Chapter 6

The space station had been visible for the past twenty-five tics and all five humans sat in the galley watching the image grow larger and larger on the screen. Only a small portion of the station could be seen and it took up the entire view. Ships of various designs and sizes clustered around it like pigs at a trough.

“That’s it?” Carol Anne asked. “It ain’t very big.”

“I assure you, Miss, it is quite large. I have reduced the size of the image merely to let you see it all.” The picture on the screen changed showing a tiny spec moving up on the station. “The tiny white dot you see moving toward the station is us.”

Carol Anne made a choking sound.

“Indeed. We shall be docking with the station in approximately five tics. I would suggest you all use the bathrooms before you leave the ship. The facilities on the station will not necessarily accommodate your physiologies.”

The humans dutifully did as Grokmar suggested, returning just as the ship shuddered into contact with the station. An alarm sounded.

“Do not worry. The alarm is just to inform you that connection to the station is being completed and pressures are equalizing,” Grokmar said. “Before you leave the ship, there are a few things we must go over.”

“Come on, Grokmar. Quit stalling!” Betty Sue said.

“Be patient, human. It will be a short time before you are allowed to leave the ship so please listen.” It paused for a few moments. “The first is atmosphere. The air aboard the station is breathable by humans, but is lower in oxygen content than you are used to. You will tire more easily and you may have a sense of euphoria. I caution you to move more slowly and not stand up suddenly.”

“Fine, whatever!” Betty Sue said. “Anything else?”

“I strongly advise you to travel in a group. There are members of approximately fifty different species inhabiting this station. Many look, act and smell much different than anything you have ever encountered. Do not provoke confrontation, keep a low profile and you will be safe.”

Betty Sue looked hard at Zeke. “That means you stay out of fights, ya big lug!”

Zeke only nodded, avoiding her eyes. Jim Bob’s eyes glittered.

Grokmar continued to speak. “Finally, none of the station residents speak english. I have prepared translator plugs for your ears. Wear them at all times and you will understand what is being said to you. Anyone you speak with will have something similar to understand you.” A small door in the wall slid open and a tray slid out with pairs of lime green earplugs. “Each of you, take a pair and wear them everywhere you go.”

The humans each grabbed a pair of earplugs and placed them in their ears.

Betty Sue was tapping her foot. “Fine! Just get on with it. Me and Carol Anne got some shopping to do.”

“You may purchase items against the ship’s account,” Grokmar said. “Simply tell the vendor to bill to me. You do remember my name I hope?” it asked a bit wryly.

“Yeah sure. Your name is Grokmar.” Betty Sue shook her finger at the view screen. “Don’t you go buying no food for us neither. Me and Carol Anne will get what we want.”

“Very well. Just no animal protein as I said before.”

“We will get whatever we want and you’ll just hush up about it.”

The Grokmar wisely did not argue. “Have whatever food you purchase delivered to me. You will need enough for two weeks.”

“That’s fine. Bobby John will come with Carol Anne and me. Jim Bob and Zeke are going together.” She turned to them. “You boys have fun, but stay outta trouble, you hear!”

“Sure thing, Betty Sue,” Jim Bob said with a grin. “Ah’ll take good care of Zeke.”

“Ah’m not a baby. Ah can look after myself,” Zeke said.

The alarm sounded a second time. “We are now secured to the station and station security has given me permission for you to leave,” Grokmar said. “Please try to return in no more than six hours. We will be here for a day while I trade the vegetable matter I collected from your planet and refuel. Once that is completed we will be leaving for our next destination.”

A sealed door on the far side of the galley opened revealing a short corridor. The humans trooped out the door and followed the hall to its end.

The Grokmar’s voice came over a speaker above the door. “The dock inspector will meet you outside the air lock. He will ask you questions about why you are leaving the ship. Tell him you are here to purchase supplies and he will not give you any trouble.”

