The massive form of a spherical space station loomed over the dented but robust hauler as it made its steady approach. Being the size of a large asteroid, the space station didn't truly need its own tractor beam to generate a gravitational pull. However, it was in the best interest of safety that a constant current of energy directed traffic towards the landing tunnel. The station was turned away from the solar center of the star system, creating a wash of dark shadow that swallowed up the front entrance. The only indication of the operational tunnel was the blue light that originated from deep within the station itself. The beam pierced through the darkness, indicating the location as well as showing the area in which the internal tractor beam would take over piloting procedures. This meant that all a ship would be required to do was fly into the light in order to be pulled inside and gently placed onto one of the many landing pads within the hangar.
It had been years since Hadrizahens had last seen the Juyuka-Nik space station, and he had all but forgotten the imposing presence it had as the ship approached. He watched in awe as the cockpit window was overtaken by the surface of the port, even though the proximity alerts showed that it would still be almost thirty seconds before they even got close enough to start the landing procedure. In comparison to the small trading outpost that Hadrizahens was used to roaming, this hulking piece of technology seemed massive beyond comprehension. If he truly wanted to, Hadrizahens could take the time to scan a portion of the heavy alloy plating on the exterior of the station and estimate the diameter. But they were approaching the station quickly, so he deemed it to be a calculation that wasn't worth his processing power. He would allow the space station to be a thing of awe and wonder, for the time being.
As the Infinity Hawk coasted lazily towards the landing area, the blue light from the communications array began flashing once again. Traveller Entity Theus flipped the switch to engage whatever lifeform was hailing them automatically.
"This is Rigusu-Ril I Station contacting hauler on approach. Ship registration matches Mercenary Guild records, please state identification for Guild designated lander access." An unknown voice sounded over the communicator. Hadrizahens recognized it immediately as Korvax. It was unsurprising, as the Juyuja-Nik system was colonized by Korvax and thus, most of the residents and workers were also Korvax. Still, it felt strange to hear an unknown Korvax's voice. Most of the traffic that the Rugo-395 Outpost got was not other Korvax. There was no reason for locals and residents to stop at a trading post for supplies. They had access to their own from their homes. Most of the business that the outpost received was from Gek merchants that Hadrizahens did not trust. Hadrizahens tried his hardest to be accepting of all lifeforms, but trusting Gek proved to be a stumbling point for him. Especially with the history between the Gek and the Korvax. Besides that, most of the Gek that Hadrizahens interacted with, however briefly, were more financially minded. They did not seem to share Hadrizahens' affinity for knowledge and discovery.
"This is B Class Hauler number E9X, the Infinity Hawk, requesting permission to land." Theus responded. They sounded very professional, Hadrizahens thought. Not that he had expected a Traveller to be coarse when addressing the air traffic command for special landing permits. It was simply that the Traveller had never spoken so clearly before. Traveller Entity Theus's sentences were usually more broken and unclear.
"...Identification verified. Proceed into the hangar." The Korvax voice spoke before disconnecting the communication. Traveller Entity Theus powered the communication system down and began the official approach, flying slowly along the side of the space station frame.
"Should I sit back down…?" Hadrizahens asked as the hauler drew closer to the entrance tunnel. He had originally gotten up from his seat to get a better view at the space station, but now he wasn't sure if standing was safe. This was his first time in a smaller ship, and he preferred not to make a complete fool out of himself in front of the Traveller by stumbling or falling over mid-flight.
"We are moving slow enough now. You should be fine… if you want to sit, you can." Traveller Entity Theus while flipping a few switches. Hadrizahens assumed they were calibrating the ship for landing. "Just hold onto the frame."
Hadrizahens was about to ask why he would need to hold onto the window frame, but his inquiry was lost as soon as the entire hauler jerked lazily to the side. The ship had entered into the stream of blue light and was thus snatched into the pull of the tractor beam. It was an elastic pull that turned the hauler gently towards the tunnel, nose first. It compensated adequately for whatever momentum the ship had retained on approach, ensuring that all cargo and passengers would not be jostled too heavily during the landing procedure. It would not do for any pilots to break their necks, or for any of their cargo to be destroyed before landing. Still, Hadrizahens had almost been thrown halfway out of the window when the ship had been pulled into an entirely new direction. The Traveller either didn't notice their passenger nearly losing their balance, or spared him the shame of acknowledging their mistake. For this, the young Korvax was grateful. It meant that Hadrizahens could hold tightly to the window frame and watch the entire landing free from embarrassment.
