{"data":{"id":17308,"title":"The Second Run: A Sorri Lyrax Delivery (Part Two)","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/17308-The-Second-Run-A-Sorri-Lyrax-Delivery-Part-Two","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17308","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17308","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Second Run","images":[{"id":22600,"name":"SecondRun2.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/i2airxtll1002r\/source\/SecondRun2.jpg","alt":"","size":3681003,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-20T00:49:52+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22600","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22600\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: The Second Run: A Sorri Lyrax Delivery (Part Two) was published originally in Jump Point 4.2. You can read Part One here.\nPart 2: Never Stop Thinking\n[ 59:43:11 ]\n\nThe station provided a soothing background noise to my private pity party as I leaned against the cold glass facing the glowing arm of the galaxy. The view was pleasant, but most certainly not helping me figure out how I was going to make a delivery to Tyrol IV in less than sixty hours.\n\nThe obvious choice was to find Betrix LaGrange, who was probably lounging in a public place, readily available, waiting for me to come crawling back, begging her to take the delivery. She\u2019d probably only offer at most ten percent and truthfully, I\u2019d be stupid not to take it.\n\nTo give myself something to focus on, I started repeating the rules I\u2019d invented for my work.\n\n\u201cRule one, never travel empty handed. Rule two, nothing illegal. Rule three, official routes are for suckers. Rule four, never get distracted. Yeah, I guess I should have remembered that one. Rule five, never stop thinking . . .never stop thinking . . .\u201d\n\nI raised my mobiGlas to review the ships in the station for the fifth time when I felt a gentle tugging on my arm. It was the woman with her child. Her dark face was streaked with the saltlines of old tears, but she looked content holding her daughter against her leg.\n\n\u201cThank you . . .\u201d said Alara Gorane.\n\n\u201cSorri, which is my name, not the apology,\u201d I said, realizing I was letting myself get distracted by her again.\n\nHer lips creased with an exhausted smile. \u201cI can\u2019t thank you enough for what you did for me and Greta. I don\u2019t know what I would have done if he\u2019d taken her on that ship.\u201d\n\nMy face warmed with embarrassment. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it. It was an old trick I used from my father\u2019s bar. Nothing confuses a person more than official mumbo-jumbo.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou work in a bar?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo. I\u2019m a courier. Not a very good one at the moment, but a courier.\u201d\n\nHer eyes widened with surprise. \u201cA courier? Really? Actually, could I hire you? I need to file my divorce papers on Sol, so he can\u2019t come back and take Greta again.\u201d\n\n\u201cI won\u2019t be able to get there for a few weeks,\u201d I said, fidgeting with my mobiGlas.\n\n\u201cI think that would be okay. He won\u2019t be back for a few months. He travels a lot. I was going to use FTL, but I\u2019d rather you earned the delivery fee,\u201d said Alara.\n\nI nodded and accepted the datastick from her, tucking it into my backpack.\n\n\u201cLog onto the ICN network, and file it. My name is SILVERKHAN,\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cThank you again, Sorri. I don\u2019t know what I would have done if I lost her,\u201d said Alara, as she gave me an awkward half-hug, before moving away with her bleary-eyed daughter in tow. Mixed emotions ran through me. I was happy for the woman and her kid, but the distraction had cost me my ride. Still, it wasn\u2019t the woman\u2019s fault I\u2019d stopped.\n\nStanding in one place wasn\u2019t helping, so I started walking, checking the ship list yet again as I walked. Eagle\u2019s Talon was heading towards Sol; maybe if I went with them I could hop on one of the more direct transfers back towards Tyrol, but it wasn\u2019t scheduled to leave for at least another day since it was waiting for a cargo pick-up. Golden Hart was a fuel pusher contracted with Cry-Astro. With the amount of stops it would have to make in the area, it wouldn\u2019t even be worth it. Vita Perry was leaving today, but it was headed towards Ferron. Dornado was a single seater, so unless I wanted to . . . my eyes drifted back up the list to the previous entry. Vita Perry. Something about the ship\u2019s reg stuck in my head this time. Vita Perry. Where had I heard that name before?\n\nA few steps away, the answer came to me.\n\nI took off at a dead run toward the other side of the station where Vita Perry was getting ready to depart, a plan quickly forming in my head. Vita Perry was the name of the founder of the Church of the Journey, a benign religion that believed in journeying for the sake of the travel itself. I could hardly disagree with them since I\u2019d joined the courier service to see the galaxy. I brought up a comm-link as I ran. An older gentleman with laugh wrinkles around his eyes and mouth answered.\n\nI said, \u201cGreetings, follower Sojourner! Have room for another traveler?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy certainly, we\u2019d love to have you along for the ride. There is a donation required, but it\u2019s quite nominal,\u201d he said.\n\nI had it transferred over before I reached the airlock. A smiling woman was waiting. She was missing her left arm past the elbow and had a burn scar on her jaw. Somewhere in her past, she\u2019d survived a terrible fire.\n\n\u201cGreetings, Sojourner Sorri Lyrax,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m Adeline, first mate on Vita Perry. It\u2019s so wonderful you could join us. You have wonderful timing. We were just going to pull away from the station.\u201d\n\nThe inside of the Aegis Reclaimer was quite different than I expected. The cargo bay had been modified for more passengers, like a commercial transport, but more . . . cultish. Pasted to every wall and ceiling, and even painted on the floor, were maps. Even the cloth seats had maps as their designs, and not generic ones, but real star and planetary maps. It was like a library of atlases had vomited over the interior of the ship.\n\nAt least fifteen people were seated, all Human except for one Banu wearing cream colored robes, in back by himself. I found a spot across from the Banu, shoved the silvery case beneath the seat after assuring myself it\u2019d be safe on the ship, and settled in as we moved away from the station. Once we were headed towards the Ferron jump point, I maneuvered through the seats towards the front cabin.\n\n\u201cPermission to enter the cockpit?\u201d I asked.\n\nThe door swished open. The first mate, Adeline, slipped past me to join the others in back.\n\n\u201cGreetings, Sorri,\u201d said the Captain. \u201cI\u2019m Captain Lemmie. Did you want to watch the approach to the jump point?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, I\u2019m good. Any special reason that you\u2019re headed to Ferron?\u201d I asked.\n\nHe shrugged. \u201cNot really.\u201d\n\n\u201cAny chance that you could change that destination to Kilian?\u201d I asked, trying not to sound too desperate.\n\n\u201cOne destination\u2019s as good as another,\u201d said the captain.\n\nHe toggled the comms, \u201cAnyone object to heading to Kilian?\u201d\n\nWhen no one answered, he said over the comms, \u201cI guess we\u2019re headed to Kilian then.\u201d\n\nA murmur of excitement passed through the other passengers.\n\nRelief filled my chest. \u201cThank you, Captain Lemmie.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t mention it. Though I hope you will increase your donation to the Church,\u201d he said with a wink.\n\n\u201cCertainly, of course,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m going to head back to the seats and catch a nap. It\u2019s been a long day.\u201d\n\nAfter making another small donation and watching my dwindling funds dip a little bit lower, I found my seat again. The reclining chair made me think I was lying on a warm marshmallow. The followers of the Church sure knew how to travel comfortably. The Davien-Ferron jump point was relatively near Cestulus, while the Davien-Kilian jump point was further away, so it was going to take longer to reach it.\n\n[ 57:01:05 ]\n\nI settled into a comfortable position, and eventually fell asleep listening to the other passengers quietly sharing stories. If I hadn\u2019t been so exhausted I would have been sharing a few of my own. It was the part of traveling that I loved the most, interacting with people from all corners of the galaxy. It was days like this that made me glad to be a courier.\n\nI don\u2019t recall if I dreamt. After I woke, I pulled up my mobiGlas to study the departure list I\u2019d downloaded before we\u2019d left, for potential routes from Kilian. There were a few candidates that might take me, but I wouldn\u2019t know until we reached the system.\n\nThen I realized someone was staring at me. Without moving my head, I glanced out of the corner of my eye to find the Banu was studying me.\n\n\u201cHi,\u201d I said, suddenly painfully aware at my lack of experience dealing with xenos.\n\n\u201cGreetings, fellow sojourner,\u201d he said in a deep voice. I understood him clearly, though his accent made it sound like he had a bubble of air in his throat.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m Sorri, which is my name, not an apology,\u201d I said, wondering if he\u2019d get the joke.\n\n\u201cMy name is difficult for Human tongue. You may call me Silk,\u201d he said, in the cadence of rising and falling waves.\n\n\u201cSilk?\u201d I blurted out. His appearance was anything but silky.\n\n\u201cYour \u2018Silk Road\u2019 reminds me of Banu trading. You have heard of it?\u201d he asked.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d I said, shaking my head.\n\nHis forehead ridge shifted back and forth. I had no idea how to interpret the gesture. If he were Human, I would have assumed disappointment, but I\u2019d only had brief interactions with the Banu.\n\n\u201cYou are courier,\u201d said Silk, nodding towards the case.\n\n\u201cUhm, yes,\u201d I said, too shocked to lie, then suddenly growing suspicious. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d\n\n\u201cBanu symbols on case. But you not Banu,\u201d he said, then clucked his tongue.\n\nI glanced at the strange lock, feeling like I was being set up.\n\n\u201cCase not matter,\u201d he said, \u201cbut why young Human nervous?\u201d\n\nThe mention made me stop drumming my fingers on my leg. \u201cNot nervous, just have a lot on my mind. An important delivery.\u201d\n\n\u201cDelivery not matter. You are on journey, and that should be enough,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cI wish that were true, but if I don\u2019t make this delivery, I\u2019m out major credits. I don\u2019t want to be stuck as a corporate slave for the rest of my life,\u201d I said, not sure why I was baring my soul to this alien.\n\n\u201cJourney within yourself and you will reach your destination,\u201d he said, nodding solemnly.\n\nI had my mouth halfway open to make a pithy reply when a thump sounded through the cabin and Vita Perry lurched to the side momentarily. A second later, the emergency sirens went off. Flashing lights strobed through the cabin while a loud siren screeched in my ears.\n\nThe expressions on the faces of the other passengers looked somewhere between confusion and outright panic.\n\nOne passenger exclaimed, \u201cThis is turning into quite the adventure!\u201d\n\nSomewhere above the distracting noises, I heard a hiss that sounded like air escaping. The sirens ceased and Captain Lemmie\u2019s uneasy voice came over the comms: \u201cWe\u2019ve been hit by debris. We\u2019re currently drifting without power and the hull has a leak somewhere on the port side. I\u2019ve sent distress signals, but we\u2019re too far out for anyone to reach us in time. If anyone on this ship has experience with an EVA, please come up to the main cabin.\u201d\n\nNo-one made a move. I was impressed that most passengers had their chins raised, patiently waiting for instructions from the captain, but for a few of the others I could tell panic was beginning to set in. The air temperature was already dropping. I got up and ran to the front and banged on the pilot\u2019s door.\n\n\u201cCan you do ship repair?\u201d asked Captain Lemmie.\n\n\u201cMaybe, but what about your First Mate? Or you?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t. I need to reroute power while you\u2019re out there,\u201d \u2014 he dropped his voice to a whisper \u2014 \u201cand I won\u2019t put Adeline in that kind of situation again.\u201d\n\nThe source of her missing arm and burn scar became clearer.\n\n\u201cI have EVA certification,\u201d I said, leaving out that I\u2019d never actually performed an EVA, much less accomplished work in one. FTL had us sit through a day of lectures and holovids about what to do if an EVA suit was required. Most of the other couriers played with their mobiGlas during that lecture.