LF Friends, Will Travel

Keeping a promise

Date: 76 PST (Post Stasis Time)

Damian stepped off the ship, slowly and carefully as the gravity of Earth fully hit the little Hatil as he walked off of the transport vessel. The birthplace of the Terrans was larger in every way than his original home planet, both in size, and sheer number of visitors. Hundreds of thousands of people swarmed through the spaceport like a tide raging around him as the little mammal made his way through the crowds of travellers going to and fro on their own journeys, people racing with luggage to get on and off of flights across the galaxy.

The entire construction of the spaceport was a testament to the power of the Terrans within the universe, one of two such buildings that could be found on Earth, the structure hanging in the sky allowing the millions of people who left and entered Earth from all around the galaxy to do so quickly and easily. It was absolutely gigantic, looming over the country like a moon about to impact, ships entering and exiting like a tremendous beehive.

Damian was practically swallowed by the mass of people, standing at only 4ft tall, bipedal, covered from head to toe in a light cream-coloured fur. Little paws, large floppy ears and giant black eyes gave him the appearance of a teddy bear mushed with a baby seal. His military uniform was covered in ranks and medals, the fatigues of Terran design, the simple camouflage pattern of their military.

Damian limped along as he took each step, the walking stick held in his left hand out of place for someone so young. His progress was slow and cumbersome, eventually reaching the queue he was supposed to enter, patiently awaiting his turn in the endless lines found in places of bureaucracy like this. Nobody really paid much attention to him outside a few casual attempts to move out of the way of Damian and his walking stick. Out of any location on Earth, this was the one most filled with non-Terran visitors, the spaceport filled with aliens of all sizes and species, showing a selection of individuals from around the galaxy, within the Terran Alliance and beyond.

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Date: 71 PST (Post Stasis Time)

"So Roosevelt, why'd you sign up?"

The Terran asked the question simply, laying on his bottom bunk bed as the dim lights of the quarters illuminated the tiny living space. While the military had long since improved the conditions of its members, lack of personal space was still a problem, especially when travelling among the stars. The quarters had probably once been a small supply closet on the ship they were riding on, before some bright person had realized they should shove bedding into the tight space and fit at least two more people on the vessel.

"Isn't it the same as everyone? Estorians are the worst, seeing what they're doing to people made me want to do something about it."

Damian answered with a quiet whisper, not even bothering to look over the side of his bed towards his battle buddy, instead staring up at the artificial ceiling as the quiet hum of the ship provided a gentle lullaby to those within. The collection of slaving species that had joined together under the banner of the 'Estorian Empire' was officially 'the worst', having triggered a war after launching an attack upon a Terran Alliance scientific station. A hatred for one of the worst groups in this part of the galaxy wasn't uncommon, and half the reason so many of the over 400 species that made up the Terran Alliance had banded together for friendship and protection.

"Nah, I didn't mean that. Why'd you join the Terran military? Why not stick with the Hatil?"

Terry responded lazily, giving a yawn as he spoke, mumbling the words at the strange little alien he'd met nearly a year ago at boot camp and training. In the twenty years of his life, he'd never had an alien companion before. In fact, before this new endeavour he'd never left his home state of Tennessee. Even in a rapidly expanding universe, not everyone had explored everything the galaxy had to offer, and travelling amongst the stars with the military was a new experience for Terry.