"...Here is your entry and exit card. Please keep it safe."
"Thank you."
Professor Leonard took the card from the customs officer and thanked him politely. The officer, however, seemed not to hear him and looked expressionlessly at the person behind him.
"Next."
"..."
Atlantis Space Station was a synchronous-orbit transit station belonging to the North Sea Alliance, located in the zero-time-zone sector of synchronous orbit.
As the seventh orbital transit station built by human civilization, it primarily handled the transfer of people and supplies between the surface and orbit, as well as between Earth and the Moon. It was also the only customs checkpoint for travelers leaving Earth from the North Sea Alliance.
Tens of thousands of people passed through it every day, heading to colonies on the Moon, the distant colonies on Mars, or outposts at the Lagrange Point.
With such an intense workload, the customs officer naturally had no interest in chatting. He tossed Leonard his stamped passport and an entry and exit registration card, then began processing the next traveler.
Couldn't they have androids do this work? They're already taking over almost every service industry anyway. At least they could give me a smile...
In a foul mood, Professor Leonard tapped his watch and brought up a holographic interface.
"Where are you?"
A dark-skinned face filled the video window on the holographic panel and gave him an amiable smile.
"We've run into a little trouble here... Don't worry. By the way, does that certificate of yours really work?"
Looking at that irritating smile, Professor Leonard said impatiently, "It was issued by the University of Oxford. We're a legitimate scientific expedition hired by the North Sea Alliance government... Honestly, is this your first time doing this kind of work? I'm beginning to doubt your professionalism."
"Ahem! Please