Chapter 1: Ring of Fire

Alerio cocks a penetrating eye at Seally when mention of nothing but a fishing ship being found on this planet. But she simply plays along with the security officer’s good nature, and nods:

"Heck! That might be all we can afford!"

---

"You’re sure it’s a ship? A ship ship!" she pesters the noblewoman… again.

And then a flutter of panic makes Alerio run cold. She’d learned the hard way to not trust Vargyr that spent too much time around the space docks. She had to shake the idea free.

That was a different place…

She can’t bring herself to wave back, but she doesn’t turn her face away either. Instead, she busies herself with fetching the child out of the dirt as they pass.

"A ship ship?" she says, before stopping to ensure the child is okay.

"You’re alright…" she starts, assuming but not knowing!

"Aren’t you?"

"That's good to know," she responds to the custom's official with a wink. She heads out into town with the others.

Seeing the locals without filtration masks, Fallon decides to put off her purchase of one. She waves back at the Vargyr without knowing why. Investigator's skill or just instinct, but she has a knack of keeping people on their good side so they feel confident in telling her their stories. Fallon enjoys the weather and sun as she meanders down to the water.

Seally decides to get a filter mask. She might not wear one, but it's as good as an opportunity as any other. She approaches the Vargr saleswoman.

"Filter masks, I'm told there is a need for one here, but none of the locals wear any. What can you tell me? I will buy one anyway, if you can tell me of a trustworthy clothier nearby. We're thinnkng of swimming in that sea."

Zuni frowns at the antiquated fob and it adds to his curiosity about this place. He shrugs it off and instead allows himself a moment to dream about the idea of nude bathing with the girls. That it might actually happen seems almost too good to be true. But even the idea of a nice swim and float sounded amazing after the confines of the ship.

"I can transfer 5 creds to your account Sealy for the shared locker?" he asks as he places his pistol beside hers. He finds it hard to part with it though and his fingers linger for a moment and then he's off to other things.

Being the street-aware guy that he is he notices the kaleidoscope of dust that the kids kick up and wonders about it, making a mental note to ask someone about the composition of the sand. He doubts the stall will have anything but temptations to spend creds he doesn't have but he follows Sealy. Some women liked to shop after all.

"Maybe next we should check out the visitor's center and the sand museum. They might have seen our ship? And I'm curious about this odd looking sand." he says as he looks after Fallon heading to the beach. "But after the swim, of course!"

The child stops crying and stares at Alerio. As if she forgot she's hurt, she asks "Are you from space? I like your hair! My mom says I shouldn't talk to spacers because sometimes have an ay-hole. Do you have an ay-hole?" The other kids have stopped tormenting the stray cat and are cautiously watching her interact with Alerio from the alley.

---

Fallon makes her way to the water. There's a reasonable-sized dock here, but all ships must be out on the water. There's a few dinghies are beached on the shore with funny names painted on their sides that reveal a humble sense of humour, like "Walston Battlecruiser" and "Martha's Ship Share".

Most impressively, you see some really well-made sand sculptures of abstract geometric forms. They have an interesting glint to them in the sun, like the sand has tiny prisms in it or something.

---

Seally's friendliness is reciprocated. "Yeah, if you live here long enough you get used to the sand in the air. Tends to irritate the visitors. Don't worry, these are Imperium made, imported straight from Flammarion. Where are you from?" The broker in you admires her transition to a sales pitch: "You know, we say the sand is in our blood, here. It has this unique prismatic crystal content that has inspired our local artists to create some of the most unique glassware in all of chartered space! Tell you what, if you buy a filter mask, I'll throw in a pair of prismatic earrings for half price - a steal at Cr50! What do you say?"

She shows you a pair of teardrop-shaped earrings and they truly do sparkle in the sun with a rainbow of colours.

"You're looking for a swimsuit? Trader Jones might have something ... his place is just 'round the corner, can't miss it. But I'd say your best bet is at Central. That's our capital city. The train leaves every hour or so, takes about 45 minutes."

Watching the noblewoman walk away without answering about the expected state of the ship did nothing to improve Alerio’s hopes on this deal going right.

Half-distracted, she turns back to the kid and chuckles when she realizes what’s being asked of her.

"I am from Space!" she starts with a smile.

"And your mom is right. I’ve met a lot of spacers, with a loooot of ay-holes. Some of the biggest in the sector!" she makes her eyes huge then to drive the message home.

"But not me! I’m alright! I’m one of the good guys!" she says, as officers often did about themselves.

"50 Cr for the mask and those earrings, and it's a deal." This sort of cheap, back world jewelry would have her lynched in her normal circuits, but they do catch the light pleasingly. She holds them to her ear and examines the reflection in her mobile comm's screen. "When I go to Trader Joes, who should I say sent me?"

