Two days on a solid planet felt like a luxury to the crew of the Rusty Bolt. Sure, Aethel was just outside the Binary Bloom station and shuttles for a quick dip on the planet surface were relatively cheap to rent, but while habitable, Aethel was lifeless aside from some early-evolution plants. If you wanted to sip a cocktail on the beach, you had to bring your own.


    And Chroma IV was a special place. On their first day, the three began with a trip to a crystal-clear like surrounded on three sides by steep but short cliffs. Grubs, who had the most zero-G experience of them, enjoyed the dive especially, with a familiar and yet unfamiliar feeling of buoyancy combined with the water’s resistance. The colorful sky danced on the tiny waves the wind blew across the lake.


    That same afternoon, they were scrambling up a rocky trail, boots crunching on the red sand. The view from the peak was breathtaking - a sprawling city to one side, under a vast horizon, a sight unimaginable in the cramped confines of a ship or even a space station. The three suns cast a multi-colored glow over the landscape, and just walking under a tree canopy and across wild meadows was a simple and yet fulfilling pleasure to them.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Their muscles were sore from the day’s activities when they arrived back at the hotel in the evening, and a lavish meal in a nearby restaurant finished off the day, with all three eagerly heading for an early rest.


    The next day was a stark contrast. They went into the city proper, visiting the local sights just like proper tourists did. The museums were impressive, as were the open-sky markets. They split up that day, with Grubs donning a rented suit and visiting the grand opera house, while Twitch disappeared to a live show of a different kind of music. Red took herself to the local casino, winning some and losing some, but mostly enjoying the atmosphere and the occasional flirt at the bar.


    Dinner that night was a mixture of unfamiliar local foods, spiced meats and colorful vegetables that for once were not grown hydroponically. A sweet, fizzy drink left them all giggling, and the three suns setting behind the western mountains was a sight to behold, even if they only enjoyed it from the hotel’s rooftop bar.