The year was 2476 C.E. At the naive age of twenty four, I was in transit from Luna to Ganymede. It hadn't been that long of a journey so far, but I was eager for it to be over; and to be to my destination. It had been close to a full twenty hours since our departure from the interplanetary port at Neo Vega on Luna.

It was really quite impressive back then, and by all things it still is still impressive. Traveling around the solar system at a sixth the speed of light. I had traveled the warp lines before, it was nothing new to me. I grew up without any thought of anything different, that it was something that was there; and was expected. In all reality it is truly amazing, and is something that I think is taken for granted these days. I know I sure did.

I had booked passage on an old freighting ship called the Niagara. Had booked it for it cheap I remember, for about the same price it would have been to fly public. Had my own room to myself, with a small bed and a desk. The room wasn't huge, but I had privacy. The interior was lined mostly with cheap old polymers, the mag floor seemed a little weak in some areas, and everything seemed loosely held together. I had joked with the captain if it would survive reentry. I was reassured that it had survived reentry through much worse condition.

I laid in the bed looking up at the wall. I knew that there wasn't much time left on the journey, and wasn't compelled to start anything. There was a knock at the door. I immediately sat up and went to answer it. The door slid open and in the hallway stood the ship's captain.

The captain was an older woman, had introduced herself as Sophie when I inquired about passage. She had to have been at least sixty; but she seemed to have so much more energy for someone her age. Her face seemed red and beaten from years of being in the sun, and she had wrinkles around her mouth and eyes, which looked like it came from years of smiling and laughter and perhaps smoking. She had long brown hair with bits of grey mixed everywhere, which she kept in a long braid. It didn't make her look old, so much as it made her look experienced.

She wore a dark button up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of suspenders that hooked to her pants. On her feet a pair of heavy combat boots that clunked everywhere she walked, announcing her presence long before she ever arrived. Around her waist sat a large belt with two slightly curved sword clipped to her right hand side, one smaller than the other. As I opened the door she turned around and greeted me with a smile.

“Just going around tellin’ everyone we'll be touching down on Mars within the hour. We'll be stopped there for about six hours for refueling and all that shit. So now would be the time to grab anything you need, be it food … or ass.” She had said, adding a small wink at the end.

I went slightly red, and thanked her bashfully for the tip, but told her I wasn't in need that bad. She just kept smiling at me, and said she didn't care that any thing I did was my business and my business alone. With that she turned back around and headed back towards the bridge. I leaned my head out and watched her walk away.

Her posture was straight, and her steps her quick. As I watched the captain walk away.

“Mmm, you know what they say about an older women. Like a fine, fine wine.”

I turned around to see the ship's mechanic, Dylan. Captain had warned me to stay away from him at the beginning of the flight. I didn’t understand why till after meeting him, made it a point to stay away from the engine section of the ship after that.

He had a nasty habit of bumping into people and giving them a quick grab in the process. Did it to everyone he came in contact with; old women, young men, you name it. Good portion of them liked it too, can’t blame them, he was by in no means ugly. The man had long black hair that he kept swept back and tied in a pony-tail. He had taken the liberty of ripping off the sleeves from his overalls, which allowed him to show off his large biceps. Lot of the women passengers loved him because of his 'old earth' Spanish accent, and his all over tan which he was fond of referring to as his 'Martian bronze'.

He stepped in front of me and blocked the doorway. Arms stretched out lazily, he gave me a toothy smile, trying to be a casual as possible. I didn’t move from where I was standing, I already felt backed into a corner already.

“So you ever been to Mars before?” he asked, eyeing me with a sultry gaze.

I told him that I had stayed in Elonia, the Commonwealth capital of Mars, for a couple of weeks on my way to Luna. It was an unexpected stay, after I had gotten drunk with some people I had met at a hostel bar. I decided that I wanted to stay for a bit, and enjoy myself. Before I would start my work as a clinic medic on Luna.

Dylan just looked at me and laughed. “That isn’t a real martian city. Just a pretty playground for the rich there.” He gave a pat on my shoulder, and smiled.

“Were laying down in San Kim. Now that … that is an actual martian city.” he said.

“Isn’t that a slaver city?” I asked, trying not to let the concern show in my voice.

“Was once. Ain’t no more. Commonwealth military did a sweep a couple of years back, and they got a base and every thing there now. It ain't technically a part of the system, but they keep guards posted in the popular areas. Stay away from the dark alleys and you’ll be fine.”

He backed away and just kept giving me a giant smile. “Plus it’s worth the risk. You haven’t begun to live till you’ve spent some time at San Kim. Don’t you worry I’ll show you the best places, keep you safe.”

I shut the door, and sat on my bed. Leaning back my head rested against the back of the metal wall and I shut my eyes for a moment. The peace was relaxing, and I sat like that until I was woken up by the shaking of reentry.

Upon reentry it’s normal for a ship interior to experience temperature change as it begins to enter into the atmosphere. Not a large change just by a degree or two, but definitely noticeable. I wasn’t a physicist but I understood the basics that when things experience friction they heat up, and that the ship was designed to take the heat, both literally and figuratively. I used to get tense when this happens. I never freaked out about it too much, but I always tended to grab my bag handle and squeeze it a bit.

After about a half an hour of coming into Mars atmosphere we finally landed at a docking pad. I was eager to get off the ship and as soon as the captain came over the intercom saying that we had landed I was already headed towards the exit. I walked briskly down the hallway, the sound of my shoes made a clang on the metal mag floor. I came around a corner and nearly slammed into Dylan. I stopped suddenly as not to collide with him, and my feet slid out from under me. Laying on the floor, my butt sore; I looked up to see the mechanic looking down at me with his slick white smile and a glint in his eye.

