Creative Writing: The Enforcer

“May your journey in the darkness bring you to the light,” the short one said.

“Peace upon you,” my father intoned deferentially.

The taller guardian punched a code into the security lock, which snapped the thick metal door up in a blink of an eye. A technological marvel that reminded us that humanity wasn’t at the top of the food chain when it came to knowledge. If the airlock didn’t impress a rookie pilot, the two overly tall androids on the other side of the door might. The gun-steel colored metal creatures stood like statues on either side of the door. It wasn’t a comfort that they were humanoid shaped with a head, two arms, and two legs. I was half their height.

The hum of the electronic scanners on their head sounded spooky. Hands at their sides and faces forward, I never wanted to see them move in anger. They were members of the station’s security team, controlled by an alien artificial intelligence. Humans weren’t allowed to walk around with firearms or powered armor on the station. A sword or knife was fine, so of course, everyone carried such tokens. Station dandies preferred swords, pilots had a thing for throwing knives.

At three meters tall, with scary looking armor that looked like it had more weapon ports than I had fingers, an unarmored human pilot was at an Enforcer’s mercy. After a couple

Thick, security glass that had never been breached. The view never got old. Spaceships, catwalks, suspension bridges to the adjoining flight decks, android crews lined up for their pilot’s inspection, a never ending scene of controlled chaos. I still developed a lump in my throat about the simple pleasure of watching ships coming and going. Giant freighters as big as mountains, sleek shuttles, pleasure cruisers, deadly destroyers, specialty haulers and simple mining frigates. Private vessels from all four of the major interstellar empires. Of course, planetary craft used ancillary hanger