St Brendan


As in most settled worlds, there is a space station which handles passenger and freight transfers for those not actually landing on the planet- which includes most of the ships larger than the Albatross. Like most stations, it has a name- this is the Our Lady of Loreto Orbital Terminal.* Like most stations, its name is often ignored and it is simply called by the name of the planet it serves: St. Brendan Highport.
Or sometimes, "Port Loretta".
It's in shadow now. Our Lady of Loreto is in geostationary orbit above the principal settlement area, an equatorial peninsula where St Brendan's unruly climate is somewhat tempered by ocean. This half of the planet is in night, and on St. Brendan that lasts a long time. From space you can see the lights from the Port Grace urban area. The destination of the Albatross, San Lorenzo, is in daylight on the far side.
They pass a large close to the station, being visited by a cargo shuttle. The Sorraia is a ship of a type that was once more common- a sleeper ship, carrying two thousand colonists at a time in hibernation. Such travel isn't dangerous as long as it's done under competent medical control, but the preparation and recovery time is such that people don't use it except when they really need low cost very long distance travel. St. Brendan is still a young colony and it still gets fresh settlers recruited from Earth.
Such large ships don't often, because it's risky maneuvering such a big ship so close, and the hibernating passengers don't mind being handled as cargo. Maybe they would, if they knew. The Albatross passes by and connects to one of the long docking connectors stretching out from the Highport.
It's hard to judge Marlo's reactions to departing- the alien's face is, by Human standards, unreadable. Perhaps he wishes he could go on to his rendezvous on his own private ship like this. The fact that the Alabtross took on no other passengers has baffled him all the way.
With his luggage packed, he does have a final bit of helpful observation to pass on the crew:
"Your species and mine do some things in the same way, that is why Crossers like me are unafraid to travel alone on your ships. Your culture is not always like ours, but some things are familiar. If you want to have a trade ship, you must seek out contact and friendship. I have seen that this is what both our traders and your traders do. It is the same. Some of these friendships are not deep. They are created only for the purpose of gaining trade opportunities. But they are made all the same. So I advise you to seek this out when you can, and remember, that for a trader, no good comes from angering a journalist. That too is the same, in your species and mine."
*The Patron Saint of Aviation since, unofficially and altogether unexpectedly, the 13th century. It was finally made official in the 20th, when aviation actually existed.