The Riven Stars by Stephen Renneberg

Author:Stephen Renneberg
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2018-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

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The docking bay was half again as wide as the Silver Lining and eight times as deep. The entry port’s pressure field blurred the gas giant’s upper atmosphere into an orange-brown haze while large cargo doors dominated the other three walls, all of which were locked. A row of robotic cranes on hover platforms stood along the rear wall between the cargo doors while an open deck freight elevator occupied one corner of the hangar.

I took the cargo lift down one level to a broad concourse lined with wall sized picture windows looking out into the gas giant’s freezing sky. The gigantic cloud formations surrounding the Irzaen drifters were stratified into vast layers of brown and orange as far as the eye could see, set against a dead flat horizon that showed no hint of planetary curvature. A vast, dark anvil cloud larger than Earth floated in the distance, wracked by lightning and towering high above the chain of Irzaen drift platforms. The immense cloud formations seemed motionless, yet just beyond the window, thin vapors swept past at over five hundred kilometers an hour, although the drifters showed no sign of buffeting.

Satisfied we weren’t about to fall into the liquid hydrogen ocean hidden beneath the clouds, I followed a pair of Veedy demi-humaniods down a corridor to a broad boulevard that vanished into the distance in both directions. It was lined with holographic displays offering a dizzying array of goods from across the galaxy: fabrics, jewelry, artworks, foodstuffs, minerals and many other items I didn’t recognize – none of them technological. Above each display were rows of block-like Irzaen characters that morphed into the language of any customer who showed interest in the display’s wares. Automated vendors from the customer’s own species appeared, speaking fluently in their native tongue, reassuring and persuading them of the opportunity just a few credits away.

The Irzaens must have studied every species in the galaxy, determined what attracted and repulsed each and learned their speech patterns, customs and behaviors. They’d turned that encyclopedic knowledge to their commercial advantage by elevating the design of their rapport-building simulacrums to a high art.

Appreciating Irzaen attention to detail, I slipped into the procession of non-humans, letting myself be carried along in the throng. The air around me filled with the chattering of countless alien languages, although none of the other shoppers showed me the least interest.

Running along the center of the boulevard was an accelerated walkway. A Meropan couple stepped onto it and were carried away in a blur of speed. I followed them on, saw the vendor displays and crowds smear around me, then stepped off into a sprawling market square glowing with light. Myriad fragrances – not all of them good – assaulted my senses while a discordant cacophony of alien music filled the streets, creating a frenetic, vibrant atmosphere that Jase would find irresistible.

I skirted around the entertainment district and continued on to more vendor displays looking for something I could sell at a profit.

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