SpacePort Conspiracy

SpacePort Conspiracy

     Over the last two hundred years Tallah had colonized all the other planets in their Solar System. Tallah sat almost exactly in the center of all of them. It’s still the most popular one of them all too. To accommodate all the traffic to and from there a SpacePort got created. The other sixteen planets also had SpacePorts too, but they were all about half the size of Tallah’s.

     The Tallah SpacePort hung near Tallah, but it’s not in orbit around it like the rest of the planets. It’s been centrally location for easy access by any of the planets. On any given day a thousand spaceships used that SpacePort, and about a million people passed through it. Most of them made connections with another spaceship which took them to their final destinations. Some spaceships had individuals or families within them, but most had passengers.

     Usually the Tallah SpacePort ran pretty smoothly, but not always. For Nic, thirteen, and Bealla, eleven, that day was one of the worst days of their young lives. It all started when they missed their spaceship on their home planet of Gusta thanks to a Death Storm in the area.

     Panic always happened whenever a storm like that showed up. The local Landing Zone got very busy that day with frightened individual and families who wanted to get to safety. Most headed for family or friends out of the danger area, but a lot just left Gusta.

     Nic and Bealla had been headed for Porlan to attend their Birth Mother’s next marriage. Not only had they been invited they were going to be a part of it. They wanted their father to go with them, but he claimed he had to work. He also wouldn’t because he didn’t get invited to it.

     While they waited for the next spaceship Nic and Bealla sat in a very busy Waiting Area – when they could. Most of the time they had to stand. “How many times has mother gotten married,” Nic asked.

     “This is the fifth, no sixth – wait the seventh time.” Bealla quickly took a seat when someone got up in answer to an Outgoing announcement. Not the one they had been waiting for. That spaceship took its passengers to the planet of Weaton.

     Nic looked up at the nearest Incoming/Outgoing Monitor. “When are we going to get our spaceship?”

     “I hope it’s soon or we will miss our connection.” Bealla leaned back in her Foot Chair.

     The latest announcement involved a flight to another part of Gusta. “That’s one more that isn’t ours,” said Nic.

     “We aren’t going to get to the marriage on time.” Bealla placed her hand on the chair next to her to hold it until Nic noticed it – and sat down too.

     It luckily only took another ten minutes before they got their announcement. Nic and Bealla got up and ran for the spaceship - knocking over anyone who got in their way.

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     One delay problem solved. The next one happened just before Nic and Bealla got to the Tallah SpacePort. Nic and Bealla sat toward the front of the Passenger Section of the spaceship they finally got on. Bealla appeared to be sleeping while Nic listened to some Loud Noises – when it happened. The spaceship suddenly stopped.

     Nic and Bealla weren’t the only ones tossed forward. The only thing that kept them from falling to the floor was the restraints they had on. “What happened?” Nic asked.

     Before Bealla could answer him a male voice told them about the problem. They had to wait for an available Docking Port. There should be one shortly. It actually took them almost an hour before they could dock with the Tallah SpacePort.

     Once they did Nic and Bealla were the first to get out of there. They did it like they did at Gusta – a lot of pushing and shoving. Just beyond the entrance on that SpacePort Nic and Bealla got their next two delay problems.

     “Where are we exactly?” Bealla asked after a quick look around them.

     Lorine, a Greeter in her mid to late thirties, answered that question. “You are at Docking Gate Forty-Two.”

     “Our final destination is Porlan.” Nic held hands with Bealla.

     “Which way is that spaceship?” Bealla asked.

     Lorine started reading the MiniMonitor in her hand. After about a minute she said, “That’s Docking Gate Twenty-Three.”

     “Where is that at?” Nic asked.

     “It’s almost opposite from where we are now.” Lorine appeared to be a little nervous about something.

     “What’s the fastest way to get there?” Bealla asked.

     Lorine pointed in front of her. “The corridor circling around this SpacePort is the slowest way to get to it, but it’s also the fastest way to get there too.”

     Nic and Bealla started to take off. They only took a few steps when they suddenly stopped. “We can’t leave yet,” said Nic.

     “Why not?” Bealla asked.

     “Our Cloths Containers haven’t been removed from the spaceship yet.” Nic looked over at the Cloths Containers Shut. Some Cloths Containers had gotten there.

     “My Marriage Dress is in there, and I can’t go to the marriage without it.” Bealla saw as some more Cloths Containers came out of the shut.

     Nic and Bealla walked toward that shut. “My fancy Marriage Attire is in there too,” said Nic.

     Lorine caught up to them a few seconds later. “Relax, there’s plenty of time for you to get to that spaceship.”

     Just then two things happened. One was they got their containers, and the other an announcement announced the spaceship to Porlan left in twenty minutes. When Nic and Bealla they took off running. Once again knocking down anyone who got in their way.

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     Lorine sat behind a desk in an office that overlooked where she last stood. “I tried to delay them as much as I could, but I couldn’t do it long enough.” She was talking to Diom, Nic and Bealla’s father, on the Video Monitor in front of her.