Ivan stared out, enraptured, as various ships ponderously floated into and out of docking bays up on the hub. He found himself amazed at the variety of vessels, from ancient clunkers that couldn’t possibly be space worthy to the newest, shiniest Benz-Gilmore high-end models.

No military craft, though. The Navy ships all docked at the other end of Olympus Station’s double-wheeled hub. He would have loved to see some of those, but he would need a security clearance to get through the hub access point.

Other people came and went. They seemed to belong to three general groups. The passengers and tourists were easy to spot—with few exceptions, their clothing and accessories all screamed money. Next were the station staff. Their clothing, while tasteful and of good quality, was deliberately designed to be a step down. I’m an employee, it said, but of good class.

Then, there was Ivan’s group: ship’s crew, characterized by either the blue travel coveralls, or occasional shipboard tee shirts and shorts. He hadn’t quite figured out where the Navy brass and ship’s officers fit into this hierarchy.

“Hey, sprout. What’s doing?”

Ivan turned and looked up to see Seth Robinson approaching. Despite having inadvertently given Ivan his now thoroughly glued-on nickname, Seth seemed to be a decent sort, engaging in only the minimum amount of hazing required to get by.

Ivan waved a hand at the window. “Enjoying the view.”

Seth nodded as he sat, moving carefully.

“Head hurt?”

Seth smiled but ignored the question. “I make sure to come here every time I pass through the station. For most of the tour, space just looks like metal walls painted in pastel colors. If you ignore the gravity and the curved deck, you could be on Earth. This,” Seth waved at the window, “is the stuff that makes it real.”

They watched in silence for a few minutes. Ivan was okay with the quiet. If cornered, he would admit that his head hurt as well. He wanted to ask how much they’d drunk the night before, but couldn’t get up the nerve.

A gasp from some onlookers made Ivan sit up straight. As people pointed, Seth commented, “SSE frigate. Wow, did not expect to see one of those here.”

Ivan nodded slowly, all his attention focused on taking in every detail. The Sino-Soviet Empire military vessel displayed the typical SSE design philosophy—heavy armor, massive weapon emplacements, and no concession to esthetics. The dull gray finish only showed a clear profile in direct sunlight.