SWNOVELS Chapter Daily life
It was darkened and quiet in Kysaek’s bedroom. She was still in bed, half-covered, asleep. The sunlight, however, filtering through the slits in the blinds, was already tickling her eyelids and from outside came the lively bustle of Aurani’s city life. It gradually brought Kysaek out of a deep sleep, but she didn’t feel like getting up yet and pulled the covers over her head.
It didn’t help against the radio’s incipient wake-up melody, though. “A wonderful early noon, Aurani’s capital, outskirts D-11,” said a friendly female voice. “It is now 10:59 and the sun is high in the sky. There are almost no clouds and it will stay that way all day. The latest reports...”
Determined, Kysaek stretched her arm high above the bed and strangled the radio. She plucked the blanket off herself leisurely. Not only could she still feel the blows of last night - she could see the effects just as clearly on her front. Bruises, everywhere. “I was too careless,” Kysaek groaned to herself, looking towards the blinds. “Lucky I didn’t drink too much, or that would have turned out even worse.” She could think of nothing more to say than to laugh at herself. After all, she hadn’t been able to keep herself out of it once again. It wasn’t the first time Kysaek had taken such a beating, but it had been worse in the past. That was years ago, though, and now, at twenty-seven, she tried to avoid trouble more often. Still, she would repeat last night exactly the same way, out of female solidarity alone and because there were already too many idiots who got away with too many things.
Painfully, Kysaek groaned as she stood up. “Nrggh!” A hot shower would be best now. She stripped off her clothes as she walked. “Turn on the News Programm.”
She didn’t have far to go to her shower because it was part of the bedroom and the bedroom was the only room in her flat. An all-purpose room, when you got right down to it. The floor was made of Eldar steel, one of the most common and sturdy metals, but in one corner there was a square frame in the ground and from that slowly rose a glass wall. The transparent structure carried a shelf of grooming products on the inside and surrounded Kysaek’s naked body. At her feet, the previously hidden drain revealed itself and a simple shower head emerged from the ceiling.
As pleasant warm water descended on Kysaek’s light-wired body, a soothing sigh escaped her and she followed the previously activated television programme.
The voice on the news was familiar to Kysaek, coming as it did from reporter Lisa Orton, one of the few people in the Auranis news landscape.
“A total of fifty-four people were killed in last night’s high-rise fire and Fire Prevention is investigating the cause of the fire.
Let’s move on to galaxy-wide news - today marks the anniversary of the tragedy known as the Punisher incident. Seventeen years ago, as part of a top secret project and to safeguard against future conflict, the Spectrum of Central decided that research into the technology of the First was imperative and vital. To this end, an artefact, in the form of an inactive battleship, was selected from the scrap graveyard on the planet Mars and transported in utmost secrecy to a well-guarded facility, it was learned after the fact.”
In the meantime, Kysaek rubbed a helping cor ointment on the sore spots before she even thought of resorting to the care products and continued to listen to news.
“Even today, the general population is outraged that the Spectrum defied that law which it itself enacted, stating that any handling or trade in the technology of the First is strictly forbidden, without exception. But this is how tragedy took its course, and in the proceeding of the research the avatar of the battleship came to life, which none of the scientists noticed. One by one, the entire base fell victim to the clandestine assimilation of the awakened First, as did visitors from higher command circles who had come to inspect. It was only thanks to the attention of the High Sentinels that the activities of the First were discovered and put to an end. Mercilessly and under the leadership of their best man, Enar Piéren, the High Sentinels led a large fleet against the base and destroyed everything and everyone. Piéren had survivors executed because he did not want any possible danger to the galaxy from assimilates, which brought angry protests. People even accused him of racism, as extremely few Galig were involved in the incident and he would never have slaughtered his own people like that.”
In time, Kysaek sank into herself, listening to the rushing water as she thought of the Punisher incident and the Firsts. She had only been ten at the time, but she remembered the time when the tragedy had happened and she had first seen the pure fear of death people had of the Firsts. It stemmed from the Solaris War, the worst event in the history of the galaxy so far, but Kysaek had not witnessed it and only knew of the war from lessons, stories or various cinematic depictions. Therefore, she lacked the personal experience and could not completely comprehend it until today, this irrepressible fear of the Punisher, of the First or the process of assimilation, where the mind was manipulated. Learning and experiencing, two different things. However, Kysaek didn’t need to have experienced all that to understand why the technology of the Firsts was taboo to the general public. Not even possession, but vague involvement alone was enough for at least twenty-five years in prison, if you got off lightly. That didn’t completely deter Kysaek, though, and she didn’t know. what she would do if she ever got the chance to find or sell such technology. Perhaps the lure of making a fortune would be too great, for the technology was coveted despite the ban and was among the most valuable things one could get foreign currency for.