The little girl looks you up and down with a skeptical eye, but eventually decides you pass muster.

"What's your name? What planet are you from?"

"You drive a hard bargain, ma'am. You've got a deal. Um, would your friend be interested in some fine glasswork jewelry? Humans around her call me Kimber."

She wraps the earrings in a quaint parchment envelope, seals it with wax, and takes your credits. Your filter mask is still in its original packaging.

Fallon inspects the sand scultpures, runs her hand through the prismatic sand on the beach. She jots a few notes in her computer about it. Its interesting, but not something an investigative journalist would waste too much time on. Sand probably doesn't interview well. She removes her clothes and decides to test the water.

"Alerio!" she says, truthfully. That was a name she had taken once everything had gone bad, and she was trying to make it fresh as a Traveller. She puts out a hand to the girl to shake.

"And you? What’s your name?"

She thinks then for a moment on what planet she came from. She’d lived on a few. One had been her birth home, and the other she had tried to make home.

Tried…

She wasn’t in the business of leaving a trail to follow, so she eventually decides:

"Minos."

Lying.

"Have you always lived right here?" she asks, then.

"Thank you, Kimber. I'll show her these." She leaves the stall to rejoin the others, juggling the filter undecided if she should put it on right away.

She sees Fallon getting into the water as is, and thinks that's a fun idea. She does the same stripping down and wading into the water.

ALERIO

---

"Alerio, that's a nice name. My name is Abby"

She reaches out to shake your hand (she mostly gets a finger, but gives it a hearty squeeze). As she starts to explain how she's lived here for all 6 and a half years of her life, a woman comes out of the alley with a concerned look on her face. She approaches

"Abby, you shouldn't be ..." The woman makes eye contact with you, but quickly looks away. "Sorry to trouble you. We'll be out of your way."

"But Mama, Alerio isn't one of those people with an ay-hole!"

The woman's face is a picture of shock and dismay. "Abby dear, we need to leave, now." She scoops up Abby and retreats back toward the alley.

THE BEACH

---

As Seally and Fallon get ready for a dip in the ocean, they notice the air temperature is quite moderate for a sun-blasted desert, in the low twenties (Celsius) if you had to guess. Although the sun is shining bright, Walston is out further from the sun's orbit, which probably explains it. Once you get into the water, however, you find it is considerably warmer than you expected. Nearby volcanic vents, perhaps?

Regardless, after weeks of sonic showers and being cooped up in a tin can, the touch of real H20 that stretches out to the horizon is a truly relaxing and humanizing sensation.

"It’s no problem." Alerio says, standing and making an unthreatening hand gesture as she backs off.

"Your daughter just fell in the sand, and I thought I’d check she was okay!

You take care now, Abby!" she says, with a playful wink to the young girl.

And then she turns on her heel. She’d once had a partner that said little interactions like that were most of the job. Just checking in on people without intruding into their life…

She wanders after the others, and seeing them in the water she calls out.

"Didn’t they tell you?" she calls out, which is uncharacteristic of the cop who keeps things close to the chest; never drawing unnecessary attention.

"Some real big fish in there! Real big!!"

"Then you'd best find a really big fishing pole and catch us some dinner!" Fallon grins and dives back under the waves, mooning the entire beach.

Forget the filtration mask, I should've gotten swimming goggles! she thinks to herself as she enjoys the silky caress of water sliding over her skin.

Alerio can’t help but laugh as the unflappable journalist doesn’t rise to the bait in the least.

You’ve been in ponds with bigger fish than this… she thinks, as she watches the others let the water surround them.

Last to immerse himself in the ocean as he makes his way toward the inviting water he appreciates the sand sculptures as he pads by and starts peeling off his clothes, but he gets cold feet at the last minute and keeps his space boxers on as he dives under the water. Popping up beside the girls ready for a slagging he hollers, "The water is warm! Man does it feel good."

He doesn't tell them that he snuck a peek under the water before he surfaced.

Seally splashes Zuni mightily in the face and then backpedals away squealing as he looks to retaliate. "The water warmth is really warm isn't it. I just hope it isn't full of intestinal parasites!"

She stops, treading water, suddenly serious. "Did anyone ask?"

Zuni freezes, his eyebrows rising skyward. "Is it really a risk? I never thought of it. I imagine someone would have said something when our intentions became obvious."

Fallon surfaces and blows out her held air. When she hears them talking about very un-fun things, she decides to cut that off. "Or maybe this whole town survives by letting foolish visitors go swimming, die, then take all of their stuff with none the wiser? How dark do you want to go? 'Cuz you're killing my buzz and I'm going to get out of the water and get dressed again if you keep it up. Your choice."