\n\nI\u2019d been enthralled by it, not because I actually thought I was ever get to use one. Rather the idea of swinging around on the outside of a speeding spacecraft sounded like being a kid on the galaxy\u2019s best jungle gym.\n\nNow that our lives depended on my successfully completing one, it didn\u2019t sound so romantic. Mostly terrifying, in fact.\n\n\u201cSee that locker behind the door?\u201d he asked, giving me a moment to check.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cPut on the suit. There\u2019s a repair bag to clip on your belt in the bottom. Once you find the hull damage, you\u2019ll use the zero-set epoxy to patch it, assuming the hole\u2019s not too large,\u201d he said, not sounding too confidant.\n\nWhile he was talking, I was already opening the locker. It didn\u2019t take me long to figure out the suit was built for a much larger person.\n\nWhile I was putting on the EVA suit, the Captain told the other passengers to put on their warm clothing and pull out the oxygen canisters in the side panels and wait for his instruction on when to use them.\n\nThe first mate, Adeline, was moving up and down the aisle helping the passengers where she could. When I couldn\u2019t get the bulky chest section around my head, I called for her to lend me a hand, and was too worried about the EVA to cringe at my poor choice of words.\n\nUsing her good arm, Adeline helped me get it over my head while I spread my arms out in a narrow V. As it slipped over my head, nudging my nose painfully, I realized the hard plastic midsection was going to make it hard to maneuver. Once I had my head through, I felt like a child sitting at the adult\u2019s table during a family get-together.\n\nWith a concerned frown, Adeline asked me, \u201cAre you going to be okay in that thing?\u201d\n\n\u201cDo you have any straps? Tie-downs or anything I can use to take out the slack?\u201d I asked.\n\nTechnically, exposed straps were a bad idea on an EVA, but I thought wearing the oversized suit without some modifi-cation was worse.\n\nAdeline turned to the other passengers.\n\n\u201cDoes anyone have any rope or straps?\u201d she asked, hopefully.\n\nA thin, but chubby-faced middle-aged gentleman snapped, \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have been hit if you hadn\u2019t made us change routes.\u201d\n\nAdeline spoke on my behalf, \u201cYou knew the risks when you joined the Church. Traveling in space is never safe, no matter what the precautions. And she\u2019s the only one that volunteered to go outside the ship and fix the leak.\u201d\n\nI cleared my throat. \u201cLook, I hate to rush, but if I don\u2019t get some straps and get out there to fix this ship, there\u2019s a hundred percent chance we die.\u201d\n\nA younger woman dressed in stylish clothes yelled, \u201cI\u2019ve got something. Just a moment!\u201d\n\nShe buried her head in her bag, then came running up with a handful of black straps and an awkward blush on her face.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re, uhm . . .\u201d she stuttered, visibly trying to find the right words.\n\nIt didn\u2019t take long to figure out what purpose the straps were meant for, and I might have laughed except for the life-threatening circumstances.\n\n\u201cPerfect,\u201d I finished for her, as I suppressed a grin and grabbed them.\n\nWe used the straps to tie down excess material, especially around the arms and the puffy midsection. Before they put the helmet on, I yelled to the captain.\n\n\u201cHow much time?\u201d\n\nHe paused and my stomach dropped a few feet.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d hurry, please,\u201d he said, keeping his voice as profession-al as he could muster.\n\nMoving through the cabin in an oversized EVA suit was like trying to swim through molasses. Adeline helped me open the outer airlock. Once I was inside, I gave my suit one last check-over and connected my tether to the hook right inside the outer airlock.\n\nOnce the green light appeared on the door, I turned the handle clockwise and went out.\n\nI\u2019ve never been afraid of heights. When I was young and foolish, I\u2019d once climbed up the side of an apartment building using the drainage pipes, so I could prank one of my mates by sneaking in his window and cutting the crotches out of all his underwear.\n\nBut swinging onto the hull of the Reclaimer, facing an infinite pit \u2014 however beautiful \u2014 made my arms retract like levers. I clung to the metal surface, my boots\u2019 soft clanging against the hull only audible through the air of my suit, and tried to convince my body that sliding along the guide rail to the front of the ship was just like climbing those drainage rails.\n\nAfter a few deep breaths, I managed to unsolder my hand from the rail and extend my arm. Even the act of reaching seemed like certain death, especially without the ship\u2019s artificial gravity holding me down, but once I\u2019d pulled myself along the rail a few times, the fear reduced to a modest nightmare level of fright.\n\n\u201cHow\u2019s it coming?\u201d asked Captain Lemmie through the comm in my suit.\n\n\u201cMoving to the front of the ship,\u201d I said in an unsteady voice.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not trying to hurry you along, but you\u2019re going to return to asphyxiated Human popsicles if you don\u2019t get that patched soon,\u201d he said.\n\nI\u2019d been making little movements along the rail, the equivalent of a four-year-old edging around a pool during her first swim. After the captain spoke, I decided I needed to make huge leaps.\n\nI yanked myself along the rail, using the lack of gravity and my momentum to sail along the curved hull. But I misjudged the amount of force and my fingertips grazed the cold metal as I skipped into space.\n\nThankfully, I was still connected to the rail through my tether, which snapped me back towards the ship. I hit hard, my face plate slamming against the metal hull in a resounding gong.\n\nI managed to hook my shaking fingers around the rail. For the brief moment that I was flying away from the ship, I\u2019d thought I was lost to space.\n\nWith my eyes squeezed shut, I said, \u201cAnd that\u2019s why we use the tether.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou okay, Sorri?\u201d asked the captain.\n\n\u201cAlmost there,\u201d I said, not wanting to admit I\u2019d nearly wet my suit with fright.\n\nWhen my gaze fell upon the damage, my stomach dropped into my boots. A white mist, the atmosphere of the cabin, was jetting into the darkness through a head-sized hole in the hull. Only the inner walls had kept all the oxygen from venting into space within the first thirty seconds of rupture. Bits of insulation were breaking free at the point of escape. If whatever had hit the hull had impacted a little harder, destroying the material beneath the hull, we\u2019d have been dead before I made it to the EVA. I said a small silent thank you to whoever had invented shields.\n\nI pulled the spray applicator out of the carryall. There was no way it was going to fill the hole. I might as well be trying to spray paint a planet-killing asteroid with one can.\n\n\u201cCaptain. The hole\u2019s too big for me to fix,\u201d I said.\n\nHis wheezing voice answered back. \u201cYou . . . have to figure it out.\u201d\n\nI stared at the can for a while. The volume of material just wasn\u2019t large enough to plug the leak.\nI stared out into the blackness of space. Behind us, the star at the center of the Davien system looked like a tiny burning ball. Past the front the ship, I caught reflections of the jump point structure in the distance. It twinkled as something passed through the aperture.\n\n\u201cNever stop thinking. Never stop thinking,\u201d I repeated to myself.\n\nI needed more material, but I didn\u2019t have enough time to go back into the ship.\n\nThe carryall!\n\nI unclipped the bag from my belt and shoved it into the hole. It didn\u2019t want to stay in the wide, flat hole. Parts of it kept trying to float out. With my elbow keeping the bag in place, I popped the top off the can and shook it a few times to activate the epoxy. At this point, I had about a minute before the material hardened, so I pressed the nozzle and squeezed the goop onto the bag.\n\nFor a second, the goop didn\u2019t come out and I thought I had a defective can, but then it oozed onto the tan bag material like clear snot. As fast as it came out, I let it flow on top of the bag. About halfway finished, I noticed the first sections of goop starting to harden into a whitish material that almost looked like ice.\n\nI managed to cover the hole with the epoxy. With the remaining material, I checked for leaks by holding my helmet over the repair looking for misting on the glass. After filling a few minor pinholes, the can was empty.\n\n\u201cHole\u2019s fixed, Captain,\u201d I said. \u201cYou can start pressurizing the cabin, though take it slow. I\u2019m not sure how structurally strong this epoxy is.\u201d\n\nWhen no answer came, I felt a heavy sweat form on my brow. I gave it a few more seconds.\n\n\u201cCaptain?\u201d I asked.\n\nWas I too late?\n\nMy whole world seemed to condense to a tiny point at the end of my nose, before I realized the comm link was off. I must have tripped it during the repair.\n\n\u201cCaptain?\u201d I asked again.\n\n\u201cYes, I\u2019m here, Sorri. Glad to hear you. I thought we\u2019d lost you,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cI accidentally switched the comm off. The hole\u2019s fixed, though I wouldn\u2019t fully pressurize. I\u2019m not sure how sound my repair is. I had to improvise. I\u2019ll wait out here while you pump atmosphere back in to make sure it\u2019s not going to pop loose,\u201d I said.\n\nAfter a few minutes of silently watching for any sign of deformation, the captain announced the cabin was back to minimum pressure and target oxygen levels. Taking my time, I made my way back to the airlock.\n\nBefore I went back in, I hung by one hand and stared at the great infinite beyond. Though I was still terrified that the void would somehow suck me away from the ship to drift forever alone, I simultaneously was so awestruck that it brought tears to my eyes.\n\nI\u2019d never really decided if I believed in a higher power or not, but looking at the vastness made me wonder if anything could conceivably create the universe. It seemed too grand, too infinite, for a single being to manufacture.\n\nSomehow that made me feel better to think that the universe had always been here, rather than the arbitrary creation of a higher being who might change his or her mind based on a whim I couldn\u2019t possibly understand. Then again, we\u2019d gotten damn unlucky to be hit by a piece of debris out here in the middle of all this nothing.\n\nI went back inside the ship through the airlock. The other passengers greeted me with exhausted applause, as if their relief was so deep they had little energy left to expend.\n\nThe other passengers touched me as I went up to the pilot\u2019s cabin with the helmet under my arm. A few thanked me for the story. Only the Banu seemed unfazed by the experience.\n\n\u201cEverything still okay, Captain?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cThe good news is that we\u2019re holding pressure. It looks like your repair worked,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cThis is one of those good news, bad news things, right?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m afraid so. The bad news is I can\u2019t risk moving again. So we\u2019re stuck here until the rescue ships arrive,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cCrite!\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re not going to make your delivery?\u201d he asked.\n\nI blanched. \u201cYou knew I was a courier?\u201d\n\nHe tilted his head. \u201cWell, of course. I saw your profile and I saw the case you\u2019re carrying.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd you just changed destinations for me?\u201d I asked, perplexed.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not the destination, but the journey. And now we\u2019ve all had an experience we might not have had otherwise,\u201d he said with a wry smile. \u201cThat\u2019s kinda the point.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs there anything closer than the rescue vehicles? Someone that might take a passenger?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cFor our fearless repairwoman, I\u2019ll make a scan,\u201d he said, flipping a few knobs beneath a screen. After a moment, a little blip appeared on the screen. \u201cLooks like there\u2019s a Caterpillar headed towards the jump point. Let me check the records . . . ship name is Dodecahedron and it\u2019s registered under the name . . . Senet Mehen? I don\u2019t know. It doesn\u2019t sound promising.\u201d\n\n\u201cCould you hail it?\u201d I asked.\n\nCaptain Lemmie typed a standard hailing message on his keyboard and sent it to Dodecahedron requesting communications. We stared at the display and each other for a minute. No response.\n\n\u201cThe owner could be asleep and on autopilot,\u201d said the Captain with a shrug.\n\n\u201cTry again, please,\u201d I said.\n\nWe stared for a while longer.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, his lips curling with disappointment.