The spacecraft that docked at the station didn’t look any different in its style than the other ships aside from it being a bit bigger than a commercial vessel; and slightly smaller than a racer. Medium sized and it looked like it would easily have a crew of six depending on its propulsion system. No one noticed what its propulsion system was where it was immediately classified by the dockers who kept the records. It was like many of the ships built in the past several hundred years with the usual upgrades.
The door opened like any other and a man stepped on the platform to state his business to the auditors who quietly inspected his vessel and let the man enter the space station who seemed to be perfectly in order. A well kept fellow of around forty years old who clearly had some wealth judging by his dress; and self confidence. Simply another eccentric whose life was a space taxi on a semi luxury spacecraft.
The inspector in charge sent this report after he was cleared to central command :
His name is Merthe Linmage and his ship's name is "Magick Carpet", the name on the sides of the ship in crimson red lettering. We do have a last name of “Merthe” of unknown etymological origin on records on several planets but his last name “Linmage” is not a known name anywhere. He is six foot and 180 pounds, white with hazel-green eyes, 43 years old. File does not show a planet of origin so he might have been born on a colonist craft. Hair possibly dyed brunette with a white mustache trimmed to show the upper lip with the rest not trimmed. Haircut conservative and dress luxurious garment with a mixture of wool. Hand sewn and not 3D printed. No weapons on board craft nor person. We are assuming with a white mustache his head hair is dyed. No facial hair but mustache; and clean shaven. No scars or tattoos. Photo on file showed the same man in similar garment. Video of initial interview, hotel check, and breakfast mysteriously disappeared when ID was swiped but we have him on video walking toward three destinations where he seemed to know when to turn his head where no definite face was ever recorded. Strange self confidence in walk and a noted half smile as if he is contemplating a recent jest was particularly of interest. The spacecraft is named “Magick Carpet” on both sides of the craft. We are not entirely certain what this word “magick” means but we can give a probability based on breaking down the word. “Mag” is an abbreviation for “magnitude” and “ick” is an expression of dismay. So a definition for such a strange word means the human dismay from the magnitude of the universe. A casual definition would be disgust of distance expressing the frustration of how distant light years are observed to the human mind. A “carpet” is a covering for a floor. This defines the overall spacecraft as a comfortable place in the universe to cover exploration of the universe. So the spacecraft “Magick Carpet” is a vehicle of a style artistic to offset the horrors of infinite space travel where the entire interior is decorated in a luxurious fashion to assure the tedium of long distances are not compromised psychologically. This makes the name of the spacecraft, when analyzed properly to make perfect sense.
He walked quietly as if he knew every square inch of the station without pausing to observe the maps; and checked into the hotel without any baggage not even intending to stay for any longer than the processing to the planet below; and proceeded to the restaurant which served earth food. The other restaurant was food from the various goldilocks planets; but the earth style foods which were a bit more expensive were a popular feature on space stations. He ordered steak; and eggs with an extra helping of corned beef hash and black coffee. He wiped his lips like an ancient king carefully settled back in his cushioned chair permitting the maiden in servitude pour him more earth coffee. Of course, as most of the labor was on space stations she was a spy for the Government below who always tried to increase the file on strangers.
Her name was Heidi Goldberg whose family migrated from Terra 3 to the planet below called Terra 5 three hundred years prior. She smiled at this wealthy man living it up; and waiting for authority to permit him on planet. So, here curiosity; not to mention extra credits for submitting information gave way to a conversation.
So she approached his table and started a conversation.
Heidi: You seem quite at home here. I take it you’ve enjoyed your breakfast?
Stranger: Terra 5 has towns that resemble old earth based on ancient video.
Heidi: It’s true. They even have excellent replicas. Some even believe that the planet earth really exists. (laugh)
Stranger: Yes, legends and myths are a far distance from reality. Do you believe that planet earth exists and it was our home world?
Heidi: Some have given the theory that the mass migration three hundred years ago it was purposely confused to keep mother earth safe from violation. The legend in my family is we came from the planet earth but who can know for sure?
Stranger: Well, it is clearly buried now; and if planet earth exists we have no way of digging into what occurred. Well, we had to have come from somewhere; and do we know for sure one of the goldilocks planets inhabited isn’t really our home world, do we?
Heidi: That was a clever way to express it. I’m just happy that we’re all over the place; and know that I can get a job in any station over hundreds of planets. We’re a species that endures!!
Stranger: A happy go lucky! It is a pleasure to meet someone of your personality. Is everyone as beautiful and friendly as you on Terra 5?
Heidi: Well, I’m actually from Terra 3; but it’s not half bad as all that.
Stranger: I already noted that from the symbol of adjustment on your hand. I note that you’ve the ancient mark of balances on your hand. “Those who run away live to colonize a future day.” If it wasn’t for families leaving war behind to colonize more Terra we would all we stuck on Terra One where they allow AI to run around free; and believe that intelligence life other than human beings exist. This shows when your clan migrated from Terra 3 your family had to have avoided the war. Thank you for your avoidance!
Heidi: Anytime! I observe you're on the up and up on ancient history. With so many Goldilocks Planets available for colonization it seems ridiculous to fight for territory. No amount of hypothetical resources are worth doing battles over. What other surprises of wit does this mysterious man have for me? (smile - and then the sound of a message)
Wait, you’re been called to the main office.
Stranger: Of course, they’ve processed me. Or not.
(both laugh)
The stranger approached the main office to see if he had been processed. The man behind the desk was in his fifties; and looked squarely into his eyes. Well, it seems that we’ve found some odd things about your spacecraft. Some type of prototype of some new technology, is it? Stated in the initial report that your propulsion is either magnetic, solar and nuclear but I see no engine, navigation system nor anything that shows this craft can survive in space; much less move. So what powers it? In addition, you have no life support system, no space suits; and no suspended animation pods. The inside of your spacecraft looks like the inside of a luxury suite or apartment from Terra 25. Your physical shows you to be human; but are you human?
The stranger smiled at the skeptic; and simply uttered a few words. He was let go immediately.
Stranger: (Showing an intelligence ID he merely said.) As you can see from this ID I am on a classified mission. Let me through at once; and I’ll consider extra credits for cooperation. The stranger smiled; and winked.
Main office man: He waved the ID over the computer. Your ID has accessed the back log.
Sir, yes, sir. I am pleased to hear a human being
and a heart beat. Something of a “happy go lucky”?
The stranger walked out back to his spacecraft where he entered his craft without further incident to land on a remote island on Terra 5.
Several hours later the man who permitted the stranger admission to reported him to central command on Terra 5. His report issued an official request for further investigation.A “happy go lucky” was an expression never completely defined by AI; and it was something of a fraternal expression among those who were starved for human exchange where AI and robots were considered socially unacceptable in the presence of modern day dating tradition or normal exchange.
Yet, the stranger knew that although he would not be investigated for some unknown or new technology he really didn’t have an engine or a life support system on his spacecraft. The spacecraft was simply built without them; for his inter and multi dimensional skills meant he was the propulsion and the life support of the craft.
As the stranger landed on the uncharted Island he immediately parked his spacecraft in another dimension inaccessible and unseen by anyone but Him until he decided to use it again. He then entered his secret and invisible sanctuary where once again he opened up the closet to wear the Cone and the Starry robe where his mystical retreat would take him to places beyond the universe to realms rarely tread by other than an ancient wizard.
(unfinished science fiction story to be continued...)