Chapter 1

Hortan was walking down the empty corridors of TGFT headquarter looking for his new living quarters.

Outfitted in the dark green leggings, fashionable jacket and propeller ball-cap of a TGFT recruit, he was almost feeling at home here. The yellow plush shackles kinda clashed with the rest of the uniform, but they were a gift from LQI, and so he would always wear them. Well, as much at home as any spacestation could ever be for him. If it wasn't for that engine checkup at Moda's, he would prefer to be amongst the roids of Helios. Still, the crew at TGFT supplies had been very nice to him, they had even gone through the trouble of explaining why the only size pants currently in store was one size small, the jacket two sizes big and only the ball-cap with the n00b letters on the propellers was available. Something about some forms that were not filled properly resulting in the small error. They must have been having a good and cheerful day, because as soon as he had left the supply room he heard laughter from within. 


It seemed to Hortan that TGFT had a lot of problems with forms, because when he came in for docking, he was not allowed to dock. Apparently he had filled out form 46.7b "Regular Personnel Docking Form" instead of form 46.7c "First Time Regular personnel Docking Form", and so his request for docking had been denied. Fortunately, he had been able to purchase some help from the dockhands in getting that old spare bay farthest away, the one without pressurized docking facilities that nobody ever uses. They even volunteered to look after his stash of Helio Mists for another small fee. Very nice people.


After the docking, he reported to Surbius to get a room. One of the dockhands had lead the way, and for some reason he seemed to have to ask the local network for help even though it was only a few corridors away. Hortan didn't mind paying for the calls, he would have been lost anyway, but he felt that 5000 credits for that small distance was pushing it. Surbius was not there, but there was a large bulging envelope with the name HORTON in large letters on the front. He cringed and picked up the envelope, opened it with the heavy letter opener Surbius for some reason had hanging on the wall, and sighed at all the documents inside. Fortunately there was a keycard as well, labeled D-3-D-48, and it was this this label that had sent him down here to level D, sector 3 looking along corridor D for his room. 


As he walked he became aware of a deep sobbing that came from one of the rooms, interrupted  by a haunting female voice that called out again and again "please master, please". As the door to the room was slightly ajar, he could see a person lying on the bed inside. Always trying to be helpful, he called out softly to the person inside


 "are you ok miss?",  but no answer came. He was just about to open the door further when he felt a hand on his shoulder.


 "ehm, recruit.."  he looked at the propeller  "recruit n00b?, you seem to be lost".


Hortan turned and saw Council Waldoze looking at him with a kind smile under the large mustache. He smartly close the door behind Hortan and so left the sleeping female to her dreams. 


"Sir, She seemed to have a nightmare, Sir Council Sir" Hortan blurted, and the smile went up a notch on the face of Waldoze, turning into a real grin. 


"Yeah, Obs has a lot of those lately, but don't you worry, she is strong, she can handle it" 


"Sir, did you say Obsidian Sir Council Sir?" 


"Now, recruit ehm.." he read the shining new green and yellow name tag on Hortans chest, "Horton?, we are not big on the Sir thing here. Maybe you should drop that, ok? Only for the big cheese"


"Will Do Sir, ehm sorry sir, damn..yes" Hortan kept on blabbering


"Now, your room is down there on the left, run along and remember to fill those forms for Surbius, especially the one regarding request of a foodcard and the one regarding toiletpaper. Those are forms 213-8b "Foodcard First Time Requisition" and 95-34-5T "Lavatory Supplement Requisition" respectively. Otherwise it can get lonely and messy if you know what I mean. And if you want to keep those shackles in that colour, you'd better fill out a 89T-4C REquest for exemption for TGFT colour scheme. I'll be seeing you tomorrow recruit". Walroze  winked and left.


Hortan went down to the room and looked at the door. Obviously it had been a while since anybody had been there last, but at least the lock seemed to be in order. He looked at the nametag of his neighbor and was shocked to see that he was going to live next door to the famous trader and council member John Eldritch. He was just about to knock and say hi, but the mere reputation of the famed trader was enough to deter him, and he went inside his small cubicle. Just big enough for a bed, a small table, a synthwood chair and a foldaway bathroom, the room was perfect. And in just the right shade of green too. Hortan was going to feel at home here. He filled out the forms that Waldoze asked him to do, and lay down on his bed tired and full with good impressions of the guild. For tomorrow, he needed to go to the depot and get a blanket that was longer that 1.70 and maybe a pillow that didn't have stains on it, but for now it would have to do. And maybe those right sized pants would have come too, theses ones were really painful in some awkward places. A good thing he had brought his own "Mr. Fluffybunny" nightgown at least. And he had to go down and visit Sir Mr. Estenk and talk to him about his daughter and himself. And he had to......  As he dozed off to sleep only one thing that nagged the tiniest him was the soft murmur from the cubicle next door "must resist, must resist, must resist, must...."


Hortan fell asleep, dreaming happily of his Beloved Queen.