Chapter 8

The ramp of the Stardust Drifter lowered with a soft hiss, revealing the pink, hazy landscape of Peptos 3. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and something metallic and sweet, like burnt sugar. The sky was a perpetual, rosy twilight, the pink gas giant hanging in the sky like a giant, cotton candy moon, casting everything in a soft, ethereal glow. Kayden stepped out onto the tarmac, followed by Ayumi, Alexa, and Rina. They were all wearing the same standard-issue breathing masks, the soft, filtered air a welcome relief from the toxic atmosphere. Ayumi was still wearing her mesh top and tight pants, her small frame looking even more fragile and vulnerable against the harsh, industrial backdrop. Alexa was still naked, her synthetic body drawing a few curious stares from the passersby. Rina was in her black flight suit, her hands resting on her daggers, her golden eyes scanning the crowd, her posture alert and ready for anything. Kayden had on his usual gear, black shirt, black pants, and his long coat that made him look more like a space pirate than the captain of a state-of-the-art vessel.

“Excuse me.” A small robot on two wheels with two arms and one large camera lens for an eye rolled up to them. “It seems you may be in the wrong location ... Based on your attire it seems like you are on the wrong planet. This is an industrial mining planet. The pleasure planet Rosalia is just over this way.” The robot said, pointing one of its small arms up into the pink sky.

“We’re where we need to be,” Rina said, her voice muffled by her mask.

“But ... The little one has visible nipples showing through her shirt, and your Android is completely naked with some sort of weird marking on her crotch, and you ... you are holding your hand in your pocket.” The robot said, pointing its other arm at Rina. “Your body language suggests that you are holding onto the handle of a weapon. I have alerted station security that you are possibly dangerous. They will be here shortly to assist you.”

“Great,” Rina sighed, pulling her hand out of her pocket, her fingers inches away from the hilt of her blaster. “A narc bot.”

“I am not a ‘narc bot’, I am designated as 734, I am an Information and Orientation Assistant. My primary function is to provide assistance to new arrivals and to maintain order and safety within the designated parameters of Crystalline Prime.” The robot said, its camera lens zooming in on each of them in turn. “Your presence has been flagged as unusual. Please state your purpose for visiting this planet and give me access to your slips flight logs, else we will have to turn you away.”

“We’re just here to fuel up and look around,” Kayden said, stepping forward, his hands held up in a gesture of peace. “We’re new in this sector, just exploring. As for the logs, yeah, we have nothing to hide. Access is yours.”

“That is an acceptable answer,” 734 said, its camera lens swiveling back to Kayden. “Traveling from Neo-Olamen, two stops for fuel. One at Vex 9, one at Targos Beta. Both classified as Gas Depots, not planets. Destination unknown. Your ship is registered as the Stardust Drifter.” The robot said. “Welcome to Peptos 3. However, your attire and demeanor are still being flagged as unusual. Please refrain from any criminal activity while on this planet. The penalty for such activities is severe. Please cover the breasts of the small human, and the Android is required to wear clothing in all public spaces. There is a clothing kiosk 50 meters to your left. Please proceed there at once. Station security will be monitoring your progress. Have a pleasant day.”

“And the fuel?” Kayden asked.

“I’ll send people over to begin fueling your ship, please deposit 5000 credits at the terminal next to the ramp to your ship to begin the process.” The robot said, before it turned and rolled away, leaving them standing there, looking at each other, their masks doing little to hide the mixture of annoyance and amusement on their faces.

“Okay,” Kayden said, pulling out his credits. “I’ll get the fuel paid for. Rina, can you take Ayumi and Alexa to get some clothes? Try to find something that I’d like.”

“What you’d like?” Rina asked, her golden eyes narrowing behind her mask. “If it were up to you I’d come back with both of them naked instead of just Alexa.”

“I’m just saying I have an aesthetic, and I’d like to maintain it.” Kayden said with a smirk.

“Right.” Rina scoffed. “I’m your pilot, not your personal shopper. But I’ll make sure they’re clothed.” She said, before grabbing Ayumi’s arm and dragging her towards the clothing kiosk, with Alexa following obediently behind them. Kayden watched them go, his eyes lingering on Ayumi’s petite form, her mesh top doing little to hide her small, firm breasts, her tight pants clinging to her slender legs. He could see the way Rina’s hand rested on her arm, her grip firm but gentle, the way she took charge, leading the two younger girls through the crowd.

