatly below the seat, and an instructional video on the screen in front of me shows me how to buckle in. It’s a five-point harness, designed to be as secure as possible for the rough entries and exits into atmospheres. I guess there are some things that can’t be solved, even after centuries of dealing with them.
“First time?” A semi-gruff voice next to me asks. I turn to see a middle-aged man seated next to me, with a warm smile.
“Yeah, it is. How could you tell?” I reply, gripping my shoulder belts.
“You’re grippin’ those shoulder belts like they owe ya money,” He jokes. His laugh fills the cabin, and I can’t help but chuckle, and I feel my grip on the belts loosen. “Most folks I seen do that don’t want to seem nervous by wringin’ their hands. It’s okay, though. I always tell folks that it’s no worse than a roller coaster, and the view is much better. And you got the window seat.” He points to the window next to me. “Never ceases to amaze me when them stars come out.”
“You sound like you’ve done this before.” I say. The man smiles as he replies,
“How could ya tell?” Before laughing again. I laugh too, and hardly notice as my hands fall from the shoulder belts. “Yep, I’m no stranger to spaceflight. Been jostled around cabins going into atmo, jostled around ‘em goin’ out. I been to Starbases, Spaceports, Habitats, and all manner of space rock. Today’s my lucky day though, I’m goin’ home,” His eyes glisten. “Been almost two years. Ooh how the time flies when you’re in the mines,” He shakes his head, before turning to me again. “M’name’s Rick, by the by. What ‘bout you? What’s got you shippin’ offworld for the first time?”
“I’m going to school. Earth, specifically, at the Imperial University in London.” Rick’s eyes widen.
“Well I’ll be. London’s Imperial University. You just might be the smartest on this here shuttle to get into a place like that. Oh my goodness you’ve got a hell of a journey ahead of you, though! First time leavin’ atmo and the system, I’ll be.” A chime comes from the roof of the cabin, followed by a voice easily recognizable as Imperial by their distinctive accent.
“Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. I apologise, but our departure will be delayed by a few minutes, as our hangar crew identified an issue with the on-board gravity systems. They’ve asked me to inform you that they may not be able to repair them, which will make the majority of our flight a zero-g flight. The flight crew will be handing out some informational materials regarding zero-g flights here shortly. I will have an update for you soon.”
“Uh-oh,” Says Rick.
“Uh-oh?” I parrot, nervously.
“Oh, no it ain’t nothin’ serious. I was just thinkin’ that, if this is your first flight, zero-g might be too much for ya, which’d throw a real wrench in the works ‘bout gettin’ you off this rock and onto Earth.”
“Are they unpleasant? Zero-g flights?” I ask. I think I feel my hands on the shoulder belts again.
“Well, to the unseasoned traveller, they can be. My trainin’ for the job made sure I was all manner of prepped an’ ready for zero-g. It was honestly fun at first. Then lunch decided on...well, makin’ a return visit, so to speak.” He says, calmly.
I shiver, knowing how fresh breakfast is.
A flight attendant hands the both of us a pamphlet. The man politely rejects it, citing his familiarity with zero-g flight. As I take the pamphlet, she says,
“We’re still waiting on an update on if the flight will be zero-g. However, if you think or if you know you will be uncomfortable in a zero-g environment, we can have your things unloaded and book you for the next flight as soon as we have an answer. If you need another moment, I can check later.”
“I’d like to look over this,” I say, holding up the pamphlet. “Before I decide, if that’s okay.”
“Of course, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” She says as she walks to deliver the next row their pamphlets. I open my own and take a look at what it has to say.
“Zero-Gravity travel is not for everyone, and we here at the Ministry of Interstellar Travel understand that. Please read the following information carefully and decide for yourself if this zero-gravity trip is right for you. Expectant mothers and those with certain heart conditions should not take zero-gravity trips. The nature of zero-gravity means that fluids within your body will be evenly distributed. This can lead to headaches, disorientation, and nausea. Depending on how recently you’ve eaten, this may also lead to vomiting. While most report the feelings of disorientation pass, the nausea can persist. It is normal to feel like you have to use the restroom after a few hours in zero-g. All of our craft are equipped with zero-gravity restrooms. Another common occurrence is difficulty walking when returning to standard gravities. Our attendants are prepared to assist anyone who finds themselves affected off of the craft.”
