Date:         Wed, 21 Aug 1996 16:11:27 EST
From: CJ Vaughan <Chris.Vaughn@SSA.GOV>
Subject:      INT: The Hub: On the Hub

     RESERVED: Capt. Carl North, The Sea Dog,
               Lt. Ronald Willis, Iron Mack, and Louise

          Willis' hand was still shaking an hour after the Monconians had
     wrapped up their customs "inspection".  They had bombarded him with
     every imaginable scanning device - and then pulled out a dozen more
     he'd never imagined.
          North had remained calm throughout the examination, even when the
     fat Monconian inspector was putting on the surgical gloves.  Willis
     looked over at him, walking without a care through the midst of dozens
     of alien species.
          "Christ, I didn't know there'd be so many of them," Willis
     whispered.
          "So many of them, who?"  North didn't bother to look at Willis as
     he talked.
          "Aliens."
          North grinned.  "We're on an alien space station in the middle of
     a thousand inhabitted worlds, what did you think we'd find, here?"
          "Yeah, but they're everywhere."  Willis looked around in disgust.
     "Swarming like ants."
          North stopped short, causing Willis to almost stumble to stop
     himself. A couple of cat-like aliens walking behind them hissed at the
     sudden interruption in corridor traffic.
          "Sorry," North said gallantly, then stepped back.
          The aliens went through, giving them dirty looks as they passed.
     "Humans," one of them muttered as if it were the name of a disease.
          "Look," North said, pulling Willis closer to him so they didn't
     block the aisle.  "This station is full of xenophobes.  You can stay
     in your God damned cabint he whole time we're here, okay?  You can do
     holo-programs all day and have them send almost-human whores to your
     room all night.  You could spend the rest of your life in your cabin
     and die happy - so just chill out a little longer."
          Willis looked around and shrugged.  "Easy for you to say.  You
     *like* these creepy-crawlies.  Personally, I think they should have
     stayed under their stone."
          North shook his head, then a smile slipped across his lips.  "I
     know what you need."
          "What?"
          "When was the last time you had any tequilla?"
          "Really?  You have some?"
          North shook his head.  "No.  *But*, I know where we can get
     some."
          "Lead the way."
          North lead Willis over to a conical room.  A moment later the
     coridors were shut off from the room and it began to move.
          "Shit," Willis said.
          North laughed.  "Sorry, should have warned you about that," he
     said.
          A moment later the room stopped and the doors slid open.
          "Come on," North said, pushing through the crowd.  On the left
     was a large bar called "Ten Forward".  They moved past it, to Willis'
     dismay.
          "Hey, I thought we were gonna get some tequilla?"
          "Not there.  Not unless your life insurance is paid up."
          They moved through the corridors past the bar.  For the first
     time Willis noticed a crack in North's composure.  He was looking
     around, nervously.
          "Hurry," North said, slipping through the crowd as quietly as he
     could.
          Willis followed him and they soon had made their way down into a
     narrow side tunnel.  It was sparsely populated, and they could move
     around, freely, for the first time.
          "This is the wrong-side-of-the-tracks, so to speak," North said
     as he lead Willis through the dark, smokey sections of The Hub.
          Most of the people they passed seemed to be friendly enough,
     though they still looked decidedly alien to Willis.  Then they came
     upon a side bar.
          "There it is," North said, grinning, "'Ye Olde Bucket o' Blood'."
          "What?"
          "Don't worry, it's a metaphor," North said, quickly.
          They went inside, pushing through rusty, metal doors.  Inside the
     bar was dark except for some glowing signs and floating candles on all
     the tables.  There were about twenty people inside, all nursing drinks
     quietly.
          "Humans?"  Willis looked around, grinning.
          "There are about 140 humans on The Hub, permanently," North said.
          "Given time, they all wind up here.  It's 100% pure Earth food
     and drink."
          "All right."
          They walked over and sat at a corner table.  "Privacy," North
     said and a metal cylander slid up from the floor to the ceiling,
     surrounding them.
          "What can I get you gents?"  The voice came over a speaker built
     into the table.
          "Tequilla," Willis said.  "Two bottles, no cups."  Then he looked
     up at North.  "What do you want, boss?"
          North grinned.  "Cola."
          "Over in a few," the voice said.  Two chirps indicated the line
     was closed.
          "Lights at 40%," North said.  The table began to glow, slightly.
     "We should talk, now.  Then, you can do your thing until I'm ready to
     leave for home."
          "Shoot," Willis said.
          Okay.  First, you don't know me.  From the time I leave you until
     the time I get you in the next month or so, if anyone asks, you're
     here alone.  I don't exist."
          Willis frowned.
          "No, let me finish," North said.  "I know this is strange, but
     I've been here on more than one ocassion, and I'm not as popular as
     I'd like to be."
          "Fine."
          "The other thing is keep a low profile.  Spend your time in this
     area when you do go out.  Pay your tabs, pay your bills - whether
     you're happy with the service or not.  We can't afford to attract too
     much attention."
          Willis sighed, then nodded.
          "Good.  If you get into any trouble contact the consulate."
          A small door in the cone slid open and the bartender handed their
     drinks in through the opening.  It slid closed a moment later, leaving
     them with their drinks.  North clinked his cola against one of Willis'
     tequilla bottles.  The worm inside spun around.
          "Success," North said.
          "Success," Willis echoed.

          North walked down the coridor to his quarters after aranging for
     Willis to be taken to his cabin with the remainder of his tequilla.
     He looked around, nervously, as he made his way through the crownds.
          "North?"
          The voice was impossibly deep, making the pit of his stomach
     vibrate.  He turned slowly, smiling.  "Iron..."
          His words were cut off as a powerful hand closed on his throat
     and he was hoisted high into the air.
          He kicked and founght against his attacker, but it was useless.
     Then he felt himself drop to the deck.  He looked up and grinned.
          "Iron Mack," he said.
          Before his, a seven foor Moncavian was grinning down at him.
     Behind the giant was a slightly shorter Moncavian female.
          "Hello, Carl," she said, smiling.
          "Louise."
          Iron Mack reached out and helped North to his feet.  North could
     feel Mack's cybernetic arm through the mesh of the big alien's green
     jumpsuit.
          "We've got to talk," Louise said.
          "Lead the way," North said.

     Chris Vaughan
     chris.vaughn@ssa.gov