The train finally pulled into the large, central station in Panschin, far too early in the morning. The sun had not yet broken over the horizon, the early light doing nothing other than to illuminate dark shapes against a darker backdrop. As a result of the train's pre-dawn arrival, the dining car had moved its breakfast service hours earlier than normal. It was disruptive to the digestion but this did have the benefit of keeping the other passengers subdued, quiet, and uninterested in bothering Airik with yet another set of get-rich-quick schemes while he ate.
He was hopeful that whatever transportation the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel had arranged for his party would be swift, discreet, and quiet. He had made a point of asking for such a service so the odds were in his favor. While waiting for the hotel's transportation – he was unsure of how businesses in Panschin handled such things – to arrive, Airik took a moment to look around at his first glimpse of the free-city. The other disembarking passengers were moving around in a sleep-deprived fog and, amazingly, ignoring him despite him standing out in the open on the station's platform. Elliot was seeing to the baggage, Upton was eyeing an attractive passenger he had spent most of the journey chatting up to no avail, while Nunzio stood behind him looking threatening so there was no-one to bother him while he took in the view.
The train had plunged into the tunnel leading into Panschin while it was still full dark so Airik had no idea if all the frills and signs welcoming high-spending guests were located there, although he now doubted that any effort had been made. The city's management had not made any effort here, where no incoming visitor could miss signs for the local attractions and sights so why would they bother to put up billboards outside? It did not make for a good first impression, either for maintenance or forethought on the part of the local government.
The Panschin train station and the gateway to the free-city were decidedly unimpressive.
He turned around very slowly, observing carefully what the free-city had chosen to do. The station was much smaller than Airik would have expected given Panschin's importance, and very poorly lit. It was the second largest free-city on Mars so he had expected something more on the scale of the immense central station in Barsoom. That train station and central transportation hub was designed to awe and impress visitors with Barsoom's wealth, importance, good taste, and power. Every single aspect of the Barsoom train station that Airik had observed on many trips there said 'kneel, peasant, before your betters and marvel at how we do things in the heart of the empire'.
Panschin did things differently. The free-city's management must have decided there was no reason to spend any money to either impress or inform new arrivals of the wonders of Panschin. It appeared that the entire station was underground, rather than occupying precious space within any of the free-city's famous domes. The train depot's ceiling was dingy and overgrown with splotchy lichens, their spidery growth creeping across the many skylights, making them appear to be even smaller than they were. The many light fixtures also had their webbings of terraformers, ensuring the train station was dimmer than it should have been.
The walls were likewise blotchy, the bas-relief carvings obscured by the growth of unchecked terraformers. It was difficult to tell what dramatic Panschin founding story the original builders intended to relate with their bas-reliefs and statues. They were shaggy with moss and bizarrely colored by lichens so any identifying details were obscured.
He had also not expected to see such an array of terraformers covering almost every flat surface. That was interesting, and strange. The scientist within him, never far from the surface, was intrigued and ready to investigate further. Airik looked around more carefully and noticed that, unlike the walls and ceilings, the seating in the waiting areas did not appear to be coated with lichens. That demanded a closer look.
From what he could observe, the rows of seats, carefully divided into sections for the different classes of passengers as evidenced by their design – actual chairs, benches with backs, and plain benches, accessorized by a range of padding from thick to non-existent - were clean of terraformers. Probably, Airik surmised, this was due to the bodies of said passengers wiping them clean when they sat down and got up again. It was a reasonable assumption since little cleaning and removal of terraformers had been done anywhere else. The floors were clear but that was undoubtedly due to constant foot traffic wearing away anything that tried to grow.
He walked over to the first-class seating, conveniently both the closest waiting area and the one most likely to be kept up properly. If terraformers were here, they would be present everywhere in Panschin. Airik crouched down to check a first-class seating chair-back. Its upholstery of green brocade leaves remained bright but as he neared the underside where only the most scrupulous janitor would clean, the fabric pattern disappeared under a layer of lichens.
Airik frowned. It had not occurred to him that Panschin, a city of domes and tunnels, would provide some of the best remaining habitat on Mars for terraformers, wherever there was any sunlight to fuel its growth. There wouldn't be much competition from other plants here, nor insects to eat them. He took a deep breath -- drawing the train station's air into his lungs -- then blew it out slowly. Then another. Then another, each time assessing what he sensed. The air was subtly different in how it felt, tasted, smelled, from what he remembered of the train's air. That air had been changed repeatedly, even when the windows weren't being opened by the passengers, freshening it every time. It was the next best thing to being outside.
