Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode 9: Asha-Tanga #6

Jake and Cynthia arrived back at their seats just after Mom and the kids had returned from the tour. Jake slid in beside Mike and let the boy tell him, in a rambling voice, about the tour. While Mike was yammering excitedly, the overhead called for passengers to return to their seat and buckle in.

The gravity cut out, and they floated for a few minutes while the ship maneuvered to dock with Saras Station. Once they'd docked, the gravity normalized, and passengers were told they could unbuckle and depart.

"Not even four hours and we're halfway to Venus," Mom joked as the kids slid out of their seats and joined the throng heading for the exit. "How about that, Mike?"

"Point eight four astronomical units," Mike replied sagely. He began to spout other statistics, stuff he'd learned on the tour about the ship's speed and how long they'd been in flight.

Jake ruffled his hair and gave his mother a smirk. "You did ask," he joked.

Mom was frozen, staring ahead of them. Jake followed her gaze, and his jaw dropped.

The ship's passage opened into a giant lobby. At the far end were massive golden statues of men and women, holding the ceiling aloft. Beyond the lobby was the station, where it was pouring rain. A warm, moist air enveloped him, along with the smell of tropical flowers.

The crowd was still moving around them and that alone forced their feet forward, even as they continued to gawk at the stunning surroundings. They weren't the only ones gawking, Jake realized. Many of the Consortium travelers were enthralled as well. He caught snatches of conversation here and there.

"Designed to impress," an old Hanuman was saying. "And I dare say they succeeded."

"One of the wonders of the universe," a young woman muttered to her friend.

The crowd began to spread out as they left the ship. Scantily clad men and women were moving through the crowd, greeting the visitors with leis, treats, and smiles. "Welcome to Saras Station. May your soul be purified. Happy Asha-Tanga," a woman called out as she placed a lei over Mom's head. A broadly built man was next to her with a tray of flower treats.

Cynthia, who had learned a great deal from the couple in the ship's lounge, was explaining to Mom and the kids, "They are filled with figs, dates, honey, and nuts. It's custom for people to eat fresh fruit and raw nuts for the week, to purify their bodies or something. They aren't bad."

Jamie nibbled on her flower treat, fingered the lei someone had placed around her neck, and nodded. "It's yummy."

Mike was less eager, eyeing the flower in his hand like it might bite him.

Jake was just glad that none of the greeters were completely topless.

As they broke free of the crowd and approached the far edge of the lobby two familiar figures materialized in front of Jake. Chatura was wearing a red kurta with matching pants underneath. Abioya was with him, dressed in Western-style clothes.

Jake introduced them to his family. Chatura's family approached as he was making introductions. Chatura's father, Dhanesha, was tall and looked like his son. Jake was a little surprised that he was able to pick up on the family resemblance so easily, given how few Hanuman he'd known. He wore a kurta like his son's and bowed to them.

Chatura's mom, Dhakshana, was shorter and wore a blue dress. Ashawina, Chatura's sister, all but hid behind her mother, peeking out at them.

Abioya had already won his way through her shyness, and when he made some joking comment, she smiled and giggled.