Satellite System

In the cramped wedge of a cylindrical satellite, George Tremont awakens from a long sleep, stretching his limbs in a space barely larger than a bathtub. The low‑ceiling cabin, filled with lockers, a tiny galley, and a mirrored bathroom, feels more like a high‑tech pantry than a starship. He readies himself for another day of shuttling between the moons of the Centauri system, his modest uniform and razor‑sharp routine a study in disciplined habit.

Tremont isn’t hauling minerals or food; his true cargo is ideas—patents, designs, and cutting‑edge concepts that command a premium across the interstellar market. With the Federated Governments handling bulk supplies, the profit in selling a single breakthrough can outweigh whole shipments of raw material. As he steps into the control room, a crew of two men and a young woman eye his arrival, and a tense exchange over a missing case hints at rivalries that could jeopardize his precarious trade.