The Infinity Hawk's thrusters dimmed as Traveller Entity Theus lessened the power, starting up the landing routines. There was no reason to have the ship burning excess power with the tractor beam pulling them inside. The Traveller sat back in their seat and relaxed as the space station routines took over.
The tunnel was a blunt equilateral triangle shape, the point coming to the center of the ceiling and the flat part to make up the runway. Hadrizahens suspected that the opening was wide enough at the base so it coulda accommodate traffic in both directions, and his observations were proven correct as a large hauler passed them on its way out of the station. It floated lazily by in the repulsion beam of the port, far enough from them that there was no need for concern. In fact, with this new sense of scale, Hadrizahens imagined it quite possible that two, perhaps more, large transport vessels could pass each other easily without fear of collision. Traffic would never need to cease or slow down, at least not at this space station on the edge of the galaxy.
The tunnel walls were made with a dark, somewhat reflective metal alloy that Hadrizahens had no time to scan and identify. Not if he wished to continue paying attention to the greater details of the landing. It was most likely some sort of silver compound anyway, nothing out of the ordinary. Besides, focusing on a single panel was proving to be too difficult while the ship continued to move forward, especially since the dark walls were broken up by strips of white lights that encompassed the walls at equidistant intervals to illuminate whatever ships came or went. Passing through the lights gave the illusion that the illumination was pulsing rapidly, which may have caused a more sensitive lifeform to feel ill. Hadrizahens was luckily not an organic lifeform, and the tunnel was relatively short.
The tunnel then opened up into a grand hangar room with a platform in the center with two pedestrian ramps on either side. Lines of a sky blue light trailed from the tunnel they had just exited, dictating a straight path for ships to follow to a predesignated landing pad. Each pad fell between the two of the blue lines that stood out starkly from the black flooring, designated by a hexagon in matching blue with a circle in the center. Several landing pads were already taken by ships of all shapes and sizes. Some had only just landed as evident by the exhaust still coming from their thrusters, while others appeared to be parked for some time. The shapes of numerous lifeforms moved around the hangar and between the ships quickly, keeping out of each other's way as they conversed, conducted business, refueled and repaired their ships. The Infinity Hawk slowed once it entered the large hangar, the engines coming back online only momentarily to catch the ship once the tractor beam released it. A light flashed on the dashboard to indicate that the landing gear was being extended as the ship made its way leisurely to one of the landing hexagons. The floor around the pad rotated slowly, raising up a few feet to meet the ship as it touched down. As soon as the entire weight of the ship shifted onto the pad, a piston hissed loudly. The pad rotated in place and lowered into the flooring so the Infinity Hawk was facing the tunnel for an easy departure. As a robotic life form, Hadrizahens appreciated the efficiency of the system.
It took a much longer time for the Infinity Hawk to power down than it did for Traveller Entity Theus's fighter class ship. Hadrizahens could feel the lurch of the engines in the floor panels as well as the energy as it redirected away from the vital systems. The power was still humming at a decreasing frequency as the Traveller freed themself from the safety straps in the seat. With a swift motion, the Traveller disengaged the lock on the hatch. The seal hissed for a moment as the cockpit depressurized and the Traveller turned towards Hadrizahens.
"I'll let you out. Wait." The Traveller instructed as it pushed against the hatch impatiently. Hadrizahens thought it was an unnecessary effort, but he did realize the reasoning behind it. The gesture was appreciated all the same. Traveller Entity Theus then climbed over the shell of the cockpit and disappeared below Hadrizahens' line of vision. The Korvax moved towards the back of the cargo hold and waited as he was instructed to. He knew it would take the Traveller a few moments to reach the back of the Infinity Hawk. The design of this particular hauler had an elevated cockpit that sat above most of the engines and systems. It was created to not only utilize as much of the back end of the hauler for cargo space as possible but to compensate for carrying large amounts of freight. There was a step ladder on the side of the ship that the Traveller would need to climb down in order to disembark completely, so Hadrizahens had no reservations about how long it took the Traveller to reappear.
The doors to the cargo bay were thrown open suddenly, startling Hadrizahens out of his ponderings. He had assumed that they had a mutual understanding of how long it would take for the Traveller to reach the back of its own ship to free Hadrizahens, but apparently there had been an error in communication. The Traveller was respirating more heavily than what Hadrizahens had already registered as normal for this particular lifeform, and their heart rate was visibly increased. Something had flustered and rushed the Traveller since last he had seen them.
