Chapter 3: Something absurdly stupid

The night on Halcyon, as usual, was full of sounds that seemed both background and warning. The lamps that were working cast a pale, flickering light on the metal walls of the buildings, creating the impression that the entire colony was trying to hide in the shadows from its own misery. Somewhere in the distance, the clatter of mining machinery could be heard, and closer by the "Aurora" motel, the echo of conversation bouncing off the metal street surface.

The cigar glowed in Alex's mouth like a solitary point of light in this gray reality, and the bottle of bourbon he held in his hand acted as his only compass in a chaotic world.

He was not looking for company, but fate, as usual, had other plans.

Astra, standing in front of the motel's entrance, was clearly not suited to the place. Her platinum hair reflected the faint light of the lanterns, and her suit, tailored to perfection, looked like a design too luxurious even for a planet with a rich civilization, let alone this mining hole.

- I'm looking for someone who knows how to get to Earth," she said to him, clearly impatient.

Cieć crooked into what could be considered a smile.

- To Earth? Well, my dear, I think you've gone to the wrong hole. Miss, if you want to fly to a place of such hypocritical equality, where even cockroaches have raised the white flag from being smoked in the ass, you could use more luck than sense.

Alex, hearing this, parried quietly with laughter. He took a drag on his cigar, came closer and chuckled:

- I have to admit that the peasant has a talent for summaries. - He took a step closer, looking at Astra with amusement. - I'll tell you, princess.... However, this is something really stupid. Absurdly stupid, even.

- Maybe you can help me.

Alex smiled slightly and took the cigar off his lips.

- Can you help? And I look like someone who runs a travel agency? - He turned toward the entrance to the room and added, without looking at her: - But you know what, let's go to my room. There, at least, it doesn't smell as much of a disappointment as on this street.

Astra hesitated for a moment, but finally followed him.

- You know how to do it? - She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alex smiled slightly, taking the cigar off his lips.

- I know how to survive in places worse than Earth. Is that enough qualification?

They measured each other's eyes for a moment, until finally Astra sighed quietly.

- All right, let's talk.

- Great," said Alex, pointing to the entrance to the room. - But be forewarned, the luxuries will not be there.

The room was just as promised - far from luxurious. Indescribable chaos reigned in it: Scattered tools, undrinkable liquor bottles, and in a corner something that looked like an unfinished model of an interstellar engine, partially covered with dust.

Astra entered cautiously, with an expression of mild disgust on her face, cringing at the sight of the mess and the smell, which resembles a mixture of burnt oil and cheap alcohol, as if she expected the floor to collapse in an instant.

 - Do you have any order in all this, or do you just live in chaos? - She asked ironically, looking at the smashed chair.

Alex, leaned against the door frame, with a bottle in his hand and a cigar in his mouth, looking at her with evident amusement.

- Well, welcome to my office," said Alex, pointing to an armchair that could barely fit something bigger than a cat. - Sit down, princess. Order is for people who have time. But you probably didn't come here to judge my lifestyle, did you?

Astra, ignoring his nudges, sat down on the edge of her chair and pulled out a small folder with holographic maps and data.

- As I mentioned, I want to get to Earth," she said, turning on one of the holograms that showed a series of interstellar routes. - I have the technology to overcome the radiation and reach the planet safely.

Alex, still with the bottle in his hand, looked at the maps with evident amusement.

- Earth? You really have the momentum. You know what that means, don't you? - He pointed his finger at the map. - You need an interstellar ship. And ships of this type don't fall from the sky.

- I thought you ... - she began, but Alex interrupted her with a hand gesture.

- An interstellar ship is not something you can find in a dumpster, you know? - He sighed heavily and lit another cigar.

Astra looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

- That's why I'm here. I hear you have experience in dealing with such problems.

- Oh, the experience I have. But the ship? That's another matter. - Alex leaned forward, taking a drag on his cigar. - We need something, fast and reliable. And the best ships, as you can probably guess, already have owners. We need to get one. Do you know what I mean?

- Are we going to steal a ship? - Astra asked, clearly surprised by his tone.

Alex looked at her with a smile that spoke more than a thousand words. He shrugged his shoulders, putting the cigar down on the countertop.

- I have contacts that can help us, but it will require more than just your maps and optimism.

- Looks like a good plan.

- You need to know one thing," he said, looking at her seriously. - First, no place in this galaxy works according to plan. Secondly... who is going to pay for this?

- Payment will not be a problem," says Astra with confidence. - But you have to trust me.

- If you want to reach Earth, you have to be ready for the fact that any part of this plan can go wrong.

He fired up another cigar, staring at the holograms that Astra had laid out on the table. He let the smoke out of his mouth, which floated lazily toward the ceiling, and looked at her with an expression on his face that suggested the real life lesson was about to begin.

- You said something about radiation," he began, squinting. - Do you think the Earth is still a radioactive wasteland? Because if so, someone sold you a nice set of fairy tales for good children.

Astra, surprised by his reaction, blinked rapidly.

