2. CHAPTER 2

The bus doors swept open, and I joined the throngs shuffling into the massive spaceport. My eyes darted around, trying to take it all in—the soaring towers of glass and steel, ships glinting in the morning sunlight as they prepared for launch, and bustling crowds with rolling suitcases.

Snippets of a hundred conversations washed over me. Nearby, a woman begged her crying toddler to quiet down. The sharp voice of an announcer boomed flight updates from overhead speakers. My nostrils twitched at the mingling scents of coffee, jet fuel, and fried food.

I followed the flow of passengers. My ears perked at the low hum emanating from a towering device—the space elevator. Groups and families posed before it, smiling for pictures.

Heart pounding, I shuffled along, elbow to bumping with other eager travelers. The spaceport was a sensory experience unlike anything I"d encountered. My nerves thrummed with excitement and uncertainty. What would I do now? The sights, sounds, and smells threatened to overload me. All I could do was take a deep breath and keep moving forward.

The Space Elevator itself was a sight to behold, even more breathtaking, with the light of the morning sun shining on it. The place looked like a colossal airport with a massive white tower that jutted from the ground to the sky. I heard the tower beat out the Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the entire world.

I should have gotten off at the first stop, but I missed it because I was sleeping. Then, at the second stop, I didn't get off because Derek offered to buy me lunch, and I was hungry. And as for the other three stops, well…at that point, I was just committed to seeing the spaceport.

"Holy shit." Derek stammered with a tremble in his voice. "I've seen this place on TV and online, but they were right when they said you still ain't ready to see this in person. The first spaceport built on Earth." He sighed.

"I can't believe how big it is." I chuckled. "Which part is Outer Worlds?" I asked just as I saw the massive sign with a nuclear space family, a mother, father, two kids, and even a dog in a space suit. The arrow pointed toward the right with massive lettering that said: Outer Worlds.

My teeth chattered with anticipation.

When I grabbed my luggage, I saw Derek head straight to the entrance where the attendants stood. Did we need the ID card to enter the building? Fuck me!

I looked up at the massive tower. I believed it was the tower that transported the shuttles to the beam, and each section of the tower was like its own terminal: one for NASA, another for SpaceZero, others used for private and commercial flights, and then one terminal for Outer Worlds.

I spotted a small, bustling, classic red and silver diner across the street with a large flashing red neon sign: Spaceport Diner.

The tourists and travelers packed the place, but it was the only standing restaurant in the area that looked like it still had room inside, and I needed a place to rest and get my bearings. In other words, I was here, I saw a piece of soon-to-be living history, and now I had no idea what the hell I would do but try to get home. And there was no way I was calling my mom for money. A man needed his pride.

I hurried and found a table that was still messy from a couple finishing their meal. This place smelled wonderful. I could smell the aroma of hot, greasy diner food fresh off the grill and fryer. I wanted a burger with all the fixings and a pile of those fries. Hell, make them chili cheese just for the hell of it.

Some shady-looking guy pressed his back against the far wall. He passed a yellow envelope to the couple who had just left their table. Did I just witness a drug deal?

Once he saw the couple out the door, he turned to zero in on me, as if out of everyone here, he knew I was watching him. He wasted no time sauntering over, running his hands through his shoulder length black hair. His nose was a bit too big and so was his lips, but for some reason, when you looked at the whole package it all came together to form a distinctive handsome face.

He sat down across from me and looked out the window. I followed his gaze to that massive tower, and I think I saw a SpaceZero shuttle heading inside… to think this thing could take anyone into space.

"You okay?" He said, scratching his nose. "You look like you're waiting on something."

I remained silent. He looked out the window and back at me again, the morning light catching his blue eyes perfectly.

"Amazing, isn't it?" He asked with a sly grin. "This is the type of shit our grandparents dreamed about, being able to go into outer space, fly around on spaceships and shit. Even now, this is brand new to us, but our kids… well, not our kids, you know, just the next generation in general." He explained, pulling a vape from his pocket. "To them, coming to this place and going up into space will be normal. I hear the Gen Ten are building a commercial space station that'll orbit between the Earth and the Moon. It'll be some sort of space city millions of people can live in."

