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16

Rigel station had been impressive, but nothing could prepare me for the spectacle of the Galactic Union’s capital city. It resembled our last stop (as they seemed unusually fond of circles), but my puny human perspective was not adequate to process how absurdly big it was. I expected it to be larger than the transit station, and was it ever.

The city encircled an entire planet. The Union capital was an enormous artificial ring suspended high above a lush, green world. The inner edge of the ring sparkled like a richly jeweled necklace, with millions of lights that gave it the appearance of a rainbow. There was no telling how it appeared to other beings who perceived a broader spectrum than humans could.

More lights danced around it at random; hundreds of enormous ships moving about the perimeter. The city was a physical demonstration of how expansive the Union truly was. Huge numbers like the distances between stars become meaningless because we have to reduce them to manageable scales: A light-year is easier to work with than six trillion miles. It’s when you see an individual piece of that puzzle laid out before you, itself more massive than any structure a normal human could conceive of, that it becomes real.

The crushing sense of scale and distance could’ve ended with the capital city, but it didn’t. Beyond it, in the deep background, hung a radiant cloud of gas which the Emissaries said we puny Earthlings had named the Crab Nebula. Still dozens of light-years distant, it dominated the sky, a smear of bluish haze interlaced with tendrils of red and orange. They told me it was the remains of a supernova, a star that had collapsed on itself and exploded like Rigel was expected to do in the future.

It’s a cliché to say I had to pinch myself, but it’s also the truth. This glittering gem of their capital had to be tens of thousands of miles across but was only part of a much larger civilization, which itself covered only a small slice of our galaxy. My head couldn’t absorb what might lie beyond.

The surprises didn’t stop coming as we drew close enough to make out more detail. The entire inner surface of the ring was studded with transparent domes, which made it look all the more like a jeweled necklace floating in space. Beneath them were smaller structures surrounded by forests and fields. Each dome was like a small town to itself, hundreds of them set across the face of the capital.

“Those are environment structures, tailored to mimic the conditions of individual planets from all of our member races.” Bjorn, as usual, was right behind me playing tour guide.

Thousands of smaller cities, with giant parks and playgrounds, studding the inside of the capital ring. “Are they where everyone lives?”

“Most do, depending on their cultural preferences. Some live in the structures beneath the domes; all work either within the structure or along its outer rim.”

Spectacular as it was, I’d expected to see something even more dramatic, like a giant capitol building. I pointed out clusters of buildings spaced at even intervals between the domes, miles apart. “What about those?”

“Each complex serves a different purpose within the capital.” One slipped by as we passed, a jumble of brilliantly lit cylindrical buildings like the ones at the entry station. “That’s the administrative complex. The next one you see will be the judiciary.”

Space court. I resolved to stay clear of that one. “Does the Medical Corps have its own complex, then?”

“Oh yes. We’re currently passing the governmental quadrant. The Medical Corps is part of the services quadrant, which we’ll be coming upon shortly.”

Sven flew us in a lazy circle around a cluster of jagged white buildings, each one successively taller, ending with an elegant spiral in the center which towered over the rest. It was the Emerald City of Oz in real life, and I was feeling more like Dorothy with each passing minute.

“That’s the Medical Corps complex. The surrounding buildings are treatment facilities and trauma centers. The center spiral is administration.”

Of course it was. The suits always had the best offices. I noticed a flurry of white teardrop-shaped craft with green stripes moving around the complex, some zipping away with flashing beacons. I watched one slowly maneuver itself into a massive open bay. “Are those what I think they are?”

“Patient transports,” he said. “Ambulances.”

Cool. No more bouncing around on rough country roads, though I was still a little uneasy at the idea of being a flight medic.

After one final pass around the complex, we continued on above the inner face of the ring. More of the domes passed by beneath us, each containing a different biosphere. One looked like desert, all pale yellows and burnt ocher. The next dome held a verdant forest that could’ve been transplanted from back home.

Our ship settled into a landing bay between the two, and came to a gentle stop. Soon after, a band of pulsing white light appeared around our door. “That indicates outside pressure has equalized. It is safe to leave the ship,” Bjorn explained. “Always wait for that, unless you are wearing a vacuum suit.”

Right. Don’t stumble out into open space. Good to know.


