Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Four: Meteor #3

Saras Station was currently orbiting between the Earth and Venus. As Dan had boarded the inter-solar space ship at Shoshone Station, he couldn't help but think of Cheyenne and her flight to Shin. She said it had taken nearly six hours to reach the station, which was near the asteroid belt. His flight was much shorter, just shy of three hours and much of that time taken up with maneuvering into and out of port.

"I must warn all of you," Blumenthal had said as they started docking, "that Saras was built with a single objective in mind, to impress outsiders."

"The first time you see Saras," Bakala had said. "It will take your breath away."

Neither warning was enough. The space port docked to the edge of bowl, so that as they exited they stood above the main city proper. The port itself screamed opulence, with giant statues of famous historical people, all dramatically posed, stood as pillars looking out over the city. Dan stepped out beyond the statues and his breath hitched at the sight.

The dome, from one edge to another, was nearly ten kilometers and the far edge was nothing but a haze. The ground beneath them wasn't perfectly flat. It first went down and then rose towards the center. It gave them a bird's eye view of the city while the government buildings at the very center rose above and provided those that worked there the same opportunity.

The air was warm and wet. They had left New York in the early morning. It was now mid-afternoon by Dan's internal clock, but Saras ran on perfected time and it was early evening here. The daily "rain" had just ended and there were still puddles in places.

The statues stretched away on either side, the entire edge of the station dotted with spaceports and offices underneath the eaves of the statues. Out front a long series of stairs led down to one of the few roads that ran around the edge of the station and criss-crossed into the center.

On the far side of the road began the city proper. Directly in front of them was a wide pedestrian lane filled with markets and lined with stores, enticing the visitor into tourist shopping even before they found housing. Such markets and lanes were surrounded by burroughs, villas and compounds for residents. Public buildings and spaces abounded everywhere.

Dan took a deep breath and turned back to his team. "Don't bother looking for surveillance, you won't find it. Remember the briefing. Red with gold trim are military." A half dozen men in military garb waited at the foot of the stairs for them. Dan pointed at them. He then pointed at another man near by. "Blue with gold trim are civilian security. Two kurgara." He pointed at two kurgara who were discreetly watching them.

They marched down the stairs and the military escort did a fist bump salute and stepped aside. An electric cart was waiting; it was open, like a motorized rickshaw in many third world countries. Behind it a couple more waited. Blumenthal slid into the front seat and gestured for Dan to sit with him. Two senior agents climbed in behind them and the cart pulled ahead, slowly so the next cart could be loaded and join them.

"Our new quarters?" Blumenthal asked.

"I messaged Aloka when we landed. She says they are ready, sir."

The cart sped up as the others fell into line behind them. They took an off ramp and the road rose high above the city for a few moments. "We are close to the center. A very prestigious placement, I'm told," Dan commented to the men behind them. "It's a combination office and compound, we will have business offices up front and quarters behind."

"Tikova precinct surrendered their offices," Blumenthal added. "Now that Saras isn't in their galaxy...Still it's a generous gesture."

"Not far from the zoo, one of the largest in space," Dan went on, pointing. They were already descending down into the city again. The cart sped onto an off ramp and into a maze of buildings. The new U.S Embassy was tucked along a small park, dominated in the backdrop by Saras's Parthenon, a huge conference area for discussing important public business.