My first thoughts weren’t really on the job I had to do, it was more on the money I would make doing it. I had debts to pay off, I had people to get off my back, and I had a life to live. There was so much for me to do still, and if I didn’t get this most recent loan off my back I might be in for more than I care for. This new job bodes well for me though, a simple retrieval mission and the support of a team.

Well, I was more supporting the team. Captain Magnus was in charge, Star Law Ranger extraordinaire. The tall, salt and pepper haired, mustachioed man was the very definition of United Planetary Federation presence in space. The UPF was law and order in the Frontier. Mega-Corporations are the movers and shakers of the Frontier, and they pay the bills. So I work for the corps, unlike my new boss who reports to the never ending list of elected officials.

“Take notice, this isn’t a pleasure cruise. We are entering Rim space and we are not sure what to expect when we enter the systems,” he said the words, but I knew he knew we knew, that he knows what is on the other end of our journey. This was more a show of might, authority, Magnus asserting his alpha status if you will, and none of the rest of us would argue with that. “You have been assigned bunks, see Sergeant Kri’lki to my left for those assignments.” He extended his arm to his left towards the vrusk soldier.

Vrusk, are meter tall, eight legged and two armed, ovoviviparous intelligent, sentient insects. They are known for their keen sense of business, their universities are known for churning out board members suited for the corps. It was believed the vrusks not in a business profession are from bad egg sacks. I don’t personally care for the giant bugs, creepy things that they are. They can even click out human language, even though they rely heavily on their hand and antennae movement. It was my plan to get my bunk assignment and avoid this sergeant as much as possible for the duration.

The starship we were aboard was an old survey and exploration cruiser, it was probably a few decades older than myself. The interior lighting was dimming to a low brightness that almost hurt the eyes, straining down corridors. The center of the ship was the central lift, two side by side open elevators and a ladder well, for incase of power loss. The lift dropped down two levels to the living quarters, from the common level above.

The lower crew quarters, our quarters, were even less light than the above decks.  Below the crew deck was the engineering bays, the low humming of the engines could be felt through the flooring. The inertia of space travel creates a force of gravity, holding us down to the deck while we move. Upon deceleration, if everything is not stored properly things will float from the zero gravity of space, or the reverse affects should something negative arise.

Stepping off the lift I saw some of my other team mates, I wondered which would come in handy most to make this stay comfortable. I notice a few females during the briefing, but there were plenty of military on board for them to gander at. Sitting down at the kitchen bar I took a look around the room. A few yazirians, wing like flaps under their arms for gliding, they are more an evolved flying squirrel than the monkeys they get their name for. They smell. All I can say about yazirians is that they smell horrible. I was sure they two would be the same.

A trio of dralasites, the shape changing blob people that are known for their infatuation with bad jokes. They would be the best bet to get anything done that I don’t want to do. By the look of their uniforms two of them fix robots and the other computers, but there was no way to know which of their three genders they were. I don’t mind dralasites so much, they are easy to get along with and they make for good conversation.

Medical personnel have always been my favorites. There is always someone willing to help out a friend in need, or be a friend in need of helping out. I always like to help my friends. Two female medics, each wearing the flight medical officer suits they can be clearly identified by, stood together discussing something or other with Captain Magnus’s lieutenant. The lieutenant was a handsome young human man, but man wouldn’t be the right word. This boy couldn’t grow a beard to save his life.

My beard is amazing, fully covering my face like a man’s beard should. Captain Magnus and his mustache, looks as though it was issued by Star Law. I would be able to talk the ladies up after the lieutenant finished boring them. I waited until he departed.

“Ladies, hello hello. Let me introduce myself, I am your environmental science officer for this expedition. My name is,” I was cut off mid bow by a finger to my lips.

“Save it Otto, we know who you are.” The first medic said to me, pressing her finger firmly to my lips, she bent eye level to me in my mid bow, “not interested.”

The two of them walked passed me and disappeared together down a corridor. I was in love.