- After all, the Earth was destroyed... - she began, but Alex raised his hand, interrupting her in mid-sentence.

- Yes, it was destroyed, but that was a long time ago. - He leaned over the table, pointing to a holographic map of Earth. - The middle and upper classes now live in big cities under domes. Clean air, no radiation, advanced technology - paradise on earth, at least for those who can afford it.

- What about the rest of the planet? - Astra asked, looking at him carefully.

- The rest of the planet? - Alex snorted with laughter. - It's a wasteland and dead zones, but not because of radiation. Humans didn't need nukes to destroy everything. A thousand years with industrialization, war and greed was enough for them. Radiation is the problem of another planet - Xerxes, bombed during the Thirty Years' War. There it is really better not to go out without protective armor. But Earth? She has her own problems, but radioactivity is not one of them.

Astra stared at the maps for a while, as if trying to connect this information with what she knew so far.

- So why is it so hard to get there? - she finally asked.

Alex smiled, but there was no trace of merriment in his eyes.

- Because Earth is a fortress. Entry to the planet requires authorization, and Earthlings don't let in anyone who looks suspicious. And, as you might have noticed, we don't look like the typical middle class.

There was silence, in which Astra seemed to digest everything she had just heard. Alex got up and walked over to the window, tilting it to let the smoke out of his cigar.

- If you want to get there," he began, without turning around, "then first we have to get a ship. And to get a ship, we have to go to Red Harbor.

- Red Harbor? - repeated Astra, looking at him questioningly.

- It's a spaceport on the other side of this colony," he explained, returning to his seat. - It's two days away, but it's the only place where you can "borrow" a ship that's capable of covering the interstellar distance.

- Borrow," she repeated in disbelief.

Alex smiled broadly, leaning against the table.

- Sounds better than "steal," right?

- And what, we just go in there, take the ship and fly away? - She asked with a hint of skepticism.

- If it were that simple, I would have done it long ago. - Alex took a deep sip of bourbon, as if just explaining this issue required additional support. - The port is well guarded. We need a plan, knowledge of the security schedule and a little luck.

Astra sighed heavily, but there was a glint of determination in her eyes.

- Bottom line. Let's do it.

Alex looked at her in disbelief, as if she had just said something extremely absurd.

- Do you really know what you're getting into, princess? - He asked, but seeing her confidence, he sighed and stood up. - Well. Tomorrow morning we leave for Red Harbor. And you'd better be prepared that "borrowing" a ship is the least problematic part of this trip.

Alex looked at Astra, who was still sitting on the edge of the chair, as if she was afraid that touching anything in his room might infect her with an unspecified disease. He sighed, then wordlessly stood up, grabbed the key from the table, slipped the cigar between his teeth and went outside.

Astra looked behind him with a raised eyebrow.

- Where are you going? - She chuckled, not hiding her irritation.

- I'll be right back," he threw over his shoulder without turning around.

A few minutes later, Alex returned, waving the key to another room. He handed it to Astra, who looked at him in disbelief.

- What is it supposed to be? - She asked.

- Your room," replied Alex, leaning against the door frame. - My standards are not your fairy tale, princess. Besides, you probably prefer to sleep in a place where you don't have to worry about whether you'll accidentally lay on an air wrench or a piece of motor.

Astra took the key, looking at him with a slight smile.

- I didn't expect you to be so hospitable," she remarked, but her tone had a hint of irony in it.

- I'm not," replied Alex, lighting another cigar. - I just know that if you don't get enough sleep, you have trouble making decisions. And that's something we can't afford.

He pointed to a door leading to an adjacent room.

- There, at least, you will find a bed that still remembers what it is like to be used as intended. Tomorrow we leave at dawn, so you'd better take a nap.

Astra stood up, heading toward the door Alex had indicated. However, she stopped at the threshold and looked at him with a slight smile.

- Thank you.

- Don't thank me," he replied, waving his hand as if it didn't matter. - I just want to make sure you don't start whining tomorrow.

As the door closed behind Astra, Alex sat down in his sprawling chair, leaning back comfortably. He took a deep sip of bourbon, looking at the holographic maps she had left on the table.

- Reaching Earth... - he muttered to himself with an ironic smile. - What could go wrong?

There was silence in the room, broken only by the quiet crackle of a smoldering cigar. The lights of the colony twinkled outside the window, and Alex, despite his usual indifference, felt a gentle thrill of excitement. Finally, for the first time in a long time, something in his life was beginning to make sense.

Astra moved toward the door indicated by him. The key was heavy and metal, with the tag worn down to the point that the room number was barely visible. She opened the door, which creaked as if no one had oiled it in years.

The room she found herself in was modest, but compared to Alex's chaotic retreat, it gave the impression of an oasis of calm. Inside, faded shades of beige and gray predominated - the walls were covered with what might once have been holographic wallpaper, but now looked more like an uneven, slightly peeling crystal mosaic.

In the center of the room stood a bed with a simple metal frame and a mattress that, though it looked old, was even and relatively clean. The bedding was surprisingly neat - a white sheet and a thin blanket in dark green, which seemed to be the only thing in the room regularly washed.

