The next day after Maro had a rest day from her drama binge, Sora and she were preparing to head to the next galaxy nearby. It was the closest galaxy that had an abundance of people living together. Their current situation is unknown since Maro hadn't been around there in millions of years. But from what the Sanctum could pick up, there is still a large amount of activity in that area. So it couldn't hurt to look around and see what was there.
In the universe there are countless 'objects' in space. The one most know are celestial objects, such as stars, planets, moons, pulsars and the like. You also have the extremes like black holes and wormholes. All would form galaxies and clusters that would hold countless materials, phenomenons occuring and giving birth to more. One of these unique structures are called rogue systems, star systems not within any galaxy. These are difficult to find, due to them being out of range of the galaxy's light. Unless one had exact coordinates you wouldn't be able to find one unless by pure luck. Otherwise you would be aimlessly wandering the cosmic void and eventually get lost.
The planet that Sora and Maro were currently staying on was Ayir. A planet part of a rogue star system in the middle of a random void. The galaxy they plan to head to, was a supergiant galaxy. A galaxy that spanned over millions of light years. For comparison, the Milky Way galaxy was only around a hundred thousand. So not only was it big enough to have unexplored parts, it was big enough to be the home of countless races and species.
According to Maro, that galaxy was where a good chunk of the gene 'seeds' were sent to. The idea was that they would hopefully run into some clue on finding another person like Sora. While it wasn't a big priority, it was still something they felt they should try to do.
The ship was currently being loaded by a dozen or so droids. All carrying crates and containers full of supplies for the two. Maro was overseeing everything using her Psionic abilities. When Maro was getting her body fixed up, it was done so with the goal of adding the ball form from before. That ball was pretty much a supercomputer which was dozens of times more powerful than a human mind. While she could use it to do simple tasks and thought processing, it was only to a certain limit. If she used too much power, it would start to damage her brain. But even then that limited power was more than enough.
There were also minor adjustments Sora suggested to have the living area more suitable. He suggested adding something similar to a tv and a couch. It looked a bit more like a living area rather than an empty space. Maro had them made using the various fabrication machines and assemblers in the Sanctum. Thankfully she was smart enough to download the internet, which also had blueprints on how some tv and couches were made.
Sora did his part by directing the droids inside the ship to organize the supplies. It was his way of making less work for Maro. The two packed the ship up and finished before the sun set. On the bridge, they both strapped into their seats preparing to leave. They had no reason to delay anymore and nothing needed their attention here. The entire Sanctum was a self-sufficient building that was able to maintain itself for millions of years. Only minor things like his garden that needed tending were to worry. But even then he had Maro assign a droid to take care of it. With that, it was time to leave and join a society.
The ship was currently outside on the launchpad, moved up from the underground hangar. The sun was beginning to set so the view from the ship was a view to enjoy. After a moment, Sora started the ship like he had been doing for two months and the ship lifted off. Their ship flew further and further away as the Sanctum disappeared from view, then the planet, then the star. Eventually the reached a point where it was just empty space. Turning into the Jump stream that was a visual indication they went into a warp jump.
"Alright, now we go back into waiting mode." Sora said stretching and getting up to leave. There was no point in him manning the controls when the auto pilot was on.
"Yes, but we won't have to wait as long as before. The estimated time to reach the galaxy is within one week." Maro added.
"A week huh? That's not so bad." He said. And the week was quite nice and quick. Time flew by as Sora used it to train, watch dramas when they relaxed, and ate food to heal their soul. In no time they had reached the galaxy and were out of the jump. Before they could enter the galaxy, Maro had to do a scan of nearby structures, planets and if any, ships. Doing this lets them have a clearer view of where to go, what's where, and what to avoid. If they went in blind, they could potentially run into dangerous situations, which was something Sora wanted to actively avoid.
The scan made a ping sound, and a map appeared before them on the bridge by the windows. It showed the reach of the scan which was able to find several dozen nearby star systems, objects, and most importantly, people. More precisely, it was a star system with a structure in it. Most likely some kind of base or station that keeps watch over the area. Maro then set course for it and immediately flew towards it. This galaxy was like a plate, where its shape was circular with a center.
In a half an hour or so they reached the outpost. In front of them was a large bulky structure that had a cylinder in the center of a bulky part. The bulky part was shaped like a hexagon, where each side had a diagonal column attached to the cylinder column. There were 2 thick ring segments that encompassed the cylinder with the diagonal columns going through them. The bottom of the bulky part had a rounder bottom but was wider because it also had a ring around it that was flat.
Once they got closer did they see more details that were around the structure. Large ships that were ten-twenty times the size of his ship. And like a bunch of ants all over an ant hill, the ships coming in and out seemed endless. On the bottom of it were the ports, areas where pilots could park their ship. Everything above had windows and balconies scattered all over. The entire size of the place was able to have hundreds of hundreds of ships go in and out of its ports with no issue. Even ships that looked bigger than his were puny compared to the actual base itself.