\n\n\u201cDodecahedron. That\u2019s a strange name. Try sending the message: \u2018Greetings, Senet Mehen. Sorri Lyrax requests the pleasure of your communications to inquire about an audacious offer.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThat sounds like spam,\u201d said the Captain.\n\n\u201cWell, sometimes spam works. Send it,\u201d I said.\n\nThe Captain had an incredulous look as he typed in the message, shaking his head the whole time.\n\nWhile we waited, he had a smirk on his lips as if he knew what was going to happen. To both our surprise, a message returned on the display.\n\n[ Greetings, Sorri Lyrax, what offer awaits? ]\n\u201cIt\u2019s like you two are speaking a foreign language,\u201d said the Captain. \u201cWhat\u2019s the reply?\u201d\n\n\u201cA dodecahedron is a twenty-side die. It\u2019s used for playing games. He must like games. Probably uses the downtime during space travel to play them. I would guess he has an extensive VR set, or custom Glas wall. Please respond: \u2018Vita Perry stranded. Rescue ships approach, but Sorri Lyrax needs ride. Will pay,\u2019\u201d I said.\n\nAfter the Captain typed it, we waited a while but got no response.\n\n\u201cCrite,\u201d I said, pulling up my mobiGlas and searching it for gamer terms. I\u2019d seen kids my age playing games with dice when I was growing up, but my father always had me working in the bar. Games are for infants, he would tell me in his gruff, I-am-all-wise voice if I inquired about visiting one of those shops.\n\n\u201cTry this: \u2018Sorri Lyrax in dire need. Will you accept quest?\u2019\u201d I said.\n\nThe answer came back so fast I thought it was an error. He was going to let me ride with him for free. The blip started moving towards Vita Perry.\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t believe that actually worked. You\u2019re going to need to do another EVA to reach Dodecahedron,\u201d he said. \u201cCan\u2019t risk anything else with the hull damaged. I\u2019ll pick up a new suit when we get back to port, but you\u2019re going to have to pay for the one you\u2019ve got on since we\u2019ll have no way to get it back.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll do that right now,\u201d I said, accessing my mobi while simultaneously trying not to scowl. \u201cThank you.\u201d\n\nHe gave me a wink, the kind I would expect from a wizened old farmer leaning over the back of his tractor. \u201cMy pleasure.\u201d\n\nThe rest of the passengers had overheard the exchange since we\u2019d kept the cabin door open, so I was greeted with a mixture of appreciation and relief. I think some of them thought I was bad luck.\n\nThe Banu in the cream robes appeared asleep, which made the departure less awkward. I put the helmet back on, hooked the case to a strap, and moved to the airlock.\n\nAt first, I was worried Dodecahedron\u2019s approach would create a dangerous impact, but the ship\u2019s pilot did a deft maneuver, swinging the ship around and using thrusters to slow to a stop. I\u2019d never seen a prettier parallel park in deep space.\n\nThe only problem was the gap between the two airlocks. I had about ten feet that I had to traverse untethered. I felt like I was standing over a bottomless crevasse. Eventually I talked my feet into pushing away. The flight between ships was brief, and I thudded against Dodecahedron before I took a second breath.\n\nAfter passing through the airlock, I stepped inside the ship and thought I\u2019d been teleported into an antique shop on Sol. I pulled my helmet off, inhaling the unfamiliar scents of old wood and rubbing oils.\n\nI\u2019d been completely wrong about Senet Mehen. He didn\u2019t pass the time playing VR games or using a wall-sized Glas. He passed the time playing ancient games and puzzles so intricately designed they looked like artwork.\n\nHand-carved shelves were fashioned of wood as smooth as glass. Packed from floor to ceiling, the shelves contained what seemed like every possible game ever made that didn\u2019t contain electronics. These weren\u2019t mass manufactured games and puzzles, but made by craftsman who labored for love, some of whom were clearly not Human.\n\nAn octagonal table at the center of the main cabin displayed the pi\u00e8ce-de-r\u00e9sistance of the collection. I\u2019d seen an old drawing on Castra II involving impossible staircases that seem to go nowhere and everywhere all at once. The wooden puzzle structure reminded me of that staircase painting, except that it\u2019d been made three-dimensional. Dozens of interlocking pieces were strewn about the table.\n\nThe center section held the puzzle in progress, which appeared to be a half-formed tower. Even at a glance I could tell it was being assembled incorrectly.\n\n\u201cI sense your disappointment in my assembly of the puzzle. I\u2019m afraid I share your assessment,\u201d said a voice from the doorway. \u201cThe designer claimed the puzzle was of moderate difficulty, but I have been at it for half a year without progress.\u201d\n\nSenet Mehen was nothing like I expected. He was a thin, proper man in a vest and tweed jacket. His mustache and beard were kept neat. He could have been a professor of antiquities living in a musty University library, or a germaphobe who lived sequestered in an ancient Sol highrise.\n\n\u201cUhm, hello. I\u2019m Sorri,\u201d I said, reflexively.\n\n\u201cYes. We are already acquainted. The odd but slightly interesting message,\u201d he said while steepling his fingers.\u201dYou enjoy games.\u201d\n\n\u201cSure. Yes. That\u2019s what I enjoy,\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cWhich ones?\u201d he asked.\n\nI wrinkled my forehead. \u201cUh . . . I guess ones that involve maximizing deliveries for the shortest cost. I\u2019m a courier. Vita Perry was stranded and I\u2019m trying to get to Tyrol IV, by way of Kilian.\u201d\n\n\u201cA courier?\u201d he said, a twinge of disgust in his voice.\n\n\u201cThis ship is a research vessel, a space-faring museum! I travel the galaxy in search of antique games made by all cultures. At my last visit, I acquired a Xi\u2019an interrogation puzzle cube, a sublime piece of history. The Xi\u2019an would place the box over their captives\u2019 hands and if they could solve the series of levers and slides inside the box, it would free them. Otherwise, the captives would lose their hands. There\u2019s still old blood on the blade inside.\u201d\n\nSenet Mehen\u2019s enthusiasm for a twisted piece of war contraband gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.\n\n\u201cWell, I, uhm . . .\u201d\n\nThe words trickled out of my mouth. It was a rare moment that I was at a loss for something to say.\n\nSenet Mehen stiffened before he announced, \u201cSince you have not been completely honest with me, nor do you share my values, I cannot abide by our agreement. I had plans on leaving you in the Kilian system as requested, but I do not have the patience for charity work, and plan to forge on to Stanton system where I seek to acquire a glasswork Matryoshka nesting puzzle. You may indulge your need for commerce at that station; until then, you can rest in this location, but keep your fingerprints from my valuables or I will jettison you from the airlock.\u201d\n\nMy response was cut off when Senet Mehen returned through the cabin door, leaving me in the room stuffed with puzzles. I slumped against the leg of the table and let out a deep breath before I tried to put a fist into the wall.\n\nRule number five, never stop thinking. But what happens when you\u2019re stuck with a puzzle-worshiping lunatic who won\u2019t let you off his ship?\n\n[ 54:11:20 ]\n\nTo be continued\u2026","de_DE":"Anmerkung des Autors: Der zweite Lauf: A Sorri Lyrax Delivery (Part Two) wurde urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 4.2 ver\u00f6ffentlicht. Den ersten Teil k\u00f6nnen Sie hier lesen.\nTeil 2: Niemals aufh\u00f6ren zu denken.\n[ 59:43:11 ]\n\nDie Station sorgte f\u00fcr einen beruhigenden Hintergrundl\u00e4rm f\u00fcr meine private Mitleidsparty, als ich mich gegen das kalte Glas lehnte, das dem gl\u00fchenden Arm der Galaxie zugewandt war. Die Aussicht war angenehm, aber sicherlich nicht hilfreich, um herauszufinden, wie ich in weniger als sechzig Stunden eine Lieferung nach Tirol IV machen sollte.\n\nDie naheliegende Wahl war, Betrix LaGrange zu finden, die wahrscheinlich an einem \u00f6ffentlichen Ort lag, leicht zug\u00e4nglich, wartete darauf, dass ich zur\u00fcckkroch und sie anflehte, die Lieferung anzunehmen. Sie w\u00fcrde wahrscheinlich nur h\u00f6chstens zehn Prozent anbieten und ehrlich gesagt, w\u00e4re ich dumm, es nicht zu nehmen.\n\nUm mir etwas zu geben, worauf ich mich konzentrieren konnte, begann ich, die Regeln zu wiederholen, die ich f\u00fcr meine Arbeit erfunden hatte.\n\n\"Regel eins, niemals mit leeren H\u00e4nden reisen. Regel zwei, nichts Illegales. Regel drei: Offizielle Routen sind f\u00fcr Trottel. Regel vier: Lass dich nie ablenken. Ja, ich sch\u00e4tze, ich h\u00e4tte mich an den erinnern sollen. Regel f\u00fcnf, h\u00f6r nie auf zu denken.... h\u00f6r nie auf zu denken.... nie auf zu denken....\"\n\nIch hob mein mobiGlas an, um zum f\u00fcnften Mal die Schiffe in der Station zu \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen, als ich ein sanftes Ziehen an meinem Arm sp\u00fcrte. Es war die Frau mit ihrem Kind. Ihr dunkles Gesicht war von den Salzlinien alter Tr\u00e4nen durchzogen, aber sie sah zufrieden aus, als sie ihre Tochter an ihrem Bein hielt.\n\n\"Danke. ...\" sagte Alara Gorane.\n\n\"Sorri, das ist mein Name, nicht die Entschuldigung\", sagte ich und erkannte, dass ich mich wieder von ihr ablenken lie\u00df.\n\nIhre Lippen knitterten mit einem ersch\u00f6pften L\u00e4cheln. \"Ich kann dir nicht genug daf\u00fcr danken, was du f\u00fcr mich und Greta getan hast. Ich wei\u00df nicht, was ich getan h\u00e4tte, wenn er sie auf dieses Schiff gebracht h\u00e4tte.\"\n\nMein Gesicht wurde vor Verlegenheit erw\u00e4rmt. \"Mach dir keine Sorgen. Es war ein alter Trick aus der Bar meines Vaters. Nichts verwirrt einen Menschen mehr als offizieller Hokuspokus.\"\n\n\"Oh?\" fragte sie. \"Du arbeitest in einer Bar?\"\n\n\"Nein. Ich bin ein Kurier. Im Moment kein sehr guter, aber ein Kurier.\"\n\nIhre Augen weiteten sich vor \u00dcberraschung. \"Ein Kurier? Wirklich? Eigentlich, k\u00f6nnte ich dich einstellen? Ich muss meine Scheidungspapiere auf Sol einreichen, damit er nicht zur\u00fcckkommen und Greta wieder mitnehmen kann.\"\n\n\"Ich werde f\u00fcr ein paar Wochen nicht dort sein k\u00f6nnen\", sagte ich und zappelte an meinem mobiGlas herum.\n\n\"Ich denke, das w\u00e4re in Ordnung. Er wird f\u00fcr ein paar Monate nicht zur\u00fcckkommen. Er ist viel unterwegs. Ich wollte FTL benutzen, aber ich m\u00f6chte, dass du die Liefergeb\u00fchr verdienst\", sagte Alara.\n\nIch nickte und nahm den Datastick von ihr an und steckte ihn in meinen Rucksack.\n\n\"Loggen Sie sich in das ICN-Netzwerk ein und legen Sie es ab. Mein Name ist SILVERKHAN\", sagte ich.\n\n\"Nochmals vielen Dank, Sorri. Ich wei\u00df nicht, was ich getan h\u00e4tte, wenn ich sie verloren h\u00e4tte\", sagte Alara, als sie mich in eine unangenehme halbe Umarmung nahm, bevor sie mit ihrer trief\u00e4ugigen Tochter im Schlepptau wegging. Gemischte Emotionen gingen durch mich hindurch. Ich freute mich f\u00fcr die Frau und ihr Kind, aber die Ablenkung hatte mich meine Fahrt gekostet. Dennoch war es nicht die Schuld der Frau, dass ich aufgeh\u00f6rt hatte.\n\nAn einem Ort zu stehen, war nicht hilfreich, also fing ich an zu laufen und \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte die Schiffsliste noch einmal, w\u00e4hrend ich ging. Eagle's Talon war auf dem Weg nach Sol; vielleicht konnte ich, wenn ich mit ihnen ging, auf einen der direkteren Transfers zur\u00fcck nach Tirol springen, aber es war nicht geplant, mindestens einen weiteren Tag zu fahren, da es auf eine Abholung wartete. Golden Hart war ein Treibstoffschieber, der mit Cry-Astro unter Vertrag genommen wurde. Bei der Anzahl der Stopps, die es in der Gegend machen m\u00fcsste, w\u00e4re es das nicht einmal wert. Vita Perry wollte heute abreisen, aber es ging Richtung Ferron. Dornado war ein Einsitzer, also, es sei denn, ich wollte es.... meine Augen schweiften wieder nach oben in der Liste zum vorherigen Eintrag. Vita Perry. Irgendwas an dem Schiffsregal steckt diesmal in meinem Kopf. Vita Perry. Wo hatte ich diesen Namen schon mal geh\u00f6rt?\n\nEin paar Schritte weiter kam die Antwort zu mir.\n\nIch startete bei einem Dead Run auf die andere Seite der Station, wo Vita Perry sich auf die Abfahrt vorbereitete, ein Plan, der sich schnell in meinem Kopf entwickelte. Vita Perry war der Name des Gr\u00fcnders der Church of the Journey, einer gutartigen Religion, die daran glaubte, um der Reise selbst willen zu reisen. Ich konnte ihnen kaum widersprechen, da ich mich dem Kurierdienst angeschlossen hatte, um die Galaxie zu sehen. Ich habe einen Kommunikationslink erw\u00e4hnt, als ich weglief. Ein \u00e4lterer Herr mit Lachfalten um die Augen und den Mund antwortete.\n\nIch sagte: \"Gr\u00fc\u00dfe, Anh\u00e4nger Sojourner! Hatten Sie Platz f\u00fcr einen anderen Reisenden?\"\n\n\"Sicher, wir w\u00fcrden Sie gerne mitnehmen. Es ist eine Spende erforderlich, aber sie ist ziemlich nominal\", sagte er.\n\nIch lie\u00df es r\u00fcberbringen, bevor ich die Luftschleuse erreichte. Eine l\u00e4chelnde Frau wartete. Sie vermisste ihren linken Arm am Ellenbogen vorbei und hatte eine Brandnarbe an ihrem Kiefer. Irgendwo in ihrer Vergangenheit hatte sie ein schreckliches Feuer \u00fcberlebt.