The variety of life that this galaxy offers never ceases to surprise me. As I walked down one of the main corridors that run across the diameter of the station, there were small shops and stalls tucked into alcoves that were selling everything from toys to exotic fruits that had come from across the galaxy. There were people, both humans and aliens everywhere most of which I didn’t know the names of crowded around some of the stalls three or four deep. Between the large groups of species and the various odors each produced must’ve been taxing the atmosphere cyclers to their limits giving the air a musty smell that even permeated my helmet. I continued on, the markets began to thin out giving way to food stalls with large swathes of the walkway filled with tables and chairs of various sizes. Smells of different cuisine from across the galaxy replaced added new layers to the musty atmosphere, looks like I landed around lunch time. My paranoia of so many people around me was starting to weigh on my shoulders, “Take the next right past that foot stand and down the corridor, we’ll pass through the main market and we’ll be at the elevators that goes down to Bucket’s,”

I sighed, “That’s a relief, I feel like Mr Robot Arm is gonna jump out and try strange me again.” Spotting a smaller corridor that Alice pointed out, I ducked in and left the hordes behind.

The Market was an open squarish area with squat buildings built into the walls across both levels with catwalks crisscrossing above the main area. There were stalls set up in neat rows stretching from one side to the other. Passing through a group of what looked to be Gelbeth, a short furry thing with four legs, two arms and a beak, arguing with a shopkeeper over some sort of condenser. I came across a small junk shop manned by an Flizzit, short, red-eyed and blue skinned. “Greeting sir,” Alice translated into my ear, “Looking for anything in particular?”

“Nope, just browsing,” his translator spoke into his ear, nodding profusely and sculpting his face into what only could have been a smile, the little shopkeeper left me alone to rummage through the crates of stuff on display.  I was looking for interesting tech I could salvage or cannibalise to make into something else. You can get some good stuff in these slum markets, most of the parts for my Compad came from the a market just like this. “Jonas, you have nor the time or spare credits for this stuff let’s get moving already,” Alice said in a motherly tone. “But when was the last time you saw a type-5 kinetic regulator in such good condition?” I replied,

“Ummm literally the last slum market we visited now let’s go.”

Alice pinged my visor directing me to the service elevators, I tossed the small motor I was fiddling with back on the pile and pushed through the crowd toward the one Alice had marked out.

Bucket’s place was a few decks below my ship and on the side that faces the emptiness of space. It was one of the few really slummy areas on the station which was apparent as soon as I was nearly blown back into the elevator but the rush of warm, sweaty smelling air. Looking around trying to get my bearings, everything down here looked the same, the houses or more accurately, the huts weren’t built into the walls or organized in anyway way I could discern, most were just hastily thrown together pieces of sheet metal and support structures. There were no dividing walls apart from the ones running around the very edge of the large hanger turned residential area. There was no gaps between the huts each one trying to get the most of the amount of room they had claimed giving everything a narrow, cramped and maze like feel. When they couldn’t expand out anymore, some went up, adding another dangerous layer on top of the already crumbling foundations. Then again where else would you find a renegade alien working for as a broker for the shadowy organisation of the week?

I came to the place which Bucket called home. It was a small hovel at the end of a makeshift ‘street’ filled with similar houses. I pressed a button on the panel next to the door, there was a quiet buzzing noise, “Ah finally. Enter,” a metallic voice said.There was a click as the door unlocked. Crouching so I didn’t hit my head on the low doorframe I entered the home. You wouldn’t guess it from the outside but it was quite large, Bucket was seated staring at wall-to-wall monitors scrolling through an unimaginable amount of data, completely disinterested in my presence.

Bucket is a Roba. A race of bug-like aliens living in giant Hive Ships floating through space that shun non-organic technology. They almost exclusively keep to themselves, seeing other races as dirty and weak. If any Roba are caught with non-organic technology they are exiled. Some however leave the Hive on their own accord and are immediately employed by tech companies for their unique ability to multitask and by medical laboratories for the Roba’s biotechnological knowledge.

There was a monitor with several green bars on it, possibly downloading information, under it two analog printers spilling out page after page of information too sensitive to be kept on the Datanet. The tech nerd in me had died and went to heaven. Adjusting my helmet to hide my inner school girl who was currently squealing at the top of her lungs, I cleared my throat, “You wanted to see me?”

He waved dismissively, “Busy, sit with the others,” the voice that came from a translator he wore on a sash across his chest was monotone and tinny. The others? I turned around. There were three others, a human and two aliens. I leant against the wall next to the door trying to discreetly type to Alice, You recording those screens?