"You seem uneasy. Is something wrong with the ship?" Hadrizahens asked, suddenly concerned about their vehicle. Surely, this had to be the reason for Traveller Entity Theus's shift in behavior. The ship was the only thing the Traveller could have observed in such a short amount of time, and Hadrizahens still had some reservations about the sturdiness of the space faring vessel. It would not have surprised him at all to hear that the Infinity Hawk had simply fallen apart during the turbulence they had experienced exiting Cireenob's atmosphere.
"The ship is fine…" Traveller Entity Theus reassured him, though the odd behavioral shift had not yet faded. The Traveller stepped out of the way to allow Hadrizahens to exit the cargo hold. Hadrizahens knelt down to lower himself out of the raised platform more carefully, but was surprised to find a hand held out to him. It was unexpected, but very flattering, to be helped out of the cargo hold by a Traveller of The Atlas, but it wasn't enough to distract Hadrizahens from continuing his line of questioning. Despite how much of an honor it was to be treated with such regard, he was keen to find out whether or not the ship that he would have to depart in was functioning properly.
"Then why is the Traveller-Entity's heart rate still higher than normal?" Hadrizahens asked with only a brief scan of Traveller Entity Theus's vitals.
Traveller Entity Theus took a defensive step away from Hadrizahens, tensing their body. Hadrizahens could tell that his preliminary scan and comment had not gone over well. Organic lifeforms were so easily provoked in some cases. "Don't scan to see if I tell truths…"
"If Traveller Entity Theus told the truth to begin with, there would be no need for a scan." Hadrizahens replied, sounding much more defiant and confident than he felt. Inside his own mind, he could scarcely believe that he had dared such an invasion of privacy. True, it wasn't rude by Korvax standards to scan one another. It was just another way of taking in information and data about their surroundings. In fact, in many cases, it was considered polite to do so. Sentient organic life was often made uncomfortable by that type of foreign interaction, and it seemed even less polite to scan a Traveller. But Hadrizahens was apparently feeling bold. Bold enough to talk back to the Traveller. Thankfully, there were no repercussions. Traveller Entity Theus only stared at Hadrizahens in mild annoyance for a few seconds before giving in and voicing his worries.
"I have a Korvax lifeform as cargo… not as a passenger. As cargo..." Traveller Entity Theus spoke with a lowered tone. Hadrizahens almost didn't hear the Traveller over the echoed commotion in the hangar and had to lean forward to catch what was said. It struck Hadrizahens that the Traveller was genuinely concerned and upset by their situation, and was understandably wary of what other lifeforms were thinking as they passed by the ship. A couple of beaked TradeGek walked by the Infinity Hawk on their way to the trade platform above the hangar. Their large eyes surveyed the two companions as they passed, narrowing ever so slightly in an offended fashion. Traveller Entity Theus gave them an awkward wave as they passed. The TradeGek barely acknowledged Traveller Entity Theus's gesture. Instead, they returned to whispering conspiratorially back and forth, clicking their beaks and shaking their heads as though they could not see the Traveller fidgeting with ever-increasing nerves.
It was fair of the Traveller to be concerned about how their situation was being interpreted by other lifeforms. Given the tragic past of the Korvax and how Hadrizahens' race had been previously enslaved, it was understandable why the Traveller was worried about Hadrizahens being transported the same way as goods and merchandise would be. But the Korvax had not been slaves for generation upon generation now, and Hadrizahens was not offended. Hadrizahens didn't even know of any Korvax alive who knew any of the enslaved. It was a bad memory, but it was a distant one that was no longer of any concern. He had willingly climbed into the cargo hold himself back on Cireenob XV without any hesitation. There was no other way for Hadrizahens to accompany the Traveller Entity, and anyone with any deductive reasoning would be able to look at the ship and come to the same conclusion. It was an ironic situation to be in, regardless. Hadrizahens found himself quite amused by the impression the Traveller must have given at a glance, and couldn't help but allow himself a small chuckle at the Traveller's expense.
"Stop laughing, this is serious!" Traveller Entity Theus hissed at Hadrizahens incredulously, looking around again to gauge the reactions of anyone in the immediate area.
"Traveller Entity Theus's worry is noted appreciatively, but is unfounded. There were no other options for transport. Others can see that. Besides, no one would dare question a Traveller."
