5-002: GRRAS Docking Bay

When everyone is assembled Dicard opens the airlock.

A flexible boarding tube has been attached to the outside of the ship and oriented so its grav plates match the ship’s gravity orientation, although Oliver can see it twists through 90° along its length.

Outside in the tube are a pair of armed Vizierate wardens in amethyst-coloured combat armour.  The junior is armed with a gyroc pistol and an electrolaser carbine, and the senior is armed with a gyroc carbine and an electrolaser pistol. 

The more senior one steps forward and addresses Dicard, “Vizier, your escort.  Authorisation Dicard-So-Zoo-Zoo-8195.”

Dicard steps forward and says, “Acknowledgement Salfield-Peep-Woe-Roar-9903.”

They nod at each other and the Warden says, “Follow me Vizier.  We’ll be going to Vizier Salfield’s office.”

The Wardens turn and head down the tube. 

Dicard turns briefly to everyone else and says, “Keep together,” the starts after the Wardens.  I’m going to guess Chris gets the default duty of pushing the trolley, but Oliver can if he wishes…

Question:  Where is Oliver’s pistol?

The tube ends in a set of dual airlock doors, both of which are open.  Beyond the tube is a wide corridor, almost big enough to rate the description ‘concourse’.  The gravity changes orientation again at this point and there is a curved ramp leading down to the floor and the docking tube is now above.  Along what is now the ceiling of the corridor are thick viewing windows, showing the cavernous docking bay.  The bay is a cavern cut into one end of the asteroid that is GRRAS, it is in the shape of a cylinder about 300m across, one end open to the stars and extending perhaps a kilometer into the rock.  The Snark looks small nestled into its dock along one side of the great space.  

At the foot of the ramp, three more Wardens are waiting.  A couple of Legion troopers are standing off at a distance eyeing them.

The senior Warden starts off along the corridor and the other Wardens fall in at the sides and rear of the group.  

Ahead, three more Legionnaires are approaching, these look like a customs official and guards.  They block your group’s path.

The ranking Legion Customs Officer holds up a hand, “Customs.  You have authorisation to depart that ship?”  The Legionnaires take note of those in the group that are openly armed, ie, the Wardens.

The Warden stops, face to face with the Customs Officer at a distance of about half a metre and says nothing. 

Dicard clears his throat and repeats a code.  Oliver recognises it as the same one Dicard had him transmit to the Way Station at Witnish.

The Customs Officer plays with a datapad strapped to one arm and appears to be looking at an obvious HUD strapped to their head.  After a short delay the Customs Officer says, “OK, that checks out.  Proceed,”  and stands to one side to allow the group to pass.

The Senior Warden leads the group silently along until reaching a cross-corridor, a radial ring that seems to run around the circumference of the docking bay.  Emergency pressure doors with yellow warning decals stand open but ready.  A sign on the wall reads:  Intersection D030-016N-00080-0078.

The Senior Warden turns right and heads around the ring for a ways, before coming to a large open space that definitely qualifies as a concourse.  A ramp from the cross corridor leads downwards as the concourse floor is below the level cross corridor and there are several levels of catwalks around the edge.  The concourse is moderately busy, mostly on the lower floor, there are a few clusters of shops and facilities, but it seems mostly functional in design.

The Senior Warden leads the way down the concourse to the same end as the docking bay opening, where there is a cluster of many elevators of various sizes.  Some are big enough to load cargo containers into (Oliver can tell because some are being loaded with cargo containers.)  A large illuminated sign identifies this as Elevator Bank 000.

In front of the elevators is a Legion security checkpoint that looks well enough armoured to defend against an artillery barrage. 

The Senior Warden speaks with a Legion officer and after a short wait the group is allowed through the checkpoint without any trouble or being spoken to by anyone from the Legion.

The Warden Leads the group to a largish elevator, big enough for everyone and the trolley with room to spare, that is being guarded by another Warden.

Everyone enters and the Senior Warden presses the button for level 100.

Is Oliver happy to go along with the above? Does he wish to say, do or note anything?