I found my bunk and shortly thereafter found some comfort in sleep. It would be days before we got anywhere close to our destination. Maybe I would be able to sleep the entire trip? I don’t think anyone would be needing an environmental science office in the depths of space. There was no botanical bays on board, and the air recycle system was not organic based. I could stay in my bunk and no one would notice.

I was wrong. Unknown hours had passed before I was disturbed. Opening my eyes, expecting to see the dull gray ceiling of my bunk. Instead I saw the gold, sectional eyes of the vrusk sergeant. I gasped and startled back in my sheets.

“You are wanted on the bridge,” he said through his translating device strapped to his uniforms lapel. “Captain Magnus wants you immediately.”

I groaned, sat up in my bunk and rubbed my eyes. I tried to avoid looking at…him? Her? I had no idea what it was. I could feel its eyes staring at me as I moved about my cabin area getting dressed. Man, I hate bugs.

We made our way to the central lifts, going all the way to the top of the ship. The bridge was an amazing sight, which I almost couldn’t bare witness to because it was so bright. The lighting in the bridge area was amazing. A large circular room, windows all around, save for the command staff area directly to the front of the central lift. The ship’s captain, some corp paid lakey, stood with Captain Magnus looking down at star charts with a couple other officers.

Every direction I looked was a uniform at a console doing something I couldn’t understand. When I looked out the bridge windows I was lost in amazement. Normally I would expect to see stars, but there was no stars. We had entered the Void, the slipstream faster than light travel. I had never had access to viewports on lower decks during any of my previous missions, this was the first time I saw the darkness of nothing. It made me dizzy. I lost feeling in my legs.

The blur of darkness faded and I was regaining my senses. A circle of faces surrounded me, the first to come into focus shook me back. The vrusk, staring straight into my face. Was that, reassurance
 in it’s face? Was it concerned for me?

Captain Magnus helped me to my feet. The soft smell of his cologne was immediately apparent. I smiled to myself, he must use it to ward off the yazirian smell, I wasn’t the only one.

“Otto, you are the environmentalist. I need you to decide where we will set down on the moon’s surface,” he pressed a few buttons on the table display before us. A map of the surface was shown. I looked over the entire area, taking advantage of the display controls I was able to search for a suitable area.

A small stretch of clearings between forests looked suitable enough, but Captain Magnus said that wouldn’t suit our needs. He redirected me towards a more mountainous region, his instructions and basically determination had me settling on a plateau area, far from any beaches, rivers, or other comfortable climate spots. Of course, he knew more than me and of course he made sure to not let me know anything more than his hand guides everything, and I make no real choices. Fine by me.

I departed the bridge quickly, averting my eyes from the exterior Void. It was no wonder spacers were prone to alcoholism, anyone with that much stress needs some sort of an outlet. Mine was gambling, I was always in a position to play a game of chance during some down time. Long expeditions, however, in the past have ended up with my entire earnings gone before I even received a paycheck. I wasn’t always lucky.

Arriving on the common area deck my nose was in the air. I smelled gambling, and of course there were off duty crew, and some team members, playing a friendly game of chance. For wagers. I joined in eagerly.

Hours passed and players trickled out. It was down to just two of us. Our wagers were as high as we could go, trying to out with and out match one another. Finally we called a draw, the yazirian female was a worthy gambling adversary. She was one of the ships pilots, and listening to her stories while gambling with her I grew some respect. Not only for her, but her race.

She had told a story of their exodus from their home world, a few tales of her clan, and about how the yazirian church was dedicated towards its cause and that she was an outcast from her own kind because she chose UPF instead of the church. I also noticed how little she smelled. She actually smelled more like alcohol at the end of the evening, none more than myself.

I sauntered back to my bunk with my winnings, federation credits that I could use for gambling later on our trip. Tucking them safely away in my belongings, I was asleep before I hit the bunk. The lulling hum of the engines was almost soothing.