The flight attendant has returned by the time I’ve finished the pamphlet.
“Will you be staying aboard?” She asks. I hand her back the pamphlet and nod,
“I will.”
Rick smiles and nods.
“Hey alright, how ‘bout that. First flight ever an’ it might be zero-g,” He turns to the attendant. “Hey, miss, whatever this one here orders you can just put on my tab,” Rick then turns to me and asks, “Y’old enough to drink? Scratch that, actually, you do not want to be drinkin’ in zero-g.” The waitress laughs,
“That’s the warning of someone who’s made that mistake before.” Rick laughs too,
“Boy howdy have I!” As we all three laugh, the speakers above ring again, the pilot has an announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we appreciate your patience. The hangar crew was able to get our gravity systems operational. We will be departing shortly. Flight crew, seal doors and cross-check.”
I sigh in relief. As curious as I am to experience zero-gravity, I’m thankful it will not be today, with a full stomach and no prior experience on any sort of flight. The shuttle jolts, and I see the hangar outside slowly move downward. The platform is raising us to take-off. A flight attendant’s voice comes alive on the speakers,
“Doors are sealed, cross-check complete. Closing shutters, making final preparations.”
The shutters on the window move down and cover the windows, just as I see the mid-morning sky peek up over the hangar’s entryway. I turn to Rick,
“Do you know why they close the shutters on the windows?”
“Sure do. It’s so folk don’t panic none when they look out the windows and see the lotta fire that comes with breakin’ atmo. Also helps some folk with motion sickness.” There’s a subtle thunk sound, and Rick gasps quietly. “Hear that? Dockin’ clamps. We’re almost ready!” And sure enough, the pilot’s voice comes back alive on the speakers to confirm.
“Docking clamps disengaged, takeoff approved. Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to the seat back screens in front of you for the safety briefing.”
The screen comes to life with a rendered model of our craft, before cutting away to show the interior, specifically the back.
“In the event of an emergency, please make your way to the front or back of the craft,” Text on the screen says, highlighting the sections in question. “These areas double as escape pods. The local Starbase will be alerted and send rescue crafts at once. In the event of a decreased atmosphere event, oxygen masks will drop from the compartments above you, and the flight crew may enclose your seats for safety.” As a mild panic begins to set in, I recall the last time I heard about any issue on an off-world shuttle, and it was a minor lighting mishap halfway across Imperial Space. Plus, Rick doesn’t seem worried, and he’s done this many more times than I ever will, so the mild panic fades away. It loops again, and then the screen fades to black. The pilot’s words instill the mild panic again,
“Flight crew prepare for takeoff. Primary thrusters engaged.”
I feel the thrusters come alive, and the craft leave the hangar pad. The ship begins to angle up as the speed picks up. I grip the shoulder belts again. The ship begins to rattle as speed continues to pick up. I hear another set of thrusters engage, this time from the far back. The rattling and the speed continue to ramp up and up, until finally, they cease entirely. I swear I can feel myself floating before a very quiet hum begins, and it fades. The gravity systems must have engaged. Rick turns to me and smiles,
“Told ya. No worse than a roller coaster.” I can’t help but chuckle as I let go of the shoulder belts.
“You and I have been on some very different roller coasters.” He chuckles too.
“Maybe so, maybe so. But,” He pauses, and I see him nod his head as if he’s counting something. A few nods later and he continues, “Ain’t no roller coaster in the ‘verse got a view like this.” He points to the window. On cue, the shutter opens, and I am greeted with the twinkling of countless stars amidst the infinite void. It is beyond breathtaking. It is unimaginably beautiful. I’d spent many nights staring up at the stars, but now, with nothing but a window between me and them, I see so many more. How many have colonies? Starbases? How many aren’t even stars, but galaxies beyond our reach? How many have we explored? How many have life undiscovered?
