The Salisbury, a decrepit ice hauler owned and operated by the Pur'n'Kleen Water Company is slowly guided to one of the largest docking berths on Eros by several space tugs. At this point and time, the crew were pretty much passengers as the massive vessel slid into dock three, berth 3C.

At the helm monitoring the ship flight controls, or more aptly standing by to activate the Salisbury's thrusters in the even the space tug pilots screwed up was Kala Sui.

Nothing happens and it was a pretty boring docking, and hence why the vessels secondary pilot was at the helm.

Within a few hours the crew, except the cargo handlers who are to assist in the offloading of the ship’s cargo is released for shore leave. It would take a few days to offload all the ice and a few more, to restock the ships provisions. All in all, it would take about ten days.

The scuttlebutt among the crew was that when the Salisbury went out for its next run the vessel would be accompanied by a privateer. This was seen by the crew as both a measure for Pur'n'Kleen to prevent another one of its ice haulers to suffer the same fate of the Canterbury, and to ensure the majority of the crew wouldn't find employment elsewhere.

---

As Kala walks past the non-existent customs checks, and exits dock three an overhead speaker blares out a welcome message in several languages. With Eros Station being the Salisbury’s home port, she had heard the welcome message many times before.

[Language unknown: "Itpomo me To Wipeil. Wiing onetiosonwithatter om ektra eario nentprel nothision, saetioss, the enenwitr tecaan."

"Eksan oerreseraandsanwas ss evete teai airibe t liadlo osca wil icstas, itnait, ioatth, ck iscech arddinven."

“Iv stckta tirear pretralesfor untra priteeio k PASTR Evestaectome Belaeiutme. Ilevme ETHI ckvir hat san vorlinearbut ssnoee.”]

[Language unknown: "Nawewe ta Te Tiwifo. Caek ounsanicaome'tinund ut day enlo tiinille witntieen, anieieun, te waetprpo loitil."

"Traiv peurerun'isha mi ne ateol soniouoer ma seulet ith hafo andstiugh, omacus, toropo, reher undsomrat reseauder."

“Ho sanreaany ncestipro hasone'mening ev korven'herrom o ME Hatyinsonenc Reaeauwheoveess. Sheintect ILTHU res icch rohis ameverineint llceat.”]

"Welcome to Eros Station. For entertainment we have many pachinko parlors, brothels, and gambling halls."

"For accommodations we have many hotels to choose from with hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rates."

“Eros station police services are provided by CPM Security Corporation. Trust CPM for all your security needs.”

[Language unknown: "Atosfo i Asis Sheverany. Seri ainanyousresdaywhe i tio ee oulstavorich icusth, erlodial, weiou tretadus sialic."

"Inac prwafo'elwiec i lates ati itiowi ro ratntiven miul ekro stavenere, caeiil, whimenave, hasce plespl herartdin."

“Tin ivcaun ardourame dinemoas wh seioivet ie FOR Vorent'wheica Atmaierick. Ekesla ADTI sami foti encon vorintestugh inalti.”]

Just past the docks are anumber of food kiosk's. Again noting unfamiler to Kala, and she knows to avoid these particular kiosks. One is serving what could probably be best described as Eros space rat as several small four legged animals are being cooked on a rotating spit. Another food kiosk is serving kabobs consisting of chunks of questionable meat, some sort of breaded fried something or another, and slices of what appear to be onion and bell pepper. A third kiosk is serving meat patties between tortillas.

The better food kiosks were further along, and then there was Pasquale Hnos which offered a little taste of South America but was way out of Kala's budget. The meat was all vat grown, vegetables were grown in an organic garden, breads are cooked on site.

Kala Sui shouldered her way through the crowd, idly pushing aside the questing hands of child pick-pockets without malice. Everyone has to live and a newly arrived ship meant fresh blood for all -- from the food kiosks on the front line to the whore houses behind them to the bespoke tailors who eked out a frugal living in a twenty cubic meter box far enough "up" in the complex that the artificial spin gravity was so weak it took several seconds for a needle to fall.

Eros had become familiar after a dozen runs on the Salisbury. She knew where she could get decent food that wouldn't tie her stomach in knots or give her worms. She knew the pirates that sold stolen copies of the newest games and the best porn. She knew a couple of guys who were usually good for paying for her drinks for the night if she would put out when the fun was over. Not that putting out wasn't fun in and of itself, but it wasn't up there with dancing and getting high. No way.

