2/1 As you leave a local show (movie, play, music performance) hosted in the starport, you are met by someone who acts like they know you. They seem familiar but you cannot place where you know them from. They are excited to share your opinions of the show you’ve just seen but as the conversation progresses it becomes obvious that (a) they are a stranger, (b) they are talking about a completely different show, and (c) they may be under the influence of some narcotic.

2/2 While in a local shop that sells knick-knacks and assorted items, you are approached by an elderly man who mistakes you for a store employee (even though you have no uniform or name tag). There are no actual store employees in sight. The man’s clothes are smart, albeit they have clearly seen better days. He needs your help; his wife recently passed away and he wants something to keep her ashes in. He’s considering a zip-lock plastic bag but they come in packs of ten and he only needs one. Could you sell him just the one bag? (He tells you he actually has a ‘nice’ container, he wants the bag as a liner so the ashes don’t fall out the cracks.)

2/3 After clearing customs at the starport, you join a line for a bank kiosk to get some local currency. You do not know the man in front of you but do recognise that he has also just cleared customs. He has no luggage but is clutching a large envelope and a ticket you can clearly see is for a flight leaving this world later that day. When it is his turn, he produces a sealed envelope from the larger one and hands it to the cashier saying he wants to make a deposit. The cashier counts out a hundred Cr100 bills (Imperial currency), which you know is the maximum you can bring to this planet without declaring it to customs agents under the local money-laundering laws. The man then produces a second, third, and fourth envelopes with similar contents. The cashier treats this as normal and accepts the deposit.

2/4 While in the starport, an announcement is made over the PA system. A bored voice reminds people that firearms are not permitted in the *main* concourse.

2/5 While about to leave a planet, a guard politely pulls you and a few other people out of the line at the security check for “random additional screening”. You are given a seat in a side room. In the room is a small wheeled cart with a chemical sniffer … and on the shelf underneath is a box of disposable latex gloves and half a tube of KY lubricant. (The guard only uses the chemical sniffer.)

2/6 You, along with many other people, board a large cargo shuttle that flies between the downport and Highport. After everyone’s cargo is secured, you go to the common area where refreshments are available. Flight time is estimated at 1.5 hours. An hour later, the captain says they have received a bomb threat and everyone must go down to the cargo hold and wait by their possessions. Passing a window, you realise you haven’t even taken off yet. It becomes apparent that a small pile of crates adjacent to yours is unattended. The crew decides to break into the crates to check for bombs … but won’t let anyone leave until they’ve done so. You are only a few meters away. Just as the crew starts, a harried woman with two small kids show up and ‘claim’ the crates. (The bomb threat was a hoax.)

Regards Hemdian