Nano Bytes - A Collection of Short SciFi Stories

Ticotan by colleen_nye

As I said, I've been around the whole galaxy and outside of it. We all know what a fiasco the Saragos War was. We lost what? Over a hundred thousand humans alone in that war. It was the bloodiest massacre us humans had ever seen.

Anyway, like I said earlier, I know that's not what you came to talk to me about. Or rather, why I came to you. But honestly, it is.

I'll explain in a moment.

Mind if I get a glass of water?

Thanks.

Ahhh... keep them coming. I feel extremely dehydrated. Maybe that's what time travel does to us humans.

So, I was flying my C-class freighter ship. After the war, I'd taken up a job as a reclaimer. You know, gathering the more valuable bits of debris floating around space and selling it to space stations for scraps and parts. I was approaching the station when something in my gut went sour. I almost thought I should change my route and head over to the Fylarian station just a few clicks away. But, I'm not one of those superstitious people.

I chuckled at myself. "You're far too skittish Bolts. You know that? You don't get paid to act like some charlatan psychic. You get your pay flying this ship and selling junk. So, stick to what you're good at. You have crap to sell to morons."

I flipped on the communicator and announced my impending landing, requesting permission to do so. And, without pause, I was cleared. That station has never changed. Always so much more relaxed. Others in that neck of the galaxy usually questioned you with more intensity than the border agents in what used to be The United States of America in the 21st century.

I flew in and docked in the landing hanger. The dock crew helped to lock in my ship and escorted me to the intake slip. There, I provided my ID and entered into the heart of the city within the station. Only, something seemed different. I wasn't sure what, so I chalked it up to pilot's exhaustion.

Ticotan harbors a variety of beings from each of the sixteen planets we'd made contact with, you know? And by we, I mean Earth. Sixteen planets we, on Earth, know about. I know that some species say they've encountered others, of course. Just like Earth to ignore the existence of things until we're forced to, right?

But anyway... Within the station city, there are a variety of wares, foods and entertainment options. I didn't worry about sleeping accommodations since most of us just stayed on our ships for sleeping while at stations like that. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't versed in indulging in one form of entertainment or another.

But, you know, business first.

I made my way to the Critoan offices where I met with Taldarn. The transaction was going smoothly. They sent a scout to my ship to inspect the load. They offered a price. I countered. Taldarn conceded. We cracked jokes. Then, Taldarn's little sidekick, Ryoann, wrote out the orders to unload the cargo and handed me my pay in cold, hard traics with the required receipt to leave with.

You know how the law is. Can't be walking around with a ton of traics without making people think you're a crook.

I have no idea what made me even give a crap enough to look over the papers, but I did.

I pointed. "Hey. That some sort of joke?"

Taldarn snatched the receipt back. "What joke?" He snarled. His large, bulbous face contorting as his skin went from brown to blue.

I know when to put myself in check. I mean, Tadarn is a Kaldrietian. They average about four meters tall. Some would say equally as wide. I wasn't about to end up a squashed ant under his little toe.