“This is incredible,” I say. “I didn’t know there were this many stars in the sky.”
“Ain’t it? I lost count of how many times I seen it but I remember every one like it was yesterday. Never fails to amaze me when that shutter opens on up.”
I lose track of how long I stare into space before the pilot’s voice brings me back from the view.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have left the atmosphere of Eternia and are en route to Caledonia station. Since we have now broken atmo, you are free to unbuckle your harnesses and use your personal devices. Drink service will begin in a few moments, and meal service will begin about halfway through the flight. Today’s flight will be approximately seven hours. It is currently ten in the morning Imperial Standard time, which will get us to Caledonia Station at five o’clock in the evening IST. Feel free to enjoy the complimentary entertainment, and of course, privacy screens and pillows are available if you’d rather sleep through the journey. Thank you for flying with us today, and enjoy the ride.”
“So how’s it feel to finally be a spacer?” Rick asks. My eyes are still scanning the indefinite expanse and all it’s sparkles.
“I can’t look away. There’s just so much.” I say, still absorbed in the sheer vastness of it all.
-)(-
I thought I would try to try and capture this feeling in writing, but every time I take my eyes off my PAD to look out the window, I get lost in the black sea again. I’ve only written a single line:
“The vastness of eternity calls out to a part of me I never knew could be reached,”
And nothing more. Rick had pulled out his own PAD and began to read after making very sure I was quite alright without a drink. The pilot again comes alive on the speakers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching the halfway point of our journey, and our in-flight dining will begin. Flight staff will be around to collect payments. Menus can be accessed from the seatback screen in front of you.” Rick looks up from his PAD and makes a quick selection on his screen and turns to me.
“Well Spacer, my offer still stands. Take your pick, I’m buyin,” I take a moment to peruse the menu. It’s nothing fancy, some very universal human dishes. Hamburgers, tomato soup, spaghetti, some varieties of sushi, and some dishes with names I cannot pronounce. There’s a lot, and it’s a touch pricey for what it is. I think he senses I’m a little overloaded and makes a suggestion. “I have never had a bad experience with that there burger, but some of my buddies swear by th’ soup. ‘Tween you an’ me, the spaghetti ain’t great.” I find myself torn, as both sound very good, but I relent and pick the soup as it is just a little bit cheaper. If he’s really going to pay for it I won’t let him spend too much. The flight waitress comes to our row with a small machine in her hands.
“Ok, I’ve got one hamburger, with cheese, no tomato for you, sir, and one tomato soup with garlic bread for you by the window, does that sound right?” Me and Rick both nod before he says,
“Y’can put ‘em both on my tab, miss.” He looks over to me with a smile. The waitress leans a little to get a better angle before asking me,
“Is that alright with you?” I scratch the back of my head nervously and reply,
“I don’t think he’ll let me say ‘no,’ so…”
“Dang right I won’t. Momma raised me with a helluva lotta Southern hospitality and told me to pay it forward. An’ I intend to do just that.” He hands her his payment chit which she taps to her device after making the adjustment that Rick is paying for mine.
“We’ll have those out soon.” She nods politely as she hands Rick back his chit. He looks back to me with a smile.
“Thank you, but you really didn’t need to. The school gave me a travel budget which included a little extra for meals.”
“I may not’ve needed to, but I did. Y’see, when I was a greenhorn, my first assignment was on this big ol’ rock a right there in Gateway, a jump or two from th’ border with th’ Legion. I’d just left that Starbase when...I dunno what happened. It all hit me at once, I guess, ‘bout how big the whole ‘verse was, but still how small we all are in it. I freaked out. But this old miner, and I do mean old, spacer, he just bought me my meal. A burger, no tomato, with cheese. He told me I’d feel better if I ate, and...he was right. That burger brought me out of my lil’ crisis and back to reality. By the time I’d finished eatin’ an’ then calmed down enough to thank him, well, we were already unloaded. I never did see him once on that station. I never said ‘thanks.’ So instead, every shuttle I’m on, if I see someone that’s nervous or freakin’ out, I buy ‘em a meal. Sometimes it helps right away, sometimes it makes it worse ‘fore it makes it better, but I always do it. It’s m’way of thankin’ that old miner,” He wipes a tear from his eye. “You prolly didn’t wanna hear that sob story, sorry.”
