Chapter 2

On the seventh day after she started her journey, Yaasa absorbed the views of this relatively recently settled planet as her ship neared Trinor. Nestled within the habitable zone of the Talos system, Trinor had been home to human life for only 400 years. The need for extensive terraforming, a project still underway, was evident in the vast desert expanses that dominated its surface. Yet, near the shorelines and along the banks of large rivers, vibrant cities had emerged, their lush surroundings starkly contrasting the arid regions.

From her readings, she knew of the ambitious plans to further ‘greenify’ the planet, an effort balanced by the attraction it held for those who thrived in its quasi-desert environment and sought to tap into its unique resources.

As she drew closer to Trinor, she coordinated with the planetary controllers and Dominion’s AI to guide her ship towards one of the executive spaceports on the planet’s surface. To be accurate, spaceports on the surface of planets that you could pay to use almost always catered to the private elite. They were the only ones who frequently used either ships capable of planetary landings or had smaller shuttles on board they took down to planets. Bigger ships that were used for cargo, or ferrying people docked on the spaceports orbiting planets from which they would take regular shuttles down to the surface. She could have opted for the cheaper option and docked at a more reasonably priced spaceport, but the truth was her ship would draw a lot of attention there, and in turn draw unwanted attention towards herself.

Stepping out into the spacious, sleek-looking docking area, she is greeted by an attendant who confirms the services she had already paid for before arriving. Namely, to restock some supplies on her ship and hire a private self driven car that she could use for her stay on the planet. The attendants guided her quickly through immigration as well and she was soon sitting comfortably in the back of a spacious self driven car heading towards the high street area of Trinor’s largest city, Ged.

Like a lot of modern cities on most planets, Ged was a mix of modern architecture and nature, with most buildings and spaces incorporating green zones into their design. As it was her first time on a desert planet, she couldn’t help but look out curiously at all the unique plants dotting the landscape, contrasting sharply with the sand dunes in the distance. These dunes were especially visible in the outskirts near the spaceport, where buildings were spaced out and of lower height. As her car took her into the heart of the city, the buildings grew taller and the streets busier. Crowds thronged the streets, blending traditional garments with utilitarian space wear. She noted signs and shop names with unique and interesting names she felt harkened back to humanity’s old history.

The self-driving car eventually reached its destination, parking in front of a shop named Zarif. She had chosen this shop based on her research for its variety, hoping to minimize her time among the crowds. As she stepped out of the car, she was hit with the warmth of the biting sun, which contrasted sharply with the cooled air of the car and the spaceport. Looking around she considered opening up the hooded sweater she was wearing, but decided she would soon be indoors. As the car drove away to the nearest parking spot, she stood for a moment admiring the craftsmanship of the shop’s construction—a combination of sandstone and quartz that sparkled subtly in the sunlight, similar to many of the shops in this area. It was obvious even to her that these shops catered to the affluent.

This wasn’t her usual shopping scene, and she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to enjoy it. But she was working on a deadline. Bouncing parcels back and forth wasn’t an option when time was tight. Besides, given that it was her first time buying a high fashion dress, she felt she could only make the proper choice if it was in person. So with a deep breath, she stepped through the doors.

As Yaasa entered, a pleasant woman in her mid-twenties greeted her. “Welcome to Zarif. Have you shopped with us before?” The entrance was spacious, with polished marble floors, a grand chandelier, walls adorned with colorful cloth, and several intricately carved seats cushioned with plush velvet. The whole place evoked images of desert palaces from popular media.

“No,” she said, shaking her head and looking at the woman from beneath the hood over her head. A human doing a job an AI could do, she mused, another marker of the store’s appeal to the affluent.

“Then please, check in at the counter there, and someone will be with you shortly,” the woman directed, pointing towards a counter on the side. The man behind the counter gave her a subtle nod and an encouraging smile, inviting her to approach.

“Good afternoon. Please place your personal device here,” the man said warmly, gesturing to a matte black area with a glowing white, rotating ring. She reached into her hoodie pocket, retrieved the rectangular device, and placed it on the designated spot without a word. “One moment, please,” he said, eyes shifting to the screen before him. She knew he was verifying whether she had the financial standing to shop here. The device wouldn’t share too many details—just her name and a general indication of her financial resources, though not an exact amount. While she had money, it wasn’t enough to raise eyebrows in a place like this.