The journey to Titan was indeed a long one, lasting almost nine days. During the first half of the trip, the ship accelerated to reach its desired speed, while during the last half, it decelerated to safely reach its destination. To simulate gravity on the ship without the need for centrifugal force, the ship's boosters were positioned on the floor. As a result, the ship flew upwards, rather than forwards as it is often portrayed in movies, but generated the same gravity sensation as in Earth, one G.
The advancements in space travel had made it possible for pilots to have more leisure time during long journeys. With the aid of the ship's AI systems, there was little for them to do once the destination was set, and the probability of colliding with a space object was almost impossible. Dan took advantage of this by relaxing on his bunk, immersed in a novel on his multipurpose digital interface. The device was no larger than a pen, but with a tap, it projected a virtual touch screen that mimicked a physical book. The level of transparency could be adjusted depending on the environment, and the turning of pages was a realistic animation, complete with the sound of rustling paper.
As he continued reading, Gee entered the room. She was dressed in black shorts and a white tank top, and her clothes were drenched in sweat from her workout. Dan took note of her fit physique and raised an eyebrow in admiration. He couldn't help but think that if she put a little more effort into her appearance, she would be stunning. The fact that he hadn't tried to flirt with Gee yet, was a testament to how little she worried about her looks; Dan was known for his tendency to hit on any woman he found above average.
"I'm going to take a shower," Gee announced as she pulled a fluffy towel from the closet in their shared bunk room.
Dan glanced up from his book and asked, "Want me to join you?"
Gee smiled, shaking her head, "No thanks.” Dan often asked her this, and she, without exception, always answered the same. She walked out, leaving the door open behind her.
The Scottish Marauder was a modest vessel, with only a few rooms for its crew. Aside from the bunk room, there was the mess hall, the bridge, the systems room, the weapon-systems room, and the cargo bay. For extended periods of time, they had to learn to live with each other's quirks and habits. At first, it was challenging, but after working together for seven years, they had grown accustomed to each other's presence.
Dan, at thirty-five years old, had a lean but sturdy build, a thick head of brown hair, and gentle green eyes. He sported a light stubble on his cheeks, which gave him a rugged charm. The past seven years had been a lucrative partnership for him and Gee, transitioning from sporadic jobs every few months to year-round work. Despite their success, Dan never seemed to hold on to his earnings. As soon as they docked in a new port, his money would start to dwindle until he was broke again.
* * *
Gee was sitting alone in the mess hall, absorbed in the virtual screen hovering above the table. As she spooned the last of her cereal into her mouth, a breaking news alert appeared on the screen. A female anchor appeared, her serious expression projecting a sense of urgency.
"As far as we know, there have been four casualties and half a dozen wounded," the anchor reported, her eyes focused on the camera. The image behind her displayed the aftermath of a bombing at a nearby market. "The bomb has gone off at a market. Luckily, the pressure seals of the facility were not affected.”
Gee shook her head in disbelief, muttering "Damn" through a mouthful of cereal. The images flashing behind the anchor showed wounded people covered in dust, bloody individuals running for their lives, and a chaotic scene of screaming and panic.
Just then, Dan sauntered into the mess hall, his arms stretched high above his head. "Morning," he yawned.
But Gee was too engrossed in the news to acknowledge his greeting. She continued to stare at the screen, her mind racing with thoughts of the victims and the violent world they lived in.
“What happened?” Dan asked as he poured himself a mug of hot coffee and took a sip, burning his tongue in the process.
“There was a bombing in Ceres,” Gee replied, swallowing the last of her cereal. She left her spoon in the empty bowl and leaned back, still fixated on the images on the virtual screen.
“By whom?” Dan asked, taking a seat next to her.
“They still don’t know,” Gee muttered, “but they’re saying it was probably separatists.”
Dan furrowed his brow. “There’s never been a separatist faction in the belt. It’s not like Mars or Venus.”
“Well, it’s still everybody’s business,” Gee countered.
“Not really,” Dan shrugged, pouring cereal into Gee’s bowl and claiming it as his own. He added milk and began eating.
“Sometimes I get the feeling that you’re dead inside,” Gee said, shaking her head. “Don’t you feel any empathy?”
“I mean, at any given moment, someone, somewhere in the solar system is suffering,” Dan explained between spoonfuls of cereal, “if I had to feel sorry for everyone, I’d kill myself.”
“That’s a pretty cynical way of looking at things,” Gee said, pulling out her vaporizer from her pocket and taking a puff. She exhaled a big cloud of white vapor over their heads.
“Maybe, but it’s true,” Dan said, finishing the last of his cereal. He pushed the bowl away and leaned back, sipping at his coffee.
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“Whatever,” Gee said, standing up and walking towards the bulkhead door.
“Want to watch a movie?” Dan asked.
“Nah,” Gee replied, looking back over her shoulder. “I’ve got to contact the Silent Brothers and tell them we’ll be arriving in a couple of days.”
“Can’t it wait?” Dan asked. “I was really looking forward to watching this classic with you.”
“I’m just not in the mood, Dan,” Gee said, stepping out and ducking her head to avoid hitting the bulkhead.
Dan sat in silence for a moment, trying to remember if Gee had any family or friends in Ceres. As far as he knew, she didn’t. Like the majority of people, she was born on Earth, which meant that most of her family members lived there. Although, if his memory served him right, he was pretty sure that she had an uncle who lived on Mars. But that was all, no one in Ceres.
