*label station_start
*if (encountered_orbiter <= 0)
	*set encountered_orbiter 1
	You step out and see metal all around you. Except above--above is the blackness of space, studded with stars, a great many stars filling the sky. You fight off your disorientation. You must be on a space station! It's organized as a net of metal walkways extending through space, with bulbous modules clinging to them. Shops, probably, and maybe residences...To the side you see hangars, and service buildings for moored spaceships. 

	There's a huge vehicle floating near the walkway. You have to assume it's a vehicle, though it looks like nothing you've seen. It's a black metal sphere, as big as a house, with a dozen bulky, folded arms sprouting from its surface. Are they arms? They could be legs, or antennae or manipulators of some kind. If they folded up, they would conceal the inner sphere from sight.

	"A deep time explorer."

	A voice startles you out of your contemplation; a deep voice, with a synthetic edge. You turn and feel yourself tense involuntarily.

	A metal device, roughly spherical, but with four rigid 'legs' coming down off it; the legs end in spherical wheels, holding the main body off the floor. A blue light shines from the upper section of the thing, with smaller lights in rows beneath. It's a design that you've seen in classes, but mostly in passed-around adventure stories the students tell each other.

	"Paradox Corps agent," the thing says. "Greetings."

	You swallow. "Greetings. Orbiter."

	"You are surprised to see me. The Corps prides itself on not being surprised." The light flickers subtly as it speaks.

	*fake_choice
		#"It's been a rough week."
			"I see," the thing says, its inflection no different.
		#"If I'd known, I would have packed a gun!"
			"It must be inconvenient," the thing says. "Sometimes not being armed."
		#"What are you doing here?"
			"Tending to our explorer." The thing turns to look at the giant spheroid.

	"This is the time of conflict between Paradox Corps and Chaos Agency," the Orbiter says.

	"You're well informed," you say.

	"Yes. We are. However, we are currently in a state of detente with both parties."

	Subtle relief washes over you. "So you are not going to...interfere." Within that metal shell, so you've heard, is a living being. Once a quadruped, now twisted with genetic engineering to live inside a powerful robotic shell.

	"We cannot say. Time is not truly fixed." It turns fully away from you. "Were you admiring our deep time explorer?"

	You look at the giant thing. "I've never seen anything like it."

	"No. You have not." Suddenly a bright blue light appears on the dark thing; you instinctively step back. Was it there all along, darkened? Or did it open, or...appear? You're not sure. "Perhaps one day the Paradox Corps will undertake similiar initiatives. On that day, we may meet again."

	"Yeah, sure." You step slowly away from the Orbiters. "Until then."

	"Until then." The thing placidly watches the giant 'explorer' as you hasten away.

	*page_break Let's hope they don't interfere.

You wander around the shops, but you're certain they don't sell time machines. If you have something specific to buy in the future, you can come back, but right now you head back to the Octagon.

*page_break Until then.

*goto_scene hub_0 after_hub_info

*finish

