Part 3: ARSENAL GATE

Only a week ago we were intercepted long before we made it to Paui Station by the USS Shetland no less. I had to give Admiral McElligott a detailed account of my adventure. He simply listened, shook his head and and then dropped me off at Corri-Dor from where I caught a space bus to Arsenal Gate.

Once again wore my uniform and was all male. I decided not to experiment more until I completed the academy. Somehow the urge to be female was not as strong anymore and felt myself walking taller. My visit to Coven had freed me of many doubts and I felt content in myself for the first time in my life.

The space bus was filled to the last seat and most of the passengers came here for the first time.

A human female with bright green eyes and flaming red hair sat on the seat next to me. She looked skeptical at the forward screen showing Arsenal Gate getting bigger.

“Can I ask you something, Sir?”

It took me a second to realize she was addressing me.” Sure.”

“I see you wear fleet uniform. Do you have any advice how to become a Midshipman?”

“Swallow your pride for one thing. They going to test and probe every orifice mentally and physically. Most of what you experience is not done because they don’t care but because they test you and weed out those who aren’t meant for this. There is much more to this process than it appears. Especially to someone starting out. I learned that just a while ago myself.”

I listened to my own voice and realized how much had changed. How much I had chanced in only a little over a years time. It felt like a life time ago when I was finally on my way to Arsenal Gate.

She nodded.” I try to remember that, thanks.”

After we docked they herded the Newcomers into a line. At first I thought I had to stand in line as well, but I saw three uniform wearing passengers leaving the space bus and they walked to another air lock so I followed them. The Marine guarding it simply scanned my ID chip and said:” Access granted, Sir.”

Behind the door it came to me I had no idea how to get to Arsenal II from here. This was only Arsenal Gate, the actual system was still a light year away. The last time they stuck us into a military Leyland, but this time I was on my own.

After passing through the air lock from which I had entered the station I found myself in a wide well lit corridor and not far from where I was standing I saw a Project-A-Sign reading “D-Dock Saloon”.

I felt thirsty and was in no particular hurry, besides maybe one of the patrons could tell me how to get to Arsenal II, without making a fool of myself.

The bar was dimly lit, the music that played in the background sounded like Ult harmonics, but could have been any popular song played by Ult instruments, it always sounded alike to me.

There weren’t many patrons. Two humans wearing blue jumpsuits with the Engineering Bee patch on their arms sat at the bar and had a lively discussion. The bar keep was an ancient SI-5 multi task robot this one featured a chrome polished body. The bow tie around its flex neck looked out of place.

Close to the door and to the right were two public GalNet Terminals. I decided to call Elena and check my messages.

Nothing usual has happened at home. To Elena it was important things. Who married whom and who sold what to whom. Little Exa did not look so little anymore, even though it was not that long ago I had send her to Nilfeheim. It seemed the harsh climate and the good food of Nilfeheim made her grow faster. Father so I learned was on his first Pilgrimage to the Halls of Hasvik and I secretly hoped he had to climb each of those iced stairs at least twice. Perhaps he would fall and break his neck.I could not help to wish him bad things. I had buried it, but I had not forgotten what he had done, and all his new found ways to atone himself was; when I truly thought about it not enough to wipe away his guilt in my eyes. I did not want to dwell at these thoughts and called my friends, I reached none of them, but had a pending message from Pure who got the picture I send him and he insisted that I would visit him right after the Academy.

I left the GalNet booth and finished my visual survey of the bar.

Only one table at the opposite from the bar was occupied by four cargo handlers, two of them human and two of them insectoid Klack. One of the humans eyed me with an openly hostile expression on his face then he returned to his drink and to the conversation he had with his friends.

On the opposite side of the entrance was a row of floor to ceiling view ports. I went over to the windows and gasped. This was one of the hangars of this base. It was hard to imagine that this cavernous space was made by man. And even more mind boggling was the fact that it was only one hangar of hundreds like these, and all part of an artificial construct floating in the darkness of space. The dimensions of this hangar alone was hard to comprehend. A full size 3500 meter Battle ship was serviced there at the moment and there was room for at least three more. All of Halstad Fjord would have been placed here with room to spare to store every single burg of Nilfeheim. There was hectic activity of robots, vehicles and service personnel.

The giant being serviced was a wedge shaped battle ship, too close for me to see the registration name. I was certain however it was Pounder class, because of the arrangement, size and number of the ISAH Drive pods.

Even the hundred meter tall Octo Bots shifting tons of materials with their tentacle arms made of memory metal and synthetic muscles looked like toys compared to that ship. Seeing all this had the same effect on me as it had when I saw one of these giants the first time at Grandfather’s funeral.

The bulky looking man wearing a blue jump suit came over. His suit had only one sleeve his other arm was exposed all the way to the shoulder and it was clearly a cybernetic implant. His rank insignia identified him as an E-4 Petty Officer. And the stylized cargo hook above the rank informed me that he was a Cargo specialist.

“Are you lost or something?” He asked with a disapproving tone in his voice.

“No not exactly, Sir.”

“What have I done to you to be insulted by you?”