Planets have problems with the standard Earth calendar.  Days and seasons never match up (and some planets do not have seasons at all!) and schedules have to be pushed and shoved to have even a semblance of alignment- such as Lyonesse's "day and a half" days.  In space, though, it is easy, ships and stations universally set themselves to an Earth schedule.  It makes life easier on spacers.  Less confusion.

It is March 5, 2350 when the Albatross reaches the Deseret system.  It has it's peculiarities- a large population, but far more "home grown" than most worlds, due to its high birth rate.  The gravity is higher, the weather is warmer, the world is a little wetter, and it is somewhat off the "Main Line" of travel, but it is still considered a prime habitable planet.

Like all of the major worlds it has an orbital habitat that serves as a major port and place of exchange. (The most important worlds have more than one, Earth has numerous).  These are the Highports, and they get the ships that cannot land, or whose crews do not wish to land.  At the Highport, cargo and passengers are exchanged via robots and landers, ships are refueled and repaired, and they almost always have shopping, rest and relaxation for travellers.  They are very much in the mold of 21st century airports- no matter you go they seem alike, more like each other than the planet below.

The spaceports on the planet itself are scattered, and double as airports.  About 150 million people live on the small island continents of Deseret.  Starships that can land will frequently head to a spaceport on the surface, skipping the Highport entirely, if they have the time and the inclination.

Of course, for the Albatross, landing is both more and less flexible.  Most spaceports on the surface cannot accommodate amphibians, but many other places can.  Since Deseret is an oceanic planet, 74% covered in water, most of the colony sites have ports accessible to the Albatross.  Important places have nearby stretches of sea reserved for this, and landing generally means letting the local authorities know, so they can make sure any water craft are safely cleared out.

Naturally, immediately as the Albatross arrives, local authorities want to know the destination.  Keeping ships orderly and never bumping into each other is important.

The traffic at the Highport is light, though- just three other ships.  A fourth ship, the Bon Charme, is one of the regular Lyonesse-Deseret transports, and has arrived just ahead of you, and is maneuvering towards a dock at the Highport.  It's a moderately sized ship built for about 200 passengers.


By the time you arrive, Reginald has fully investigated the cargo.

Ever since that altercations with Einar, Florence had pretty much disappeared. She spent most of her time in her cabin and when she wasn't there, it was pretty much impossible to say where she went to.

Though of course, considering that there weren't all that many hiding spots on the ship, and given the state of her clothes when she came back to her room, it seemed probable that she was exploring some of the small conduits no one but her could fit into.

In all that time, she probably hadn't said more than a dozen words.

Einar had been spending a lot of his waking hours in the office adjacent to the bridge. There was a substantial amount of work to be done, from payroll, to scheduling, to the assignment of collateral duties such as cleaning and inventory. It was a boring, necessary part of the job, and in the spirit of trying to ease people into it, he had allotted himself some extra time slots cleaning the freshers and the galley.

When he was not downing coffee and at his terminal, he had a tendency to hit the rec area for some strength and cardiovascular training. It was not a particularly ambitious regime, and he seemed mostly concerned with already keeping what he had. The artificial gravity on the top deck was a godsend in this regard

When Deseret was a rapidly expanding dot in the distance, he had changed into a newer gray jumpsuit with faded red patches on the shoulders, and had cleaned up and trimmed a little for the occasion. He was still rough, but at least the look was more intentional now.

When the rest of the crew had assembled to watch the approach, and it was apparent they would soon be contacted by crew controlling the traffic, he crossed his arms and looked to the others. "Maybe just Highport?" he threw out. "Lines not bad, and there could be some folks lookin to book passage on that transport."

Horace nodded agreement. He stood silently, not saying much since Florence's issues.