Dionysus District

Gallus worked a little bit later than usual, allowing most of the building's many workers to depart before he did so himself. He hated waiting in line for the pods, and given that his workload had just been jacked up quite a bit, the extra time to grind was useful. He signed out of his workstation around seven and began to head downstairs. As he had hoped, most had cleared out long ago, and he was free to take a transport pod wherever he pleased.

He punched in general coordinates for the Dionysus District, which was just the fancy New Brooklyn term for the city's nightlife neighborhood. He had already left some of his nicer clothes in his office, and was in a more casual outfit that would stand out less in the seedier part of town. He wore a shorter coat that reached his waist, dark brown and unassuming. He coupled that with some dark colored pants and boots to complete the look of a normal bargoer.

Wearing the uniform of someone from resource allocation was likely to get him shot, especially with the coming oxygen crunches. Gallus usually did not go out drinking without his fiancée, Rachel, but tonight he was making an exception. He was sure she wouldn't mind. They had plenty of mutual trust, and Gallus was never much inclined towards infidelity. "Do you have an establishment in mind?" The computer AI asked politely as Gallus was thinking.

"Surprise me." Gallus said, too tired and disaffected to pick the place himself. He wasn't used to going out alone, so he was more than willing to left fate and computer RNG pick his watering hole. After a few minutes of zipping through the streets, the pod entered the nightlife district. Compared to the dour sights of most of the city, the Dionysus District was well lit, storefronts adorned with neon signs and colorful décor.

The vehicle passed by these pleasant, well-lit establishments, and began to lead him deep into the underbelly of the area. The nice storefronts became increasingly dingy, and metal bars began to cover windows. This made Gallus uncomfortable, but he was in a weird mood, and determined to stick with the night, wherever it may take him.

In a minute, he was outside of a two story building. It was made of brick, and badly stained by the Martian landscape. On that second story a huge neon light blazed, by far the largest of its kind in this part of the town. It was a deep, imposing red, and cast a ghastly light over the dull street. The front of the store bore its name. The Dying Sun.

Gallus looked up at the sign again, now realizing that the circular neon sign was supposed to be some kind of dying red giant star. It made sense, even if it was a little depressing. The establishment seemed to be bustling, in spite of its distance from the district's center, and Gallus made his way inside. Once within, he was surprised by what he saw.

He was expecting a glorified biker bar, but found something far more modern and comfortable. The bar formed a circle in the middle of the building, and several bartenders made drinks from large stainless steel storage vessels. The entire interior had a chrome finish and a futuristic feel to it. He felt like he had walked into some kind of deranged alcoholic spaceship. But he didn't mind. It sure as hell beat the dust color that pervaded most the city.

He settled into one of the plush barstools and waited for a bartender's attention. After a moment, he succeeded. The woman was wearing a weird silvery get-up that matched with the Dying Sun's interior. But in spite of the outfit, she mostly just seemed tired and disinterested. "Haven't seen you here before. You new?" Gallus nodded. "Yeah, I came here by surprise, more or less. What do you recommend?" The bartender rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Are you trying to relax or are you trying to die?" Gallus laughed grimly. "I'm trying to erase the last twenty-four hours from my memory." The girl nodded. "We have something that works great for that." She slid Gallus a metal glass full of red liquid. "The Imperial Cruiser. Strongest drink we make here. You aren't a very big guy, so that should be plenty." "Thanks," Gallus said, sniffing the drink. He almost instantly gagged and coughed, and the bartender laughed at him. "Don't worry, every sip gets a little easier."

Gallus took the first sip like bad medicine, and though it burned like the underworld, he had to admit he liked the taste. He sat there, nursing his overpowered poison and drinking in his surroundings. The bar was at least half full, and he noted that a lot of the patrons were rather eccentric looking. Weird clothes, weird hairstyles, hushed conversations; the kind of stuff that belonged in a B grade Sci-Fi movie.

After a few minutes, a man slid in next to him and began to stare at him. Gallus ignored him for a moment, but he wasn't ordering a drink or moving, he was just sitting next to Gallus, and staring. Gallus relaxed his body away and narrowed his eyes. "Can I help you?" Gallus asked. The man chuckled, resting a hand under his chin. "Sorry, I just find you intriguing." Gallus coughed. "I actually have a girlfriend and also that's not really the way I uhh... operate." The stranger laughed uproariously, slamming his fist into the table.

"Good lord." He said. "That's not what I mean. I'm more intrigued by the depressed newcomer sitting by himself and drinking the worst thing on this place's menu." Gallus frowned and looked at his half finished beverage. "I was told this was first place in effectiveness." The other man shook his head. "If ending up in a morgue is your goal than I'd have to agree. If you're trying to have a good time, I'd argue you have better options.

Gallus sighed. "Whole world feels like a goddamn morgue these days. Might as well drink like I've got a death wish." The other man laughed. "Hard to argue with that notion. Hey, Claudia, hit me with a cruiser too. I'm drinking in solidarity with our new friend." Gallus looked at the other man curiously. "If we're going on a cruiser crusade together, you should probably tell me your name stranger. I'm Gallus." The stranger laughed. "Makes sense. Pleasure to meet you Gallus. I'm Donald Henderson."

Gallus' eyes began to wide. "You're...." "The man who climbed Olympus Pons. In the flesh."