Communion Base
The luxury liner was pulling into the glittering jewel of a space station. In a system with a star and no planets, the station was easily large enough to be mistaken for a planetoid, and glistened like tacky jewelery with thousands of lights blinking in many colors. The captain's well mellowed voice comes over the intercom "Beginning angular descent. Please return all seats to the upright position, and all trays to the wait staff. I'm afraid liquids will have to be drunk or discarded at this time. There may be some turbulence as we enter the station's gravity field."
In the third seat of the third row sat one unassuming individual. In fact, on first glance, she probably would be ignored for any of her more. . . interesting row mates, who consisted of an ID-Sol who insisted on taking up two seats, and a Lorath who showed a little more fur than any L'manel would allow on their bodies. The Yamataian between them flipped through her book that rested in her lap. Never going more than ten pages in. She pressed a button on her seat. It jolted upwards.
She had no drink. She wasn't thirsty. Tsan Rin had but one thought on her mind as the liner began its final approach: Success.
The ship docked with all the grace that it's fragile construction implied, slowly gliding into the Communion Base's bay. The stewards and stewardesses, in their equally skimpy outfits, helped unbuckle the passengers, and helped them get their luggage out of storage. As the people flooded towards the dock greeters picked many of them out, leading them away from the others. One such greeter, a Nepleslian in a fez and harem pants, would greet Rin. "Excuse me miss... is this your first time on Paradise? We have free chips in the casino for first timers, and can also guide you to your lodgings"
The Minkan glanced to the greeter, duffel slung across her back, bifurcating a plain, blue jacket she had on. Her eyes lit up at the mention of free tokens.
"Eh? Free?" She asked, her voice as plain as she was. "That would be nice. Could you first point me to the nearest vending machine?"
Rin's little vice couldn't wait any longer. She needed to satisfy it posthaste, or else her attention would suffer for it.
"Oh certainly" The greeter said, ushering Rin after her "What sort of vending machine? Drugs? Snack food? Drinks? Birth Control? Panties? We even have an Automat Diner near this docking bay..." She pointed at a large room with a bunch of doors, each with credit chits next to them, and various objects behind the doors ranging from food to clothing. The room was themed with glittering plastic and chrome, behind the doors cute workers restocked the supplies as customers bought them. "Automat's your best bet"
"The third thing, please. They didn't have the drink I wanted on the ship," Rin replied, tracing her rancoteur's gesture to the clean-looking eatery. She noted that might be a good place to eat later.
"Well there's one right there..." The guide would say as they walk past the bathroom. The vending machine was strange, a collection of bubbling cylindrical tubes containing various labeled fluids, all hooked up to hoses, designed to spray them in various mixes into cheap paper cups within the machine, then carry the cup out via conveyor belt. The machine was also chrome and sparkling.
All of the halls were crowded but meticulously clean. While there were various persons in maid outfits cleaning things, the cleaning robots seemed more active then the maids.
"Why have both maids and robots?" Rin asked, swiping her card on the machine. A delicate finger swiped the touch interface on the vendor, selecting. . . grape juice. She listened to the greeter while she waited for it to work its magic.
"The maids are for the ambiance. Their job is to flirt with the clients." The usher will respond cheerfully. The machine bubbled, chugged, and played cheery music as it got the juice. It was slow, but purposeful.
"Ah, customer service. Fun times," Rin said with a quiet smile, appearing to enjoy the machine's process. Eventually, it dinged. She retrieved her drink, but pulled out a little metallic straw from her pocket and stuck it in her cup. "I made a reservation in. . . ah, I forget. One moment, I've got the ticket. . ."
The usher will pull a small device out of a pocket on the skimpy vest, and runs the white light over Rin's face. "Ah... According to our database you're logged in the Numinous Requiem, it's one of the more expensive c
central districts, even has a star viewing station."
"That's the one!" the Yamataian cheerfully replied, shooting a thumbs-up. She sipped on the straw thoughtfully afterwards, finally fishing out that ticket from her pocket.
"You'll probably want to take the tram to it" The usher says, giving Rin a warm hug "When you're ready go into that tram station, and wait for line 14. When you get off at Numinous Requium, there will be other ushers there to help you to your lodgings!"
"Ah, domo," Rin thanked, giving a bow to the usher. She went on her merry way, following the signs that flickered and cycled with various different messages. They had a sort of. . . cheap Nepleslian scanner effect changing them, a vertical slit of light wiping out the previous message in favour of the new one.
In time, the chrome halls gave way to a large plaza, still with plenty of chrome, but with a platform that opened out far above a garden that connected with several areas.
"Huh. Now that's a view," the traveler remarked, moving to the edge of the platform. This particular garden seemed to connect with a very. . . forested, fairytale area, a gritty-looking dusty area, and a very cyber-looking area complete with the generic neon lines and varying shades of dark surfaces.
"Wait, are those people. . ." She mumbled, spotting a couple down in the gardens in Flagrante delicto.
