Mission to Persephone: First the journey

After the success colonisation of the first three planets and the development of the FTL engine, five billion people were forced onto colony ships and sent to colonise fifty planets. Three hundred years on over sixty star nations exist with over a hundred planets colonised. Each with their own principles and way of life. Some had thrived developing into rich multi-planet star nations continuing to settle new planets extending their sources of wealth and their influence where others barely got by remaining dirt poor single planet nations.

STH3, Main space transit station above the planet New Montreal.

The Captain of the cargo ship Ferret leaned against the hatch leading to his ship. For a merchant captain heading out to the frontier, he was one of the more reputable. He was a large man and wore his dark blue merchant captain jacket and cap over a black shipsuit, which resembled a tight-fitting flight suit from the twenty-first century.

He watched disapprovingly at the woman walked toward him, she was of average high with long wavy brown hair wearing beige cargo trousers and a t-shirt under a matching jacket, with heavy duffle over he shoulder. But he was focused on the three interlocking silver rings hanging from a silver chain around her neck, a missionary from the Galactic Church (GC). The most recent form of interplanetary Christianity, who beliefs he struggled to understand, they were, however, one of the largest interplanetary organisations with money to match and one the only sources of funding to help poor planets develop.

His Executive Officer on the station had given him a head up of a woman looked for passage but he wasn’t expecting GC missionary fruitcake, he would have to talk to him about that.

“Can I help you?” he asked as she drew closer

She walked right up to him before answering “I’m looking for passage to Persephone”

“Persephone, you want to go to Persephone” he replied with surprise.

Persephone was a dirt poor planet on the frontier of explored space, technically a single planet nation although it didn’t have a planetary government. Instead, it was controlled by the three richest men on the planet all with authoritarian view on people freedoms especially women and with a deep suspicion even hatred for outside. In fact, last time he had been there the church in the main settlement, also called Persephone just to be confusing, had ‘mysteriously’ burnt down.

“Yes, I’m a missionary…”

“I know what you are,” he said cutting her off. “Have you been briefed on Persephone. It’s not a good place for religious types and especially women”

“More the reason for people like me to visit don’t you think”

He thought for a minute.