After an unplanned but much-welcomed week of vacation, Jack returned to Argos Station alone, ready to dive back into the routine of station life.
Kael had filed for a cultural leave from Mars. A right granted to all extraterrestrial species with unique traditions surrounding the upbringing of their offspring. In his species, the Rysal, pregnancies lasted only four days, and Kael's newborn was only a few hours old. The first two weeks were considered critical for forming familial bonds and imparting cultural foundations, equivalent to the first three years of a human child's life.
During these two weeks, Kael would use his bio-telepathic abilities to transmit fundamental concepts about the world and society to his child. Meanwhile, the young Rysal had to absorb these lessons at an accelerated pace, developing physically and mentally nearly 70 times faster than a human child during its initial life stages. The cultural rituals involved rhythmic dances, intense meditations, and the transmission of their race's history through a process called "mental implant," an exhausting yet vital tradition.
Jack decided to focus on his business and deepen his knowledge of the technologies he had already mastered. Each morning, he selected simple tasks from Daisy's activity system—cleaning, minor repairs, or routine inspections. His free time was spent learning new skills from Argos Station's expansive digital library.
Returning from vacation brought significant changes to Jack's routine on Argos Station. He received his first commission from the evaporation platform contract. Two orders had been completed on the same station in Sector G3, two light-years away from the Solar System. The clients were highly satisfied, and the Sythran Guild of Artisans was equally delighted.
After months of saving and his first substantial income from his projects, Jack decided it was time to upgrade his modest living quarters and fulfill a long-held dream: a multi-room apartment. It was a luxury he could never afford on Mars, at least not on his salary.
The New Apartment
Argos Station had a modular design, with each section dedicated to a specific purpose. The industrial zone was a bustling mix of workshops, factories, and logistical spaces. Here, the artificial gravity was weaker than in the residential modules to reduce energy costs, yet strong enough to enable normal activities.
Jack's new apartment consisted of:
A spacious living room with an open kitchen: Jack set up a modest area for cooking and dining. A small table and chairs, a shelf with basic supplies, and a recently acquired organic matter printer dominated the space. A simple bedroom: Furnished with just a comfortable bed and a customizable environmental control unit. A workshop: The heart of Jack's plan. He quickly transformed this room into his workspace, moving in all his equipment and materials. It resembled organized chaos, with shelves full of components, a holographic terminal for design, and an advanced matter printer for his creations.
Jack had long dreamed of a space where he could work without restrictions and experiment with new ideas. The workshop's walls were insulated to reduce noise, and additional ventilators ensured proper airflow—an essential feature in the industrial zone, where heat could become an issue.
Life in the industrial zone had a different rhythm. Mornings buzzed with the activity of workers, while evenings brought an unexpected calm, broken only by the constant hum of machines and installations. For Jack, this atmosphere was a refreshing change from the monotonous quiet of the residential area. He liked it. The view and the bustling environment outside his window kept him occupied as he worked through mental challenges.
The apartment's proximity to the industrial market, a hub where local entrepreneurs and artisans showcased and sold their creations, was another advantage. Jack was already known in the community for his customized designs tailored to various species' unique needs. He saw his new workshop as an opportunity to take things to the next level.
"A small workshop but a big step forward," Jack thought as he finalized one of his projects. The workshop had quickly become his sanctuary, and his industrial zone apartment began to feel like home.
Exploring Agriculture
Argos Station was a multifunctional platform essential for interstellar trade. Among other roles, it played a significant part in space agriculture. The agricultural sector occupied an entire rotating module designed to create ideal artificial gravity for plant cultivation. Species from dozens of planets worked together here, each contributing their unique expertise in agricultural techniques.
Advanced hydroponic and aeroponic systems allowed the station to grow crops in microgravity conditions. Farmers collaborated to experiment with new plant hybrids adapted to the space environment. The agricultural sector not only supplied Argos Station with food but also provided essential products and resources to nearby colonies and stations, becoming an economic hub in the region.
One morning, Jack visited the agricultural sector. During one of his recent tasks, he had spotted a small terraced plot perfect for attempting to grow coffee. But the challenge was enormous—coffee was a demanding plant, and adapting it to space conditions required a meticulous approach.
While planning his next steps, a flying creature caught his attention. It was an insectoid farmer from the Mantara species, with a delicate, mantis-like body adorned with vibrant metallic green hues and translucent wings that shimmered lightly. Standing about a meter tall, the creature seemed fragile, yet its movements were precise and confident.
The Mantara, named Aelira, floated to Jack's eye level to maintain visual contact. She was peaceful and jovial, her optimistic demeanor contrasting with the sector's efficient bustle.
"Greetings, new cultivator! You've chosen to plant something special here, haven't you?" Aelira asked in a high-pitched but pleasant voice.