Traveller Entity Theus heaved an angry sigh, but began to relax. "They should… a Traveller is not above morality…"
What an odd thing for a Traveller to say. It gave Hadrizahens a moment of pause, but he shook it off quickly. He was sensing a theme with Traveller Entity Theus and their continued negative reactions to any mentions of their own kind. What must have caused this strange dissonance between the Traveller and its own? But now was not the time to question it. Especially not when Traveller Entity Theus was still visibly in a poor mood. Hadrizahens would log this inquiry away for a later time when the mood was more amicable.
"Perhaps you are right…" Hadrizahens said, carefully choosing his words to keep the Traveller from becoming more disgruntled. "...But, in this instance, you are not in the wrong. There is nothing to be concerned about. There is no reason to believe that this Korvax-Entity is in a state of duress."
Traveller Entity Theus glanced towards Hadrizahens and shook their head slowly, submitting to the logic. "You are right…"
"Of course I am right. The conclusion was calculated mathematically. Korvax are intelligent and logical beings." Hadrizahens remarked proudly. He tried his best to keep the gratification out of his voice, but there was something deeply satisfying about one of The Atlas's chosen conceding an argument to him.
"You brag." Traveller Entity Theus chided in a friendly fashion, not truly annoyed with was ideal considering that their journey together had only just begun, and Hadrizahens would have hated to ruin it in the moment by irritating the Traveller. His intention was not to be left behind on this space station by himself. He wanted to prove his worth or be of assistance, or anything that might be of some value to the Traveller. That was why he watched intently as Traveller Entity Theus suddenly climbed into the cargo hold of the Infinity Hawk.
"What are you doing?" Hadrizahens asked, both curious and wanting to help in any way he could.
"I need something." Traveller Entity Theus responded distractedly as they rummaged around the crates and storage containers that had been tied to the grated floor of the cargo hold.
A wash of concern bubbled through Hadrizahens' circuits as he watched the Traveller go from container to container. He had just been in the back of the old hauler and could have easily grabbed whatever the Traveller needed had the Traveller only asked. Why had the Traveller not asked? "Traveller Entity Theus could have instructed what was needed… I was just in the cargo hold. I could have retrieved it for you…"
"Oh, no! You misunderstand!" Traveller Entity Theus said quickly. The Traveller went so far as to pause their search to make visual contact with Hadrizahens to ensure that their words would be interpreted as true. At least, the Traveller did for a moment, before looking away. Hadrizahens detected a cardiovascular rhythm rate increase as well as a rise in body temperature in the Traveller, though it was minute and the exosuit they wore muted most detectable bodily functions.
Hadrizahens waited patiently for the explanation that the Traveller was delaying to answer. It took a few more silent moments of the Traveller rifling through the cargo of their own ship for the entity to finally speak up and answer.
"...The containers look the same… and I cannot remember which one is correct…" The Traveller finally admitted in a lowered voice. Hadrizahens inclined his head in curiosity, trying to get a better read on the Traveller, but the Traveller was showing little interest in facing this line of questioning further. Traveller Entity Theus deliberately avoided visor contact with Hadrizahens, shifting a few more containers that had already been searched through. Hadrizahens then realized that the Traveller must be embarrassed to point out their own fault in memory storage space.
How oddly endearing, Hadrizahens thought. Had any lifeform asked Hadrizahens' opinions on Travellers before having met this one, he might have assumed that they were largely infallible as a species or a culture... or whatever classification they were. Pseudo-deity seemed about correct to describe them. Yet here was Traveller Entity Theus, openly admitting to not paying enough attention to packing up their own possessions to recall where they had been placed. How truly fascinating that The Atlas would create such important beings, but allow them to be so fallible and flawed.
"Do you require assistance in locating what you need…?" Hadrizahens offered, wanting to be helpful but not overstep his boundaries. He didn't want to seem overly enthusiastic about going through the Traveller's belongings.
"No, there isn't much left…" Traveller Entity Theus declined politely as they returned to rummaging around some of the smaller containers. Finally, with Hadrizahens acting as overseer, the Traveller made a strange noise of triumph, perhaps in a language that Hadrizahens did not recognize. Hadrizahens' attention was immediately drawn to the container that Traveller Entity Theus was now waving in the air for him to see. It was an oblong rectangle shape, about the size of the Traveller's forearm, but twice as thick. And it was bright red. There were several others like it scattered around the cargo hold with no real organizational structure, so it was understandable how the Traveller had misplaced it and confused it for the others.
