The White Elephant of Panschin

Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel

     The train finally pulled into the large, central station in Panschin, far too early in the morning. The sun had not yet broken over the horizon, the early light doing nothing other than to illuminate dark shapes against a darker backdrop. As a result of the train's pre-dawn arrival, the dining car had moved its breakfast service hours earlier than normal. It was disruptive to the digestion but this did have the benefit of keeping the other passengers subdued, quiet, and uninterested in bothering Airik with yet another set of get-rich-quick schemes while he ate.

     He was hopeful that whatever transportation the Twelve Happiness Luxury Hotel had arranged for his party would be swift, discreet, and quiet. He had made a point of asking for such a service so the odds were in his favor. While waiting for the hotel's transportation – he was unsure of how businesses in Panschin handled such things – to arrive, Airik took a moment to look around at his first glimpse of the free-city. The other disembarking passengers were moving around in a sleep-deprived fog and, amazingly, ignoring him despite him standing out in the open on the station's platform. Elliot was seeing to the baggage, Upton was eyeing an attractive passenger he had spent most of the journey chatting up to no avail, while Nunzio stood behind him looking threatening so there was no-one to bother him while he took in the view.

     The train had plunged into the tunnel leading into Panschin while it was still full dark so Airik had no idea if all the frills and signs welcoming high-spending guests were located there, although he now doubted that any effort had been made. The city's management had not made any effort here, where no incoming visitor could miss signs for the local attractions and sights so why would they bother to put up billboards outside? It did not make for a good first impression, either for maintenance or forethought on the part of the local government.

     The Panschin train station and the gateway to the free-city were decidedly unimpressive.

     He turned around very slowly, observing carefully what the free-city had chosen to do. The station was much smaller than Airik would have expected given Panschin's importance, and very poorly lit. It was the second largest free-city on Mars so he had expected something more on the scale of the immense central station in Barsoom. That train station and central transportation hub was designed to awe and impress visitors with Barsoom's wealth, importance, good taste, and power. Every single aspect of the Barsoom train station that Airik had observed on many trips there said 'kneel, peasant, before your betters and marvel at how we do things in the heart of the empire'.

     Panschin did things differently. The free-city's management must have decided there was no reason to spend any money to either impress or inform new arrivals of the wonders of Panschin. It appeared that the entire station was underground, rather than occupying precious space within any of the free-city's famous domes. The train depot's ceiling was dingy and overgrown with splotchy lichens, their spidery growth creeping across the many skylights, making them appear to be even smaller than they were. The many light fixtures also had their webbings of terraformers, ensuring the train station was dimmer than it should have been.

     The walls were likewise blotchy, the bas-relief carvings obscured by the growth of unchecked terraformers. It was difficult to tell what dramatic Panschin founding story the original builders intended to relate with their bas-reliefs and statues. They were shaggy with moss and bizarrely colored by lichens so any identifying details were obscured.

     He had also not expected to see such an array of terraformers covering almost every flat surface. That was interesting, and strange. The scientist within him, never far from the surface, was intrigued and ready to investigate further. Airik looked around more carefully and noticed that, unlike the walls and ceilings, the seating in the waiting areas did not appear to be coated with lichens. That demanded a closer look.