At this time a loud sound would be heard as various shops would suddenly close up, bars slowly dropping to protect them. "Caution. Alien invasion detected. Caution. Alien invasion detected" would play over the loudspeakers. Soon green skinned space chicks with antenna would be swarming into the intersection through various doors, lead by one chick in black leather and a eyepatch with an extremely large chromed gun.
She will grab Rin by the arm "WE HAVE COME! FOR YOUR WOMEN!" she will shout to the crowd, discharging the fake weapon into the air, then aggressively kissing Rin with a great deal of tongue. She'll discharge her weapon again.
"Not so fast, you green skinned hooligan!" Another voice will shout "I CHASE COLLIGAN! HAVE COME TO THE RESCUE!" A man in an extremely zerusty silver space suit will appear out another door, and begin act-fighting with the green skinned 'aliens' who will all 'die' with an appropriate level of theatricalness complete with explosions, and things falling from the ceiling as he rescues the men and women grabbed by them.
Finally Mr Cooligan gets into a complex, choreographed fight with the leader holding Rin, and rescues rin with an equally aggressive kiss as the alien chick gave her and a grope as well. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance ma'am..." he'd kick the 'alien' in the butt (gently) and send her skittering. The green skinned aliens would skitter off, defeated, with a "WE'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME, CHASE COOLIGAN!"
If Rin had glasses, they'd certainly be askew.
While she'd certainly read about the shows and the more public. . . everything this place had, it was quite another thing seeing it in person.
"W-well then. . ." She stuttered, biting her lip. "This is certainly going to be an interesting-"
"Pardon me ma'am, but you look like you want another kiss" Chase will tease, kissing her playfully mid sentence. He chuckles "Don't worry, duckling, you'll get used to it all. Some people never go home. If you want my 'tainment number, or Miss Evilina's, I can provide them."
"Um. . . yours please?" She asked, fishing a notepad out. It was surprising, considering how prevalent datapads were, that she used something so. . . primitive.
He'll press a coin into her hand, with his face on one side, and the number on the other. Also a coin with Miss Evilina, the leader of the aliens number and face. "Here you go" he says with a grin "All the 'tainment numbers are on coins. They're collectable, and you can turn them in for various services if you collect full sets. I'll be seeing you around, miss!" he'll chuckle in a friendly fashion, and vanish into the duct work, blowing her a plaful kiss as he disappears.
"-Interesting week," Rin finished her earlier sentence, touching her lips gently, just as the tram pulled in.
The luxury liner was pulling into the glittering jewel of a space station. In a system with a star and no planets, the station was easily large enough to be mistaken for a planetoid, and glistened like tacky jewelery with thousands of lights blinking in many colors. The captain's well mellowed voice comes over the intercom "Beginning angular descent. Please return all seats to the upright position, and all trays to the wait staff. I'm afraid liquids will have to be drunk or discarded at this time. There may be some turbulence as we enter the station's gravity field."
In the third seat of the third row sat one unassuming individual. In fact, on first glance, she probably would be ignored for any of her more. . . interesting row mates, who consisted of an ID-Sol who insisted on taking up two seats, and a Lorath who showed a little more fur than any L'manel would allow on their bodies. The Yamataian between them flipped through her book that rested in her lap. Never going more than ten pages in. She pressed a button on her seat. It jolted upwards.
She had no drink. She wasn't thirsty. Tsan Rin had but one thought on her mind as the liner began its final approach: Success.
The ship docked with all the grace that it's fragile construction implied, slowly gliding into the Communion Base's bay. The stewards and stewardesses, in their equally skimpy outfits, helped unbuckle the passengers, and helped them get their luggage out of storage. As the people flooded towards the dock greeters picked many of them out, leading them away from the others. One such greeter, a Nepleslian in a fez and harem pants, would greet Rin. "Excuse me miss... is this your first time on Paradise? We have free chips in the casino for first timers, and can also guide you to your lodgings"
The Minkan glanced to the greeter, duffel slung across her back, bifurcating a plain, blue jacket she had on. Her eyes lit up at the mention of free tokens.
"Eh? Free?" She asked, her voice as plain as she was. "That would be nice. Could you first point me to the nearest vending machine?"
Rin's little vice couldn't wait any longer. She needed to satisfy it posthaste, or else her attention would suffer for it.
"Oh certainly" The greeter said, ushering Rin after her "What sort of vending machine? Drugs? Snack food? Drinks? Birth Control? Panties? We even have an Automat Diner near this docking bay..." She pointed at a large room with a bunch of doors, each with credit chits next to them, and various objects behind the doors ranging from food to clothing. The room was themed with glittering plastic and chrome, behind the doors cute workers restocked the supplies as customers bought them. "Automat's your best bet"
"The third thing, please. They didn't have the drink I wanted on the ship," Rin replied, tracing her rancoteur's gesture to the clean-looking eatery. She noted that might be a good place to eat later.
