The wind stroked my face. Leaves tickled me as they brushed my arms. I had borrowed a Valkyrie at Intergalactic Aerospace Expo and flown into the savannah. Now I was here, walking around among all the vegetation.

I grew up on a desert planet, this abundance of plants was something completely new to me. Fascinated, I stood there and admired the different colors and shapes.

I wondered if the Valkyrie could replace my Cutlass. I really liked the design. But she could not carry cargo in the hold. That’s why she was out of the question.

The next day and again I was amazed. This time about the luxury in an Origin 600i. I hardly dared touch anything.

But I did not miss a test flight. I sat on the comfortable couch and let the stars slide over me. My thoughts seemed to glide too. The world around me was out of focus. Maybe I should not have smoked that weird stuff. But I was fine.

Another day at the Expo came and this time with giants. Amazing was the sight of the huge Idris. This wholly ridiculous thing of a Railgun seemed to blow entire planets out of the verse.

I went to the next exhibition hall. When I came out of the elevator my breath caught. The sight of this great insect was like something from another world. A shiver ran down my back and I got wet hands. Was my imagination out of control, as I saw the Reclaimer?

The Expo really had a lot to offer and marvel at. I came so close to a Vanduul ship as I did not want it in the verse

And to be able to fly a Kharto-Al into the sunrise is also not commonplace.

However, a ship that had not been shown aroused my interest. The Crusader Industries Mercury. She was still in development. But the information sounded promising. Fast, lots of cargo space and computer for data transport. I thought that could be exactly my thing.

Not my thing was Lorville. The city was too big for me, too hectic and the pollution was really bad.

It was the last evening of the Expo. I stopped by Reclamation Disposal. I had heard that one could get jobs here.

The guy behind the counter coughed and complained about the bad air. I realized that I had such a scratch in my throat, I needed something to drink. My thoughts drifted off again and I saw the savanna with all the green in front of me.

There was no job here so I went to Tammany and Sons. I figured if I did not make any money, at least I could spend it.

When I came out of the shop I had just enough in my pocket to get a snack. I sat at the table surrounded by stuffy air, different smells and sweat. I lost my appetite and decided to leave the city early the next morning.

Shortly after sunrise, I was sitting in my Cutlass and flew in the direction of the orbit.