The Backworlds Read Online Free PDF

bottles of booze by flavor, size, shape, and
color. Orange with orange. Round with round. At first he rearranged Bast’s shelves, then he moved onto imaginary shelves in a
new bar, the one he dreamed to someday own.

 
     
    CHAPTER 5
     
     
     
    The landing on Elstwhere went
smoothly, just a small bump to mark docking with the berths in the main city.
The conductor hurried Craze and the others off the transport, handing each
passenger their bags at the exit. In thirty minutes the ship would take off for
a more central planet.
    Down the gangplank and through
large arching doors, the travel port buzzed, thrumming with Backworlders Craze
had never seen before—tall, squat, multi-limbed, no-limbed,
invisible-skinned—the array made his head tilt. He had to catch himself on the
nearest wall, chilled from the cold tumbling through the vents. Craze wished
he’d taken another two minutes on Siegna with the Croakman to buy a coat.
    “It’s something, isn’t it?” Talos
said from behind Craze. “Elstwhere is always jumping. Ships coming in ‘n taking
off for everywhere. This is one of the best ports to come to when voyaging
through the Lepper System, a main link between the inner and outer Backworlds.
It’d take ten lifetimes to visit all the planets served by the Lepper. Then
fifty more to visit those outside the system.”
    “I can’t even imagine,” Craze said.
    “Come, I’ll show you.”
    They proceeded down the corridor.
The walls, floors, and ceiling of the docking station gleamed in gun metal. The
aromas of grease and machine were overpowered by the stench of millions, an
odor as wretched as the four-armed wench vomiting in the corner. Craze covered
his wide nose with a hand, breathing in the reprieve of the ganya tree scent still on his skin.
    The chatter of thousands of
conversations didn’t drown out the signals of incoming and outgoing vessels.
Announcements blared at hurtful levels. To dull the commotion, Craze closed up
his ear holes half way.
    His adjustments to life off Siegna
weren’t through. The lack of thick organics in the air made him lightheaded.
The new coveralls helped, but he needed time to acclimate to the garment’s
artificially produced organics. They tasted as though something was missing.
    Shit. His whole life had suddenly
gone missing. He couldn’t lose the aviarmen and the possibility of passage on
their ship. They might be his only shot at making a decent new life. Transports
would drain his funds faster than the shopkeeper with the very fine wares on
Siegna. He needed to plan his next move carefully.
    He followed Lepsi and Talos to a
wall with a map of the portal system, the Lepper. Massive with thousands of
dots highlighted in the Orion arm of the Milky Way, the chart caused Craze’s
wide-set eyes to cross. He had no idea where to begin, so he opted to exploit
the aviarmen’s greater knowledge. “Where you goin ’ next?”
    Lepsi’s head bobbed as he thought.
“The planets closer to the Foreworlds is very populated. Not many opportunities
left for those of us trying to make our way.”
    “Unless you have a mountain of
chips. Real estate and positions cost a premium,” Talos said.
    Craze’s shoulders sagged. “No.”
    “Elstwhere sits here on the border
of the Edge, which is why it’s such a popular port. The Edge,” Lepsi said, his
hand sweeping over the outermost portals, “is our best bet.”
    “Cheaper to go there?” Craze asked.
    “No. Since there’s not much out
there, the risk is higher,” Talos said. “That’s the biggest drawback.”
    Craze took his hand away from his
nose, adapting to the new smells and fewer organics buoying his equilibrium.
“And the smaller drawbacks?”
    “Not very hospitable describes a
good number of the Backworlds on the Edge,” Lepsi said. “Only a few kinds of
Backworlders thrive in the extreme environments.”
    Craze didn’t like the sound of
that. He didn’t want to know, but he had to ask. “Extreme?”
    Talos