With a flick of his hand, he granted entry. When they finally stood face to face, he noted with deep satisfaction how far he towered over the newcomer.
"I am Khar. I have been Vitromium’s chief maintainer for three universal chrono-years."
A small light flared beside the suit’s speaker, indicating the being was about to reply, but Khar cut in before any sound could escape.
"I do not care who you are until you prove yourself. Once I am certain you will keep your position, I will learn your name. Now move. We have work to do."
The being dipped its head in the smallest of nods and followed Khar into the cruiser’s depths.
Vitromium was vast, modern, and above all luxurious. Its generous spaces and minimalist design satisfied the demands of most species. Its manufacturer catered exclusively to the highest echelon, so not only the quality and equipment, but the price as well, was astronomical. Ordinary star citizens rarely set foot on one, let alone owned a ship like this.
The only product tangentially associated with Herion starcruisers that could be called remotely affordable was the VoidBrace, a wrist-mounted quantum computer. Those who could not dream of owning a Herion, yet adored the brand, often saved for hundreds of chrono-cycles just to obtain one. To interface properly with Vitro, you needed a VoidBrace, and Khar could see the newcomer already had one mounted on their exosuit.
Either a maniacal Herion fan, or Vegrun had sent it ahead. Knowing Vegrun, Khar would have bet a significant sum on the first option.
Fine by him. It meant he did not have to provide one.
Before they entered the cargo bay, Khar performed a quick scan and registered the being’s VoidBrace to Vitro’s systems with severely limited user privileges.
Time to test the upstart.
"We are in Cargo Two. A fresh resupply for the next half universal chrono-year just arrived. Load everything into stasis. You have until evening."
Without further instruction, Khar strode off, leaving the newcomer alone with the task.
He was certain they would not be able to complete it. Loading under increased gravity? He almost wanted to clap himself on the shoulder for how cleverly he had arranged this little hazing.
Or training, as he would call it if anyone asked.
If they wanted to work with him, they had to handle this challenge. Starcruisers and ships might share standard elements, but their sorting schemes and command trees were as different as worlds in a galaxy. Just deciphering the organizational logic would take time. That was not even counting the fact that Khar had "accidentally" taken the anti-grav hand-fork that made moving crates effortless. Oops.
Back in the central control room, Khar cast one more glance at the being through the camera system. As expected, they were staring at the mountain of crates in clear confusion. He set a rule for Vitro to alert him if the newcomer left the designated storage sections, then dove into his own work, which stretched past midday.
Dessert after lunch, he decided with a small, cruel smile, would be a leisurely walk down to the cargo bay to enjoy the recruit’s flailing.
Khar liked his job.
Afternoon came too quickly, along with a navigation glitch in Vitro’s systems that he could not resolve despite severalattempts. It was not serious enough to abort takeoff, but Khar preferred to be ready for anything. A content employer meant a stable, well-paid position that was not overly taxing.
He intended to keep it.
Muttering under his breath, he descended toward the cargo bay. On the way, he composed a neat line of insults to hurl at the useless head that now technically fell under his supervision.
The bay door slid open.
Khar forced a professionally neutral expression onto his face. That proved difficult when the scent hit him again, sharp and clean.
Am I hallucinating it now?
"How is the unload going?" he asked in a tone that was almost innocent, at least by his standards.
His long stride faltered as he stepped into the bay and took in the empty space.
The newcomer sat in one of the rest-chairs, casually scrolling through their wristband.
"Oh, Khar, finally! I was just about to come find you. What’s next?"
In that instant, Khar discovered what true vacuum felt like.
