Read Online Between the Stars by John Maddox Roberts, Eric Kotani - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Maddox Roberts, Eric Kotani
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or stamping of passports. Her baggage had been searched when she had left Lunar orbit, not for contraband but for explosives or toxic chemicals that might endanger the ship and its inhabitants. Other than that, nobody cared a great deal what a traveler might be carrying. At an office labeled Inprocessing she paid a minuscule facilities deposit to cover the air, water and public restroom facilities she would be using. Payment would be deducted according to length of stay. Anything else she required, she would be charged for.
Along with a crowd of other new arrivals, she pondered a three-dimensional chart of Avalon. It was color-coded, with blue for open chambers, yellow for tunnels, green for tube-car passages and so forth. It was confusing, because Avalon had never been planned as a habitat. It had been one of the earliest mining operations in the Belt, and the tunnels and chambers were long-abandoned mine galleries. People had moved into the larger chambers, and access tunnels had been cut to connect them. It was a bewildering labyrinth, so Valentina purchased a small holographic facsimile and earset to keep from getting lost. When she activated the holo, a flashing white dot would show her where she was.
The Hall of the Mountain King seemed as good a place as any to start, so she caught a tube car. It was crammed with workers headed for their jobs, spacers just off their ships and students doing whatever it was students did. The Belt settlements had nothing like the luxurious space of the Lunar or Martian colonies. An old, established habitat like Avalon could be as crowded as an Earth city, not because of population but because of limited space.
As they moved toward the asteroid's outer periphery, the car swung on its gimbals in response to the growing, spin-induced artificial gravity. Some of the travelers took anti-nausea pills from belt dispensers. To those unused to gravity, its effects could be distressing. As she stepped from the car, Valentina affected the slightly wobbly gait of one to whom even the Lunar gravity of HMK was an unaccustomed experience.
She passed through a low, rough, stone arch into the main chamber. The access tunnel opened onto a wide terrace about midway up the layers of tiers surrounding the major open area. The plan was amorphous, with many smaller canyons opening off the major gallery. Most of it was crammed with commercial establishments. She keyed her holographic guide for a quick orientation. Near her, many others were doing the same. The flicker of holos was the trademark of new visitors. To Valentina, the place was only mildly bewildering. Some of her fellow travelers had never before seen an indoor space so large.
"The Hall of the Mountain King," said the voice from her earset, "has grown over the years into the largest man-made, non-Lunar habitat space in existence. At any given time, several hundred businesses are located here. There are travelers' accommodations and entertainment facilities, eating establishments, places of worship and a few private residences. Besides the main chamber, there are side galleries such as the Grotto, the Bat Cave, the—"
Valentina let it drone on until she was sure she had the layout of the place firmly fixed in her mind. Then she shut off the holo and stepped out onto one of the spindly catwalks that connected adjacent tiers and other catwalks in no particular order. The term seemed especially appropriate since a good many cats shared the walks with the humans.
Few people spared her a glance. Even young men, after a flicker of interest, looked elsewhere. Her drab clothing, severe hair style and lack of cosmetics suggested that she was from one of the more severe religious settlements, possibly the neo-puritans. The prim, humorless set of her mouth reinforced the impression. She did not move with undue speed. She had definite plans and goals, but her persona required a certain aimless quality—that of a student who was not quite committed to a
Along with a crowd of other new arrivals, she pondered a three-dimensional chart of Avalon. It was color-coded, with blue for open chambers, yellow for tunnels, green for tube-car passages and so forth. It was confusing, because Avalon had never been planned as a habitat. It had been one of the earliest mining operations in the Belt, and the tunnels and chambers were long-abandoned mine galleries. People had moved into the larger chambers, and access tunnels had been cut to connect them. It was a bewildering labyrinth, so Valentina purchased a small holographic facsimile and earset to keep from getting lost. When she activated the holo, a flashing white dot would show her where she was.
The Hall of the Mountain King seemed as good a place as any to start, so she caught a tube car. It was crammed with workers headed for their jobs, spacers just off their ships and students doing whatever it was students did. The Belt settlements had nothing like the luxurious space of the Lunar or Martian colonies. An old, established habitat like Avalon could be as crowded as an Earth city, not because of population but because of limited space.
As they moved toward the asteroid's outer periphery, the car swung on its gimbals in response to the growing, spin-induced artificial gravity. Some of the travelers took anti-nausea pills from belt dispensers. To those unused to gravity, its effects could be distressing. As she stepped from the car, Valentina affected the slightly wobbly gait of one to whom even the Lunar gravity of HMK was an unaccustomed experience.
She passed through a low, rough, stone arch into the main chamber. The access tunnel opened onto a wide terrace about midway up the layers of tiers surrounding the major open area. The plan was amorphous, with many smaller canyons opening off the major gallery. Most of it was crammed with commercial establishments. She keyed her holographic guide for a quick orientation. Near her, many others were doing the same. The flicker of holos was the trademark of new visitors. To Valentina, the place was only mildly bewildering. Some of her fellow travelers had never before seen an indoor space so large.
"The Hall of the Mountain King," said the voice from her earset, "has grown over the years into the largest man-made, non-Lunar habitat space in existence. At any given time, several hundred businesses are located here. There are travelers' accommodations and entertainment facilities, eating establishments, places of worship and a few private residences. Besides the main chamber, there are side galleries such as the Grotto, the Bat Cave, the—"
Valentina let it drone on until she was sure she had the layout of the place firmly fixed in her mind. Then she shut off the holo and stepped out onto one of the spindly catwalks that connected adjacent tiers and other catwalks in no particular order. The term seemed especially appropriate since a good many cats shared the walks with the humans.
Few people spared her a glance. Even young men, after a flicker of interest, looked elsewhere. Her drab clothing, severe hair style and lack of cosmetics suggested that she was from one of the more severe religious settlements, possibly the neo-puritans. The prim, humorless set of her mouth reinforced the impression. She did not move with undue speed. She had definite plans and goals, but her persona required a certain aimless quality—that of a student who was not quite committed to a
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