Against the wall was a small, square dresser with three drawers, the top of which served as a makeshift table. On it stood an old lamp with a milky shade, giving off a warm, soft light. Next to the lamp was something that looked like a plastic cup and a small bottle of water - as if the previous tenant had forgotten to take them.

The window at the end of the room had heavy, dusty curtains, which Astra immediately pushed aside. The view, though limited by the surrounding colony buildings, allowed her to see the outlines of cranes and machinery working in the distance. The lights of the city pulsed to the rhythm of the generators, reminding her how far she was from home.

The floor was lined with something that could only be called carpet for lack of a better word - a thin brown synthetic carpet with a trampled trail leading from the door to the bed. Astra put her foot down gently, as if she was afraid something would fall out of it, but quickly decided that in this place it was better not to think about such details.

In the corner of the room was a small desk with laminated veneer falling off and a chair that looked as if it was about to break under the weight of more than a plate of food. Above the desk hung a mirror - slightly cracked, with a frame that had once been gilded, but now looked like an old piece of metal.

Astra sighed, closed the door behind her and leaned against it with her back.

- Modest, but at least there are no engines and no leaking oil on the table," she said quietly to herself, removing her shoes and carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed. The mattress sunk slightly under her weight, but seemed quite comfortable, for a motel in the middle of a mining colony.

She looked around the room, feeling tired and relieved at the same time. It wasn't her place, it wasn't her home, but at least she had a moment of respite before the next stage of her journey began. She rose, slipped off her overalls and sat down on a chair in the light, comfortable clothes she had on underneath. There was a pleasant glow from the lamp, and the quiet hum of the generators came from outside the window.

For the first time in a long time, Astra felt that although the future seemed uncertain, at least now she had a moment to prepare for what was to come.

She stood up, looking around the room to find the bathroom door. On the wall next to her desk, she noticed a small panel with a button marked with a simple water drop symbol. She touched it, and the door slid aside with a slight hiss, revealing the inside of the bathroom.

The room was small, but surprisingly functional. The walls were lined with smooth panels of a material resembling metallic glass, which reflected the light of LED lamps mounted in the ceiling. Their cool white light gave the room a sterile look, as if the bathroom were part of a modern laboratory rather than a motel room.

The floor was covered with a non-slip material structured in small hexagons, and in the center was a simple shower cubicle with a transparent, milky white door that opened automatically on touch. A futuristic ring-shaped shower nozzle was mounted above the cabin, capable of producing a gentle mist of water or an intense stream, depending on your preference.

Astra stepped inside and glanced at the mirror above the small sink, whose surface was perfectly smooth and shiny. She stared at her reflection for a moment, seeing the slight weariness in her eyes, but at the same time the determination in her facial expression.

She slipped off her suit, which fell to the floor with a soft rustling sound. Her slender, statuesque figure, with harmonious proportions and fair skin, was reflected in the mirror. Astra's body was graceful - long, strong legs, delicately defined arm muscles and a flat stomach testified to her natural fitness. Her skin, almost alabaster in color, seemed to glisten in the cool LED light, and her blonde hair flowing into white fell freely on her shoulders.

She stepped into the cabin, feeling the coolness of the hexagonal floor beneath her feet. She touched the control panel, and the shower nozzle began to release streams of water with a quiet hum. Warm drops ran down her body, wrapping her like a soft veil. The water trickled down her neck, shoulders and back, carving silvery paths on her skin. The drops scattered down her long legs, flowing down to where they disappeared into the floor drain.

Astra closed her eyes, letting the water wash her clean of dust and fatigue. It was a moment of pure relief - the water washed away not only the physical dirt, but also the tension that had accumulated in her body during the eventful day. For a moment she stood still, listening to the sound of the falling drops, which seemed to be the only sound in the entire universe.

After a moment, she reached for a small container of liquid soap that was located in a niche in the wall. The subtle scent of citrus and something resembling a sea breeze filled the cabin. Astra spread the foam over her skin, massaging her arms, neck and hands with a precision that felt more like a ritual than an everyday activity.

When the shower was over, she turned off the water, and warm air began to surround her from the jets built into the cabin, drying her skin and hair gently. She stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a towel she found folded on a shelf next to the sink. The material was soft and absorbent, with a texture reminiscent of silk, but much more durable.

She returned to her room, feeling refreshed and a little more relaxed. Her hair, still slightly damp, fell to her shoulders, and she felt a pleasant warmth on her skin after the shower. She sat on the edge of the bed and then lay down on it, stretching her legs.

The mattress was firmer than she expected, but surprisingly comfortable. The warm light of the LED lamp cast a soft glow on the walls, creating a calming twilight. She looked up at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of the colony, which now seemed like a distant echo of her thoughts.

She allowed herself a moment of respite before closing her eyes. She knew she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow - a trip to Red Harbor and an attempt to "borrow" a ship. But now, in this brief moment of calm, she felt that despite the chaos she was in, she was on the right track.