This was definitely a good day.
He had been allowed to leave work early today, so he had enough time for a stride over to the ports.
Two of the four moons of Vysseria could already be seen high up in the late afternoon sky when the main building of the Galactic Spaceport came into view, a pompous dome looming dangerously over the other buildings of the Capital. His father had always told him that the Port was no place for a young boy. Not for one of his status anyway. But Ben had rarely listened to his father's warnings. For him the Spaceport had always been a stunning out of his world place, full of crowds of traders and adventurers, who brought with them the most fascinating gadgets and exotic food, who could tell the most marvellous tales and provided the best of diversions for a city that was so much in need of them.
Aliens were not allowed outside the Port, at least not without a special permit. The Vysseris as a race were a very tight community on a very small planet on the furthest end of their galaxy. As Ben made his way over to the market halls he had to suppress a sigh at the thought. Compared to all that life out there they were so tiny and most important of all a little bit too antiquated. The market hall was a vast room with a high glass ceiling, stacked with tiny and towering market stalls of every colour and form imaginable. An old woman – at least he assumed she was old, since he found it was usually very hard to tell with these cat-people - waved him over to her stall.
"Hello, my love", she purred. "D' you think I could interest you in one of these? Just two and a half Credit each."
Ben's eyes flew over a variety of alien fruit. There were a few he thought he had already seen before, but most of them seemed new to him. The old woman scooped one of them up with her fury hand and held it out to him. It was as big as an apple but had a shining deep purple skin.
"Matches the colour of your eyes", she said with a warm smile that showed her pointed cat-teeth.
Ben grinned and fished some money out of his pocket.
"Keep the change", he said and took the fruit from her hands.
Then as he strolled away he took a huge bite of it. It tasted great, very sweet and a little bit tart. He gave a pleased smile.
It was almost dark when Ben left the Spaceport. The four moons stood high in the sky and cast a soothing silvery light over the city, worn out from a hard day's work. He hurried through the streets. Unless he wanted his parents to worry he had to make it home in time for dinner. He rounded a corner, and rushed through a couple of backstreets, one of the nifty little shortcuts he had discovered years ago.
Then, suddenly he was stopped by someone calling out.
"Excuse me, boy!" a voice said.
Ben turned and noticed a young bespectacled man standing in an alley to the left.
"Sorry, but I'm kinda in a hurry here." Ben had always had a hard time suppressing his curiosity. But today it was probably best to just go home. Then again: "Can I help you with something?"
The man with the glasses nodded eagerly and held up a holomap of the city.
"Oh, yes, please." he said. "I'm new in town and I wanted to go to the city hall, but I think I got lost."
Ben smiled and took a few steps towards the man. Now that he was closer, he noticed something odd about the stranger. But before he even got to think about it properly, a shadow appeared from behind him and big hands clamped over his mouth.
He desperately tried to struggle and scream for help, but it was no use. The hands holding him were too strong. The strange man with the glasses approached him, a syringe in his bony hand.
"Now", he hissed in the most alarming of tones. "This won't hurt a bit."
A sharp pain in his neck and suddenly the world turned as Ben fell limply to the ground.
Then, there was only darkness.