\n\n\"Gr\u00fc\u00dfe, Sojourner Sorri Lyrax\", sagte sie. \"Ich bin Adeline, Erster Offizier bei Vita Perry. Es ist so wunderbar, dass du dich uns anschlie\u00dfen konntest. Du hast ein wunderbares Timing. Wir wollten uns gerade vom Bahnhof entfernen.\"\n\nDas Innere des Aegis Reclaimers war ganz anders, als ich erwartet hatte. Der Frachtraum wurde f\u00fcr mehr Passagiere umgebaut, wie ein kommerzieller Transport, aber mehr.... kultisch. An jede Wand und Decke geklebt und sogar auf den Boden gemalt, waren Karten. Sogar die Stoffsitze hatten Karten als Design, und keine allgemeinen, sondern echte Stern- und Planetenkarten. Es war, als h\u00e4tte sich eine Bibliothek von Atlanten \u00fcber das Innere des Schiffes \u00fcbergeben.\n\nMindestens f\u00fcnfzehn Personen sa\u00dfen, alle Menschen, bis auf einen Banu, der cremefarbene Gew\u00e4nder trug, im R\u00fccken allein. Ich fand einen Platz gegen\u00fcber der Banu, schob die silberne Kiste unter den Sitz, nachdem ich mir versichert hatte, dass sie sicher auf dem Schiff sein w\u00fcrde, und lie\u00df mich nieder, als wir von der Station wegfuhren. Als wir auf dem Weg zum Ferron-Sprungplatz waren, man\u00f6vrierte ich durch die Sitze zur Vorderkabine.\n\n\"Erlaubnis, das Cockpit zu betreten?\" fragte ich.\n\nDie T\u00fcr schlug auf. Die erste Gef\u00e4hrtin, Adeline, schl\u00fcpfte an mir vorbei, um sich den anderen hinten anzuschlie\u00dfen.\n\n\"Seid gegr\u00fc\u00dft, Sorri\", sagte der Captain. \"Ich bin Captain Lemmie. Wolltest du die Ann\u00e4herung an den Sprungpunkt beobachten?\"\n\n\"Nein, mir geht es gut. Gibt es einen besonderen Grund, warum du nach Ferron gehst?\" fragte ich.\n\nEr zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Nicht wirklich.\"\n\n\"Besteht die M\u00f6glichkeit, dass du das Ziel auf Kilian \u00e4nderst?\" fragte ich und versuchte, nicht zu verzweifelt zu klingen.\n\n\"Ein Ziel ist so gut wie das andere\", sagte der Kapit\u00e4n.\n\nEr schaltete die Kommunikation um: \"Hat jemand etwas dagegen, nach Kilian zu gehen?\"\n\nAls niemand antwortete, sagte er \u00fcber den Funk: \"Ich sch\u00e4tze, dann fahren wir nach Kilian.\"\n\nEin Raunen der Aufregung ging durch die anderen Passagiere.\n\nErleichterung f\u00fcllte meine Brust. \"Danke, Captain Lemmie.\"\n\n\"Nicht der Rede wert. Obwohl ich hoffe, dass du deine Spende f\u00fcr die Kirche erh\u00f6hen wirst\", sagte er mit einem Augenzwinkern.\n\n\"Nat\u00fcrlich, nat\u00fcrlich\", sagte ich. \"Ich gehe zur\u00fcck zu den Sitzen und mache ein Nickerchen. Es war ein langer Tag.\"\n\nNachdem ich eine weitere kleine Spende gemacht und gesehen hatte, wie meine schwindenden Gelder etwas tiefer eintauchten, fand ich meinen Platz wieder. Der Liegestuhl lie\u00df mich denken, dass ich auf einem warmen Marshmallow liege. Die Anh\u00e4nger der Kirche wussten, wie man bequem reist. Der Davien-Ferron-Sprungpunkt war relativ nahe an Cestulus, w\u00e4hrend der Davien-Kilian-Sprungpunkt weiter entfernt war, so dass es l\u00e4nger dauern w\u00fcrde, ihn zu erreichen.\n\n[ 57:01:05 ]\n\nIch setzte mich in eine bequeme Position und schlief schlie\u00dflich ein, als ich den anderen Passagieren zuh\u00f6rte und leise Geschichten erz\u00e4hlte. Wenn ich nicht so ersch\u00f6pft gewesen w\u00e4re, h\u00e4tte ich ein paar eigene geteilt. Es war der Teil des Reisens, den ich am meisten liebte und der mit Menschen aus allen Ecken der Galaxie interagierte. Es waren Tage wie diese, die mich froh machten, ein Kurier zu sein.\n\nIch erinnere mich nicht, ob ich getr\u00e4umt habe. Nachdem ich aufgewacht war, zog ich meinen mobiGlas hoch, um die Abflugliste zu studieren, die ich vor unserer Abreise heruntergeladen hatte, f\u00fcr m\u00f6gliche Routen ab Kilian. Es gab ein paar Kandidaten, die mich vielleicht mitnehmen w\u00fcrden, aber ich w\u00fcrde es nicht wissen, bis wir das System erreicht haben.\n\nDann wurde mir klar, dass mich jemand anstarrt. Ohne meinen Kopf zu bewegen, blickte ich aus dem Augenwinkel, um festzustellen, dass die Banu mich studierte.\n\n\"Hi\", sagte ich und wurde mir pl\u00f6tzlich schmerzhaft bewusst, dass ich keine Erfahrung im Umgang mit Xenos habe.\n\n\"Gr\u00fc\u00dfe, Mitbewohner\", sagte er mit tiefer Stimme. Ich verstand ihn deutlich, obwohl sein Akzent es so klingen lie\u00df, als h\u00e4tte er eine Luftblase im Hals.\n\n\"Ich bin Sorri, das ist mein Name, keine Entschuldigung\", sagte ich und fragte mich, ob er den Witz verstehen w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Mein Name ist schwer f\u00fcr die menschliche Sprache. Ihr k\u00f6nnt mich Seide nennen\", sagte er, in der Kadenz steigender und fallender Wellen.\n\n\"Seide?\" Ich bin herausgeplatzt. Sein Aussehen war alles andere als seidig.\n\n\"Deine \"Seidenstra\u00dfe\" erinnert mich an den Banu-Handel. Du hast davon geh\u00f6rt?\", fragte er.\n\n\"Nein,\" sagte ich und sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf.\n\nSein Stirnkamm bewegte sich hin und her. Ich hatte keine Ahnung, wie man die Geste interpretiert. Wenn er ein Mensch w\u00e4re, h\u00e4tte ich Entt\u00e4uschung angenommen, aber ich hatte nur kurze Interaktionen mit den Banu gehabt.\n\n\"Du bist ein Kurier\", sagte Silk und nickte dem Fall zu.\n\n\"\u00c4hm, ja\", sagte ich, zu schockiert, um zu l\u00fcgen, und wurde dann pl\u00f6tzlich misstrauisch. \"Woher wusstest du das?\"\n\n\"Banu-Symbole auf dem Fall. Aber du nicht Banu\", sagte er, dann gackerte er mit der Zunge.\n\nIch blickte auf das seltsame Schloss und f\u00fchlte mich, als w\u00fcrde ich reingelegt.\n\n\"Case not matter\", sagte er, \"aber warum ist der junge Mensch nerv\u00f6s?\"\n\nDie Erw\u00e4hnung lie\u00df mich aufh\u00f6ren, meine Finger auf meinem Bein zu trommeln. \"Nicht nerv\u00f6s, ich habe nur viel um die Ohren. Eine wichtige Lieferung.\"\n\n\"Die Lieferung spielt keine Rolle. Ihr seid auf dem Weg, und das sollte reichen\", sagte er.\n\n\"Ich w\u00fcnschte, das w\u00e4re wahr, aber wenn ich diese Lieferung nicht mache, sind mir die gro\u00dfen Kredite ausgegangen. Ich will nicht f\u00fcr den Rest meines Lebens als Firmensklave festsitzen\", sagte ich, nicht sicher, warum ich diesem Au\u00dferirdischen meine Seele entbl\u00f6\u00dfte.\n\n\"Reise in dir selbst und du wirst dein Ziel erreichen\", sagte er und nickte feierlich.\n\nIch hatte meinen Mund halbwegs offen, um eine pr\u00e4gnante Antwort zu geben, als ein Schlag durch die Kabine ert\u00f6nte und Vita Perry kurzzeitig zur Seite taumelte. Eine Sekunde sp\u00e4ter gingen die Notsirenen los. Blitzende Lichter str\u00f6mten durch die Kabine, w\u00e4hrend eine laute Sirene in meinen Ohren kreischte.\n\nDie Ausdr\u00fccke auf den Gesichtern der anderen Passagiere sahen irgendwo zwischen Verwirrung und v\u00f6lliger Panik aus.\n\nEin Passagier rief aus: \"Das wird ein ziemliches Abenteuer!\"\n\nIrgendwo \u00fcber den st\u00f6renden Ger\u00e4uschen h\u00f6rte ich ein Rauschen, das wie Luft klang, die entwich. Die Sirenen h\u00f6rten auf und Captain Lemmie's unbehagliche Stimme kam \u00fcber die Kommunikation: \"Wir wurden von Tr\u00fcmmern getroffen. Wir driften derzeit ohne Strom und der Rumpf hat irgendwo auf der Backbordseite ein Leck. Ich habe Notsignale gesendet, aber wir sind zu weit drau\u00dfen, um uns rechtzeitig zu erreichen. Wenn jemand auf diesem Schiff Erfahrung mit einem EVA hat, kommen Sie bitte in die Hauptkabine.\"\n\nNiemand machte einen Zug. Ich war beeindruckt, dass die meisten Passagiere ihr Kinn angehoben hatten und geduldig auf die Anweisungen des Kapit\u00e4ns warteten, aber f\u00fcr einige der anderen konnte ich sagen, dass Panik einsetzte. Die Lufttemperatur sank bereits. Ich stand auf und rannte nach vorne und klopfte an die T\u00fcr des Piloten.\n\n\"Kannst du Schiffsreparaturen durchf\u00fchren?\" fragte Captain Lemmie.\n\n\"Vielleicht, aber was ist mit deinem Ersten Offizier? Oder du?\" fragte ich.\n\n\"Ich kann nicht. Ich muss die Energie umleiten, w\u00e4hrend du da drau\u00dfen bist,\" - er lie\u00df seine Stimme fl\u00fcstern - \"und ich werde Adeline nicht wieder in diese Situation bringen.\"\n\nDie Quelle ihrer fehlenden Arm- und Brandnarbe wurde immer deutlicher.\n\n\"Ich habe eine EVA-Zertifizierung\", sagte ich und lie\u00df dabei au\u00dfer Acht, dass ich nie tats\u00e4chlich eine EVA durchgef\u00fchrt hatte, geschweige denn eine Arbeit in einem. FTL lie\u00df uns einen Tag lang Vortr\u00e4ge und Holovids dar\u00fcber halten, was zu tun ist, wenn ein EVA-Anzug erforderlich ist. Die meisten anderen Kuriere spielten w\u00e4hrend dieser Vorlesung mit ihrem mobiGlas.\n\nIch war begeistert davon, nicht weil ich eigentlich dachte, dass ich jemals einen benutzen k\u00f6nnte. Vielmehr klang die Idee, an der Au\u00dfenseite eines rasanten Raumschiffs herumzuschwenken, wie ein Kind in der besten Kletterhalle der Galaxie.\n\nNun, da unser Leben von meinem erfolgreichen Abschluss abhing, klang es nicht mehr so romantisch. Am meisten erschreckend, in der Tat.\n\n\"Siehst du den Schrank hinter der T\u00fcr?\" fragte er und gab mir einen Moment Zeit, nachzusehen.\n\n\"Ja,\" sagte ich.\n\n\"Zieh den Anzug an. Es gibt eine Reparaturtasche, die du an deinem G\u00fcrtel im Boden befestigen kannst. Sobald Sie den Rumpfschaden gefunden haben, werden Sie das Nullset-Epoxid verwenden, um ihn zu reparieren, vorausgesetzt, das Loch ist nicht zu gro\u00df\", sagte er und klang nicht zu vertraut.\n\nW\u00e4hrend er sprach, \u00f6ffnete ich bereits den Spind. Es dauerte nicht lange, bis ich herausfand, dass der Anzug f\u00fcr eine viel gr\u00f6\u00dfere Person gebaut wurde.\n\nW\u00e4hrend ich den EVA-Anzug anzog, sagte der Kapit\u00e4n den anderen Passagieren, sie sollten ihre warme Kleidung anziehen und die Sauerstoffkanister in den Seitenw\u00e4nden herausziehen und auf seine Anweisung warten, wann sie diese benutzen sollten.\n\nDie erste Gef\u00e4hrtin, Adeline, bewegte sich im Gang auf und ab und half den Passagieren, wo sie konnte. Als ich den sperrigen Brustbereich nicht um meinen Kopf bekommen konnte, rief ich sie auf, mir die Hand zu reichen, und war zu besorgt \u00fcber den EVA, um bei meiner schlechten Wortwahl zu kriechen.\n\nMit ihrem guten Arm half mir Adeline, ihn \u00fcber meinen Kopf zu bekommen, w\u00e4hrend ich meine Arme in einem schmalen V spreizte. Als er \u00fcber meinen Kopf rutschte und meine Nase schmerzhaft anstie\u00df, wurde mir klar, dass der harte Kunststoff-Mittelteil es schwer machen w\u00fcrde, zu man\u00f6vrieren. Als ich meinen Kopf durchschlagen konnte, f\u00fchlte ich mich wie ein Kind, das w\u00e4hrend eines Familientreffens am Tisch des Erwachsenen sa\u00df.\n\nMit einem besorgten Stirnrunzeln fragte mich Adeline: \"Wirst du in diesem Ding wieder gesund?\"\n\n\"Hast du irgendwelche Gurte? Bindungen oder irgendetwas, das ich benutzen kann, um das Spiel zu beenden?\" fragte ich.\n\nTechnisch gesehen waren freiliegende Gurte eine schlechte Idee bei einem EVA, aber ich dachte, das Tragen des \u00fcbergro\u00dfen Anzuges ohne Modifikationen w\u00e4re schlimmer.\n\nAdeline wandte sich den anderen Passagieren zu.\n\n\"Hat jemand ein Seil oder einen Riemen?\", fragte sie hoffentlich.\n\nEin d\u00fcnner, aber molliger Gentleman mittleren Alters schnappte: \"Wir w\u00e4ren nicht getroffen worden, wenn wir nicht die Route ge\u00e4ndert h\u00e4tten.\"\n\nAdeline sprach in meinem Namen: \"Du kanntest die Risiken, als du der Kirche beigetreten bist. Das Reisen im Weltraum ist nie sicher, egal wie die Vorsichtsma\u00dfnahmen aussehen. Und sie ist die Einzige, die sich freiwillig gemeldet hat, um aus dem Schiff zu gehen und das Leck zu reparieren.\"\n\nIch r\u00e4usperte mich. \"Ich hasse es, mich zu beeilen, aber wenn ich nicht ein paar Riemen hole und da rausgehe, um dieses Schiff zu reparieren, besteht eine hundertprozentige Chance, dass wir sterben.\"\n\nEine j\u00fcngere Frau in stilvoller Kleidung schrie: \"Ich habe etwas. Nur einen Moment!\"\n\nSie vergrub ihren Kopf in ihrer Tasche, dann kam sie mit einer Handvoll schwarzer Riemen und einer unangenehmen R\u00f6te auf ihrem Gesicht hoch.\n\n\"Sie sind, \u00e4hm...\" stotterte sie und versuchte sichtlich, die richtigen Worte zu finden.\n\nEs dauerte nicht lange, um herauszufinden, f\u00fcr welchen Zweck die Gurte bestimmt waren, und ich h\u00e4tte vielleicht gelacht, au\u00dfer unter den lebensbedrohlichen Umst\u00e4nden.\n\n\"Perfekt\", beendete ich f\u00fcr sie, als ich ein Grinsen unterdr\u00fcckte und sie packte.\n\nWir benutzten die Gurte, um \u00fcbersch\u00fcssiges Material zu binden, besonders um die Arme und den geschwollenen Mittelteil herum. Bevor sie den Helm aufsetzten, schrie ich zum Kapit\u00e4n.\n\n\"Wie viel Zeit?\"\n\nEr hielt inne und mein Magen fiel ein paar Meter tief.\n\n\"Ich w\u00fcrde mich bitte beeilen\", sagte er und hielt seine Stimme so professionell wie m\u00f6glich.\n\nDas Bewegen durch die Kabine in einem \u00fcbergro\u00dfen EVA-Anzug war wie ein Versuch, durch Melasse zu schwimmen. Adeline half mir, die \u00e4u\u00dfere Luftschleuse zu \u00f6ffnen. Als ich drin war, gab ich meinem Anzug einen letzten Check-Over und verband meine Leine mit dem Haken direkt in der \u00e4u\u00dferen Luftschleuse.\n\nAls das gr\u00fcne Licht an der T\u00fcr auftauchte, drehte ich den Griff im Uhrzeigersinn und ging hinaus.