"Well there's one right there..." The guide would say as they walk past the bathroom. The vending machine was strange, a collection of bubbling cylindrical tubes containing various labeled fluids, all hooked up to hoses, designed to spray them in various mixes into cheap paper cups within the machine, then carry the cup out via conveyor belt. The machine was also chrome and sparkling.
All of the halls were crowded but meticulously clean. While there were various persons in maid outfits cleaning things, the cleaning robots seemed more active then the maids.
"Why have both maids and robots?" Rin asked, swiping her card on the machine. A delicate finger swiped the touch interface on the vendor, selecting. . . grape juice. She listened to the greeter while she waited for it to work its magic.
"The maids are for the ambiance. Their job is to flirt with the clients." The usher will respond cheerfully. The machine bubbled, chugged, and played cheery music as it got the juice. It was slow, but purposeful.
"Ah, customer service. Fun times," Rin said with a quiet smile, appearing to enjoy the machine's process. Eventually, it dinged. She retrieved her drink, but pulled out a little metallic straw from her pocket and stuck it in her cup. "I made a reservation in. . . ah, I forget. One moment, I've got the ticket. . ."
The usher will pull a small device out of a pocket on the skimpy vest, and runs the white light over Rin's face. "Ah... According to our database you're logged in the Numinous Requiem, it's one of the more expensive c
central districts, even has a star viewing station."
"That's the one!" the Yamataian cheerfully replied, shooting a thumbs-up. She sipped on the straw thoughtfully afterwards, finally fishing out that ticket from her pocket.
"You'll probably want to take the tram to it" The usher says, giving Rin a warm hug "When you're ready go into that tram station, and wait for line 14. When you get off at Numinous Requium, there will be other ushers there to help you to your lodgings!"
"Ah, domo," Rin thanked, giving a bow to the usher. She went on her merry way, following the signs that flickered and cycled with various different messages. They had a sort of. . . cheap Nepleslian scanner effect changing them, a vertical slit of light wiping out the previous message in favour of the new one.
In time, the chrome halls gave way to a large plaza, still with plenty of chrome, but with a platform that opened out far above a garden that connected with several areas.
"Huh. Now that's a view," the traveler remarked, moving to the edge of the platform. This particular garden seemed to connect with a very. . . forested, fairytale area, a gritty-looking dusty area, and a very cyber-looking area complete with the generic neon lines and varying shades of dark surfaces.
"Wait, are those people. . ." She mumbled, spotting a couple down in the gardens in Flagrante delicto.
At this time a loud sound would be heard as various shops would suddenly close up, bars slowly dropping to protect them. "Caution. Alien invasion detected. Caution. Alien invasion detected" would play over the loudspeakers. Soon green skinned space chicks with antenna would be swarming into the intersection through various doors, lead by one chick in black leather and a eyepatch with an extremely large chromed gun.
She will grab Rin by the arm "WE HAVE COME! FOR YOUR WOMEN!" she will shout to the crowd, discharging the fake weapon into the air, then aggressively kissing Rin with a great deal of tongue. She'll discharge her weapon again.
"Not so fast, you green skinned hooligan!" Another voice will shout "I CHASE COLLIGAN! HAVE COME TO THE RESCUE!" A man in an extremely zerusty silver space suit will appear out another door, and begin act-fighting with the green skinned 'aliens' who will all 'die' with an appropriate level of theatricalness complete with explosions, and things falling from the ceiling as he rescues the men and women grabbed by them.
Finally Mr Cooligan gets into a complex, choreographed fight with the leader holding Rin, and rescues rin with an equally aggressive kiss as the alien chick gave her and a grope as well. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance ma'am..." he'd kick the 'alien' in the butt (gently) and send her skittering. The green skinned aliens would skitter off, defeated, with a "WE'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME, CHASE COOLIGAN!"
If Rin had glasses, they'd certainly be askew.
While she'd certainly read about the shows and the more public. . . everything this place had, it was quite another thing seeing it in person.
"W-well then. . ." She stuttered, biting her lip. "This is certainly going to be an interesting-"
"Pardon me ma'am, but you look like you want another kiss" Chase will tease, kissing her playfully mid sentence. He chuckles "Don't worry, duckling, you'll get used to it all. Some people never go home. If you want my 'tainment number, or Miss Evilina's, I can provide them."
"Um. . . yours please?" She asked, fishing a notepad out. It was surprising, considering how prevalent datapads were, that she used something so. . . primitive.
He'll press a coin into her hand, with his face on one side, and the number on the other. Also a coin with Miss Evilina, the leader of the aliens number and face. "Here you go" he says with a grin "All the 'tainment numbers are on coins. They're collectable, and you can turn them in for various services if you collect full sets. I'll be seeing you around, miss!" he'll chuckle in a friendly fashion, and vanish into the duct work, blowing her a plaful kiss as he disappears.
"-Interesting week," Rin finished her earlier sentence, touching her lips gently, just as the tram pulled in.