The Spare | ONC2025

(Dedicated to Empiresofwater and her ONC fantasy, Damnatio Memoriae, a battle between two sisters)

The shuttle slowed as it approached the Space Terminal outside Avalain.

"Here we are, everybody," announced the pilot in cheery tones, as she docked the shuttle neatly in its bay. The slight jolt as they came to a halt startled the last few dozing passengers into wakefulness.

"Welcome home to those of you who are returning, and welcome to Avalain for those who are making their first visit. It's twenty-one hundred hours local time and a lovely thirty degrees Celsius outside. Please remember to take all your personal belongings with you. You'll find the Residential Status and Bio-Screening channel to your immediate left as you exit the shuttle."

The pilot stood and waited with a professional smile for the passengers to file out.

Jiro waited for everyone else to leave first, his heart a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He was about to step out onto a new world and a new life. Sure, there would be obstacles and challenges to overcome but he was young and eager to work. Whatever happened, here on Belus he would be in charge of his own life, not subject to the control of others. Maybe one day he would return to Atlan and find out the reasons behind Drew's actions, but not yet. Not until he was well established with a home, a job and friends of his own choosing. Maybe in five years... or ten...

He had no belongings to collect but he waited to have a word with the pilot. He had thought long and hard during the voyage here, about whether he should change his name and seek work outside his chosen field but had eventually decided against it. If he wanted to work as a pilot, he had to use his real name, the one linked to his credentials. And he hadn't come all this way to a new world to give up his dreams without even trying.

The shuttle pilot was young, only a few years older than Jiro if he was any judge. Her blond hair was cropped short and she wore a uniform of fawn shirt and trousers. Jiro smiled hopefully but her polite expression quickly faded as she prepared to fend off an unwelcome advance.

He spoke fast before she could brush him off.

"Excuse me for bothering you, Serra, but I'm a qualified pilot. I was hoping you might be able to tell me where I could look for work. My name is Jiro Kaplan."

The woman's expression changed from thinly disguised annoyance, to genuine interest.

"Pilot, eh? Is that right? What craft have you flown? Flyers or shuttles?"

"Both. I come from the city of Atlan, on Etrion, and I trained on a shuttle very similar to this one. An S1-346. And as for flyers, I've flown everything from basic to advanced."

"Have you? As a matter of fact, I might be able to help. Let me see your qualifications," she asked, peering at his wristcom. "For shuttle work you'd have to approach the authorities in the Terminal and put in a formal application, but it's easier for flyers. A lot of companies and small businesses contract out when they need a flyer."

She studied Jiro for a moment, his clear blue eyes steadily meeting hers. His honey-toffee coloured hair was a little longer than most pilots preferred, but he looked muscular and fit as if he worked out regularly.

Evidently, she liked what she saw. "Actually, my aunt Lisa and her partner, Hetha, run a search and rescue business. They need flyers from time to time. I can't promise anything but they might be a good starting point for you."

Jiro beamed. "Thank you! I'd really appreciate that. As you can probably tell, this is my first visit to Belus and Avalain."

The pilot smiled as she forwarded her aunt's details to Jiro's wristcom.

"You're welcome. And if you're looking for cheap accommodation, I can recommend the Spacer's Hostel just behind the Terminal."

"You're very kind."

She grinned. "You're cute. If I didn't have another shift in thirty minutes, I'd ask you out for a drink."

Jiro coloured faintly, unused to compliments. He realized then how cloistered he had become, working from home and all his spare time spent trying to manage his health. Well, things were going to change now.

"That would be fun. Another time perhaps, when I'm more settled."

"That's fine. I'm Anais Tayla. I'm sure we'll see each other again, especially if you do some work for Aunt Lisa."

Anais smiled again and peeled off to the Transit lounge, leaving Jiro to walk through the Arrivals screening channel where his ID was scanned and he was asked to enter a decontamination chamber. A microbe or a seed which was harmless on one planet could become a disaster on another.

Once outside the Terminal, he took his time, breathing in the fresh air and gazing up in awe at the twin moons, high in the sky. His home planet, Etrion, didn't have a single satellite, at least, not a natural one. Belus was a vastly different world. Covered with dense native forest, bisected by wide rivers and two medium-sized oceans, Belus was a wilderness lover's paradise. Jiro was looking forward to flying over it, and maybe even doing some hiking to experience the forest close up.

This city, Avalain, though evidently impressive by local standards, would barely have made the grade as a village on Etrion. There were no towers taller than thirty metres and the streets were lined with static footpaths rather than mobile walkways.

Jiro easily found the Spacer's Hostel and checked in for a couple of nights. Only three storeys high, the corridor running down the middle of each floor was lined with small rooms, each containing a single bed and a hygiene unit. There were no eating or recreational facilities, though there seemed to be plenty nearby, this place was for sleeping only. Still, it was clean and cheap. A good place to start until he found his bearings.

Tonight, he would sleep and tomorrow he would venture forth and introduce himself to Anais' aunt. Things were looking up.