\n\nIch hatte noch nie H\u00f6henangst. Als ich jung und t\u00f6richt war, kletterte ich einmal mit den Abflussrohren an der Seite eines Mehrfamilienhauses hoch, um einem meiner Gef\u00e4hrten einen Streich zu spielen, indem ich mich in sein Fenster schlich und die Schrittfl\u00e4chen aus seiner ganzen Unterw\u00e4sche schnitt.\n\nAber als ich mich auf den Rumpf des Reclaimers schwang und einer unendlichen Grube gegen\u00fcber stand - so sch\u00f6n sie auch war -, lie\u00dfen sich meine Arme wie Hebel zusammenziehen. Ich klammerte mich an die Metalloberfl\u00e4che, das weiche Klopfen meiner Stiefel gegen den Rumpf, das nur durch die Luft meines Anzuges h\u00f6rbar war, und versuchte, meinen K\u00f6rper davon zu \u00fcberzeugen, dass das Gleiten entlang der F\u00fchrungsschiene zur Vorderseite des Schiffes genauso war wie das Klettern auf diese Drainageschienen.\n\nNach ein paar tiefen Atemz\u00fcgen gelang es mir, meine Hand von der Schiene zu l\u00f6sen und meinen Arm auszustrecken. Sogar der Akt des Erreichens schien wie ein sicherer Tod, besonders ohne die k\u00fcnstliche Schwerkraft des Schiffes, die mich niederh\u00e4lt, aber nachdem ich mich ein paar Mal an der Schiene entlang gezogen hatte, reduzierte sich die Angst auf ein bescheidenes Alptraumniveau der Angst.\n\n\"Wie geht es voran?\" fragte Captain Lemmie durch die Kommunikation in meinem Anzug.\n\n\"Ich gehe nach vorne auf das Schiff\", sagte ich mit unruhiger Stimme.\n\n\"Ich versuche nicht, dich zu \u00fcberst\u00fcrzen, aber du wirst zu erstickten menschlichen Eisstielen zur\u00fcckkehren, wenn du das nicht bald repariert bekommst\", sagte er.\n\nIch hatte kleine Bewegungen entlang der Schiene gemacht, was einer vierj\u00e4hrigen Person entspricht, die w\u00e4hrend ihres ersten Schwimmens um einen Pool herumlief. Nachdem der Kapit\u00e4n gesprochen hatte, beschloss ich, dass ich gro\u00dfe Spr\u00fcnge machen musste.\n\nIch zog mich entlang der Schiene und nutzte die fehlende Schwerkraft und meinen Schwung, um den geschwungenen Rumpf zu befahren. Aber ich habe die Kraft falsch eingesch\u00e4tzt und meine Fingerspitzen haben das kalte Metall gestreift, als ich ins All sprang.\n\nGl\u00fccklicherweise war ich immer noch durch meine Leine mit der Schiene verbunden, was mich zur\u00fcck zum Schiff brachte. Ich schlug hart zu, meine Planscheibe schlug in einem durchschlagenden Gong gegen den Metallrumpf.\n\nIch schaffte es, meine zitternden Finger um die Schiene zu h\u00e4ngen. F\u00fcr den kurzen Moment, in dem ich vom Schiff wegflog, hatte ich gedacht, ich w\u00e4re im Weltraum verloren.\n\nMit geschlossenen Augen sagte ich: \"Und deshalb benutzen wir die Leine.\"\n\n\"Geht es dir gut, Sorri?\" fragte der Kapit\u00e4n.\n\n\"Fast da\", sagte ich und wollte nicht zugeben, dass ich meinen Anzug fast vor Schreck nass gemacht h\u00e4tte.\n\nAls mein Blick auf den Schaden fiel, fiel mein Magen in meine Stiefel. Ein wei\u00dfer Nebel, die Atmosph\u00e4re der Kabine, str\u00f6mte durch ein kopfgro\u00dfes Loch im Rumpf in die Dunkelheit. Nur die Innenw\u00e4nde hatten verhindert, dass der gesamte Sauerstoff innerhalb der ersten drei\u00dfig Sekunden nach dem Bruch in den Raum entweicht. Bits von Isolierungen brachen an der Flucht frei. Wenn das, was auch immer auf den Rumpf getroffen h\u00e4tte, etwas h\u00e4rter getroffen und das Material unter dem Rumpf zerst\u00f6rt h\u00e4tte, w\u00e4ren wir tot gewesen, bevor ich es zum EVA geschafft habe. Ich sagte ein kleines stilles Dankesch\u00f6n an denjenigen, der die Schilde erfunden hatte.\n\nIch zog den Spr\u00fchapplikator aus dem Handtuch. Es gab keine M\u00f6glichkeit, dass es das Loch f\u00fcllen w\u00fcrde. Ich k\u00f6nnte genauso gut versuchen, einen Planeten t\u00f6tenden Asteroiden mit einer Dose zu bespr\u00fchen.\n\n\"Captain. Das Loch ist zu gro\u00df f\u00fcr mich, um es zu reparieren\", sagte ich.\n\nSeine keuchende Stimme antwortete. \"Du. ...m\u00fcssen es herausfinden.\"\n\nIch starrte eine Weile auf die Dose. Das Materialvolumen war einfach nicht gro\u00df genug, um das Leck zu schlie\u00dfen.\nIch starrte hinaus in die Dunkelheit des Raumes. Hinter uns sah der Stern im Zentrum des Davien-Systems aus wie eine winzige brennende Kugel. Vorbei an der Vorderseite des Schiffes fing ich Reflexionen der Sprungmarkenstruktur in der Ferne ein. Es funkelte, als etwas durch die \u00d6ffnung ging.\n\n\"H\u00f6r nie auf zu denken. Niemals aufh\u00f6ren zu denken\", wiederholte ich mir.\n\nIch brauchte mehr Material, aber ich hatte nicht genug Zeit, um zur\u00fcck ins Schiff zu gehen.\n\nDie Tasche!\n\nIch \u00f6ffnete die Tasche von meinem G\u00fcrtel und schob sie in das Loch. Es wollte nicht in dem breiten, flachen Loch bleiben. Teile davon versuchten immer wieder, herauszuschweben. Mit meinem Ellenbogen, der den Beutel an seinem Platz hielt, schob ich den Deckel von der Dose und sch\u00fcttelte ihn ein paar Mal, um das Epoxid zu aktivieren. An dieser Stelle hatte ich etwa eine Minute Zeit, bevor das Material aush\u00e4rtete, also dr\u00fcckte ich die D\u00fcse und dr\u00fcckte den Goop auf den Beutel.\n\nF\u00fcr eine Sekunde kam der Goop nicht heraus und ich dachte, ich h\u00e4tte eine defekte Dose, aber dann sickerte er wie durchsichtiger Rotz auf das braune Taschenmaterial. So schnell wie es herauskam, lie\u00df ich es auf der Oberseite des Beutels flie\u00dfen. Etwa zur H\u00e4lfte fertig, bemerkte ich, dass die ersten Abschnitte des Goops anfingen, sich zu einem wei\u00dflichen Material zu verh\u00e4rten, das fast wie Eis aussah.\n\nIch habe es geschafft, das Loch mit dem Epoxidharz abzudecken. Mit dem restlichen Material \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte ich die Dichtheit, indem ich meinen Helm \u00fcber die Reparatur hielt und nach Nebel auf dem Glas suchte. Nach dem F\u00fcllen einiger kleinerer Nadell\u00f6cher war die Dose leer.\n\n\"Das Loch ist repariert, Captain\", sagte ich. \"Du kannst anfangen, die Kabine unter Druck zu setzen, aber mach es langsam. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, wie strukturell stark dieses Epoxidharz ist.\"\n\nAls keine Antwort kam, f\u00fchlte ich eine starke Schwei\u00dfform auf meiner Stirn. Ich gab ihm noch ein paar Sekunden.\n\n\" Captain?\" fragte ich.\n\nWar ich zu sp\u00e4t?\n\nMeine ganze Welt schien sich zu einem winzigen Punkt am Ende meiner Nase zu verdichten, bevor ich erkannte, dass die Kommunikationsverbindung unterbrochen war. Ich muss es w\u00e4hrend der Reparatur ausgel\u00f6st haben.\n\n\" Captain?\" fragte ich noch einmal.\n\n\"Ja, ich bin hier, Sorri. Sch\u00f6n, dich zu h\u00f6ren. Ich dachte, wir h\u00e4tten dich verloren\", sagte er.\n\n\"Ich habe aus Versehen den Comm ausgeschaltet. Das Loch ist repariert, obwohl ich nicht ganz unter Druck stehen w\u00fcrde. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, wie gut meine Reparatur klingt. Ich musste improvisieren. Ich warte hier drau\u00dfen, w\u00e4hrend du die Atmosph\u00e4re wieder in die Luft pumpst, um sicherzustellen, dass sie nicht locker wird\", sagte ich.\n\nNach ein paar Minuten, in denen er still auf Anzeichen von Verformung achtete, k\u00fcndigte der Kapit\u00e4n an, dass die Kabine wieder auf Mindestdruck und Soll-Sauerstoffgehalt sei. In aller Ruhe machte ich mich auf den Weg zur\u00fcck zur Luftschleuse.\n\nBevor ich wieder hineinging, hing ich an einer Hand und starrte auf das gro\u00dfe unendliche Jenseits. Obwohl ich immer noch Angst hatte, dass die Leere mich irgendwie vom Schiff wegsaugen w\u00fcrde, um f\u00fcr immer allein zu treiben, war ich gleichzeitig so ehrf\u00fcrchtig, dass es mir Tr\u00e4nen in die Augen brachte.\n\nIch hatte mich nie wirklich entschieden, ob ich an eine h\u00f6here Macht glaube oder nicht, aber wenn ich die Weite betrachtete, fragte ich mich, ob etwas das Universum erschaffen k\u00f6nnte. Es schien zu gro\u00df, zu unendlich, als dass ein einzelnes Wesen es herstellen k\u00f6nnte.\n\nIrgendwie f\u00fchlte ich mich dadurch besser, zu denken, dass das Universum schon immer hier war, und nicht die willk\u00fcrliche Erschaffung eines h\u00f6heren Wesens, das seine oder ihre Meinung aufgrund einer Laune \u00e4ndern k\u00f6nnte, die ich unm\u00f6glich verstehen konnte. Andererseits hatten wir verdammtes Pech, von einem St\u00fcck Tr\u00fcmmer hier drau\u00dfen mitten in diesem ganzen Nichts getroffen zu werden.\n\nIch ging durch die Luftschleuse zur\u00fcck ins Innere des Schiffes. Die anderen Passagiere begr\u00fc\u00dften mich mit ersch\u00f6pftem Applaus, als ob ihre Erleichterung so tief sei, dass sie wenig Energie zum Aufwenden h\u00e4tten.\n\nDie anderen Passagiere ber\u00fchrten mich, als ich mit dem Helm unter dem Arm in die Kabine des Piloten ging. Ein paar dankten mir f\u00fcr die Geschichte. Nur die Banu schienen von der Erfahrung unbeeindruckt.\n\n\"Alles in Ordnung, Captain?\" fragte ich.\n\n\"Die gute Nachricht ist, dass wir unter Druck stehen. Es sieht so aus, als ob deine Reparatur funktioniert hat\", sagte er.\n\n\"Das ist eine dieser guten Nachrichten, schlechten Nachrichten, richtig?\" fragte ich.\n\n\"Leider ja. Die schlechte Nachricht ist, dass ich es nicht riskieren kann, mich wieder zu bewegen. Also sitzen wir hier fest, bis die Rettungsschiffe ankommen\", sagte er.\n\n\"Crite!\" sagte ich.\n\n\"Du wirst deine Lieferung nicht machen?\", fragte er.\n\nIch habe geblichen. \"Du wusstest, dass ich ein Kurier bin?\"\n\nEr neigte den Kopf. \"Nun, nat\u00fcrlich. Ich habe dein Profil und den Koffer gesehen, den du tr\u00e4gst.\"\n\n\"Und du hast gerade das Ziel f\u00fcr mich ge\u00e4ndert?\" fragte ich verbl\u00fcfft.\n\n\"Es ist nicht das Ziel, sondern die Reise. Und jetzt haben wir alle eine Erfahrung gemacht, die wir sonst vielleicht nicht gemacht h\u00e4tten\", sagte er mit einem schiefen L\u00e4cheln. \"Das ist genau der Punkt.\"\n\n\"Gibt es etwas N\u00e4heres als die Rettungsfahrzeuge? Jemand, der einen Passagier mitnehmen k\u00f6nnte?\" fragte ich.\n\n\"F\u00fcr unsere furchtlose Reparaturfrau mache ich einen Scan\", sagte er und drehte ein paar Kn\u00f6pfe unter einem Bildschirm. Nach einem Moment erschien ein kleines Echo auf dem Bildschirm. \"Sieht aus, als w\u00e4re eine Raupe auf dem Weg zum Sprungpunkt. Lassen Sie mich die Aufzeichnungen \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen.... der Schiffsname ist Dodekaeder und es ist unter dem Namen .... registriert. Senet Mehen? Ich wei\u00df es nicht. Das klingt nicht vielversprechend.\"\n\n\"K\u00f6nntest du es begr\u00fc\u00dfen?\" fragte ich.\n\nCaptain Lemmie tippte eine Standard-Rufnachricht auf seiner Tastatur ein und schickte sie an das Dodekaeder, um eine Nachricht zu erhalten. Wir starrten eine Minute lang auf das Display und aufeinander. Keine Antwort.\n\n\"Der Besitzer k\u00f6nnte im Schlaf und auf dem Autopiloten sein\", sagte der Captain mit einem Achselzucken.\n\n\"Versuch es noch einmal, bitte\", sagte ich.\n\nWir starrten noch eine Weile.\n\n\"Es tut mir leid\", sagte er, seine Lippen kr\u00e4uselten sich vor Entt\u00e4uschung.\n\n\"Dodekaeder. Das ist ein seltsamer Name. Versuchen Sie, die Nachricht zu senden: Seid gegr\u00fc\u00dft, Senet Mehen. Sorri Lyrax bittet um das Vergn\u00fcgen Ihrer Kommunikation, sich nach einem k\u00fchnen Angebot zu erkundigen.'\"\n\n\"Das klingt nach Spam\", sagte der Captain.\n\n\"Nun, manchmal funktioniert Spam. Schicken Sie es,\" sagte ich.\n\nDer Captain hatte einen ungl\u00e4ubigen Blick, als er die Nachricht eintippte und die ganze Zeit den Kopf sch\u00fcttelte.\n\nW\u00e4hrend wir warteten, hatte er ein Grinsen auf den Lippen, als ob er w\u00fcsste, was passieren w\u00fcrde. Zu unserer beider \u00dcberraschung kam eine Meldung auf das Display.\n\n[ Seid gegr\u00fc\u00dft, Sorri Lyrax, welches Angebot wartet? ]\n\"Es ist, als w\u00fcrdet ihr beide eine Fremdsprache sprechen\", sagte der Captain. \"Was ist die Antwort?\"\n\n\"Ein Dodekaeder ist ein zwanzigseitiger W\u00fcrfel. Es wird zum Spielen von Spielen verwendet. Er muss Spiele m\u00f6gen. Nutzt wahrscheinlich die Ausfallzeiten w\u00e4hrend der Raumfahrt, um sie zu spielen. Ich w\u00fcrde vermuten, dass er ein umfangreiches VR-Set oder eine individuelle Glaswand hat. Bitte antworten Sie:'Vita Perry gestrandet. Rettungsschiffe n\u00e4hern sich, aber Sorri Lyrax muss mitfahren. Ich werde bezahlen,\" sagte ich.\n\nNachdem der Captain es getippt hatte, warteten wir eine Weile, erhielten aber keine Antwort.\n\n\"Crite\", sagte ich, zog mein mobiGlas hoch und suchte es nach Spielern. Ich hatte Kinder in meinem Alter gesehen, die in meiner Jugend mit W\u00fcrfeln spielten, aber mein Vater lie\u00df mich immer in der Bar arbeiten. Spiele sind f\u00fcr S\u00e4uglinge, w\u00fcrde er mir mit seiner schroffen, allumfassenden Stimme sagen, wenn ich nach einem Besuch in einem dieser Gesch\u00e4fte fragen w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Probier das mal: Sorri Lyrax in dringender Not. Wirst du die Aufgabe annehmen?\" sagte ich.\n\nDie Antwort kam so schnell zur\u00fcck, dass ich dachte, es sei ein Fehler. Er wollte mich kostenlos mit ihm mitfahren lassen. Die Markierung begann sich in Richtung Vita Perry zu bewegen.\n\n\"Ich kann nicht glauben, dass das tats\u00e4chlich funktioniert hat. Du wirst einen weiteren EVA machen m\u00fcssen, um das Dodekaeder zu erreichen\", sagte er. \"Ich kann nichts anderes riskieren, wenn die H\u00fclle besch\u00e4digt ist. Ich hole einen neuen Anzug ab, wenn wir wieder im Hafen sind, aber du musst f\u00fcr den einen bezahlen, den du anhast, da wir keine M\u00f6glichkeit haben, ihn zur\u00fcckzubekommen.