"That sounds cool," I replied, still wondering why he was speaking to me. Unless he was hitting on me, and I knew this song and dance all too well. He'd proposition me to suck him off or something in the diner bathroom. No thanks.

Oh, I was into men, no doubt about that…but I wasn't in the mood to lose my virginity when my entire life was floundering around me.

"So, you're here for Outer Worlds, right?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Only androids are building in space. You don't look like you're here to mine, and you don't look like a scientist, so Mars is out of the question."

"Well, aren't you perceptive?"

"I gotta be. It's my job."

"And what is your job?"

"Selling people things they need. This is a new industry, after all, space is the future but not everyone is chosen, you know what I mean."

"I think so?" I asked, not sure what he was getting at. "What are you trying to do exactly?"

"My beta goal is to get to that colony; my alpha goal is to make enough money to afford my own ship."

I laughed; the whole thing seemed so… different. "And what will you do with your own ship?"

"Be a smuggler. There are certain things on the colony and mining ships that are restricted, I can help get people the stuff they want."

"That's not legal."

"Right, such as helping people secure an ID card." He said, smiling at me.

Now, he had my full attention. "How would you get these ID cards?"

"I can make them. For two hundred bucks."

"You can?"

He nodded.

"And let's say I needed an extra card; will it get me onboard the colony ship?"

He nodded.

"And how would I know I can use it and it's not a scam?"

"Watch that couple; see right there." He pointed to the people I saw him with before. They were now heading across the street to the front entrance where the attendants and security guards stood. With a small swipe, they were inside.

It was like the heavens were smiling down on me. My mom always said to grab opportunities when you see them, though I'm sure this is one opportunity she would rather I pass on, but for me, it was worth a shot. Anything was better than coming home with my tail between my legs.

This was when I realized that my goddamn wallet was missing!

"Motherfucker!" I yelled, causing the noisy diner to hush for a moment. Mr. Shady shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Someone stole my wallet! It had to be that fucker at the last rest stop," I said through clenched teeth, remembering the ginger haired guy who bumped me.

I had seen him pull the same bump and snatch on a few passengers at the rest stops, so I avoided him until I wasn't paying attention, and he bumped me too. I checked my wallet and felt it was on me, so I thought I was too clever, and he didn't get me. But I was wrong! He must have switched my wallet for someone else's.

Thankfully I still had a credit chit with only a hundred and twenty-five credits on it, and the only reason it wasn't in my wallet was because I had bought that burrito and forgot to put it in my wallet.

I was both lucky and unlucky at the same time. That wallet belonged to my dad, my last memento of him before his passing. I wanted to cry and punch someone at the same time.

As for confronting the thief, that was out of the question, as he had ditched at the last stop. I swear if I ever see that bitch again, I will punch his freaking lights out.

"Whelp, tough." Mr. Shady stood to leave.

"Hold on," I said hoping I didn't sound desperate but was sure that was just how I sounded. "I have one hundred and twenty-five credits to my name."

"Shame. How are you gonna get those seventy-five bucks?"

"What?! You're not gonna let me slide?"

He chuckled. "If I let you slide then everyone would start negotiating prices. I feel bad, you know? Who doesn't need an extra ID card? But the price is two hundred bucks."

He stood and without listening to another word he backed away from the table. "If you come up with the rest of the money I'll be here until around five then I'm heading inside. I'm not missing my chance to start my newfound career over one customer." He walked away, and I wanted to die. Of course, someone would steal my money.

My options were not looking great, I could either go to the station and make a sign stating that I would work for bus fare like the other dregs that ended up here like me. Or be a complete shady scumbag and find Derek before he enters the port, spin some lie to get his aid.

There was also another option, but that would be a last extremely desperate resort, and the fact that I was even thinking about it only solidified that I was getting on that colony ship one way or the other. No more second guesses or alternatives.

It's that colony ship or bust!