[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 72: Awkward

To planetbound people, the notion of space travel required a bit of explanation to figure it out. Despite the immensity of the galaxy, it mostly consisted of empty space with a couple of stars in between. The sheer scale of it caused those 'couple' of stars to pile up into many billions.

It took a lot of time to travel from one star to another, even with FTL. It was not as if FTL travel was too slow, but it took a lot of calculations and precision to nail the right destination. A single percent deviation in the coordinates could throw a ship off-course by hundreds of light-years.

Only through vital port systems could ships speed up their navigation. Like lighthouses in the dark, they allowed distant ships to hone in on a location much easier, with much less risk of overshooting their destination.

A highly advanced vessel such as the Torch of the Vanguard was capable of performing the monstrous calculations necessary to jump over entire states. The moment she entered FTL, she was on course to a star system from a neighboring state. Her modern FTL drive compressed an awe-inspiring distance of dozens of light-years to a mere two-day journey.

Not that Ves, Dietrich or any other passenger paid attention to the ship's incredible speed. Technology such as this was commonplace, though on the expensive side.

Instead, Dietrich half-dragged Ves into one of the vessel's many bars. As it was still universal daytime, the rather plain-looking drinking hole looked rather sparse. Most of the patrons wore the uniform of Townsend Spacelines, their tight collars unzipped and faces relaxed as they enjoyed an off-shift moment.

"Hey there! Two Crincho's please!"

The human bartender poured a couple of beers from the tap and slid it over the counter. Dietrich grabbed one mug and gulped down a generous amount. "Ah, this Crincho is a lot better than the swill in our local joint. Our supplier is ripping us off!"

"It's not very cheap to ship goods over to our planet." Ves said as he took a modest sip, still a bit uncomfortable. "And it's not like our planet is loaded. We can't afford to spend as much as a Bentheimer."

Both of them commiserate for a moment over Cloudy Curtain's pathetic economy. The backwater system lacked a robust industrial base that transformed cheap raw materials into expensive end products. In terms of resources, its asteroid fields only held common junk such as iron ores and ice. The planets also failed to distinguish themselves.

In a universe with billions of stars, humanity did not lack basic resources. Any random corporation could hire a bunch of miners and drop them at a random unclaimed star system. No, what most people paid attention to nowadays were exotic resources, something that became scarce as one left the center of the galaxy. The Bright Republic happened to be situated at the very end of a galactic arm.

"Pssst." Dietrich bumped his elbow into Ves as he nodded towards an incoming pair of passengers. "Chicks spotted at three o'clock."

Ves raised his eyebrow and wanted to say something like 'so what?', but a hand suddenly dragged him from his barstool. The two young men quickly approached the pair of girls.

Though dressed informally, the pair of women looked resplendent. The pair of raven-haired goddesses resembled each other so much they must be sisters. The taller one was sportier and not afraid to show her abs with her exposed midriff. The shorter one dressed more conservatively but had a curvier body. Both of them stopped their conversation and regarded the approaching hunters.

"Hey there beautiful ladies, what brings you here to this fine vessel?"

The girls both giggled behind their raised hands. The elder sister took the lead. "Oh you know, worried parents wanting to send us to somewhere safe."