The door of the air lock irised open. Standing outside the door was a being that resembled nothing so much as a prune with arms and legs. It was about four feet high, dressed in a navy blue one-piece jumpsuit and had a large purple head covered in wrinkles. It was clutching a tablet (Even officials from advanced species use tablets. It gives them something to refer to when they are attempting to delay those being trying to gain access to whatever the officials are in charge of) with two stubby four-fingered hands.

It spoke in a voice that was deep and resonant and totally at odds to its appearance. It wasted no time with pleasantries. “What is the purpose of your visit to Slacktor Station?”

Betty Sue stepped forward. “Me and my folk are here to buy supplies.”

It held up its tablet as if to take notes. “Do you have anything to declare?”

“Declare?” Betty Sue looked confused. “Ah don’t know what you mean.”

“Are you bringing anything onto the station?”

“She’s bringing us,” Zeke said.

The dock inspector scowled. “Are you trying to be funny?”

“No, are you?” Zeke asked.

“Are you all stupid? I want to know if you are bringing anything onto the station. Food? Weapons? Drugs?” The inspector took a step forward and tried to look menacing.

Zeke was a blur, moving forward and grabbing the tiny being by the collar of its jumpsuit. He picked it up with one hand and held it so it could look him in the eye. The creature hung, feet dangling a good two feet from the decking. “You apologize to Betty Sue for calling her stupid.”

The inspector stammered a quick apology. “I… I’m sorry for insulting you. I’m just trying to do my job.”

“Zeke, put the nice inspector down, please,” Betty Sue said in a calm voice. “Ah’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.”

Zeke gently put the inspector back down on his feet. For a moment it looked like the inspector’s legs might give out on him. He straightened his jumpsuit and tried to regain his composure.

“Right, ah.” His voice squeeked. He looked at Zeke’s clenched fists. They were the size of hams. “Um, are you bringing any goods onto the station?”

“No we are not,” Betty Sue said. “We’re here to buy supplies as ah told you before.”

“Oh, then you will be wanting the flea market on deck four,” the being said.

“Don’t want no fleas,” Zeke rumbled. “Need food and assorteds.”

The inspector swallowed. “Flea market is just what it’s called. You can purchase consumables and all manner of other goods there.”

“Anywhere a fella can buy a drink?” Jim Bob asked, flashing a toothy smile.

The port inspector backed up a step. “There are drinking establishments on deck four as well. There are also some establishments that offer more… exotic entertainment on deck six.” It pointed towards some doors in the far wall. The lifts are over there.”

“Thank you very much,” Betty Sue said as she led the other humans toward the lifts.

The dock area was huge and cold. Beings of all descriptions worked, loading and unloading the ships sitting there. Massive lights like miniature suns hung suspended high overhead. It was all a little unnerving. They hurried to get out of the strange area and escape the cold.

They managed to cross to the lifts without incident. The doors slid open as they approached.

Inside, the lift was a featureless silver box, brightly lit. The door closed as they all entered. A metallic voice spoke. “Destination?”

“Deck four?” Betty Sue said.

A feeling of movement and weight hit them and Zeke backed against a corner with a startled yelp. It lasted only a few seconds before it stopped and the door of the lift opened with a swish. The scene before them could only be described as chaos.   

The small group of humans stood just outside the space station’s lift and stared at the chaos that confronted them. Surprisingly, it was Zeke who spoke first.

“What the heck is that?” He pointed at what looked like a caterpillar walking by. Zeke had seen plenty of caterpillars in his time. Just never one ten feet long and brilliant purple. This particular specimen was wearing wing-tip shoes, wrap-around shades and a flowing red cape. It ignored the Earthlings who stood and gawked at it.

“Zeke! Stop pointing at that there thing,” Betty Sue said. “You might make it mad.”

“So what?” Zeke said. “It’s just a bug.”

“Yeah, a bug that could probably swallow you whole,” Carol Anne said. She was busy staring at a turtle being who walked past them. It walked upright, stubby arms sticking out of its shell at almost a right angle. The glowing blue shell was covered in hideous glyphs and designs that made the humans nauseous just to look at it. The creature had several pieces of metal protruding from its head.