Seeing the interest in Hadrizahens' visor, the Traveller walked over to the bay door where Hadrizahens had been watching and took a seat in front of him on the edge of the floor. He opened the container for Hadrizahens to look inside. There were a few small vacuum-sealed packages of refined elements, probably intended for sale, and several data chits.
"I need to trade these in. Running low on funds." The Traveller explained as they sifted through the contents of the container for Hadrizahens to get a better look. "Nothing rare, but nothing useless."
Out of curiosity, Hadrizahens performed a quick scan of the contents. He assumed it was allowed, as the Traveller was holding out the container invitingly. His scans registered the elements as refined carbon, magnetized ferrite, and iodized cobalt. Hadrizahens could confirm as Traveller Entity Theus had stated, none of these elements were particularly rare. The magnetized ferrite was intriguing, but as long as one had access to a refiner, as the Traveller clearly seemed to, magnetized ferrite was not outrageous to be in possession of. It was used for construction of many structures, including space-faring transports. The magnetization allowed for any hull to hold together with far more strength than unprocessed ferrite. It was a strong metal that Hadrizahens was surprised the Traveller would give up. The Refined carbon was equally interesting. Most tools functioned using carbon in some form or another. Plant matter proved to be a powerful and renewable source of energy. Especially when in its refined state. It was an important ingredient in creating the fuel source for the warp drives most smaller ships used to jump from solar system to solar system. It seemed useful enough for a Traveller to not want to trade away. The iodized cobalt Hadrizahens recognized as a key element in creating ion batteries, which he confirmed with a secondary scan, were used to power the exosuit the Traveller was currently wearing. As far as Hadrizahens could logically deduct, each of these elements were of use to an entity such as a Traveller, so it made little sense to him why the Traveller would be giving them up. Surely there must be something that the Traveller could use them for. If not at the moment, perhaps later. It wasn't as though the Traveller was lacking in storage space, either. The cargo bay of the Infinity Hawk was virtually empty. So why would the Traveller be concerned with trading them?
"Traveller Entity Theus will trade these useful items?" Hadrizahens inquired.
"They are excess from my mission." The Traveller explained, closing the storage container and tucking it under their arm. "I have no need for it."
Hadrizahens nodded slowly, sensing the odd finality in the Traveller's voice. He wasn't convinced that this was the real reason why the Traveller was trading these resources away, but he calculated it as unimportant to press the issue further. "What about the data chits? Are they useful?"
"One of them has the bounty target info. I must turn it in to receive payment for the job." Traveler Entity Theus explained.
"Traveller Entity Theus was not paid by the authorities?" Hadrizahens asked, looking inquisitively at the Traveller.
Traveller Entity Theus shook their head. "Not when the job was taken through the Guild. They handle payment."
The system seemed overly complicated to Hadrizahens, but he also didn't have experience with law enforcement practices. Perhaps this system was ideal and efficient, but he had no frame of reference other than Traveller Entity Theus's acceptance.
"Once you turn it in, you will receive your payment?"
"Yes." Traveller Entity Theus nodded.
"...The other data chits. Are they empty?" Hadrizahens inquired.
"No." The Traveller shook their head as they explained. "But they are not for sale. I need the data to locate something. It is not in this system. I might find help in this system, but not what I'm looking for. We will receive the payment from the mission, ask about the data, and then I have to make a purchase. Then we can go."
This seemed suitable. Traveller Entity Theus still hadn't expressed where it was that they were off to next, but there was a part of Hadrizahens that knew he wasn't going to figure it out. He felt as though there was a good chance that not even the Traveller knew where they would be going. That thought should have made him more nervous, but for some illogical reason, it didn't. Hadrizahens found an exciting comfort in the thought of an aimless adventure after being stuck in a dull routine for the majority of his life. Most Korvax thrive under routine, being life forms of mathematical reasoning. There was an appeal to running a scenario over and over again until one could perfect the routine and make it supremely efficient. But, to Hadrizahens, there was more draw to the unknown. To experience a new routine, or an ever-changing scenario, presented him with more equations and data than he could bother calculating. The possibilities were endless and there was no way to calculate or prepare for them. Hadrizahens had no way of explaining what appeal there was in the unknown because it felt so utterly illogical down to his robotic being. And yet, it was still a comfort. But it was a comfort. They had nowhere to be, and everywhere to go. No limits to what they might find. Every moment posed the possibility of some new, universe-changing discovery. So he followed eagerly after the Traveller as they walked to the back of the landing platform, away from the other ships coming and going, to gather the funds they'd need for their first adventure together.