The flow of water ended and the last drops pattered down on Kysaek’s head. Her hair stuck up to her neck and throat, smooth and shiny. “I should stop by Traffo’s studio before my next shift.”
Kysaek packed up what she needed for her workout and headed to Traffo’s studio, a fitness club. A summoned taxi was all she needed to get there, crossing almost half the city, but it was worth it to her. For one thing, the PGI premises were not far from the studio and for another, Kysaek liked the atmosphere of the club and the owner, the Eporan Ulun Traffo. She had been going to this studio for almost a year and yet Kysaek could not stop smiling when she thought about Eporans and fitness.
However, Kysaek did not meet Ulun at the studio when she arrived, although he was usually at the reception desk. She didn’t mind though, and after changing into short gym clothes, Kysaek took advantage of the fancy range of exercise equipment. Her focus today was mainly on things she could use to increase her stamina.
This included a room that had similarities with a shooting range. The targets, however, were not targets but large dummies and barrels stacked on top of each other. There were no weapons and instead objects or prismatic energy flew at the targets.
Kysaek observed the only two people present in the room: a Talin and a human man.
While the man was rather average, the Talin stood out more clearly for her prismatic abilities, and no matter how strong her attacks were, she hardly broke a sweat.
The fact that the room was so empty, however, was not because the studio was unpopular or because the existing customers did not want to take advantage of the offer. Individuals with the necessary prismatic abilities were just not a dime a dozen, and some species did not have the genetic prerequisites at all. One had to be born with it.
For the trainees, auxiliary bots always brought new material to throw, mostly cubes and balls of ordinary metal. But sometimes there were more fragile things, like glass and wood, or more solid things, in the form of a rubber hoop. Kysaek knew the reason: to give the prismatics a feel for different materials. It was easier to use a sturdy piece of steel, as it could withstand more than a fragile glass that could be broken by the energy field with ease.
Barrels that had been knocked over by hits or dummies that had suffered damage were set up again or replaced by grappling arms that came out of the ceiling.
The training was intense, but the time did not last and Kysaek had to stop. She used the gym’s washrooms to freshen up and was about to leave when she heard the familiar, tinny voice of Ulun Traffo. “Hello, Kysaek!” he greeted her from behind and Kysaek returned the greeting amiably. “Hello, Ulun!”
The imposing Eporanian raised his arm ponderously and adjusted the system of his protective suit, a composite of more flexible Eldar steel and nanofilaments. “Are you leaving again already?” asked Ulun slowly, lowering his arm.
“I’ve been here for a while,” Kysaek commented. Every now and then she had trouble not looking up at Ulun’s shoulders or other Eporanians. Many species wore their heads up, on shoulders or necks, but that was not the case with Eporanians. The face was not a normal head and there was no neck at all. Instead, it was a good bit below the shoulders and was hidden under the mask of the protective suit, slightly embedded in the torso. Kysaek referred to this as chest height and nodded at the nearly 2.50 metre tall Eporan. “I didn’t see you at the counter when I arrived. Since when do you move away from him?”
Ulun stood there like a broad rock, with thick, chunky feet and about a metre in body diameter, as was standard among his people. With each sentence, the mouth slit of his face mask flashed purple. “Involuntarily,” Ulun said tersely, and as Eporanians held, he spoke each word and entire sentences very, very slowly. “I had to throw out two obscene Hishek. They were mating in the shower rooms.”
Immediately Kysaek laughed. “Yes, I’m sure that’s a problem for some guests,” she grinned, less affected. She herself would probably never start anything with a Hishek, for the cultural idiosyncrasies would be the least of her problems, but the lizards belonged to a species where the physical in any way was quite difficult for humans. The sharp claws alone were not meant for human skin. “And if you get caught ... I wouldn’t care.”
“I hope you haven’t already used the cleansing showers for unthought-of practices yourself?” asked Ulun, not sounding overly concerned. He was very much in control of his emotions.
Actually, Kysaek wanted to remain silent, but she allowed herself a joke. “Have you ever caught me before?”
“No, but that wasn’t an answer.”