\"\n\n\"Ich werde das jetzt sofort tun\", sagte ich und griff auf meinen Mobi zu, w\u00e4hrend ich gleichzeitig versuchte, nicht b\u00f6se zu sein. \" Danke.\"\n\nEr zwinkerte mir zu, wie ich es von einem versierten alten Bauern erwarten w\u00fcrde, der sich \u00fcber die R\u00fcckseite seines Traktors lehnt. \" Es war mir ein Vergn\u00fcgen.\"\n\nDer Rest der Passagiere hatte den Austausch mitgeh\u00f6rt, da wir die Kabinent\u00fcr offen gehalten hatten, also wurde ich mit einer Mischung aus Anerkennung und Erleichterung begr\u00fc\u00dft. Ich glaube, einige von ihnen hielten mich f\u00fcr Pech.\n\nDer Banu in den cremefarbenen Gew\u00e4ndern schlief ein, was den Aufbruch weniger unangenehm machte. Ich setzte den Helm wieder auf, hakte die Tasche an einen Gurt und ging zur Luftschleuse.\n\nZuerst war ich besorgt, dass der Ansatz des Dodekaeders einen gef\u00e4hrlichen Aufprall erzeugen w\u00fcrde, aber der Lotse des Schiffes machte ein geschicktes Man\u00f6ver, schwang das Schiff umher und benutzte Triebwerke, um bis zum Stillstand zu verlangsamen. Ich hatte noch nie einen sch\u00f6neren Parallelpark im Weltraum gesehen.\n\nDas einzige Problem war der Spalt zwischen den beiden Luftschleusen. Ich hatte etwa zehn Fu\u00df, die ich ohne Fesseln durchqueren musste. Ich f\u00fchlte mich, als w\u00fcrde ich \u00fcber einer bodenlosen Spalte stehen. Irgendwann \u00fcberredete ich meine F\u00fc\u00dfe, mich zu dr\u00fccken. Der Flug zwischen den Schiffen war kurz, und ich schlug gegen das Dodekaeder, bevor ich einen zweiten Atemzug machte.\n\nNachdem ich die Luftschleuse passiert hatte, trat ich in das Schiff ein und dachte, ich w\u00e4re in einen Antiquit\u00e4tenladen in Sol teleportiert worden. Ich zog meinen Helm ab und inhalierte die unbekannten Ger\u00fcche von altem Holz und Reib\u00f6len.\n\nIch hatte mich bei Senet Mehen v\u00f6llig geirrt. Er verbrachte die Zeit nicht mit VR-Spielen oder der Verwendung eines wandf\u00fcllenden Glases. Er verbrachte die Zeit damit, alte Spiele und R\u00e4tsel zu spielen, die so aufwendig gestaltet waren, dass sie wie Kunstwerke aussahen.\n\nDie handgeschnitzten Regale wurden aus glasklarem Holz gefertigt. Vom Boden bis zur Decke verpackt, enthielten die Regale das, was wie jedes m\u00f6gliche Spiel aussah, das jemals hergestellt wurde, ohne Elektronik. Dies waren keine massengefertigten Spiele und R\u00e4tsel, sondern von Handwerkern, die f\u00fcr die Liebe arbeiteten, von denen einige eindeutig nicht menschlich waren.\n\nEin achteckiger Tisch in der Mitte der Hauptkabine zeigte den pi\u00e8ce-de-r\u00e9sistance der Kollektion. Ich hatte eine alte Zeichnung auf Castra II mit unm\u00f6glichen Treppenh\u00e4usern gesehen, die nirgendwo und \u00fcberall auf einmal hinf\u00fchren. Die h\u00f6lzerne Puzzlekonstruktion erinnerte mich an dieses Treppengem\u00e4lde, nur dass es dreidimensional gestaltet war. Dutzende von ineinandergreifenden Teilen wurden \u00fcber den Tisch gestreut.\n\nDer Mittelteil hielt das Puzzle in Gang, das wie ein halbf\u00f6rmiger Turm aussah. Schon auf den ersten Blick konnte ich erkennen, dass es falsch montiert war.\n\n\"Ich sp\u00fcre deine Entt\u00e4uschung \u00fcber meine Montage des Puzzles. Ich f\u00fcrchte, ich teile Ihre Einsch\u00e4tzung\", sagte eine Stimme von der T\u00fcr\u00f6ffnung. \"Der Designer behauptete, das Puzzle sei von mittlerer Schwierigkeit, aber ich bin seit einem halben Jahr dabei, ohne Fortschritte.\"\n\nSenet Mehen war nicht so, wie ich erwartet hatte. Er war ein d\u00fcnner, korrekter Mann in einer Weste und Tweedjacke. Sein Schnurrbart und Bart wurden ordentlich gehalten. Er h\u00e4tte ein Professor f\u00fcr Antiquit\u00e4ten sein k\u00f6nnen, der in einer muffigen Universit\u00e4tsbibliothek lebte, oder ein Germaphobe, der in einem alten Sol-Hochhaus untergebracht lebte.\n\n\"\u00c4hm, hallo. Ich bin Sorri\", sagte ich reflexartig.\n\n\"Ja. Wir sind bereits bekannt. Die seltsame, aber leicht interessante Botschaft\", sagte er, w\u00e4hrend er mit den Fingern stemmte. \"Du genie\u00dft Spiele.\"\n\n\"Sicher. Ja. Das ist es, was mir Spa\u00df macht\", sagte ich.\n\n\"Welche?\" fragte er.\n\nIch zerknitterte meine Stirn. \"Uh.... Ich sch\u00e4tze diejenigen, die die Maximierung von Lieferungen f\u00fcr die k\u00fcrzesten Kosten beinhalten. Ich bin ein Kurier. Vita Perry war gestrandet und ich versuche, \u00fcber Kilian nach Tirol IV zu gelangen.\"\n\n\"Ein Kurier?\", sagte er, ein Anflug von Ekel in seiner Stimme.\n\n\"Dieses Schiff ist ein Forschungsschiff, ein Raumfahrtmuseum! Ich bereise die Galaxie auf der Suche nach antiken Spielen aus allen Kulturen. Bei meinem letzten Besuch erwarb ich einen Xi'an Verh\u00f6rpuzzlew\u00fcrfel, ein erhabenes St\u00fcck Geschichte. Die Xi'an w\u00fcrden die Kiste \u00fcber die H\u00e4nde ihrer Gefangenen legen, und wenn sie die Reihe von Hebeln und Schlitten im Inneren der Kiste l\u00f6sen k\u00f6nnten, w\u00fcrde sie sie befreien. Andernfalls w\u00fcrden die Gefangenen ihre H\u00e4nde verlieren. Da ist noch altes Blut auf der Klinge drin.\"\n\nSenet Mehens Begeisterung f\u00fcr ein verdrehtes St\u00fcck Kriegsschmuggel gab mir ein krankes Gef\u00fchl in meinem Magen.\n\n\"Nun, ich, \u00e4hm...\"\n\nDie Worte flossen aus meinem Mund. Es war ein seltener Moment, in dem ich ratlos war, etwas zu sagen.\n\nSenet Mehen versteifte sich, bevor er verk\u00fcndete: \"Da Sie nicht ganz ehrlich zu mir waren und meine Werte nicht teilen, kann ich unsere Vereinbarung nicht einhalten. Ich hatte vor, Sie wie gew\u00fcnscht im Kilian-System zu lassen, aber ich habe nicht die Geduld f\u00fcr Wohlt\u00e4tigkeitsarbeit und plane, mich an das Stanton-System zu wenden, wo ich ein Glaswerk Matryoshka-Nestpuzzle erwerben m\u00f6chte. Du kannst deinem Bed\u00fcrfnis nach Handel an diesem Bahnhof nachgeben; bis dahin kannst du dich an diesem Ort ausruhen, aber deine Fingerabdr\u00fccke von meinen Wertsachen behalten.  oder ich werde dich aus der Luftschleuse werfen.\"\n\nMeine Antwort wurde unterbrochen, als Senet Mehen durch die Kabinent\u00fcr zur\u00fcckkam und mich in dem mit R\u00e4tseln gef\u00fcllten Raum zur\u00fccklie\u00df. Ich st\u00fcrzte gegen das Bein des Tisches und lie\u00df einen tiefen Atemzug aus, bevor ich versuchte, eine Faust in die Wand zu stecken.\n\nRegel Nummer f\u00fcnf, h\u00f6r nie auf zu denken. Aber was passiert, wenn du mit einem verr\u00fcckten Puzzle-Verehrer festsitzt, der dich nicht von seinem Schiff lassen will?\n\n[ 54:11:20 ]\n\nFortsetzung folgt.....","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: The Second Run: A Sorri Lyrax Delivery (Part Two) was published originally in Jump Point 4.2. You can read Part One here.\nPart 2: Never Stop Thinking\n[ 59:43:11 ]\n\nThe station provided a soothing background noise to my private pity party as I leaned against the cold glass facing the glowing arm of the galaxy. The view was pleasant, but most certainly not helping me figure out how I was going to make a delivery to Tyrol IV in less than sixty hours.\n\nThe obvious choice was to find Betrix LaGrange, who was probably lounging in a public place, readily available, waiting for me to come crawling back, begging her to take the delivery. She\u2019d probably only offer at most ten percent and truthfully, I\u2019d be stupid not to take it.\n\nTo give myself something to focus on, I started repeating the rules I\u2019d invented for my work.\n\n\u201cRule one, never travel empty handed. Rule two, nothing illegal. Rule three, official routes are for suckers. Rule four, never get distracted. Yeah, I guess I should have remembered that one. Rule five, never stop thinking . . .never stop thinking . . .\u201d\n\nI raised my mobiGlas to review the ships in the station for the fifth time when I felt a gentle tugging on my arm. It was the woman with her child. Her dark face was streaked with the saltlines of old tears, but she looked content holding her daughter against her leg.\n\n\u201cThank you . . .\u201d said Alara Gorane.\n\n\u201cSorri, which is my name, not the apology,\u201d I said, realizing I was letting myself get distracted by her again.\n\nHer lips creased with an exhausted smile. \u201cI can\u2019t thank you enough for what you did for me and Greta. I don\u2019t know what I would have done if he\u2019d taken her on that ship.\u201d\n\nMy face warmed with embarrassment. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it. It was an old trick I used from my father\u2019s bar. Nothing confuses a person more than official mumbo-jumbo.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou work in a bar?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo. I\u2019m a courier. Not a very good one at the moment, but a courier.\u201d\n\nHer eyes widened with surprise. \u201cA courier? Really? Actually, could I hire you? I need to file my divorce papers on Sol, so he can\u2019t come back and take Greta again.\u201d\n\n\u201cI won\u2019t be able to get there for a few weeks,\u201d I said, fidgeting with my mobiGlas.\n\n\u201cI think that would be okay. He won\u2019t be back for a few months. He travels a lot. I was going to use FTL, but I\u2019d rather you earned the delivery fee,\u201d said Alara.\n\nI nodded and accepted the datastick from her, tucking it into my backpack.\n\n\u201cLog onto the ICN network, and file it. My name is SILVERKHAN,\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cThank you again, Sorri. I don\u2019t know what I would have done if I lost her,\u201d said Alara, as she gave me an awkward half-hug, before moving away with her bleary-eyed daughter in tow. Mixed emotions ran through me. I was happy for the woman and her kid, but the distraction had cost me my ride. Still, it wasn\u2019t the woman\u2019s fault I\u2019d stopped.\n\nStanding in one place wasn\u2019t helping, so I started walking, checking the ship list yet again as I walked. Eagle\u2019s Talon was heading towards Sol; maybe if I went with them I could hop on one of the more direct transfers back towards Tyrol, but it wasn\u2019t scheduled to leave for at least another day since it was waiting for a cargo pick-up. Golden Hart was a fuel pusher contracted with Cry-Astro. With the amount of stops it would have to make in the area, it wouldn\u2019t even be worth it. Vita Perry was leaving today, but it was headed towards Ferron. Dornado was a single seater, so unless I wanted to . . . my eyes drifted back up the list to the previous entry. Vita Perry. Something about the ship\u2019s reg stuck in my head this time. Vita Perry. Where had I heard that name before?\n\nA few steps away, the answer came to me.\n\nI took off at a dead run toward the other side of the station where Vita Perry was getting ready to depart, a plan quickly forming in my head. Vita Perry was the name of the founder of the Church of the Journey, a benign religion that believed in journeying for the sake of the travel itself. I could hardly disagree with them since I\u2019d joined the courier service to see the galaxy. I brought up a comm-link as I ran. An older gentleman with laugh wrinkles around his eyes and mouth answered.\n\nI said, \u201cGreetings, follower Sojourner! Have room for another traveler?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy certainly, we\u2019d love to have you along for the ride. There is a donation required, but it\u2019s quite nominal,\u201d he said.\n\nI had it transferred over before I reached the airlock. A smiling woman was waiting. She was missing her left arm past the elbow and had a burn scar on her jaw. Somewhere in her past, she\u2019d survived a terrible fire.\n\n\u201cGreetings, Sojourner Sorri Lyrax,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m Adeline, first mate on Vita Perry. It\u2019s so wonderful you could join us. You have wonderful timing. We were just going to pull away from the station.\u201d\n\nThe inside of the Aegis Reclaimer was quite different than I expected. The cargo bay had been modified for more passengers, like a commercial transport, but more . . . cultish. Pasted to every wall and ceiling, and even painted on the floor, were maps. Even the cloth seats had maps as their designs, and not generic ones, but real star and planetary maps. It was like a library of atlases had vomited over the interior of the ship.\n\nAt least fifteen people were seated, all Human except for one Banu wearing cream colored robes, in back by himself. I found a spot across from the Banu, shoved the silvery case beneath the seat after assuring myself it\u2019d be safe on the ship, and settled in as we moved away from the station. Once we were headed towards the Ferron jump point, I maneuvered through the seats towards the front cabin.\n\n\u201cPermission to enter the cockpit?\u201d I asked.\n\nThe door swished open. The first mate, Adeline, slipped past me to join the others in back.\n\n\u201cGreetings, Sorri,\u201d said the Captain. \u201cI\u2019m Captain Lemmie. Did you want to watch the approach to the jump point?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, I\u2019m good. Any special reason that you\u2019re headed to Ferron?\u201d I asked.\n\nHe shrugged. \u201cNot really.\u201d\n\n\u201cAny chance that you could change that destination to Kilian?\u201d I asked, trying not to sound too desperate.\n\n\u201cOne destination\u2019s as good as another,\u201d said the captain.\n\nHe toggled the comms, \u201cAnyone object to heading to Kilian?\u201d\n\nWhen no one answered, he said over the comms, \u201cI guess we\u2019re headed to Kilian then.\u201d\n\nA murmur of excitement passed through the other passengers.