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see what supplies we can actually come up with in this place. Everyone take your universal scanners with you and scan everything you consider buying or whatever the heck we’re going to call it here. We have to know what is in everything we’re touching here. Again our suits will protect us, to a point.”
    They all nodded silently as they clipped their holsters to their uniforms and slid their energy pistols into them. The universal scanners went on their left hip.
    “Everyone ready?” Mark asked.
    They all replied affirmatively. Mark touched the ramp and door control. Instantly the door slid up and the ramp slid down to the ground. They walked out smiling and chatting amiably amongst themselves, putting on a perfect display of a crew that needed some time away from being cooped up in a small ship for a long time.
    Around them, human-like aliens worked about the other spacecraft s parked in stalls surrounding the Stargrazer. Their skin color was dark, but purple, not what Earthmen would associate with a dark colored skin. Their hair, if you could call it that, looked more like varying shades of lettuce then hair. The workers momentarily eyed the Stargrazer’s crew suspiciously, and then returned to their business.
    Mark punched a code into the ships door lock pad and the hatchway sealed up behind them, leaving the ramp to the ground in place.
    “Man, you were right about this place being hot.” Eddie wiped his brow before replacing his blue baseball cap once they were out of the Stargrazer’s shade.
    “Yeah ain’t that the truth.” Sledge dropped a pair of sunglasses in place, and popped a baseball cap atop his own head. The blue and white caps read “USS Stargrazer”.
    “Let’s head into that market we saw from above as we were landing. Remember, let’s not look for trouble, I have a feeling it’s going to find us easy enough.”
    “If it does I’ll be ready.” Red fingered his gun within its holster.
    “Take it easy there , Wyatt Earp,” Dan chided, “We may not run into any trouble an’ if we do, I got yer back. So don’t sweat it and let’s not look for it.”
    Red nodded stoically to Dan as they continued to walk. The streets were packed sand and the bright sandy color permeated everything as far as the eye could see.
    “This ain’t exactly a garden spot, huh boss?” Eddie asked.
    “Not in the least Eddie, not in the least.”
    Ariel kept quiet but was doing far more than ignoring her comrade’s banter. She gently probed those around them as they walked, listening in with her psychic ability for anything that would be of use to them.
    The group walked up to what could loosely be termed as a supermarket, which they entered through the deflector field doors. The doors served two purposes, one the deflector fields kept insects and other vermin out, and it also kept the air conditioned air in.
    “What is this place?” Eddie asked as he looked around.
    “What? The town?” Dan answered.
    “Yeah, weird place. Lots of different species walking around, most are humanoid, but some definitely aren’t.”
    “Not what I’m talking about Dan. This town , what is it? I mean it’s a rundown spaceport town, I get that, but something else is going on here. People live here. I’m seeing all run down one story buildings and homes. But there are a lot of ships in that spaceport. Nothing big, mostly ships about the size of the ‘Grazer. But something draws them here. What is it?”
    “Good question Eddie,” Mark replied quietly, “Ariel, anything?”
    “No. Not a thing. People are curious about us, but that’s about it. I’m not reading any hostile thoughts so far, just curiosity. Oh and by the way, this food here seems to be mostly edible for us, so far. Lots of different fruits here that resemble earthly melons and oranges and the like. Some meats here appear to be this world’s equivalent of cattle. Again, edible. Some other stuff I just came across I wouldn’t touch.”
    “Okay Ari,