The amount of activity was quite a sight, ships of various shapes and designs moved about and around the place. Some were similar to sailboats. Some were just full on squares and circles as ships. Sora saw a strange duck-like ship which made him chuckle, turning to Maro to also look at it. But Maro was currently sitting still in a daze. She was just staring at nothing while her lips would move ever so often.
"Uh, Maro? You okay?" He said while going over and tapping her shoulder.
"Ah, Yes. I am just collecting some data about the social norms of this place. I am also compiling documents and contacting the port for permission for docking. Due to us being here for the first time, we are not in their databases. So we must submit identification documents." She said.
"Doesn't that make us look bad? Like we're fugitives?" He responded when he heard they needed to give 'papers'.
"It is if we attempt to provide fake documents. However due to how large and wide this galaxy is, it is normal to have new ships come to ports to register. This outpost is specifically a Trade Citadel. It is one of the largest outposts in the furthest in their section of the galaxy." She said while her gaze was still staring off into nowhere. Maro was able to talk to Sora and use her supercomputer mind. She became more comfortable with multitasking when she spent her time training last week.
"Oh, so we can just register without trouble? I was afraid they were gonna ask questions and do a deep investigation on us." He said.
"Yes. However the only thing false would be our origin. I have chosen a nearby planet that will act as our cover. It is a habitable planet with a small population of several million. Once we have finished our business here, we will need to go there and establish additional background." She said.
"Hmm. Then I guess we still gotta stay away from the law the most. They investigate us too much then they're bound to find out we're not from around here." He responded.
"That is correct. There is one thing we need before we can submit these documents. We need a name for the ship." She said turning to ask Sora. That was when he had a small realization there was never a mention of a name of their ship.
"Ah! That's right. I am a pilot, and every pilot's ship has a name. And it's gotta be good too…" he said while pondering a name. He then saw a ship fly in the far distance out the corner of his eye. The way it flew caught the nearby sun to make it shine. It looked like a shooting star for a second. Sora made an 'aha' gesture with his hands.
"I got it. Ryuusei. Cause no matter where or what it flies by, it'll always look like a shooting star." He said.
"A beautiful name Sora-sama. I will submit it and we will get a response momentarily." She said as she smiled at Sora puffing his chest out proudly.
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"I just received word that we are permitted to dock. We can also go to the administrative office to obtain identification and complete our registration. It seems we must also prepare for an inspection." Maro said. Sora then got back into his seat and flew toward the direction that was given by Maro from the citadel. It led to one of the open areas of the lower ports. There you could see hundreds of ships docked all over the place. The larger ones were on the lower areas while smaller ships landed in sections that were separated by walls.
"Pheeew, now this is cool." Sora said as he eyes were hopping from ship to ship. From inside the port the view of the ships were much clearer than before. Now he could see more details and what was actually on the ships.
"Oh that one looks like a spaceship version of a sports car. I kinda like that…. Hey Maro, got any preference?" He asked.
"The Ryuusei is my preferred choice." She said without hesitation.
"Haha, Yeah it is pretty great." He chuckled and agreed.
For the large ships he saw massive guns with barrels that were triangular shaped. Other ships had ones that were on the side like cannons. There were odd shaped ones like a ship that had a ball on the top side rather than big guns. Some were vertical and had to be docked outside and left hanging on arms that caught the ship in place. While others were like his and could land on legs or some form of leg to prop itself up. The colors on the ships were more vibrant than he thought there would be. Besides their own logos and shape, most ships were colored and designed differently.
They were assigned a dock number, and once near the designated area by the dock, an autopilot would kick in. This made it so that the ship would coordinate with the dock, allowing it to enter and land more precisely without worry of error. The dock they got was enough to fit the entire ship with plenty of space to spare. Both of them got up, headed out the ship and made their way to the registration office. The path they took lead to a wide open area, the interior of the citadel. Bridges and entire platforms stacked upon each other and climbing up to the ceilings. Hovering flying vehicles zoomed and flew past the open space above. Hundreds of thousands of people were out and about, working, relaxing, sightseeing, and buying. Everyone looked different and unique showing the variety of races that were on the citadel. Some were hairy and furry, different colors like blue, green and even orange. Others had ears pointed while some didn't even have any and there were even half human half robots.
It was like a giant mall where shops were lined up next to each other. Food vendors scattered all over the place selling different types of food. Of course not every place was a business or tourist area. Some places were like apartments or homes above businesses. Like a tourist Sora's eyes and head were looking and turning towards every strange and new sight. During the walk Sora heard the many languages and tones that the other people spoke. Each one was talking to another with no trouble as if there was no language barrier. As he was listening, he found out that some were understandable while others were alien gibberish. That thought made Sora think and realize something.
"Hey Maro, are you understanding the languages here?" He asked.
"Yes. I have analyzed and learned all the common languages that are part of a universal language system. Which reminds me." She said while taking out a ring and gave it to him.
"A ring? What for?" He asked.
"This ring is a link for you and me. Currently I am using my psionic abilities to allow me to translate languages immediately. I am able to share with you this ability in close proximity. However, as your psionic capabilities are not strong enough the connection is often unstable. This ring allows a more stable and further connection." She said. He put on the ring to test it out and the voices around him all started speaking japanese.