“No, no,” I say, honestly touched by his story. “It was very touching. I really enjoy stories like that, and I guess that’s why I wanted to go into film making, to capture those stories.”
“That’s a nice way of lookin’ at things, spacer. Do you have any big ideas for your movies?”
“Well, I’ve always thought that there’s been so much Imperial history that there have to be some stories waiting to be told there. The Empire is well over a thousand years old, how are there not?”
“That’s a whole lotta time to cover. You sure you’re gonna have the time to cover it all?”
I nod as the waitress hands us our meals.
“Human lifespan is averaging almost 200 years now. I’m only 21, myself. And it’s not like I only have to work on one movie at a time, with technology as advanced as it is.”
“I-you’d know more’n me, spacer, I’m about as dumb as the rocks I mine!” Rick jokes. As we eat, we talk about his mining assignments, and all the many places he’s gotten to visit.
-)(-
Rick fell asleep shortly after his meal, and I picked up where I had left off on the animations Dr. Mainz had sent me. I’d just finished the episode on the Proclamation of The Empire when the announcement bell rings again.
“Ladies and gentlemen we have locked in our final approach vector to Caledonia Station. Please return to your seats and gather your items for departure. The Empire thanks you for flying with us today, and we hope to see you again soon.” I give Rick a slight shake.
“Hrrk-Huh? Oh. Mornin’ spacer,” He yawns and rubs the sleep from his eyes. “Everythin’ alright?”
“Yeah, they just said we’ve got our approach vector locked. So I guess that means we’ll be landing soon.” I say with a nod.
“Mmhmm. Sure does,” He sits up in his seat and fastens the few buckles he’d undone. “I wonder…” He cranes his neck to look out the window. “Ah. No lucky star-shot for us.”
“Star-shot?” I ask.
“Sometimes, y’get lucky on approach to a Starbase and get a lovely view of that system’s star. Y’see, these windows got some special treatment to ‘em that makes it safe to look at stars through ‘em. Some Starliners got entire *decks* made of th’ stuff. I never been on one of those, m’self, but I know some suits who have.”
Alas, the shutters on the windows shut as the pilot comes back on the speakers.
“Flight crew, prepare for docking.”
A few minutes pass before the soft thunk of the docking clamps reverberates through the cabin.
“Ladies and gentlemen we are now docked at Caledonia Station. Please remain in your seats until the docking process has finished. If you enjoyed your flight today, my name is Daniel, and if you didn’t...er, well, we can say I’m John,” The pilot jokes and a laugh fills the cabin. “We thank you for flying with us today, and on behalf of all The Empire, we hope to see you again soon.”
The craft jostles a little as the gangway connects, and a slight breeze runs through the cabin as the doors open. Rick grins,
“Ain’t that a nice feelin’?”
Disembarking goes exactly like embarking. Front to back, everyone in their rows. It’s nice to finally stretch after such a long flight, and once we get to the terminal, Rick turns to me.
“Well spacer, where’re you off to now?”
“My Starliner doesn’t leave until tomorrow, so I’ll be staying here in the meantime. What about you?”
“Ah, mine takes off here right soon. Gotta beat m’luggage to the gate,” He holds out his hand in an offer of a handshake. “Spacer, it’s been a right pleasure and honor to accompany you on your inaugural flight.” I grasp his hand and shake it.
“Thank you for joining me, Rick. You certainly made it memorable.” I feel a cool sensation in the palm of my hand, and when we separate from the handshake, there’s a large coin in my hand. I look at Rick, who just smiles.
“That there’s a Miner’s Medal. It’s somethin’ like a tradition in the miner’s world. Some stations’ll give you one when you get there, an’ if you run into another miner at a bar somewhere, y’both gotta see who’s got the higher rankin’ Medal. Whoever’s got the lowest has to buy th’ first round.”
