The Spider Queen

(Nyrean Super Galaxy- Rtern Region)

(Unnamed Trading Post)

Located on the fringes of the galaxy, in a remote and hard to reach sector was a small rocky planet that floated just along the edge of an enormous asteroid belt.

The planet itself was characterised by a brutal and unforgiving landscape with jagged rock formations pointing upwards from the ground.

These rocks bore a striking resemblance to the fangs of a predator in mid bite. 

There were also vast open seas of hot magma whose surface temperature could reach well beyond one hundred thousand degrees

The sky on the planet was often covered in a thick orangish-red fog, a side effect from the toxic gases and pollutants in the atmosphere.

The only part of the planet that was fit for habitation was a large flat plain that had been artificially smoothened using terraforming machines.

In the middle of the plain was a long and sprawling city that had grown organically over the years. 

Buildings were cobbled together from cheap materials like rock, mud, copper, and other inexpensive metals.

Along the edges of the city were a couple of spaceports and one could see spacecrafts of all shapes and sizes regularly landing and taking off from this unnamed planet.

This place was the home of smugglers, criminals and people wanted by the Federines government.

The location of this trading post was an open secret but with a well-placed bribe or two, the criminal gangs that controlled this settlement never saw any trouble from the local policing force.

In fact many politicians had connections to the traders who used this planet to smuggle goods into the Rtern region.

Rokan wandered through the edges of the city and took in a deep breath. The air in this place was harsh and unpleasant.

It tasted like sulphur and other chemicals. 

Honestly if it wasn\'t for his high cultivation level, Rokan was pretty sure that he would have needed medical treatment after breathing in this toxic air for so long.

At least he was not alone in this place. 

Accompanying him by his side were three members of the crew that he was travelling with.

Zix, Gizmo and a security officer known simply as Voxen.

"Ahh… I missed the smell of this shithole," Zix giggled hoarsely to himself as he waved his pincers around and nearly stabbed the eye of a passerby who glared at him.

"When was the last time we came here? Three years? Or was it five… I can hardly remember," Voxen coughed violently as he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and blew his nose.

Voxen was a massive ten feet tall alien creature with rippling muscles and scars all over his body that told the story of surviving many fights.

"This is why I always come prepared!" Gizmo chimed in. 

The small green alien\'s face was completely covered by a thick breathing mask that filtered the air that flowed into his mouth.

"I\'m surprised you are holding up so well John!"

"Well… this is nothing. I worked for a couple of years as a sanitation worker in a chemical mining plant..." Rokan smoothly lied as he stretched out his arms.

"Oh, my goodness… you are lucky to be alive," Zix gasped in shock and the antennas on his face wildly swung around.

"Two hundred thousand of my children worked in those mines… I\'m pretty sure that only ten are still alive."

"You have so many children? God damn… how can you afford child support?!" Gizmo gasped in shock as he stared at his friend with wide eyes.

"What is that? In my culture the mate who gives birth is free of all responsibilities," Zix explained with a puzzled look on his face.

"I gave birth, so my breeding partner is the one looks after them."

Rokan was once again reminded of the great physiological differences between species across the universe.

It was fascinating the sheer number of cultures, lifeforms and civilisations that carried the flickering torch of life in a cold and empty universe.

The group continued to make lighthearted jokes until they arrived at a run-down old building that was teeming with excitement.

A hastily constructed stage had been set up in the front of the building and standing on the raised platform were three scantily clad alien women.

These ladies had bluish- grey skin, bony spines jutting out from different points of their bodies, and they crawled on the ground on six legs like animals.

Their jaws were so wide that their open mouths took up more than half of the available space on their faces.

Honestly… it looked very unsettling.

Loud cheers and cries of excitement came from the crowd as the alien lady in the front of the group walked forward.

Her wide-open jaw trembled for just a moment and then a blood curling scream escaped her lips. 

The cry was so loud that the nearby glass windows immediately shattered into dozens of shards which rained down on the ground.

She was joined by the other two alien women who started to scream in harmony with the first piercing cry.

The sound of their screams was so loud that several aliens in the audience started to thrash around on the ground as they started to bleed from their ears.

Rokan furrowed her brows as the peculiar sight. His companions did not seem affected by the noise.

Zix\'s antennas were swaying along to the \'music\' well if you could call it music. 

Gizmo\'s mask covered his entire face so Rokan could only assume that it had a noise dampening effect while Voxen just stood silently with his arms crossed.

The screaming went on for several long minutes that felt like an eternity before the women stopped crying out and stood up from the ground.

They bowed their heads respectfully and a loud applause rang out from members of the crowd who vigorously clapped their hands together.

"Enjoy the entertainment?" Gizmo nudged Rokan with his robotic arm as he gestured at the women with a sly smile on his face.

"I told you this place is the best."

"Right…" Rokan hesitantly replied with mixed feelings in his heart. 

At this point he just hoped that the drinks would make up for what had essentially been a two-hour trek through a slum which ended with three aliens screaming in face.

Yeah… not really a good time.

The doors to the run-down building swung open and a short alien with rough, bumpy skin strode out holding a large cart.

The alien holding the cart resembled a toad with a stubby body and ooze leaking out of his pores that covered his skin in a glossy hue.

"Ahh there he is!" Gizmo shouted out in excitement.

The cart contained numerous glass jars that were filled with a yellow liquid that bubbled and hissed ominously.

Rokan peered closer and discovered that most of the jars were quite dirty, there were smudges and suspicious stains along the edges of the glass.

No… surely… this was not…

"Ma\'s famous homebrew! Get it now before it sells out!" the alien cupped his webbed hands over his mouth and yelled loudly.

"Quick we have to grab some before they are all gone!" Zix yelled as he ran towards the vendor and pushed his way through the crowd.

"Wait for me!" Gizmo hurriedly spoke up as he followed behind the insect-like alien with quick footsteps.

Rokan looked at the liquid inside the jars and then glanced at the state of the jars. 

Yeah… there was no way in hell that he was putting that liquid inside of his body.