Everywhere the humans looked, strange creatures walked or rolled, or crawled down wide streets that had, what could only be shops, on either side. The shops made a continuous wall along the street and stretched up at least sixty feet from the floor to ceiling. Brightly illuminated signs hung over open doorways showing all manner of odd symbols. The air was humid and thick and filled with strange scents, some musky and unpleasant, others cloying and sweet. Another group of Earthlings might have said the atmosphere was jungle-like. It was almost enough to distract them from the actual interior of the station itself.

The streets themselves were a continuous, gently curving valley. Above, clouds of rolling, twisting vapor clung to the ceiling with miniature sun-lights, exactly like those in the loading dock. They floated just below the ceiling providing light to the street below. Pictures and words flickered on the vapor. While the humans couldn’t read the words, the pictures, although alien, were clear enough. Anything you desired could be found here.

Bobby John took a step forward, staring up and almost tripped over a small lobster creature the size of a large cat. It clicked a pair of oversized pincers at him and scuttled off across the street that passed in front of them. Halfway across the street, what looked like a giant rolling eyeball mowed it down leaving a mess of crushed shell and goo behind, a lone leg twitching in the carnage. Bobby John shook his head to clear the cobwebs and almost fell over as a wave of dizziness crashed over him.

“What the heck is going on here? Why am ah feeling so funny?” Bobby John said.

“WheeOO!” Jim Bob crowed, pointing at the crushed lobster-being. “I don’t know why you’re feeling funny but ah can sure tell why that there critter might. Too bad too. It mighta been real good eating!”

“Bobby John, don’t you remember what the ship said. Something about the air being thinner here and we’d need to be careful?” Betty Sue asked.

The boy waved his hands around for a moment. “The air feels the same thickness as it does at home. Ah don’t understand.”

Betty Sue shrugged. “Ah don’t rightly know neither. Something about less oxygen, whatever that means.” She looked around. “Well, we ain’t gonna get anything done if we just stand here gawking.” She looked at Jim Bob. “You boys know where you’re going?”

“No more than you do, Betty Sue,” Jim Bob replied. “But ah think we’ll start over there.” He pointed at a garish blue sign that depicted a bottle pouring liquid into a cup. The sign was animated; the cup would fill and empty as the bottle tipped and poured a stream of liquid.

“Alrighty then. You boys stay outta trouble though, ya hear? Carol Anne and me will take Bobby John shopping with us.”

“How will we know when to come back?” Carol Anne asked.

The voice of the Grokmar sounded in the lime green earplugs stuck in their ears making them all jump. “I will be monitoring you all and I will tell you when it is time to go.”

“Don’t do that!” Betty Sue said. “You half scared me to death!”

“My apologies, Betty Sue,” the ship said. “And for all of your information, that creature that was just crushed is probably as intelligent as you if not more so. I would not recommend eating it.”

“Is there anything here we can eat?” Zeke asked.

“There is food available on the station. Some of the denizens here have eating habits almost as repugnant as your own so you should be able to find something.”

“Okay, Cricklor, whatever you say.” Betty Sue turned to Jim Bob. She chose to ignore the Grokmar’s muttering about its proper name in her earpiece. “You boys have fun, but stay outta trouble, please? Ah don’t want to have to come pull your fat outta no fires.”

Jim Bob’s smile was huge. “Don’t you fret none, Betty Sue.” He reached up to put an arm around Zeke’s shoulders. He had to stand on the tips of his toes to do it. “We’ll be just fine. What could happen?”

Betty Sue and Carol Anne both gave him odd looks. With a sniff, Betty Sue led Carol Anne and Bobby John away onto the crowded boulevard. Within moments they had disappeared from the men’s sight.

1 Even officials from advanced species use tablets. It gives them something to refer to when they are attempting to delay those being trying to gain access to whatever the officials are in charge of.