“Different assignments have different ranks?” I ask, slightly puzzled.
“Kinda sorta,” He replies. “There’s no official system or nothin’, th’ ranks are just something a vast majority of us ‘greed upon. Anyways, it’s a big ol’ ‘verse out there, but it’s smaller than you’d think. If I happen into you again, spacer, make sure you got that,” He points to the medal in my hand. “And I’ll buy ya a drink.” I clasp the medal tightly.
“Thank you, Rick. I’ll make sure to keep it safe.” I smile at him, and he pats me on the shoulder with a final smile of his own.
“Catch y’round the ‘verse, spacer.” And he departs for his next flight. I take another look at the medal. It’s an intricate design, and words around the outer rim of the coin read: “Crew 456 | Station 555: Gateway | ‘The finest mines of the farthest frontier’” I realise he’s given me the medal from his first assignment. I frantically turn around and look for him, but he’s nowhere to be seen. I grip the medal tighter. I hope you’re right, Rick. I hope this ‘verse is smaller than I think.
-)(-
I find my way to the Starbase lodgings and approach the front desk.
“Hi, I’m checking in.” I say to the desk attendant. She looks up from her computer and smiles.
“Hello! Welcome to Caledonia Lodging. Go ahead and place your PAD on the scanner,” She gestures to a pattern inlaid to the desk. I touch my PAD to it and it lights up briefly, before the clerk returns her gaze to the computer. As she types, I notice a certain smoothness to her movements, one that walks the thin line between natural and synthetic. When she looks back up, I see the tell-tale eyes of a synthetic. “Alright, looks like we have you here for one night, standard room, and it looks like this is prepaid. You are all set, traveller,” With a few keystrokes, the pattern lights up again and my PAD dings. “The elevators are just behind me there. Touch your PAD to the scanner and it’ll take you where you need to go. Enjoy your stay!”
I enter the elevator and do as instructed, touching my PAD to the scanner. The elevator doors close and the car moves through the shaft quickly and quietly. It stops, and the doors open. I check my PAD for the room number and follow the signage to the room. Once there, a touch of my PAD to the door and it slides open. The room is the very definition of minimalist, but it’s not intended for stays longer than a few hours. One side is dominated by the bed, sitting in the space provided by the window. Parallel to it is a small desk with a screen and phone, and I wager if I put my feet on the desk I could stretch to the far end of the bed. A small mirror by the desk shows where the “bathroom” is, though in reality it’s two stacked drawers that function as a sink and a toilet, and a small door to access the shower. I set my backpack by the desk and take a seat. The screen lights up with a small menu. I select “Dining” and another menu appears, this time with a selection of various dishes. I scroll through the options, a slightly larger offering than that of the flight, and at a slightly higher cost. Rick said the spaghetti on the flight wasn’t great, but this is surely prepared differently, and it had caught my eye on the way over. I select it and a drink, and a confirmation message says it’ll be no later than 30 minutes before it arrives. I pull out my PAD’s keyboard and attach the two and begin to work on my first assignment for Dr. Mainz. As I begin to type, a thought strikes me. Class hasn’t officially begun yet. The previous semester is still in session. I close the document and open my email again. I take a close look at the sender’s address from that first email I got from Dr. Mainz, expecting it to be a fake. But to my surprise, it’s valid. Everything is spelled right and the domain is an official one. I check the messages from the school. All of them have links that take me to the official school site. So how is it Dr. Mainz is allowed to assign work almost three months before school begins? I begin to compose another email to him.
“Dear Dr. Mainz, as I re-read your first email, I noticed you had assigned us an introduction to be due in one Imperial Standard Week. However, classes don’t begin for another few months. I must admit I am a little bit confused about this. Was I unintentionally signed up for an interim course? Or perhaps you made a mistake? If neither are the case and the assignment is genuine, then I will of course do it. Apologies, but I simply had to be sure.” As I hit “send” again I realise once more I’ve forgotten to sign my name to it. I take a look at the clock. It’s only about 8pm back on Eternia, but according to Imperial Standard Time it’s close to 10pm back on Earth. Surely Dr. Mainz is asleep. I close my PAD before I let my thoughts get the better of me. The notification light on the back blinks once. I open it and see it’s an email, from Dr. Mainz. I feel my palms go just a bit sweaty as I open the message.
