A detective in homicide, Michael Brin, is sent to a Space Station 14, a town on an alien planet, to investigate the disappearance of two miners.
I entered an office in a Police Cruiser, one type of starship, and sat in front of a desk.
Behind it, Captain Tesk, a human, frowned. “Brin, we’re sending you to Space Station Fourteen, a town on the planet Wos, because two miners who work for Greod Mining vanished about a week ago.”
Tesk was the only member of the force who called me Brin. Everyone else addressed me as Michael.
Tesk added, “According to their supervisor, Nas, a team searched the Greod Mine, the fifteen mile road between it and Station Fourteen along with eight neighborhoods in Fourteen itself.”
A six-foot in diameter 3D hologram of a planet appeared above the desk. A section of the northern hemisphere enlarged, revealing a town inside a dome. Beneath the hologram, text scrolled indicating this was Fourteen.
I scowled. “How long has the search been going on?”
“For the last fifty hours.”
“Are any police helping them?”
“Two are. After you arrive, one will resume his former duties.”
I nodded. “Did any officers speak to the President of Greod about the missing miners?”
“Yes. Officer Roun Ze did. By the way, the president’s name is Eyhan.”
A 3D hologram of Eyhan, an Aito woman with turquoise skin and sunken cheeks, appeared.
I frowned. “What did Eyhan say?”
“She said we should talk to Nas because he knows a lot more about this than she does.”
“Why are you sending me to a planet I’ve never been to before?”
“You’re better at breaking through firewalls and solving complicated cases than anyone else on the force. I should mention that many Qio miners on Wos don’t like humans.”
I frowned. “Who said they don’t like us?”
“Roun did. She will meet you at the main Fourteen spaceport. I just emailed her resume into your phone.”
I nodded, curious about Roun. “Are you going to send anyone else besides me?”
“An officer named Jas So. She will land in Fourteen a few days after you arrive.”
“The name isn’t familiar.”
“She joined the Mpstation Four police force three years ago. I just emailed her resume into your phone. There is one more problem. Contact lens phones don’t work on Wos. You’ll have to use handheld models.”
“Understood.” I asked if he had Jas’ flight number. Tesk said he would send it soon. I left.