Thinking about her family, got him thinking about his own, the pressure in his chest returning like everytime. He walked to the closet in the bulkhead and pulled out the treadmill. As Dan started running, his mind gradually drifted from the past to the present. He focused on maintaining his pace, feeling the rhythm of his steps as they pounded against the machine's surface. The sound of his breathing filled the small room, and he felt his heart rate increase as he pushed himself harder.
Despite his efforts to stay in the present, memories of his family kept creeping back into his mind. He thought about his parents, who had died in a tragic accident when he was just a child. He couldn't remember much about them, but he knew they had loved him deeply. His older brother had left him soon after their parents' death, and he had been forced to grow up quickly without any parental guidance.
Dan's thoughts then turned to his aunt, who had taken care of him after his parents' death. She had been the only family he had left, and he had been devastated when she had passed away. It was a cruel irony that she had died of a stroke, a condition that was rarely fatal in the modern age, but had gone unnoticed for a day.
As he ran, Dan felt the pressure in his chest start to ease. He knew that he couldn't change the past, but he could control his present and future. He would honor his family's memory by living a good life and making the most of every day.
* * *
Titan appeared as an orange ball on the front display, resembling a version of Earth, but in orange. It had white clouds, dark brown lands, and yellow seas. Although there had been talks about terraforming the moon into a habitable place, it seemed impossible with the current technology, especially for Titan. It was a distant hope that, someday in the future, humans could transform the dangerous hell-scape into something similar to Earth, but it would not happen for a long time. Meanwhile, several colonies already existed on the moon, with Xanadu being the largest, housing two million residents and expanding fifteen miles in diameter and two beneath the ground. It was the most populous colony in the outer-rim territories, followed closely by Europa's Minos City.
However, before they could even get into Titan's orbit, a customs security ship contacted them, informing them of a random inspection. Dan stood up from his pilot's seat and urged Gee to go with him to greet the customs officials.
"Pass," Gee replied while checking her digital panel. "You go. I haven't got the time for idiots."
Dan agreed with her, but he knew that they had to do this if they wanted to dock in Xanadu. He walked to the airlock, and once the umbilical was pressurized, he opened the hatch. As a security measure, the airlock remained closed, and he stood on the other side of it. Once the outer hatch was open, and the sensors confirmed the pressure held, he opened the inner hatch. Two customs guards walked into the Scottish Marauder, their arrogant eyes looking down on Dan.
"You are the captain of this vessel?" one of them asked in a hard Titan drawl. Most colonists from Titan were of Chinese descent.
"Yes," Dan lied. In truth, there was no captain in the Scottish Marauder. Every decision was decided by both Dan and Gee, sometimes by negotiation.
"Any cargo to declare?"
"No."
Dan showed them around the ship, they were mostly interested in the cargo bay. Once they were satisfied, they returned to their ship, uncoupled the umbilical, and went their own way. Dan returned to the bridge and sat down with a sigh.
"They were charming," he said sarcastically.
"I can imagine," Gee replied with a smirk. "Come on, let's start the landing procedure.”
* * *
Landing on the ground was much easier than docking with a space station, however it was a breeze thanks to the ship's AI handling most of the procedures. Dan believed in minimizing the risk of human error. Gee, on the other hand, was initially skeptical but had gradually come around to Dan's point of view over time.
After slowing down before entering Titan's dense atmosphere, the Scottish Marauder had been in free-fall for a few hours until the weak gravity of the moon held them in place. Though walking and moving was awkward due to the planet's almost double gravity compared to the moon, it was easy to adjust to, and no one ever got sick. After preparing themselves, they exited their ship via the connected corridor and observed the rocky and dry ground and the dense yellow fog, which made it impossible to see beyond a few meters. The left windows provided a view of the Scottish Marauder, while the right offered a glimpse of the outside. A faint white spot indicated the sun in the sky, while a strong wind caused sand and gas plumes to whip against the transparent panes.
Unlike Mars, colonies on Titan did not have to worry about meteor strikes, but rather the corrosive gases and rains. The outer layer of buildings consisted of thick synthetic ceramic layers that were more resistant to the corrosive agents than any metal. The high air pressure, close to two Earth atmospheres, coupled with corrosion, was the main challenge the colonies faced, with the most significant problem being small leaks in the seals that had to be continuously repaired. Hydrocarbon sensors were strategically placed to monitor the air for leaks.
Gee had already contacted the Silent Brothers, and they were scheduled to pick up the cargo the following morning.
"I think I’m going to check out the Casino," Dan said to Gee with a sly smile.
Gee shook her head and responded, "I’m going to check into the hotel. Don’t get into trouble."
Dan suggested, "You could come and make sure I don’t get into trouble," but Gee declined, saying, "No thanks. I’ve got better things to do." When Dan asked if she was heading to the port hotel, she nodded, and with half a smile, warned him to be careful.
As Dan turned the corner towards the shuttle that would take him downtown, Gee stood for a moment watching him. Suddenly, she felt a cold, hard metal poking her back, and a gruff voice whispered in her ear, "Don't make any sudden moves." Startled, she lifted her hands, and the man behind her yanked her gun out of its holster.
He was a big man, twice the Dan’s size, five inches taller than him, with a square face marked with pink scars. His nose was small and wide, and his eyes were sunken and dark. He was pointing a gun at her.
"Greta," he said, looking around to ensure that no one was listening, "you've been hard to find."
"That's not my name," she replied, frowning.
The big man flashed a grin, his face crinkling up, "I know it's you, Greta Heaton, or Gee, as you prefer."
She flinched at the sound of her nickname; she hadn't expected to be found, let alone in Xanadu.
"Come, let's go to my ship. I need to start the paperwork for your transfer," the man said, gesturing towards his ship.