This air now. He wrinkled his nose, then coughed. This air, Airik breathed in and out again, this air reminded him of being underground in a mining tunnel. It wasn't stale but it had an odd, off tang and it was more still than even the calmest day could be. It had plenty of oxygen as the terraformers were doing their job but it wasn't like being outside. Hmm. An interesting consideration and something he had not thought of when researching Panschin. None of the literature had mentioned it; not in the boosterism pumped out by the Chamber of Commerce and also not within the more scholarly literature the Panschin Department of Mining had sent him.
What else did he not know about Panschin?
Airik ran his hand over the station wall behind him. It too had a thin film of lichens covering it, although it looked like the wall had been regularly swept down based on the skeletal patterns their remains made against its pale gray surface. Hmmm again. He looked up again at the skylights and light fixtures. How fast did the terraformers grow? Those areas had to be swept down regularly as otherwise, based on what he knew, the terraformers would completely block any light in their desperate attempt to survive. Hmm. What would it be like to live surrounded by terraformers thicker than they were anywhere else on Mars? How did they keep the domes clean? This would be something else to observe while he was visiting the city.
"There they are. At last," Upton said, breaking his reverie.
Airik turned to see a large, smartly painted and gilded vehicle pull up to where his party was standing. The name and logo of the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel were emblazoned in scarlet on both sides and across the front in big, impossible to miss letters, contrasting strongly with the metallic, highly reflective silvery body.
To his surprise, it was powered electrically, something he would not have expected as horses, even in Barsoom, were so much less expensive for an individual vehicle. This vehicle was as ostentatious as possible, demanding envious, resentful attention from anyone it passed. Who could afford to waste electricity on transportation that didn't move dozens of people at a time?
To his dismay, all the other passengers who had disembarked with his own party turned from collecting their baggage, meeting relatives, or dealing with train station employees to stare, and worse, noticed him. Some of them, despite their fatigue, started moving towards him with gleaming eyes and glad-handing smiles and promises about sure things already on their lips.
To his horror, the driver stood up in his position high at the front end and called out loudly over the murmur of voices,
"My lord Shelleen! Make way for the Daimyo of Shelleen, now an honored guest of the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel!" The driver's voice echoed throughout the train station, ensuring that anyone who hadn't woken up to the presence of a wealthy, potential sucker was now alert and paying attention.
Airik frowned harder. He had specifically informed the hotel that he did not want to be singled out. Could they not follow as basic an instruction as that?
Upton, seeing his boss's mood swiftly change for the worse, said, "We better get moving. Nunzio! Elliot! Get the bags."
Airik marched over to the shouting driver. He and an assistant were both wearing what appeared to be silver metallic jumpsuits, more formfitting than a coverall, lavishly trimmed at every single seam and edge with screaming lime green piping, an overabundance of glittery scarlet buttons, and of course, the logo and name of the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel on both chest and back. The name was embroidered in more glittery scarlet down the sides of both sleeves and pant legs where anyone with taste would have left a simple stripe of color.
"My lord Shelleen! Welcome to the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel!" the driver boomed out, his voice echoing up towards the ceiling and filling the space. He stayed put on top of a shelf-like projection at the front of the vehicle to be better heard and seen by anyone with the vicinity. He waved cheerfully to the staring crowd. "I am ecstatic to be your driver today, bringing you to the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel!"
"What is the meaning of this?" Airik demanded, glaring up at the driver looming overhead. "I specifically requested discreet, quiet transportation."
"I am being discreet, my lord Shelleen. Just as you requested. The Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel prides itself on accommodating every conceivable need of its fortunate and pampered guests," the driver answered. He beamed down at Airik showing every one of his silvery teeth, then picked up a shiny scarlet metallic pennant to wave at the crowd of onlookers. At no time did he lower his voice one bit. His assistant waved as well, using a shiny silver metallic banner that flashed in the early light.
"For everyone else here, the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel will be happy to accommodate all of you as well! If you haven't already made your reservations, please consider us first! No other hotel in Panschin can take care of you like the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel can," the driver proclaimed to his slack-jawed audience.
"Discreet? How is this discreet?" Airik said icily.
The driver grinned evilly. "Yes sir, my lord Shelleen! I will be happy to show you how the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel accommodates every possible guest need!" He nodded to his assistant who reached inside the vehicle's window and pushed a glowing red button.
Instantly, the silvery white vehicle began playing loud music with plenty of cymbals, drums, and piccolos, while a recorded chorus sang about the wonders of the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel. Hidden lights began to flash from the vehicle top around the station, illuminating the far reaches with rotating spotlights that showed off even better the poor maintenance on the train station. They changed color as well, multicolored disks of lights chasing each other across the ceiling, walls, platform, and furnishings of the train station as well as the agog passengers and bystanders. Many of them actually retreated under the onslaught.
