Sirius Mining Company

Permission To Board Captain

  I slowly nurse my purple colored beer as I await the return of my friend Canis Anubis to return from the mining company's headquarters. I had been sitting in this bar all day staring at this one mug of beer the Centaurian running the bar gave me another pitiful look, and I notice the Centaurian nod to the bouncer a Siriusan who looked like he had swallowed a gross of Bulk Up with all of the muscles the guy had. Though I am now glad the bar keep had decided the poor human wasn't a danger.

I took a sip of the beer not wanting to drink more than the one mug of it, Canis had told me the bar keep would let him stay put till he got back. As bars are permitted to allow humans in provided it was still under the number allowed for the city. I had never seen five humans in a bar together though I had heard on Terra you could see large groups of humans gather in one place. Based on what I had learned in school I was not sure I wanted to experience that. Having grown up in an orphanage on Sirius I had only ever seen a handful of humans at any time.

Since joining the intergalactic community humans had misbehaved so poorly that the other worlds in the universe set down laws governing humans. As it appeared there was a genetic defect in humans that made them violent in groups of five hundred or larger. So the Universe declared they could not have cities larger than two hundred Adult individuals. After begin given a new home world, due to the disaster that caused humans to leave the Sol system which was now lost to time; the humans decided they didn't need to follow universal laws. At least on their world, so a command ship orbited Terra and rained down destruction upon any city larger than the required size. The humans capitulated quickly after that, and never again made larger cities. The population of humans shrunk by a good number due to that one incident, requiring other laws be put into place.

I look up as Canis enters the bar waving his hand to me, Canis was a standard Siriusan. A humanoid with, what humans called; jackal features. Their average height was about seven feet tall, the bouncer at the bar was ten foot tall however.

Canis comes up and reaches for my wrist tracker, a subdural tracking beacon that all humans off of Terra were required to be implanted with. Canis pulls a small device from a belt pouch and holds it against the tracker, "I got it my friend. You have been allowed to join the mining company and this is your permit information I am putting into your tracker." I feel a slight warming as the information is downloaded and I see the bar keep look at his wrist com, most likely seeing the updated information about me. The Centaurian looks for a long minute then types something into his wrist com and then a female Kati walks up with a tray of cumota for two people. She set is down and speaks in her quiet voice, "compliments of the bar; to congratulate you on attaining a job human." I bow a thank you to the female who then turns and walks away.

Canis looks down at the food and says, "give me a moment Johnathan I want to get a drink before we eat." I nod looking the tray over, it was a standard cumota made from firilla a mammal that tasted similar to a human chicken. It came with some very thin flat breads that humans called tortillas, as well as an assortment of green veggies ad sauces. I had heard when humans eat a similar dish called fajitas they use one green vegetable with some white ones as well as some red ones. Cumota however came with three leafy green vegetables, each with their own flavors, two fleshy vegetables as well as two acidic vegetables. There was also five different sauces that could be used, the flat breads came in six different forms. It was an expensive meal to just give away to human though, I pause before touching the food Canis returning to the table.

"Johnathan dig in, Raska will be annoyed if you don't eat. He has been worried you would never find work since you know." I nod again to the bar keep, then pick up a flat bread seeing the Centaurian smile. "Since I am human?" I state loading up a flat bread with my favorite topping before adding the meat. Canis nods his head, "I know you probably don't believe it; but the old man cares about you. I bet you think that Jakoba was visible to keep you in line?" I nod my head, "why else would he appear so obviously in the middle of the bar?"

Canis waves to Jakoba who glides over to our table, I am always amazed that giant man could move like a dancer over ice. Canis finishes his mouthful and asks Jakoba, "why did Raska have you be visible while I was out?" Jakoba smiles, "why to protect our little human. Why else? Every regular here knows Johnathan is harmless, there however was a large amount of docked ships today so we needed to make sure no one picked on him." Jakoba gives me a light pat on the back making me spill some of the beer I was attempting to hold at that moment, "glad to hear you got work." I thank him surprised that the large man was protecting me from being harmed by others.

Canis gives me a smug look as I stare at Jakoba as he walks back to his normal 'hiding' spot, "I told you. Anyone who knows you, knows you are not a danger. Most of us also know that humans individually are not harmful, some of those ships docking today were out in deep space surveying found worlds and they had found one of the worlds humans had colonized before the laws came down. The local species were all wiped out and half their own cities were destroyed, they tried to attack one of the ships and they 'cleansed' the planet." I shuddered, I knew what that meant. Humans that were hold outs from before the laws came into being were considered an infestation, as they destroyed ecosystems and other species. Humans had been responsible for the loss of five sentient species since the loss of the Sol system. One of them had numbered in the millions, that was not tolerated by the other species in the universe.

Right after Canis finished his next bite a group of Jenix came into the bar, and stated very loudly, "something stinks in here." The tall insectoids resembling a preying mantis they were one of the few insect species not of a hive mind. The leader of the group based on the blue on his thorax turned to the bar, "hey bar keep. Did you know you have an animal in your establishment?" The others laugh along with a couple of the non-regulars to the bar. I hear the sound of a collective of chairs being pushed as over half the patrons stand looking angry. Raska, not looking at the insects says in a levered voice. "only things I see acting like animals here are you lot. I strongly suggest you leave as I have excellent fight insurance on this bar."

Fight insurance was a novel idea that came about long before humans learned space travel, it allowed public gathering locations to get their locations repaired for free if a fight broke out on their premises. Usually the owner had to make an attempt to stop the fight, but based on Raska's statement I imagine he had a rare clause that allowed for fights he ignored do to his own decisions. Jakoba steps forward cracking his knuckles, "my friends and I take offense to what you said bug boy."

Canis, at that moment decided it would be best to eat quickly and I follow his lead. I was not sure what my new captain might think if I had been part of a bar brawl. Not that I didn't have fight training, the orphanage made it a requirement for all residents. Even humans, the government would send a special trainer for my lessons however. One experienced in gauging a human's violence level. My trainer had stated that while he knew I would not start violence, he would not wish to be the person who was subject to it. My ranking allowed me to even carry a standard energy blaster, though I was not permitted to carry with in any non-human city.

The insects start laughing, "did you hear that muscle bound dog? He's a human lover, looks like there is quite a few of them here boys." As I take my last bite I see Raska touch a button which seals the kitchen off from the bar in case of fighting. Which at that moment the insects started pouring into the room, the standing patrons rush them. Canis gives me a look and we both stand and jump into the fray.

Two hours later we are escorted by city security to the ship landing zone outside the city where a very angry looking Siriusan was standing. Canis looks ashamed, "sorry captain; but those Jenix started it." The Captain looks at the security force holding my shirt, "I take responsibility for the human's actions. Is there a fine?" The security shakes his head, "the bar keep stated that the human was not at fault; however." He turns to me, "do not do this again Johnathan or you will lose your work permit and might get sent to Terra." I shudder, not wanting to be stuck on a planet full of humans. The security leaves and Canis looks apologetically at the captain who was watching the security leave. Once out of range he grins at us, "nice fight boys. Raska sent us a live feed of it, I am very impressed by your skills boy I am glad your friend here pestered me to get you registered for my ship." I look up shocked, "I'm not in trouble?" The captain shakes his head still smiling, and I stand straighter and say. "Well then Captain, permission to come aboard."