Raygun Heights

12

Karl had taken the controls of the hovercraft once they reached Tangiers' housing unit. The system's binary stars had nearly sunk below the skyline leaving blots of purples and reds in the distance. Above him, a pale blue moon was over the sky and on a cloudless night it, along with the unnumbered stars, would form the twinkling chandelier over the planet. At some point in time, Karl mused, the stars must have looked pretty special to people, regardless if they were Humans from Old Terra or Saurians on Kepleri Prime. When Humans were both one species inhabiting one planet, the stars were a mystery. Once the mystery was solved, all species across the galaxy were aware that the stars were populated by asses, thieves, and warmongers. The best that could be hoped for was that pragmatic people were in charge and held power within their respective governments. As Karl drove back, he found that the Solar Federation was still enjoying a peace that was hard won during the Encounter Wars.

Karl returned to the Heights with little fanfare. There were no hoverbikes out to greet him, or roadblocks to stop him. He passed through the same streets where the Devil's Den had tried to hit him. A good deal of the wreckage had been cleared away. The actual frame of the bike along with any bodies were long gone. The bike would have been taken in as possible evidence, or immediately scrapped> there was still a good anti-grav crystal that could be sold and form a vital part of a new hoverbike. The body would have been moved from Civil Protection's office in South District to the medical center for examination. While most buildings were shielded from the heat in part to the plaster that was coated onto the frames, official buildings such as Civil Protection's office remained steadfastly modern, with a full metallic frame gleaming and reflecting the binary suns. Karl recalled his two times being held in lockup on suspicion for crimes he committed, but got off on when it came to trial. Despite the intense heat bearing down on the metal, the building was always kept cool. When the sudden chill hit the skin, it made one think they would die from shock.

Karl turned his mind to other things as he passed through the site of the attack. He frowned, looking down at his darkened console. Several displays were either inactive or warped after being struck by a blaster bolt. The next day he would have to bring int into the shop and see what could be done so that he didn't need to report the attack to Markus Vennet and eat more grief from his boss.

Despite personal reminders of the incident, the rest of the District had gotten over the matter entirely. Civilians were on the streets and hover traffic was moderate, but brisk. Auto-pilot took care of the details when it came to driving. It matched speeds with the other craft and sensors scanned and analyzed collision possibilities within nanoseconds. The sensors had such a range that upon detection of a possible incident that was well ahead of it, the craft would adjust accordingly and slow itself as necessary. Although Karl's console was partially wrecked due to the blaster bolt, the sensors appeared to work. He did not receive any complaints or ugly stare as the hovercraft slowed, the other craft mirrored the actions of his vehicle. When one slowed, the others followed suit.

Karl had to use his datapad that was linked to the car's internal computer to program his destination for the parking lot in front of his building. Like Tular Vek, Karl preferred a simple apartment within the Heights as opposed to a private unit on the outskirts. Both had their advantages, one was easy access to amenities, the other was privacy. Food could be delivered to either location, though a benefit Karl enjoyed was that his meal arrived promptly upon ordering. If there was an issue, it could be rectified shortly. Tangiers depended on drone use and time.

Karl left his hovercraft and walked down the street, taking the north sidewalk from his apartment. Buildings on either side of him were either metal covered in plaster, or were made from actual stonework on the planet. The former were all transplants courtesy of the colonial authority. They were efficient, but lacked any personality. It took time and effort, such as the plaster molded to the metal frame.