Chapter One: The Two Old Birds and a Final Wish.

Whulpul. The unthought about back water that breeds only criminals and hack scientists. But in the minds of it's residents, they scrape by with hard work, the occasional discovery and a hope and dream that one day, they will be comfortably rich.

On one side of the ocean Li was paid to help try to figure out the best way to interact peacefully with the tree dwellers in the thick forest. They weren't aggressive, but they also weren't quick to interact at all. Given a week off, Li returned to the THE HUB for some down time.

Veya was on the run again from her good friends in the Undersea Settlement 2C. She had taken on a job in their engineering squad but apparently some her more colourful behaviour was not "professional" enough, so she decided to head back to THE HUB to see if she could land a co pilot job to get her off world finally. She had finally saved up enough to maybe bribe her way on in "borrowed" artefacts.

And after a busy season Bowie Nye had been given a few days off from her canteen at THE HUBs support settlement and she was quickly drawn to the hall of trading. To watch all the different traders come in and barter or deliver.

All three characters find themselves in the same corner in the giant hall of trading. The hall is surrounded by different sized shipping containers. Some of them are there permanently, used as storage both temporary and long term. Some are shop fronts dealing in local produce and trading for off world treasures. Three of the bigger containers serve as the customs office. At this time of day there is a line of 12 different groups waiting to be allowed to trade for the day, or stay for weeks.

In the corner where the three characters sit, are 35 tables sat at by a collection of students, pilots and workers involved in a myriad of activity. Eating, studying, planning, laughing and some sleeping. People come from far and wide like a sports final to watch the carnival of happenings. Others come for work or as their only meal of the day. The hall of traders acts as an off world trading hub and a local gathering point.

The three characters sit and watch and see and think.

The sounds, the sights, the smells of the trading hall continue around them. The tall slender Esherukas are seldom seen outside of their ocean deep kingdom, but these must be the trader emissaries seen in the trading halls every three months. Their visits are always very busy so they can return home as quickly as possible. Their out of water conversations are always visually entertaining for the land dwellers, only two of them have learned to to be interpreters to the outer world.

Old Junker has been a mainstay in the area both as a public secret black market first port of call and also as a passionate negotiator. The three main staff never want to sell at the first mentioned price. They find trading to be more an entertaining game than putting food on the table.

Bowie glances at the shady business man a few more times and sees some oddly shaped packages exchange hands.

Veyas regular look out gives her the nod of all clear - communicating that her attempts and keeping a low profile are somehow working and there is no one in the area that will be asking after her.

And as the traders and travelers and tourists continue to mill around the table, the three continue a conversation.

As she shoveled noodles into her mouth, Veya felt the weight of the letter in her shirt pocket. Maybe these would be the people to get off world with her and finally get a chance to make it big.

Bowie's last glance at the businessman confirmed that his shadiness had grabbed the attention of more of the customs agents than would normally be needed. He had placed the suitcase down on the ground and was looking in his pockets for paperwork maybe.

Whatever the business man had been hoping, was not going to plan. After more customs agents were alerted and the papers he was looking for were not presented, some yelling had begun. "Look, I just need to get off world. I had my papers but someone must have stolen them. You need to find the thief. Why am I being treated like I am guilty? I haven't done anything." AS he yelled he began gesturing wildly. Pointing, holding his arms out like he was appealing to some crowd, scratching his neck a little. And then suddenly he ran for the gates.

Without realising, during the dramatic scene unfolding a non-descript man with dark goggles had walked up to the group and nodded. "Veya, you got the letter. Is this your crew? Maybe we should get going whilst the the gates are dealing with that"
He points to the businessman who was now swinging his fists at one of the agents as if he never been in a fight.

The dark goggle man motioned for them all to follow.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all good," Veya said to the man in the goggles, swallowing the last of the brew and noodles. "And, yes these guys are totally my crew."

She turns her back to the man and makes a desperate plea with her eyes to to Play along!

"Like family! This is Li and Bowie. Solid, Two of the best. They're coming"

She turns back to face him. "Lead the way! So you're from Dec? Do we have to worry about trouble getting to him?"

Dec was her cousin, the author of the mysterious letter.

Mr Goggles nodded, looked around to understand more of the situation and motioned to follow. The suitcase man was now on the ground being held by multiple agents, a nearby agent seemed to be having a heart attack nearby and smoke was coming off their uniform. Mr Goggles quickly walked in a wide circle around the pile on, slipped through one of the unmanned side gates a broke into a light jog until they were around a corner and into one of the giant hangers.

To the left and right sit 16 large and small ships of different shapes and clearly different purpose. Some giant mining ships for shuttling back and forth between different asteroids. Some people ships, - the cruise liner of the sky and the transport between worlds. And then further down the line the traders and the fighter ships. Turning to them and slowing them all up to a stand Mr Goggles sees that some of the party have never been here before.

Quite a sight isn't it? We should be fine with the guards from now so we can walk the rest of the way. Veya filled you all in? Ready for a very questionable adventure?