"Your point is made," Airik spat out. "Turn everything off and get us out of here."
"Yes sir, my lord Shelleen!" The driver jumped down from his perch, reached inside, pressed the flashing red button and mercifully, the sound and light system stopped blaring out into the train station, filling it with noise and color, and demonstrating ever more clearly how poorly maintained it was.
"The Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel is always ready to accommodate you!"
Airik said, very coldly, "Then is it possible for you to stop saying 'the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel' with every sentence?"
"No sir, my lord Shelleen! It's my job if I don't repeat the name of the finest hotel in Panschin, the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel, at every conceivable opportunity." The driver grinned cheerily at Airik. "I've got kids and you don't want them to starve, do you? The Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel keeps them fed. We love the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel and you will too." He winked at Airik.
Fortunately, by this time, Elliot and Nunzio had gotten the bags stowed away safely. Airik took his seat inside the plush upholstery – no sign of terraformers here on the freshly scrubbed acid-green leather trimmed in more glittery scarlet and silver and lavishly printed with the hotel's logo – and sat back, his back rigid. He made himself unclench his fists and spread his hands out on his trousers.
"A soothing beverage, my lord Shelleen?" the driver's assistant asked, holding up a crystal glass etched with the hotel's logo in one hand and a bottle of something presumably alcoholic in the other, also adorned with the hotel logo. He shook the glass, making the ice tinkle within it. Each cube appeared to be imprinted with the hotel's logo although it was hard to tell without looking closer, something Airik wasn't about to do.
"No extra charge for you! The Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel wants you to be happy!"
"No," Airik said. "Get us to the hotel at once and do not speak again unless I ask for something."
"Yes sir, my Lord Shelleen! The Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel is always happy to oblige every need!"
****
To Airik's immense relief, he was able to spend some of the ride in a fuming silence, after he pointedly informed both driver and assistant that he would provide a large tip only if they shut up about the wonders of Panschin and how the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel would ensure his VIP access to each and every attraction they passed the nanosecond he indicated any interest in said venue. Airik rapidly discovered that a flick of his eye towards a sign was all that was necessary to start the spiel.
Sadly, he could do nothing about the sound and light display the vehicle provided for passers-by at every intersection on the roadway through the maze of transportation tubes that led from the train station to Dome Six and the hotel. The driver cheerfully insisted that Panschin regulations required any motorized vehicle put on a display to warn other traffic of its presence since most of said traffic was unused to sharing the roadways. Airik glared out the vehicle's windows and it did seem to be true: everyone else he observed was walking, riding a bamboo bicycle, on skates or rolling boards of some kind, being hauled in a rickshaw, or, occasionally, riding high above the crowd in a palanquin. There were no other cars at all and more surprisingly, no animal-provided transportation of any kind. Alongside the roadways long, open-sided train cars ran at regular intervals on dedicated rails. He surmised it was some kind of trolley system to transport people back and forth for longer distances, probably electrical in nature.
Airik was sure that every single person they passed turned to stare at the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel electric car. He resolved then and there to avoid using whatever transportation the hotel provided, despite guessing he would be charged for its mere availability whether he used it or not. Even a palanquin would be more discreet than what he was riding in now. They had curtains to conceal their privileged occupant from the mob and didn't use a precious resource that could be better spent on almost anything else that would be more beneficial to the citizens.
He wondered if the hotel had palanquins and then decided that it was likely and equally likely they were as gaudily painted as the electric car he was currently trapped in. Worse, based on his minutes of experience with the hotel, their palanquins probably came with uniformed criers strutting in front and back, shouting out the name of the hotel and the rider inside. The Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel didn't seem to know the meaning of the words 'privacy' and 'quiet'.
The trip took far longer than he would have thought an electric car would take to drive the distance between the train station and Dome Six. Since the entire journey took place in a maze of indifferently lit transportation tunnels (only billboards were well-lit) Airik had no idea if the driver took a more roundabout route to show off the billboard he was riding in. There was nothing he could do about the situation, except fume and pray for a quick arrival at their destination. The maniacally grinning driver and his relentlessly cheery assistant were just doing their jobs, something they repeatedly assured him whenever he questioned some new irritation.
All of this made the built-in bar more inviting. Airik restrained himself, not wanting to put himself into the grasp of the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel anymore than he already had. His glare at Upton kept his secretary in check, although it did not stop Upton from gazing longingly at the well-stocked bar every time the sound system revived itself. Interestingly, Nunzio and Elliot were studiously ignored as though they didn't fill the back of the vehicle. They were part of Airik's entourage, yet since they were servants, they didn't exist.