“I’d like to start by apologizing, because, going back and re-reading that first email for myself, I realised I sent you the wrong one. The current semester is wrapping up here on Earth and things are a touch hectic. Please accept my apologies for any worry I have caused you. And to clarify, no, you do not have any sort of assignment due, not until I assign them to you when you’re here on Earth. But, that was going to be the first assignment, so I suppose you have a little bit of a head-start. Although, if it helps pass the time on your voyage, go ahead and complete it. I hope the trip so far has been pleasant! If you need more material to fill the gaps in your knowledge or just to satisfy your curiosity, feel free to reach back out.
-Dr. Mainz”
A sigh of relief escapes me. While I am admittedly curious about the history of synthetics, it’s getting to be late on Earth. I’ll ask him for some readings tomorrow. I open the document that was going to be my first assignment, and instead jot down some of the assignments Rick told me about, and the story of that old miner on his first flight. As I look at the coin, I switch over to the internet browser and look up that system. “Gateway.” The first hit is the Encyclopedia Britannia article on the system.
“Gateway is a A-Class star at the closest hyperlane choke point between The Empire and the Scandinavian Legion. It contains no habitable planets, and a Citadel-class Starbase, “The Gateway To The Empire.” The system is one of the longest-occupied in The Empire, and one of the most heavily guarded. It was named by Prime Minister Harold Feldman, who believed the system’s stellar geography would make it the primary entry point for anyone coming into Imperial space, and should be heavily defended. However, Legion expansion to nearby stars created a sort of ‘buffer,’ and further investment into the defense infrastructure of the system was limited, but the Prime Minister’s belief was right, as the geography of the system forces many travellers through on their way to the Core Worlds and Inner Colonies.”
A soft, two-tone beep at the door pulls me out of the article. I press the “open” button on the panel nearby, and another synthetic stands at the door with a tray, on it, a plate of spaghetti and a cup of soda, some napkins and silverware as well.
“Greetings, traveller. You ordered spaghetti and a glass of Misty Morning?” She asks. Once again, her movements give away her synthetic nature before her eyes do. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just something I hadn’t noticed until now.
“Yes, thank you.” I say as I grab the tray. The waitress folds her hands in front of her.
“Anything else, traveller?” She says with a smile, but again, something seems a little off about it.
“No, that will be all, thank you.” With that, she bows politely and walks away. The door shuts automatically as I return to my desk. I think back to the synth earlier today, everything about her was indistinguishable from a human save for her eyes, and even those had a certain humanity to them. The synths here had a certain grace to them that gave it away, and their voices had just a hint of processing to them. Even the emotions seemed somewhat processed.
I’m so lost in thought I barely notice when I’ve finished my meal. I send a quick message to my mother letting her know I’ve made it to the Starbase, checked into the lodging and eaten. Given her lack of immediate response, I assume she’s asleep already. Eternia is lucky to have a similar rotational period to Earths, so Imperial Standard Time is often a good measure of the time on Eternia. I close my PAD and turn off the desk lamp, and start getting ready to go to bed. A small sliding door beside the “bathroom” leads into the shower, which is a stall with little more than just enough room to access the controls. A few presses of the waterproof screen and the water begins to fall from the ceiling, and steam is emitted from the walls. The shower may be cramped when you walk in, but a few moments like this and it becomes almost cozy. After washing up, the steam emitters are replaced with heated air to dry off with. I’ve changed into my pajamas and locked the door before turning out the lights. Because the bed is next to the window, and those thousands of stars are now the only visible thing in the room, the bed is easy to find. Despite appearing thin, the mattress is very plush, and while the sheets are only a little thicker than they appear, they are quite warm. I gaze out into the expanse. The occasional ship can be seen darting off. I bask in the serene silence, and gently close my eyes.