Obligingly, Kysaek showed her fingers without them being crossed. “I swear - I’ve never had sex with a Hishek in the shower rooms.”
Ulun contented himself. “Human humour is really special. Even 200 years after your arrival on the galactic scene, I haven’t gotten used to it and I don’t like it much.”
“You certainly have a few years ahead of you to maybe do,” Kysaek posited, alluding to Ulun’s long life. The Eporanian was just 2398 years old, which among his people, if spared illness and the like, was about half the expected lifespan.
“Anything is possible,” Ulun replied and walked towards Kysaek. He barely got off the ground, however, as he dragged his feet across the ground more than he lifted them, and each step brought him only inches forward. “Who gave you those wounds?”
“Two lousy bastards,” Kysaek replied. That Ulun only asked now did not surprise her. Eporans really did everything leisurely. It was their way, their culture. “That’s why I was here today. I need to get more in shape.”
“Yes, you’re not exactly disciplined, I’m afraid,” Ulun said without sounding reproachful. At the marching pace, it must have taken him another minute to finish. “But you’re a friendly person.”
Kysaek came towards him. “Thank you, but I have to go. Work calls.”
“Wait,” Ulun asked, extending the arm on which he had his vortex cuff. “Take this. You’ll get an effective cream for it at the next healing station, for bruises. It does a lot of good and makes the wounds disappear quickly.”
Without hesitation, Kysaek connected her cuff to Ulun’s via an invisible digital network and was astonished. “Estro Light? That’s a pretty expensive brand. That’s like giving me back three months’ studio fees.”
“He who has much, let him share,” Ulun preached warmly. “Such are the principles of my people and you are a nice person who deserves it.” However, he revealed what else lay behind this gift. “Besides, it is publicity for me and for the healing station with which I do business. Especially since it is also just a sample pack.”
Kysaek didn’t hold that against him. “Thank you, Ulun, but I really must be going,” she apologised, laughing inwardly. Eporanians were not among the best traders and richest species in the galaxy for no reason.”
May the stars light and guide your path!”
Kysaek kept it simpler. “Until next time!”
On her way to work, she picked up the cream in question and took advantage of the train ride to apply it in a quiet compartment. Ulun had not promised too much, for even during the journey the faintest effusions disappeared, and not only did Kysaek feel relief - she felt vitalised. This astonished her, when only a short while before she had spent hours in tedious training. With this feeling of relaxation, Kysaek sank into her seat and used the train’s on-board signal to connect to its virtual system via her vortex cuff.
It was a galaxy-wide digital network. Whatever your heart desired, you could find it all: information, trading opportunities, social interaction, distraction through games and, what Kysaek believed was at least half of the VS, pornography. With the right equipment, which cost a small fortune, one could even enter virtual reality as if one were actually there, but she had never been interested in that.
A holographic window popped up before Kysaek’s eyes and presented a short message.
Aurani’s security massively robbed!
As the Auranis city administration announced today, a magazine of the internal city security was secretly cleaned out three days ago. Especially assault weapons and light artillery were stashed in the hoard. When asked how all this could have happened, a spokesman replied that the guards on duty had been extremely neglectful of their duties and had already been arrested.
Kysaek found this both funny and strange. An entire camp cleared out in secret? Had the guards been on drugs or in a deep sleep?
Suddenly, however, an exclusive red breaking news appeared and Kysaek knew immediately that it did not bode well.
Neo Solaris has struck again!
An hour ago, Neo Solaris wreaked unprecedented carnage in an outlying Z-2 shopping mall. The xenophobic organisation is responsible for well over 1000 casualties and despite the quick arrival of the police, they were not stopped. The police themselves also suffered huge casualties before the popular shopping mall was blown up by the terrorists. In a statement shortly after, Neo Solaris announced that they would not stop. This war would continue until humanity was given the place in galactic leadership that it deserved. The organisation continues to make no distinction between inferior aliens and those humans who support or otherwise associate with these aliens. In a swift response to this atrocious act, the human collective of the spectrum expressed regret and shame that there were still elements tarnishing the image of humanityso. Furthermore, the Luna Alliance would step up its efforts to put more of a stop to Neo Solaris and finally put an end to the alien-hostile grouping.
At the end of the article, Kysaek shook her head in disbelief. Put an end to it? They had been trying to do that for almost 45 years. And even if they succeeded, there were plenty of radical groups like that. This was not a purely human phenomenon. However, since Neo Solaris had succeeded Solaris, this xenophobic organisation was in the spotlight more often.