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After getting situated at her hotel room Naoko went to the park deck, one of the additions Bronson had built twenty years earlier. 2.3 square kilometers in size and with an active ceiling twenty meters high that could pass for sky on planetside the park was popular with everyone on the station. While Yuki, Doug, and Naoko shot the breeze Eric and King played. Catching Frisbees and balls showed off King’s prowess to onlookers, commenting on how handsome the dog looked. More than a handful of women and girls came up to pet the spirited creature, its luxurious fur most soothing to the touch.
When it came time for dinner at the family’s quarters the playing had the intended effect. Eric was tired and King equally so. Playing his part the doxie insisted to be carried with Yuki taking the task. Naoko knew King relished being nestled against Yuki’s bust, and after dinner was rewarded with bits of steak fat in his bowl for behaving himself, not once peeking into the dining ar

For over 60 years the Cloud 9 Space Station orbiting Outback provided entertainment and resort options for tastes that ranged from benign to highly particular. The Cloud 9 Club, the cornerstone and namesake of the station, was renowned for casino entertainment, shows and attractions. As one of three such establishments in the Commonwealth the business from planetside and visitors from other systems was brisk and profit was good. However, when the recession of 2450 made itself felt on Outback there was the real possibility that the station would go under and be turned into an orbital freight warehouse.
The station’s white knight came in the form of Jeremiah Bronson. One of the Commonwealth’s wealthiest men, Bronson bought the station and basically rebuilt it, adding industrial and manufacturing sections. He also added a shipyard with slips big enough to construct massive freighters and passenger liners. In six years the station went back into the black and stayed there, even