Even as she made her way towards a cheap hotel she remembered with decent locks on the doors, she could sense the changes that had come over the station since her last visit. Since the destruction of the Canterbury. Lots more tags. Remember the Cant everywhere of course. And that guy Holden's face rendered so often in more and more harsh contrasting colors until it had become almost a meaningless glyph. But everywhere she looked, the suggestion for rebellion was pulsing off the walls. The OPA was a powder keg ready to blow, and she did not want to be identified as an Eather when it happened.

She stood tall, though even her slim build could not be mistaken for a belter's elongated form, and she made sure the Pure'N'Clean logo was clearly visible on her flight suit, with its unspoken message: I bring the water you drink. Fuck with me and you die of thirst.

But she understood that she was really only a small cog in a big machine. If someone dumped her out of an airlock, there were a dozen other qualified pilots to take her place. And if it got so crazy that they started attacking the ice haulers, then the human race had just about run its course in space.

As Kala made her way through the tunnels of Eros her hand terminal chirped with a few notifications. The first (and most important) was her paycheck (and bonus) from the Salisbury's latest run. Then there was the Eros Station crime app indicating where the most recent gun fight shad occurred, and this allows the young woman to avoid areas teeming with what passed as the law on Eros (CPM) and medical services. A third notification is a Mixed Marital Arts tournament, no weight class, 32 men and women from all over the belt vying for the respective men's, and women's 'No hold barred' championship belt. A live clip of a fight features a man with Slavic features and a platinum blonde crew cut facing off against a dark skinned man of Pacific Islander heritage. As the fight begins the two rush in towards each other and begin to trade punches and kicks.

[Private to Kala Sui:
You have a temporary income increase of +1]

She almost clicks past the fight feed but decides to scroll through the list of contestants. The blond guy is vaguely sexy, but she's not a fan of brutality. She's just curious if she might know any of the fighters.

She makes sure she is in a quiet corner with her back to the wall before she expands the list -- she's seen kids pull the phone right out of the hands of the unwary and keep on running.

And while she's stopped, she posts on her own page that she's in town and ready for a hook-up. She also looks up the menu for Pasquale Hnos -- that little bonus may be enough . . . ?

Standing with one's back against the wall not only deterred hand terminal thieves, but also let everyone know that  the ypung Earther woman knew the tunnels of Eros Station.

Kala didn't recognize any names of the remaining fighters in the MMA tournament. While looking at the menu prices for Pasquale Hnos her bonus was enough for a mid priced meal on the menu. There was also a Hard Rock Cafe over near dock 1, but it would take some time to get there walking and taking the transit tubes.

Her hand terminal chimes in response as a few people she knows on Eros acknowledge she is on station.

OOC: As someone whose ship is home ported in Eros you know that each of Eros Station's five docks has an expensive restaurant. As for who responded on the hand terminal I leave who those people are and what they want to do up to you.

[Private to Kala Sui: In game terms your bonus will net you a mid priced meal, and the purchase of an item with a cost of 6 or more. Or you can splurge and get a high priced meal. You DO NOT have to buy anything just yet.]

Sui savored the menu, tasting the food in her memory as she read the details of each dish. Food porn really. And just like erotic porn, it took a bit of the edge off and did not cost anything to look. For now, it was enough to know that she could afford such a meal.

The calls were from old friends. Her arrival had activated her account on the station's gossip channel and she quickly received half a dozen invitations ranging from drinks to group sex. Yes to drinks. Yes to dancing. Maybe to the three-way, but she really would only go there if nothing else showed up in the next sixty hours. It wasn't love and both of them just wanted to use her to hurt the other. Sick, really.

She changed the icon from maybe to probably not and then sent it before she could reconsider. On a busy station, she could do better than that.

She checked her tote into a locker and stopped at food cart that she remembered from her last lay-over. Tasty as long as you didn't look too close, and probably wouldn't give her the shits. The red kibble was as good as she remembered and the deep-fried grasshoppers in siracha filled her mouth with fire, making her eyes water, but in a good way. She sucked down a bulb of sedge beer to cool her throat and moved on to continue her drinking with a couple of old friends: Naomi Cooper, a news announcer and reporter on Channel Nine, and Sai Boonwaat, a data wrangler with the port authority.