“Clessa, come in.” He said, tapping the comm button on his mask. “I’m going to pay for fuel, then I’m heading over to the spaceport’s main office. I want to see their records, see if I can find any trace of the SGC’s transport ship.”

“Copy that, Captain,” Clessa’s excited voice crackled through the earpiece of his mask. “Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to run some more diagnostics on the engines while we’re docked. Maybe see if I can squeeze another couple of percentage points out of her. Just for fun.”

“You do that,” Kayden said, with a fond smile. “Just don’t break anything.”

“Break anything? Captain, I don’t break things. I make them better. Faster. Stronger. Sexier. Like you.” She said, with a giggle.

“I’ll take your word for it,” he said, before ending the connection and walking over to the fuel terminal. He keyed in the code, the credits transferring from his account to the station’s with a soft beep. As the transaction went through, a group of large, burly men in mining overalls approached the Stardust Drifter, their faces hidden behind their own masks, their bodies covered in grime. They began to work, their movements efficient and practiced, hooking up the fuel lines to the ship, their tools clanking against the metal hull. Kayden watched them for a moment, then turned and towards the clothing kiosk. He saw Rina standing outside, her arms crossed, her posture impatient, as Ayumi and Alexa browsed the limited selection of clothes inside. He made his way towards them, his long coat flowing behind him, a dark, intimidating figure in the midst of the pink haze. Rina saw him coming, her golden eyes tracking him through the crowd. She straightened up, her arms dropping to her sides, her body tensing slightly, as if preparing for an argument.

“Find anything you like?” Kayden asked, his voice muffled by the mask.

“We found something that meets the minimum requirements for public decency,” Rina said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “The selection is ... limited. But limited is what you like your girls to wear, isn’t it? So I guess you’ll approve.”

“Let’s see,” he said, looking past her, into the kiosk. Ayumi came out first, her small frame clad in a skintight, black flightsuit, much like Rina’s but less armored. The material was thin and stretchy, hugging her every curve, the zipper pulling taut against her flat chest. It was functional, but on her, it looked like something else entirely, something designed to entice rather than to protect. She looked like miniature ace pilot, or an expensive sex toy. She also had on her signature leather jacket, which seemed out of place with the flightsuit, but she refused to take off.

“It’s ... comfortable,” she said, her voice small, her single eye looking up at him for approval. “Not better than my other clothes ... but okay.”

“You look great,” he said, and she beamed, her face lighting up with relief. Next came Alexa. Her synthetic perfection was now encased in the same skintight material, the black fabric clinging to her body like a second skin. Her violet eyes glowed with a soft light, her long hair cascading down her back. The flightsuit zipped up to her chin, but it did little to hide the curves of her body, the small, firm breasts, the flat stomach, the narrow waist, the long, toned legs. It was less revealing than her naked form, but it was no less alluring. It was like looking at a work of art, covered in a thin layer of black silk, hinting at the beauty that lay beneath, rather than displaying it for all to see.

“A satisfactory covering,” Alexa stated. “But I hate it. This is the opposite of how I was designed. The human obsession with modesty is inefficient and illogical. My internal temperature is rising by 0.3 degrees. I calculate a 12% decrease in my operational efficiency.”

“It’s just while we’re here. You’ll get used to it,” Rina said. “Better than having the station’s version of me dragging you to the brig for indecent exposure.”

“Fair enough,” Alexa conceded.

“Come on,” Kayden said, “We have records to find.” He led them through the crowded spaceport, their heels echoing on the metal of the walkway. The sounds of machinery, shouted conversations, and blaring announcements filled the air, creating a symphony of organized chaos. They passed merchants hawking their wares, miners covered in grime, and the ever-present security bots, their single, red eyes scanning the crowd, looking for trouble. They made their way to the end of the port where a large building made of gleaming metal stood. This was the main office, the administrative hub of Crystalline Prime. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, the others following close behind. The interior was sterile and white, the air clean and filtered, the noise from the outside world muted, replaced by the soft hum of computers and the hushed whispers of officials going about their business. A lone clerk sat behind a desk, her face hidden by her breathing mask, her fingers flying across a holographic keyboard. She was human, with short, brown hair and tired brown eyes. She looked up as they approached, her expression one of boredom and indifference.