This is a fan translation of Emperors of Illusions (Императоры иллюзий) by the Russian science fiction and fantasy author Sergei Lukyanenko. The novel is a sequel to Lukyanenko's Line of Dreams (Линия грёз) novel and can be considered a fan fiction of the original Master of Orion game.
Chapter 3
Plenty of Mrrshans worked at the registration office of the Fieras spaceport. Not because they couldn't find enough humans for the job. It was just that the human settlement on the Mrrshan homeworld lived by different laws than the enclaves on Ursa or Meklon. The current friendliness between the two powerful races, specifically encouraged by the governments of the Empire and the Territories, still required constant mutual monitoring.
Sayelah, a Mrrshan contractor who worked as the senior registrar of the small ships section, belonged to the male-prime sex. The most oppressed and fewest in number part of the Mrrshan society had virtual no rights only a century ago. But the times had changed, and that was the only reason Sayelah was alive. His incredible ambition and willfulness would have found no outlet in the past.
As required of all contractors, Sayelah was clothed, wearing beige slacks and something that looked like a short vest. Unlike other Mrrshans, Sayelah wore clothing not just because it was required or out of respect for human morality. He liked being clothed. Outside of mating rituals, he never got down on all fours. Existing at a junction of two cultures brought with it many advantages for a potential pariah, as long as he had a flexible mind.
The spaceport was packed. The season of young wine always brought human tourists to Fieras. Travel agencies chartered more and more liners, routes of transit ships were starting to bend towards the Mrrshan Territories.
"Identification…"
Sayelah flicked through the thin plastic books of passports. Two citizens of Kailis, male, traveling salesmen… He lifted his furry auburn face, verifying the photos.
Everything looked fine.
"Transit?" he inquired. The older human replied, "Yes, we're on our way to Julianna."
"Your route is fortuitous," Sayelah said, diligently giving the man a wink. "The season of young wine is at its height."
"I like to mix business and pleasure," the traveling salesman admitted.
"A good phrase," Sayelah noted. He never missed an opportunity to increase his supply of human idioms. "Does your refueling fit under the normal priority category?"
"Of course… no need to rush."
Sayelah inserted the passports into the printer and started to unhurriedly write out a temporary visa.
"You have one day… it is forbidden to leave the territory of the human settlement… any plants, food, or drugs are considered contraband…"
He couldn't figure out what was making him uneasy. He had already seen dozens of such visitors today.
"Are you natives of Kailis?"
"Fifth generation. Garik…" the older man patted the younger one on the shoulder, "my nephew. I've got no kids of my own, and someone will need to take my place… can't make enough for aTan, but I won't go hungry either, not to mention see the galaxy…"
A perfectly normal human reaction. Increased talkativeness, the desire to ingratiate oneself to a customs officer… even if there were no violations. Sayelah handed the humans their passports.
"Enjoy your stay on Fieras."
"Thank you, sir."
Sayelah watched them leave with the Mrrshan equivalent of a human smile. Thank the Vastness that the Empire and the Territories were friends again. This merchant with the soft amiable face and the movements of a professional killer would have been extremely dangerous in a fight…
The Mrrshan shuddered, realizing what he'd just thought.
It was easy to change one's face. Disguising one's figure was elementary. Altering one's fingerprints and iris pattern was also not difficult. It was even possible to falsify one's DNA.
But one couldn't get rid of the things that made up the foundation of one's personality: skills, instincts, reflexes.
The traveling salesmen from Kailis were fake.
Sayelah glanced at his shift supervisor, a good-natured elderly human. The man nodded in askance. Sayelah merely shook his head.
Nothing to be done in haste but catching fleas… it was an offensive but apt human saying. He scratched himself. The tiny Terran bloodsuckers, which had probably been intentionally brought to Fieras during the time of the Tukai Conflict, had been the scourge of the Mrrshans for many years.
ISS agents? Unlikely. Spies were difficult to spot.
Hired assassins? A showdown between humans? A boring version. Exposing a pair of criminals wouldn't help his career much.
The most luxurious gift of fate would have been catching those two terrorists who had attempted to destroy the Human Emperor.
The fur on Sayelah's scruff rose. Perhaps he had received a gift from fate?