“I thought I might run into you Doc. I didn’t think it would be so literal though.” he says, offering out his hand to help me up.

“Yes, well I wasn’t expecting to collide with you either.” I proceed to get up by myself, and brush my clothes down. Dylan reaches down and picks up my bag, and handed it to me.

“Can’t wait to get off this boat can you? Take in some of the local life hmm? I know exactly how you feel.” He says, still smiling.

“No nothing like that. I just can’t stay on this ship any longer.” I said, not thinking about what I was saying of to whom I was saying it to. “ ... I get really uncomfortable during reentry.”

“Oh what’s a matter?” he says,”Is it too hot in here for your taste. That jacket you’re wearing must be hot, might help if you took it off.”

I didn’t know what to do. I could feel a bead of sweat on the back of my neck start to roll down. I swallowed hard trying to bring up words on what to say, but couldn’t think of any. In my moment of awkwardness I didn’t hear the clunking of the Captain’s boots on the floor, until she had rested a hand on my shoulder.

“Dylan what are you doing messing around with the Doctor. Get back to work.” she said sternly. Her hand still resting on my shoulder.

“But Sophie, we were gonna go and see some of the sights in San Kim.” he said, still smiling like a child caught in some mischievous act.

“The Doctor can explore without you. Probably want’s some time alone any way, people can started getting on other nerves fast in cramped spaces fast.” she continues, resting her free hand on one of the sword handles. The mechanics eyes swiftly trace the motion and understood exactly what it meant the smile disappearing from his face. “You have a lot of work to do before we take off again, so you best get to it. Don’t make me repeat myself a third time, Dylan.”

“Yes ma'am” hes says, as he turns around and heads back towards the engine room.

I turn to thank the Captain, but before I can say anything she gives me an almost as stern look. “And you” she says, “grow a god damn spine.” I stood there befuddled, trying to figure out what had happened; watching as the Captain walked away.

I finally found my way towards the cargo bay and the exit ramp. People passed me by, carrying luggage and cargo on and off the ship. Stepping out from underneath the shade of the ship I shielded my eyes and looked up at the burnt orange walls of rock the surrounded the pad. The landing pads for the less wealthy areas on mars were dug out from the ground, that way as to not spend materials to build shelter to protect the ships from the harsh wind or what else might pop up. I continued up a flight of stairs that brought me to the ground level hallway.

I continued around the enclosed walkway that circled our pad looking for the exit towards the main exit and out to the rest of the city. Glancing out the window to my side I caught a glimpse of the ship. Having not actually seen the the exterior when leaving Luna, and only just the inside of an air lock; I moved closer to the window to get a closer look.

As I walked towards the window the glint from the sun caught me off guard for a split second as I looked out, and as I moved closer the glare disappeared and I was able to get a good view of the ship. It was ovular in shape mostly and bowed out at the top and bottom. On the top of the ship there was a rectangular outcropping towards the front which I knew was the bridge. At the back were two large engines for the main propulsion, and on the top I noticed other smaller jet vents that must have bean there for maneuvering.

The majority of the ship was just a shiny metallic color, some of it discolored or dull from wear and tear; save for the bottom which was black where there the heat sink tiles were pasted on. On the side of the ship was it identification code, CF 71395, which was mandatory for all ships to bear. I knew it was common for ships to be decorated with patterns or other images, but the captain it seemed didn’t care to put the time nor money towards such things. That is expect for the name, Niagara, painted on in cursive deep blue letters.

I leaned forward against the glass. I let my mind wander and take it all in. The ship was an old model, production for this type had started the year my mother was born. I remember when I was little my grandfather sitting me down and showing me a vid-still of his that he had owned when my mother was my age. I remember all the stories he used to tell me, all those grand tales of his dashing heroism. It took me back to a simple time that I missed.

I was brought back to reality by the cold grip of something metal on my arm. The chill sent a shock up my spine. I turned around to see the an ancient women before me, short and round. Her right arm was a metal mech-sthetic, bright red in color and well worn. Her face wrinkled beyond belief. Her hair short and whiter than any of the polar frost I had seen on Ganymede.

I looked at her curiously, and asked if I could help her. She looked at me with a smile, and pointed at the ship and gave me a thumbs up with her real hand. I looked back at the ship and told her it was indeed a very nice ship.

She looked back at me, then pointed at the ship again. She took her hand with her pinky, pointer, and thumb out stretched on her hand; she then did a swooping motion over her head. She then pointed to herself. I told her I didn't understand.

She then took her hand again low to the ground this time, and made a swooping motion upward upward to the ceiling. She twisted it around in the air as if it was almost dancing. She then pointed at herself again. Understanding I exclaimed, “oh you’re the ship's pilot!”

She nodded again with a smile. I told her it was a pleasure to meet her and stuck my hand out to shake her’s. She stared at it very confused, and simple bowed with her hands together. She made a sweeping motion with her hands in the direction of the exit, and continued walking. Believing that she wanted me to follow her, I did at a decent pace; surprised by how quick she was for her age.

I followed her through a maze of halls and to the main corridor. At the end of the corridor was a large door, above it written; Exit to North San Kim marketplace. I walked closer, still following the pilot towards the door. They suddenly flew open and again I was blinded by the light pouring in. The different pleasures caused a draft to blow inward. I could smell all the scents of the market place as the wind gently caressed my face. Smells of local spices, searing meats, sugary sweats. and even the faint aroma of flowers were on the air. I breathed it all in one after another as I walked forward still blind from the light.