The Unexpected Guest - Part 1
We are delighted to present the first part of a story written by one of our sourcebook authors Allen Stroud. Lookout for our weekly instalments...
Quator Station unloading, sixteen hundred hours, standard time
We’re in the hangar deck, in one of the huge A-rated berths. The ship’s an Imperial Clipper, the engines still warm from her landing. That’s a welcome feeling. Some of these pilots sit around a long time before making a trade and giving orders to unload. When that happens, we’re sent out to unload them in sub-zero temperatures.
Hydraulic pistons hiss and whirr as I walk. The exo-stomper is fully charged and warmed up. I duck under a low beam and approach the open hatch. Maglocks engage to secure me to the station deck and I reach into the ship. Metal pincers grab onto crate handles and the first container slides out on the runner. I lift it, and turn to the waiting truck.
The intercom crackles, “Wait! What’s that?”
I pause and glance back. There’s something else in the door of the cargo bay, it’s been dislodged by my work.
A body.