“I’m recording and translating as fast as I can. Should have a transcript ready when we get back to the ship.,” she replied in my ear.

Damn she is good.

“So who are all these guys, I’ve never seen aliens like this,” I whispered to Alice so the others didn’t hear.

“Well the one sitting on the floor is a Drakaren from an apparently lovely water world a few hundred light years away.” I tried not to stare but they were sharpening a knife that was connected to the end of his...her? tail, scales shining every shade from sky blue to a deep mottled green. “The one sitting at the table is a Pantheran, not too common even in the Border Zone,” Alice said, “There’s not much information on them at all.”

The human and a Pantheran were playing a board game called Greebles Run. The objective was to trap the opponent’s pieces in one of the corner of the board, I never got the hang of it myself but saw Jack and Toby play it quite a lot. The bald human looks as if he was winning, he had the most pieces on his side of the board anyway. The Pantheran looked at me, scanning up and down with golden slitted eyes as if he was looking at a plate of food then went back to his game. Moving a large round piece toward the center of the board, he flicked another piece off the table. The bald man sitting across from him sighed and rubbed a large scar that ran down the left side of his face.

After about five minutes of staring at screens for Alice and being ignored by everyone else in the room  there was a heavy banging on the door. Bucket flicked a monitor to the security camera outside. It was Radlor. Bucket unlocked the door from a keypad near where he was sitting and turned off the monitors as Radlor entered the room.

Mistaking me for a piece of furniture, Radlor walked right past me, leaving the door to slam on its own accord. As soon as the door closed a heavy thump followed, we were now locked in. All the monitors turned off as Bucket spun on his chair. Radlor moved to the table to watch the game. Bucket stood up and pointed at me then the floor near the knife adorned lizard, “Sit.” His voice was forceful, much so that everyone turned to face me. Radlor’s eyes widened, the whites contrasting heavily against the black and purple of the rest of his face. His nose looked broken. Ha-ha, Jonas 2, Radlor 0. He reached for his gun, I was quicker. I had mine ready and pointed right at the middle of his blotchy face. He froze, “Just try it again, see what happens.” You could cut the tension with a spoon. Before I could think, there was a knife at my throat. The Drakaren had their tail blade at my neck and a bladed forearm on Radlor’s. He or she was quick, really quick. I have a feeling that I might be in over my head.

“There isn’t a contract for youss yet but I’ll consider it a bonuss,” his voice was slippery.

Bucket stood still, completely composed. Resting comfortably on a pair backward jointed legs, his spindly arms crossed across his abdomen. “You three will cease immediately or I will have you thrown out on airlock in bite sized pieces,” his mandibles moving comically out of time with the words his translator spoke. “Kari’Zoel, your assistance is not required, if the humans want to fight, they can do it outside and lose the contract. Please sit before I give you the same deal as well.”

In a motion that can only be described as liquid, Kari was back in their seated position. Radlor and I were stunned. Bucket continued to stare at us with his multi-faceted eyes, “Are you two going to listen or leave?”

I placed my gun back in its holster, “I’m in,” I said and went back to my wall. Radlor did the same but on the opposite side of the door away from the lizard. Bucket’s gaze swept around the room.

“Daro and Edge, pause it or end it,” the two pushed the board aside and faced Bucket who was now standing in the middle of the room.

I chuckled, “Edge? Seriously?”

Daro pulled his tail into his lap and began idly playing with it, the bald man flicked a knife out of thin air and twirled in between his fingers, “Come here and find out.”

“Umm nah I’m good,” I replied, the knife disappeared just as fast.

I spotted Radlor out of my peripheral vision scanning the room with his piercing blue eyes, his right hand was twitching slightly ready to grab his gun at a moment’s notice.  There was a buzz on my wrist, instinctively pressing the button that sent the message to my visor, it was Toby. ‘Jonas, something has come up and i’m on my way to Garrik, come find me at Jameson’s on the upper planetside once you’re done down in the slums.’ I was about to reply when I realized everyone was staring at me, “Now we’re just waiting for Slate,” Bucket’s translate chirped in an annoyed tone. “Oh sorry,” I folded my arms across my chest, “Ok I’m ready now,”

“Amatuer,” Radlor remarked under his breath,

“Blow me, asshole,” I returned, Radlor began to reach for his gun and Kari looked as she was ready to pounce. “Hey!” Edge bellowed from his chair, “Professionalism” Everyone stopped, somewhat shocked.

Buckets translator squeaked, “Ok, lets begin.”