We left our ship and made for a nearby bank of elevators, as if we’d never left Rigel Station. The ride seemed interminably long, another indicator of how big the capital city was. We eventually came to a stop, and the elevator opened up into a massive atrium. From where we stood, it appeared sparsely populated. In the distance I could make out rows of what looked like fruit trees. A light breeze carried hints of lemon and sage with it, and it was making me hungry.

“Is that the bio dome we saw outside?”

“It is,” Sven said. “This is our sector, cultivated to resemble the environment of our home world. Or rather, how it once was.” There was a tinge of sorrow in his voice, as if he craved more. “This biodome is the one most similar to Earth in the capital. You may even find some of the vegetation to be familiar.” He took a deep breath. “It is refreshing to spend time here. I highly encourage it.”

“I don’t see many people about. Is this all Emissary territory?”

“We share this sector with the Gliesans, the insectoids you saw at Rigel Station. They have a similar home world.”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about sharing space with a colony of meter-long bugs, but if they were part of the Union I’d have to get used to it.

“It is also after hours. Most residents have retired to their homes for the evening. That is where we are headed next.” They waved me along. “Come, we will escort you to your quarters.”


Another long, circling hallway with more nondescript oval doors, though this looked more well-appointed than the temporary quarters we’d had on Rigel. The walls were adorned with sconces alive with drooping vines, while the gently curved ceiling glowed with indirect lighting that made it feel like late sunset.

Sven took note. “The lighting adjusts automatically with time of day, to simulate a normal solar cycle. Our day is twenty-eight of your Earth hours. The Union standard is closer to thirty.”

I checked my watch out of habit. “That’s going to take some getting used to.”

“It will,” he admitted. “Rely on your crystal for time reference.”

We stopped in front of a nearby door. “This is your suite,” Bjorn said, and a number appeared in floating digits above the arch: 1302C. Before I’d been afraid of getting hopelessly lost; now I at least knew my own address. With a quick pass of my ID ring across the panel, the door slid open.

My suite was, well . . . sweet. And private, no adjoining bedrooms this time, though I hoped my guides would be close by. “Where do you guys live?”

Sven tipped his head toward the hallway. “We are at the end of the corridor, suites G and H.”

Reassured that I wasn’t being completely cut loose on my own, I dropped my bag on the floor to check out my new home. It was nice in a resort hotel kind of way, well-appointed but not ostentatious. A couple of pieces of artwork hung on the wall, generic depictions of what I imagined the Emissary’s home world had once looked like. They could have graced a suite at a Hilton on Earth. A large picture window filled the far wall, with a first-class view of the biodome below. The furniture was designed for Emissaries, so it was also compatible with humans. The suite featured a larger kitchen and food synth, which I hoped meant it also had a wider-ranging menu.

I peeked into the bedroom and found a closet already half-filled with green and white coveralls, along with random bits of other clothing hung opposite them. On the floor beneath them sat two pairs of sleek black boots and two more pairs of slip-on casual shoes. “What are these?”

They exchanged an amused look. “Your uniforms, of course. They were tailored using dimensions from your body scan at Rigel. The others are items we thought you might find appealing, and more in line with current fashions.”

It was a sideways hint that my frumpy Earth clothing might not be up to snuff here. What can I say? I like my sweats. I held up one of the uniforms in front of me. The girly stuff could wait.

Sven tried to be encouraging. “Feel free to try them on.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“After we leave, of course,” he said.

“Of course.” I hung the coveralls back in the closet, not ready to put on a fashion show for two men who were still largely strangers to me. “Anything else I should know?”

“You should find the nutritional synthesizer’s menu has expanded, based on information uploaded from previous surveys.” Sven stepped into the bathroom. “You may also find this feature to be more to your liking.” He tapped a control behind a shower enclosure, and actual hot water streamed from a port in the ceiling.

Hallelujah. Now I could actually feel settled in.

“If there’s anything else you require, you can contact one of us through your crystal. There are comm panels by the doors of each room as well.”

I placed my hands on my hips and surveyed my new home. “I think I’m good, guys. Now if you don’t mind, I need to rest up and get ready for tomorrow.”

“Understood,” Sven said. “I will be here after breakfast to escort you to the training center.”

I followed them out, trying to not-too-obviously hurry them along, but that hot shower was calling my name.

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Framed