Fiction Friday: Old Times 2.3

Previously:
0.1
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
2.0
2.1

2.2
* * * * *

The outpost, with an unwieldy name of The Sword In The Stone, was a Gallente style with the sweeping tower for a central structure and bristling with lights of offices and apartments. 

I made several mid-space safe spots and gate perches before stopping and reviewing and re-reviewing the ownership broadcasts from the tower's info channel, making sure there were no diplomatic incidents brewing I had missed during my journey. I was being extra paranoid because of the time sensitive nature of my mission and the cost a setback like getting blown up and podded would cost me.

Once I was sure that docking would be allowed, I warped to a safe spot close enough to the station for a scan for ships, and more importantly, warp disruption spheres. There was a ship on scan, a Tengu, so I felt it was safe to warp to the station and request docking privleges. Still, I warped at one hundred, made some more perch spots and the all import undocking coordinate, and then warped in and contacted the Docking Control.

Tractor beams pulled my ship into the gaping maw of the station and I could not resist the thought of it being a gigantic beastial mouth swallowing me whole.

* * * * *

I was getting dressed in my temporarily assigned quarters when the door chimed. I finished tucking in my shirt and went over to press the intercom button, asking "Who is it?".

"It's the port authority, sir. I'm here to ask some questions regarding your stay with us." He held up an official looking badge to the camera and as far as I and the door AI could tell it was authentic. 

"That seems unusual," I replied as I opened the door. The man on the other side was all beaurcrat with a bald head, thin body and pale skin as if he had been born and raised on a station in space and never set foot on a planet. On second thought, that was probably true.

"Well, yes, but its standard procedure for new visitors to all Coalition stations to undergo a screening and detect and smuggling," he said as he ocular implants scanned the room. I was glad I had not bothered to bring any weapons.

"Screening? Smuggling?" I laughed. "Aren't we supposed to be free of the empires' laws out here? Can't we do what we want?"

He stopped his inspection and looked directly at me. "Of course you can do and carry what you want 'out here', Mr Kodachi. The Coaltion simply wants to make sure it gets its fair cut."