\n\nRelief filled my chest. \u201cThank you, Captain Lemmie.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t mention it. Though I hope you will increase your donation to the Church,\u201d he said with a wink.\n\n\u201cCertainly, of course,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m going to head back to the seats and catch a nap. It\u2019s been a long day.\u201d\n\nAfter making another small donation and watching my dwindling funds dip a little bit lower, I found my seat again. The reclining chair made me think I was lying on a warm marshmallow. The followers of the Church sure knew how to travel comfortably. The Davien-Ferron jump point was relatively near Cestulus, while the Davien-Kilian jump point was further away, so it was going to take longer to reach it.\n\n[ 57:01:05 ]\n\nI settled into a comfortable position, and eventually fell asleep listening to the other passengers quietly sharing stories. If I hadn\u2019t been so exhausted I would have been sharing a few of my own. It was the part of traveling that I loved the most, interacting with people from all corners of the galaxy. It was days like this that made me glad to be a courier.\n\nI don\u2019t recall if I dreamt. After I woke, I pulled up my mobiGlas to study the departure list I\u2019d downloaded before we\u2019d left, for potential routes from Kilian. There were a few candidates that might take me, but I wouldn\u2019t know until we reached the system.\n\nThen I realized someone was staring at me. Without moving my head, I glanced out of the corner of my eye to find the Banu was studying me.\n\n\u201cHi,\u201d I said, suddenly painfully aware at my lack of experience dealing with xenos.\n\n\u201cGreetings, fellow sojourner,\u201d he said in a deep voice. I understood him clearly, though his accent made it sound like he had a bubble of air in his throat.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m Sorri, which is my name, not an apology,\u201d I said, wondering if he\u2019d get the joke.\n\n\u201cMy name is difficult for Human tongue. You may call me Silk,\u201d he said, in the cadence of rising and falling waves.\n\n\u201cSilk?\u201d I blurted out. His appearance was anything but silky.\n\n\u201cYour \u2018Silk Road\u2019 reminds me of Banu trading. You have heard of it?\u201d he asked.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d I said, shaking my head.\n\nHis forehead ridge shifted back and forth. I had no idea how to interpret the gesture. If he were Human, I would have assumed disappointment, but I\u2019d only had brief interactions with the Banu.\n\n\u201cYou are courier,\u201d said Silk, nodding towards the case.\n\n\u201cUhm, yes,\u201d I said, too shocked to lie, then suddenly growing suspicious. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d\n\n\u201cBanu symbols on case. But you not Banu,\u201d he said, then clucked his tongue.\n\nI glanced at the strange lock, feeling like I was being set up.\n\n\u201cCase not matter,\u201d he said, \u201cbut why young Human nervous?\u201d\n\nThe mention made me stop drumming my fingers on my leg. \u201cNot nervous, just have a lot on my mind. An important delivery.\u201d\n\n\u201cDelivery not matter. You are on journey, and that should be enough,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cI wish that were true, but if I don\u2019t make this delivery, I\u2019m out major credits. I don\u2019t want to be stuck as a corporate slave for the rest of my life,\u201d I said, not sure why I was baring my soul to this alien.\n\n\u201cJourney within yourself and you will reach your destination,\u201d he said, nodding solemnly.\n\nI had my mouth halfway open to make a pithy reply when a thump sounded through the cabin and Vita Perry lurched to the side momentarily. A second later, the emergency sirens went off. Flashing lights strobed through the cabin while a loud siren screeched in my ears.\n\nThe expressions on the faces of the other passengers looked somewhere between confusion and outright panic.\n\nOne passenger exclaimed, \u201cThis is turning into quite the adventure!\u201d\n\nSomewhere above the distracting noises, I heard a hiss that sounded like air escaping. The sirens ceased and Captain Lemmie\u2019s uneasy voice came over the comms: \u201cWe\u2019ve been hit by debris. We\u2019re currently drifting without power and the hull has a leak somewhere on the port side. I\u2019ve sent distress signals, but we\u2019re too far out for anyone to reach us in time. If anyone on this ship has experience with an EVA, please come up to the main cabin.\u201d\n\nNo-one made a move. I was impressed that most passengers had their chins raised, patiently waiting for instructions from the captain, but for a few of the others I could tell panic was beginning to set in. The air temperature was already dropping. I got up and ran to the front and banged on the pilot\u2019s door.\n\n\u201cCan you do ship repair?\u201d asked Captain Lemmie.\n\n\u201cMaybe, but what about your First Mate? Or you?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t. I need to reroute power while you\u2019re out there,\u201d \u2014 he dropped his voice to a whisper \u2014 \u201cand I won\u2019t put Adeline in that kind of situation again.\u201d\n\nThe source of her missing arm and burn scar became clearer.\n\n\u201cI have EVA certification,\u201d I said, leaving out that I\u2019d never actually performed an EVA, much less accomplished work in one. FTL had us sit through a day of lectures and holovids about what to do if an EVA suit was required. Most of the other couriers played with their mobiGlas during that lecture.\n\nI\u2019d been enthralled by it, not because I actually thought I was ever get to use one. Rather the idea of swinging around on the outside of a speeding spacecraft sounded like being a kid on the galaxy\u2019s best jungle gym.\n\nNow that our lives depended on my successfully completing one, it didn\u2019t sound so romantic. Mostly terrifying, in fact.\n\n\u201cSee that locker behind the door?\u201d he asked, giving me a moment to check.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cPut on the suit. There\u2019s a repair bag to clip on your belt in the bottom. Once you find the hull damage, you\u2019ll use the zero-set epoxy to patch it, assuming the hole\u2019s not too large,\u201d he said, not sounding too confidant.\n\nWhile he was talking, I was already opening the locker. It didn\u2019t take me long to figure out the suit was built for a much larger person.\n\nWhile I was putting on the EVA suit, the Captain told the other passengers to put on their warm clothing and pull out the oxygen canisters in the side panels and wait for his instruction on when to use them.\n\nThe first mate, Adeline, was moving up and down the aisle helping the passengers where she could. When I couldn\u2019t get the bulky chest section around my head, I called for her to lend me a hand, and was too worried about the EVA to cringe at my poor choice of words.\n\nUsing her good arm, Adeline helped me get it over my head while I spread my arms out in a narrow V. As it slipped over my head, nudging my nose painfully, I realized the hard plastic midsection was going to make it hard to maneuver. Once I had my head through, I felt like a child sitting at the adult\u2019s table during a family get-together.\n\nWith a concerned frown, Adeline asked me, \u201cAre you going to be okay in that thing?\u201d\n\n\u201cDo you have any straps? Tie-downs or anything I can use to take out the slack?\u201d I asked.\n\nTechnically, exposed straps were a bad idea on an EVA, but I thought wearing the oversized suit without some modifi-cation was worse.\n\nAdeline turned to the other passengers.\n\n\u201cDoes anyone have any rope or straps?\u201d she asked, hopefully.\n\nA thin, but chubby-faced middle-aged gentleman snapped, \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have been hit if you hadn\u2019t made us change routes.\u201d\n\nAdeline spoke on my behalf, \u201cYou knew the risks when you joined the Church. Traveling in space is never safe, no matter what the precautions. And she\u2019s the only one that volunteered to go outside the ship and fix the leak.\u201d\n\nI cleared my throat. \u201cLook, I hate to rush, but if I don\u2019t get some straps and get out there to fix this ship, there\u2019s a hundred percent chance we die.\u201d\n\nA younger woman dressed in stylish clothes yelled, \u201cI\u2019ve got something. Just a moment!\u201d\n\nShe buried her head in her bag, then came running up with a handful of black straps and an awkward blush on her face.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re, uhm . . .\u201d she stuttered, visibly trying to find the right words.\n\nIt didn\u2019t take long to figure out what purpose the straps were meant for, and I might have laughed except for the life-threatening circumstances.\n\n\u201cPerfect,\u201d I finished for her, as I suppressed a grin and grabbed them.\n\nWe used the straps to tie down excess material, especially around the arms and the puffy midsection. Before they put the helmet on, I yelled to the captain.\n\n\u201cHow much time?\u201d\n\nHe paused and my stomach dropped a few feet.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d hurry, please,\u201d he said, keeping his voice as profession-al as he could muster.\n\nMoving through the cabin in an oversized EVA suit was like trying to swim through molasses. Adeline helped me open the outer airlock. Once I was inside, I gave my suit one last check-over and connected my tether to the hook right inside the outer airlock.\n\nOnce the green light appeared on the door, I turned the handle clockwise and went out.\n\nI\u2019ve never been afraid of heights. When I was young and foolish, I\u2019d once climbed up the side of an apartment building using the drainage pipes, so I could prank one of my mates by sneaking in his window and cutting the crotches out of all his underwear.\n\nBut swinging onto the hull of the Reclaimer, facing an infinite pit \u2014 however beautiful \u2014 made my arms retract like levers. I clung to the metal surface, my boots\u2019 soft clanging against the hull only audible through the air of my suit, and tried to convince my body that sliding along the guide rail to the front of the ship was just like climbing those drainage rails.\n\nAfter a few deep breaths, I managed to unsolder my hand from the rail and extend my arm. Even the act of reaching seemed like certain death, especially without the ship\u2019s artificial gravity holding me down, but once I\u2019d pulled myself along the rail a few times, the fear reduced to a modest nightmare level of fright.\n\n\u201cHow\u2019s it coming?\u201d asked Captain Lemmie through the comm in my suit.\n\n\u201cMoving to the front of the ship,\u201d I said in an unsteady voice.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not trying to hurry you along, but you\u2019re going to return to asphyxiated Human popsicles if you don\u2019t get that patched soon,\u201d he said.\n\nI\u2019d been making little movements along the rail, the equivalent of a four-year-old edging around a pool during her first swim. After the captain spoke, I decided I needed to make huge leaps.\n\nI yanked myself along the rail, using the lack of gravity and my momentum to sail along the curved hull. But I misjudged the amount of force and my fingertips grazed the cold metal as I skipped into space.\n\nThankfully, I was still connected to the rail through my tether, which snapped me back towards the ship. I hit hard, my face plate slamming against the metal hull in a resounding gong.\n\nI managed to hook my shaking fingers around the rail. For the brief moment that I was flying away from the ship, I\u2019d thought I was lost to space.\n\nWith my eyes squeezed shut, I said, \u201cAnd that\u2019s why we use the tether.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou okay, Sorri?\u201d asked the captain.\n\n\u201cAlmost there,\u201d I said, not wanting to admit I\u2019d nearly wet my suit with fright.\n\nWhen my gaze fell upon the damage, my stomach dropped into my boots. A white mist, the atmosphere of the cabin, was jetting into the darkness through a head-sized hole in the hull. Only the inner walls had kept all the oxygen from venting into space within the first thirty seconds of rupture. Bits of insulation were breaking free at the point of escape. If whatever had hit the hull had impacted a little harder, destroying the material beneath the hull, we\u2019d have been dead before I made it to the EVA. I said a small silent thank you to whoever had invented shields.\n\nI pulled the spray applicator out of the carryall. There was no way it was going to fill the hole. I might as well be trying to spray paint a planet-killing asteroid with one can.\n\n\u201cCaptain. The hole\u2019s too big for me to fix,\u201d I said.\n\nHis wheezing voice answered back. \u201cYou . . . have to figure it out.\u201d\n\nI stared at the can for a while. The volume of material just wasn\u2019t large enough to plug the leak.\nI stared out into the blackness of space. Behind us, the star at the center of the Davien system looked like a tiny burning ball. Past the front the ship, I caught reflections of the jump point structure in the distance. It twinkled as something passed through the aperture.\n\n\u201cNever stop thinking. Never stop thinking,\u201d I repeated to myself.