The colossal Aintara Space Station floated in the void, the closest human-made structure to Mars, at a distance of 180,000 kilometers. It was home to adventurers and cosmic treasure hunters from every corner of the galaxy. The station itself was massive—nearly a quarter the size of Earth's moon—built from layers of interlocking steel frameworks. At its core pulsed a giant red energy reactor, feeding power to every sector of the station. Incoming ships docked inside its vast hangars, where travelers boarded trams that carried them into the grand central hall.
Most of the steel beams were sprayed with vivid graffiti-like colors, giving the station a strange beauty. Countless ships drifted nearby, while robotic sentries guarded the hangar gates. One such robot projected a red holographic message across the windshield of Sam's ship:
"Docking Bay Section B, Number 7."
Sam guided his vessel into the assigned lane. Rolina tucked a golden gem into her high-tech satchel, a bag capable of holding three times its own weight. Their little dog, Fuzzy, was stuffed inside too, with only its head poking out of the zipper.
As they stepped out, the ship's hatch glowed with red letters:
"This ship is pink. If you see it as blue, you're the ones who need glasses, you clueless fools."
Suddenly, the hangar loudspeakers boomed:
"Welcome to Aintara! We are always ready to serve travelers in search of joy."
A tin-can robot rolled toward them on clunky wheels. Sam tossed it a coin.
"Fuel up, you scrap bucket," he said, poking the robot's glassy face aggressively.
Above them, a neon movie poster flickered—an alien stingray blasting a city with laser beams.
Sam and Rolina hopped aboard a massive tram, which whisked them through tunnels into the sprawling metal metropolis. At its center floated the enormous red energy core, glowing like a suspended sun, while trams zipped endlessly in every direction.
"Hey, Samuel!" strangers called out as they passed.
"What's up, Sammy ma-man!" Sam shouted back, grinning.
Their tram stopped at a bustling bar where minerals and metals were the hottest commodities, alongside alien tech two steps ahead of Earth's. Even the Axian people, travelers from distant worlds, mingled here.
Rolina handed the bar owner a strange coin. His face was split in two—one side dark-skinned African, the other a warm Latin brown. She tossed him the coin engraved with a shark, which flipped to reveal a stingray on the other side.
"Oh! So you've arrived," the owner said, pressing a button on the counter.
The bar's doors sealed shut, windows turned opaque, and the floor began to sink. Music thundered like explosions as the platform descended into a hidden level.
"Nagarah Nightclub."
It was a sprawling underground bar filled with countless private rooms, each shifting up and down like elevators. Inside, shadowy figures of slender women danced in bizarre, hypnotic motions. The owner led them deeper until they met a familiar face: a rotund bartender with a ring tattoo around his left eye, dressed in futuristic attire with a bright red bow at his collar.
"Hey! If it isn't Ira the Water Elephant. How many chicks have you hit lately, huh?" Rolina teased, pointing at him.
"Hah! Still sharp-tongued as ever, Rolina. Did you pick that up from your BF?" Ira chuckled, wiping the glass counter before flicking the damp cloth at Sam.
"Definitely!" Sam yelped as the water stain on his shirt morphed into the shape of a stingray's tail. Rolina dropped onto a round stool. "Marryin' this fucker? Please. I'd rather be single. Anyway—we're here for the order."
Ira smirked, lifting a shot glass no bigger than a finger. "Sure, have a drink first."
He slapped the shelf behind him, which split open to reveal a golden pool. Raising his hands, the air pressure in the room shifted. Rolina sensed it before Sam even noticed. Golden vapor rose from the pool, swirling into two shot glasses. Ira blew across them, condensing the mist into shimmering liquid.
He finished by garnishing each glass with a carved lime shaped like a green snake with a golden crest.
Ira raised the glasses with a grin. "This is the Tongue of Nagah! Brewed in Lao, Southeast Asia, took years of preparation before' shipped here. Local says it's the ultimate booster—makes your brain kick like a horse, ha!" He handed the drinks to them.
Sam grabbed both glasses. "Whoa, so these are mine, huh? Yo! Double shot, baby!" He clinked them together.
Rolina frowned and snatched one back. "Excuse me, one's mine. Don't hog it!"
"Alright then—bottoms up!" Sam gulped, only to choke as the pungent taste hit him like fiery ginger. Rolina watched him struggle, amused, while she downed hers smoothly without a hitch.
"Ughhh… tastes like a dog fart lit on fire," Sam groaned, tongue hanging out.
"If you can't swallow it, spit it back in my glass," Rolina teased mercilessly.
"Straight up your nose, huh?" Ira laughed, clearly enjoying Sam's misery.
Rolina thumped Sam's back, grinning. "Extracted from the venom of ten different insects, you know." She savored the strange golden drink.
"You and I are just ordinary folk, Sam. You can't break limits like she can," Ira said, patting Sam's shoulder.
Rolina leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Ira, I've got a meeting with Pagan about the order. Is he in the workshop?"
"Oh, right! Pagan's out dealing with traders from Lanana, with Batrus's nephew. Something about foreign goods from Earth—South Africa, I think. There's a snag with the Alexandras treaty. But he left the package with me. Give me a moment." Ira disappeared behind the shelves.
Sam turned to Rolina. "You know, I've never asked about your family. Five years together, and nothing."
Rolina scratched her hand, uneasy. "Why bother?"
"So you're saying you ran away from home, ungrateful daughter style?" Sam shrugged, smirking. "Fits your personality—rebellious brat."
Rolina's eyes narrowed. "I still can't believe I gave myself to you four years ago… At least it's a better memory than looking at you now."
Sam chuckled. "I remember—you were cute back then. What were we, twenty-three? Twenty-four? Hot-blooded. You looked like an angel… well, a baddie fallen angel." He shook his head, lost in the memory.
"Wannna relive the past?" Rolina asked slyly.
Sam's hand shot out, gripping her neck firmly. She gasped for air, eyes wide.
"If I could go back, I'd strangle you to death right then," he whispered with a crooked smile.
Rolina forced out words between breaths. "Funny… I was about to say the same thing. Why not do it now, idiot?" And then—their lips collided. Eyes closed, the world vanished, leaving only the dark canvas of space and the faint glow of Jupiter behind their minds.