Earth, Ironwall City.
The Veterans' Tavern.
Night settled, and a fine rain pattered against the glass curtain walls lining the city streets.
Through the rain and mist, neon lights blurred into diffuse patches of color, while the chill crept into the deep alleys on the evening breeze.
Li Tie went straight to the tavern door and looked up.
The black shield-shaped sign was just as he remembered it. Weathered by time, the word "Veterans" had faded to a yellowish gray.
He reached out and pushed open the wooden door. The stiff hinges scraped with a creak.
The copper bell above the doorway was badly corroded, no longer able to produce its once-crisp chime.
The interior was just as he remembered. A vintage chandelier of carved copper hung low, its dim yellow light barely illuminating the area around the bar, while the rest of the spacious room lay submerged in overlapping shadows.
Soothing music played on a loop, its melody carrying the electrical hiss of another era.
Many old group photographs hung on the walls. The young, rugged faces in them looked hazy in the dim light.
Li Tie walked slowly past the empty tables and took his usual seat at the far end of the bar.
His seat had not changed in over twenty years.
A silver-white humanoid Service Robot turned its torso, a gentle smile appearing on its face as it asked in a humanlike voice, "Welcome. What would you like?"
"Single malt whisky, on the rocks. No water."
Li Tie's voice was hoarse.
At his words, the robot reached for a bottle, added ice, and poured. Amber liquor slid down the glass, settling around the clear ice cubes at the bottom.
While it poured, Li Tie glanced toward the deserted back of the tavern and asked casually, "Where's