"COME ON FOLKS! 25% OFF ALL AMMUNITION ONLY TODAY."
"Local Special! Get your hot stew made from the freshest Gnats! Only 5 bics!"
"Today, the Zandros sector has seen an increase in Wyrm attacks. While no stations or colonies have been attacked, trade has become…"
"I wanna try those new drinks we saw in the ads. Looks better than the last one we tried."
"I hear there's been movement from the Brontis Empire, that they're moving fleets more around than usual…."
Different types of conversations, vendors advertising, news on nearby screens, and just people having fun. Now instead of random sounds, hearing the bustling area filled with lively talk made it feel more normal. Not just sounds but he was able to read the words of the place as well.
"So how is everyone else understanding each other? I know for us it's based on our technology and psionic abilities. But I know at least that not everyone can do this." He asked.
"That is because the citizens here are implanted with a TALK chip. A harmless cybernetic implant that is capable of translating and analyzing speech and lingo. Allowing for almost instant translation for most common languages." She explained. There were countless languages and far too many for one person to learn. So a chip was created using an AI that learned how to translate almost anything. And it was updated constantly, so it was always accurate and translated in a way that the user would always understand, while keeping the original tone and meaning of the speaker.
After a short sightseeing, they reached an office building that was standing alone but was quite large. The fact a large building fit here showed how large the citadel actually was. Inside they were greeted by a front desk receptionist who had cat-like features.
"Salutation! Welcome to the Administration Office. How may I be of service?" The receptionist asked with a smile. Maro proceeded to say what they were there for and provide information. Two of them were busy going through the register motions, while Sora kept staring at the amphibian girl in front of him. Never having seen anything or anyone that was close like her, he stared at her longer than usual. After all, in front of him was a real cat girl. A dream and fantasy that men would kill and die to be with. She wasn't entirely furry or hairy, but she did have canines that were slightly longer than a person. Her ears were furry and slightly larger than his and blended in with her hair. The color of her hair was like an orange cats fur, with certain places that had darker streaks. Her eyes were a greenish hue and reacted exactly like a cat's eye.
At first she didn't notice but after a while she saw him staring at her without breaking contact. This made the girl feel a bit embarrassed, making her blush.
"Um, is there something on my face sir?" The cat-girl asked shyly.
"Oh sorry, My bad. I just never seen someone like you before, so I was fascinated by your features." He replied.
"Really? Do you come from a remote place?" She asked curiously.
"Oh yeah. Backwater planet and all you know?" He said but wasn't confident in his response, trying his best to blend in.
"Yeah I was the same! Nice to meet a fellow backend dweller!" She enthusiastically responded.
The two had another brief exchange and small talk before the cat girl continued her work for them. Sora was able to learn that the citadel was called Ravik Citadel, in the Ravik system. It was part of a galactic federation. It was a type of government body that allowed smaller states, governments, races and such, to form a single government that would administrate everyone. But allowing them to be independent to a certain point.
While they didn't notice, Maro had started to stare at the both of them in a more emotionless manner. Her gaze lingering on Sora the most but didn't let him see.
"All done! Here are your documents back, as well as your brand new Captains Identifications." The cat girl presented the card to Sora, which was a small touchscreen device with all his info.
"Also please know that a mandatory inspection will be done shortly once you head back to your ship. This is to ensure no illegal contraband or activity is being committed on your ship." She said a bit more seriously.
"Oh okay. You guys are pretty strict huh?" He said as a joke.
"Haha, yes. Well it's more than usual due to a recent increase in Raider attacks." She responded a bit helplessly.
"Raiders?" Sora asked, a bit skeptical. He knew there was going to be a day when pirates, bandits, raiders, or something of the like would show up. Then it would be time to show if all his training amounted to anything.
"Yes. They're in small groups but they still cause trouble for trade ships and locals. But I'm sure a pilot like you can handle them." She said.
"I hope so." He said while taking his new ID.
"Well if you do, make sure to come back and get the reward alright?" She said.
"Reward?" He asked.
"Yes. We have an active archive that updates all criminals, their crime, and the bounty that was given for them. Whenever you take down any criminal, your ship and the archive updates it in real time. Also, every ship has a databox that can survive damages done by combat. We can give additional rewards for those, as they potentially contain information on their operations." As she said that, she turned and opened a draw that a hundreds of small devices. She took one, plugged it in and did some work on her system before taking it out and handing it to him.
"Oh. So I'm like a bounty hunting then. Sounds cool." He said to himself.
"Here is a chip that can be inserted into your ship. This will let you have an updated list at all times.
"Awesome, thanks alot. It's great meeting someone nice for my first time here. Oh right, you already saw it during the paperwork, but I'm Amanogawa Sora." He said introducing himself.
"Yeah no problem! I'm Krissa Ivrin! If you need help with anything I can always try and give a hand." She said cheerfully. Sora and Maro said their goodbye to Krissa and went back to the ship.