\n\nI needed more material, but I didn\u2019t have enough time to go back into the ship.\n\nThe carryall!\n\nI unclipped the bag from my belt and shoved it into the hole. It didn\u2019t want to stay in the wide, flat hole. Parts of it kept trying to float out. With my elbow keeping the bag in place, I popped the top off the can and shook it a few times to activate the epoxy. At this point, I had about a minute before the material hardened, so I pressed the nozzle and squeezed the goop onto the bag.\n\nFor a second, the goop didn\u2019t come out and I thought I had a defective can, but then it oozed onto the tan bag material like clear snot. As fast as it came out, I let it flow on top of the bag. About halfway finished, I noticed the first sections of goop starting to harden into a whitish material that almost looked like ice.\n\nI managed to cover the hole with the epoxy. With the remaining material, I checked for leaks by holding my helmet over the repair looking for misting on the glass. After filling a few minor pinholes, the can was empty.\n\n\u201cHole\u2019s fixed, Captain,\u201d I said. \u201cYou can start pressurizing the cabin, though take it slow. I\u2019m not sure how structurally strong this epoxy is.\u201d\n\nWhen no answer came, I felt a heavy sweat form on my brow. I gave it a few more seconds.\n\n\u201cCaptain?\u201d I asked.\n\nWas I too late?\n\nMy whole world seemed to condense to a tiny point at the end of my nose, before I realized the comm link was off. I must have tripped it during the repair.\n\n\u201cCaptain?\u201d I asked again.\n\n\u201cYes, I\u2019m here, Sorri. Glad to hear you. I thought we\u2019d lost you,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cI accidentally switched the comm off. The hole\u2019s fixed, though I wouldn\u2019t fully pressurize. I\u2019m not sure how sound my repair is. I had to improvise. I\u2019ll wait out here while you pump atmosphere back in to make sure it\u2019s not going to pop loose,\u201d I said.\n\nAfter a few minutes of silently watching for any sign of deformation, the captain announced the cabin was back to minimum pressure and target oxygen levels. Taking my time, I made my way back to the airlock.\n\nBefore I went back in, I hung by one hand and stared at the great infinite beyond. Though I was still terrified that the void would somehow suck me away from the ship to drift forever alone, I simultaneously was so awestruck that it brought tears to my eyes.\n\nI\u2019d never really decided if I believed in a higher power or not, but looking at the vastness made me wonder if anything could conceivably create the universe. It seemed too grand, too infinite, for a single being to manufacture.\n\nSomehow that made me feel better to think that the universe had always been here, rather than the arbitrary creation of a higher being who might change his or her mind based on a whim I couldn\u2019t possibly understand. Then again, we\u2019d gotten damn unlucky to be hit by a piece of debris out here in the middle of all this nothing.\n\nI went back inside the ship through the airlock. The other passengers greeted me with exhausted applause, as if their relief was so deep they had little energy left to expend.\n\nThe other passengers touched me as I went up to the pilot\u2019s cabin with the helmet under my arm. A few thanked me for the story. Only the Banu seemed unfazed by the experience.\n\n\u201cEverything still okay, Captain?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cThe good news is that we\u2019re holding pressure. It looks like your repair worked,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cThis is one of those good news, bad news things, right?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m afraid so. The bad news is I can\u2019t risk moving again. So we\u2019re stuck here until the rescue ships arrive,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cCrite!\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re not going to make your delivery?\u201d he asked.\n\nI blanched. \u201cYou knew I was a courier?\u201d\n\nHe tilted his head. \u201cWell, of course. I saw your profile and I saw the case you\u2019re carrying.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd you just changed destinations for me?\u201d I asked, perplexed.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not the destination, but the journey. And now we\u2019ve all had an experience we might not have had otherwise,\u201d he said with a wry smile. \u201cThat\u2019s kinda the point.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs there anything closer than the rescue vehicles? Someone that might take a passenger?\u201d I asked.\n\n\u201cFor our fearless repairwoman, I\u2019ll make a scan,\u201d he said, flipping a few knobs beneath a screen. After a moment, a little blip appeared on the screen. \u201cLooks like there\u2019s a Caterpillar headed towards the jump point. Let me check the records . . . ship name is Dodecahedron and it\u2019s registered under the name . . . Senet Mehen? I don\u2019t know. It doesn\u2019t sound promising.\u201d\n\n\u201cCould you hail it?\u201d I asked.\n\nCaptain Lemmie typed a standard hailing message on his keyboard and sent it to Dodecahedron requesting communications. We stared at the display and each other for a minute. No response.\n\n\u201cThe owner could be asleep and on autopilot,\u201d said the Captain with a shrug.\n\n\u201cTry again, please,\u201d I said.\n\nWe stared for a while longer.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, his lips curling with disappointment.\n\n\u201cDodecahedron. That\u2019s a strange name. Try sending the message: \u2018Greetings, Senet Mehen. Sorri Lyrax requests the pleasure of your communications to inquire about an audacious offer.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThat sounds like spam,\u201d said the Captain.\n\n\u201cWell, sometimes spam works. Send it,\u201d I said.\n\nThe Captain had an incredulous look as he typed in the message, shaking his head the whole time.\n\nWhile we waited, he had a smirk on his lips as if he knew what was going to happen. To both our surprise, a message returned on the display.\n\n[ Greetings, Sorri Lyrax, what offer awaits? ]\n\u201cIt\u2019s like you two are speaking a foreign language,\u201d said the Captain. \u201cWhat\u2019s the reply?\u201d\n\n\u201cA dodecahedron is a twenty-side die. It\u2019s used for playing games. He must like games. Probably uses the downtime during space travel to play them. I would guess he has an extensive VR set, or custom Glas wall. Please respond: \u2018Vita Perry stranded. Rescue ships approach, but Sorri Lyrax needs ride. Will pay,\u2019\u201d I said.\n\nAfter the Captain typed it, we waited a while but got no response.\n\n\u201cCrite,\u201d I said, pulling up my mobiGlas and searching it for gamer terms. I\u2019d seen kids my age playing games with dice when I was growing up, but my father always had me working in the bar. Games are for infants, he would tell me in his gruff, I-am-all-wise voice if I inquired about visiting one of those shops.\n\n\u201cTry this: \u2018Sorri Lyrax in dire need. Will you accept quest?\u2019\u201d I said.\n\nThe answer came back so fast I thought it was an error. He was going to let me ride with him for free. The blip started moving towards Vita Perry.\n\n\u201cI can\u2019t believe that actually worked. You\u2019re going to need to do another EVA to reach Dodecahedron,\u201d he said. \u201cCan\u2019t risk anything else with the hull damaged. I\u2019ll pick up a new suit when we get back to port, but you\u2019re going to have to pay for the one you\u2019ve got on since we\u2019ll have no way to get it back.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll do that right now,\u201d I said, accessing my mobi while simultaneously trying not to scowl. \u201cThank you.\u201d\n\nHe gave me a wink, the kind I would expect from a wizened old farmer leaning over the back of his tractor. \u201cMy pleasure.\u201d\n\nThe rest of the passengers had overheard the exchange since we\u2019d kept the cabin door open, so I was greeted with a mixture of appreciation and relief. I think some of them thought I was bad luck.\n\nThe Banu in the cream robes appeared asleep, which made the departure less awkward. I put the helmet back on, hooked the case to a strap, and moved to the airlock.\n\nAt first, I was worried Dodecahedron\u2019s approach would create a dangerous impact, but the ship\u2019s pilot did a deft maneuver, swinging the ship around and using thrusters to slow to a stop. I\u2019d never seen a prettier parallel park in deep space.\n\nThe only problem was the gap between the two airlocks. I had about ten feet that I had to traverse untethered. I felt like I was standing over a bottomless crevasse. Eventually I talked my feet into pushing away. The flight between ships was brief, and I thudded against Dodecahedron before I took a second breath.\n\nAfter passing through the airlock, I stepped inside the ship and thought I\u2019d been teleported into an antique shop on Sol. I pulled my helmet off, inhaling the unfamiliar scents of old wood and rubbing oils.\n\nI\u2019d been completely wrong about Senet Mehen. He didn\u2019t pass the time playing VR games or using a wall-sized Glas. He passed the time playing ancient games and puzzles so intricately designed they looked like artwork.\n\nHand-carved shelves were fashioned of wood as smooth as glass. Packed from floor to ceiling, the shelves contained what seemed like every possible game ever made that didn\u2019t contain electronics. These weren\u2019t mass manufactured games and puzzles, but made by craftsman who labored for love, some of whom were clearly not Human.\n\nAn octagonal table at the center of the main cabin displayed the pi\u00e8ce-de-r\u00e9sistance of the collection. I\u2019d seen an old drawing on Castra II involving impossible staircases that seem to go nowhere and everywhere all at once. The wooden puzzle structure reminded me of that staircase painting, except that it\u2019d been made three-dimensional. Dozens of interlocking pieces were strewn about the table.\n\nThe center section held the puzzle in progress, which appeared to be a half-formed tower. Even at a glance I could tell it was being assembled incorrectly.\n\n\u201cI sense your disappointment in my assembly of the puzzle. I\u2019m afraid I share your assessment,\u201d said a voice from the doorway. \u201cThe designer claimed the puzzle was of moderate difficulty, but I have been at it for half a year without progress.\u201d\n\nSenet Mehen was nothing like I expected. He was a thin, proper man in a vest and tweed jacket. His mustache and beard were kept neat. He could have been a professor of antiquities living in a musty University library, or a germaphobe who lived sequestered in an ancient Sol highrise.\n\n\u201cUhm, hello. I\u2019m Sorri,\u201d I said, reflexively.\n\n\u201cYes. We are already acquainted. The odd but slightly interesting message,\u201d he said while steepling his fingers.\u201dYou enjoy games.\u201d\n\n\u201cSure. Yes. That\u2019s what I enjoy,\u201d I said.\n\n\u201cWhich ones?\u201d he asked.\n\nI wrinkled my forehead. \u201cUh . . . I guess ones that involve maximizing deliveries for the shortest cost. I\u2019m a courier. Vita Perry was stranded and I\u2019m trying to get to Tyrol IV, by way of Kilian.\u201d\n\n\u201cA courier?\u201d he said, a twinge of disgust in his voice.\n\n\u201cThis ship is a research vessel, a space-faring museum! I travel the galaxy in search of antique games made by all cultures. At my last visit, I acquired a Xi\u2019an interrogation puzzle cube, a sublime piece of history. The Xi\u2019an would place the box over their captives\u2019 hands and if they could solve the series of levers and slides inside the box, it would free them. Otherwise, the captives would lose their hands. There\u2019s still old blood on the blade inside.\u201d\n\nSenet Mehen\u2019s enthusiasm for a twisted piece of war contraband gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.\n\n\u201cWell, I, uhm . . .\u201d\n\nThe words trickled out of my mouth. It was a rare moment that I was at a loss for something to say.\n\nSenet Mehen stiffened before he announced, \u201cSince you have not been completely honest with me, nor do you share my values, I cannot abide by our agreement. I had plans on leaving you in the Kilian system as requested, but I do not have the patience for charity work, and plan to forge on to Stanton system where I seek to acquire a glasswork Matryoshka nesting puzzle. You may indulge your need for commerce at that station; until then, you can rest in this location, but keep your fingerprints from my valuables or I will jettison you from the airlock.\u201d\n\nMy response was cut off when Senet Mehen returned through the cabin door, leaving me in the room stuffed with puzzles. I slumped against the leg of the table and let out a deep breath before I tried to put a fist into the wall.\n\nRule number five, never stop thinking. But what happens when you\u2019re stuck with a puzzle-worshiping lunatic who won\u2019t let you off his ship?\n\n[ 54:11:20 ]\n\nTo be continued\u2026"},"links_count":1,"comment_count":27,"created_at":"2019-10-23T03:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"6 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-04-27 04:05:03","valid_relations":["images","links","translations"],"prev_id":17307,"next_id":17309}}