"Hello, Aelira!" Jack explained his plan to grow coffee, and Aelira, fascinated, began offering advice and ideas. The Mantara species had a natural affinity for agriculture, and Aelira was one of the sector's most experienced farmers.
After admiring Jack's project, Aelira expressed interest in the thermos he held. With childlike curiosity, she asked about its design. When Jack mentioned his advanced matter printer, Aelira's large, compound eyes lit up.
"Do you think you could help me with an annoying problem on this station? I need containers for storing liquid fertilizers that actually work properly. We're always struggling with sealing and maintaining optimal humidity. If you can do this, I'll offer you the best advice on growing coffee here. I might even show you some Mantarian tricks," she said, smiling with her fine mandibles.
"We can try. I'm sure we can modify or adapt the existing containers," Jack said, already analyzing one of the containers.
"If I don't have to buy or order new ones, I'll take care of your coffee plantation for free. I love a challenge. I'll make sure you won't even notice it was grown in space!" Aelira declared enthusiastically. Space-grown food often lacked the flavor or aroma of planet-grown counterparts, a common yet poorly understood phenomenon.
"Are you sure? I'm totally on board. You'll just need to pay for the materials. I won't charge for my services," Jack assured her.
"Fantastic! You're being a bit generous if you ask me," Aelira said, extending a claw for a handshake to seal the deal. For Mantara, nothing more formal was needed.
While working on the design for Aelira's containers, Jack reflected on his progress over the past months. He had earned the trust of vastly different species and turned his passion into the beginning of a business. Looking at his small but promising plot of land, Jack recalled the time spent on his family's farm, helping Kai and their father. It was there that he had learned basic maintenance skills that proved invaluable on the station—at least until they had to sell the farm.
A message from Kael interrupted his thoughts. Kael was still busy with his offspring.
"My child has just begun absorbing the first mental lessons. He's more stubborn than I am. I can't wait to get back to work. I don't know how you humans manage 18 years…"
Jack's first major project in his new space was optimizing the design for the fertilizer containers, working closely with Aelira, the insectoid farmer. Little did he know, it would prove to be a significant step into a new world. Thanks to the time saved with the improved containers, Aelira could focus on the coffee plants.
"A coffee shop…" Jack mused as he browsed the station's marketplace for espresso machine blueprints. "Why reinvent something perfected over thousands of years?"
After moving into his new apartment in the industrial zone, Jack began to better understand Argos Station and its role in Sector 42-Z, a border region between several advanced civilizations. The station was a vital hub, a nexus of trade and technology in a region once devastated by interstellar conflicts.
Built 250 years ago, Argos Station initially served as an observation and mining platform for a metal-rich asteroid cluster. It was later purchased by a consortium of warship manufacturers and enhanced with a metal processing sector, which eventually became the industrial zone. Following the collapse of the ruling alliance after the conflicts, Argos was converted into an intergalactic hub managed by a consortium of neutral species.
Argos Station Layout
Argos was immense, with modules spread across multiple levels:
Central Zone: Home to the station's council and main command facilities, operated by an advanced AGI known as "Praetor." Industrial Sector: A vast network of workshops, factories, and warehouses, where Jack now resided. Agricultural Sector: An artificial ecosystem sustaining the station's food needs and exporting surplus to nearby colonies. Originally a military necessity during the Earth-Mars war of 3329, it had been modularly attached to the station. Residential Sector: Traditional housing for both permanent residents and temporary visitors. This was the smallest sector but expanded as needed, following a modular design.
Each of these zones was interconnected by a network of magnetic trains and pressurized corridors. Argos was not merely a workplace or transit point; it had become a symbol of hope and interspecies collaboration, home to approximately 120,000 residents per cycle (nearly two Earth years or one Martian year).
Two centuries ago, the sector had been the site of a devastating war between two rival alliances: the Azurian Concord, a confederation of trading species, and the Xantirian Dominion, an expansionist species with advanced bio-based technologies. Argos had once been occupied by the Xantirians, who transformed it into a bastion. After the war ended with a fragile armistice, many species in the sector refused to join new alliances, opting for neutrality instead.
Now, despite a period of peace, tensions simmered beneath the surface. Intergalactic trade and competition for resources fueled a cold rivalry between civilizations, while the emergence of an unknown species threatened to upset the balance.
Rumors of a mysterious species migrating from the intergalactic void had reached Argos weeks earlier. The Hytari, who had traveled thousands of light-years through the empty space between galaxies—a place few dared to venture—were described as enigmatic, silent, and equipped with technology that defied known logic.
Their first contact with human civilization was expected in a few days. Tensions were palpable, especially in the diplomatic sector, where speculation ran rampant.
That evening, Jack stared out the window of his apartment at one of the industrial sector's cargo ship entrances, gazing at the stars. Beyond them, in the direction from which the Hytari delegation was coming, he felt as though someone was watching him. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Jack sensed that life on Argos Station was about to become much more interesting.