Murder in Space

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At Ardarcar Station, Hautley Quicksilver boarded the IVS luxury liner, Arthur C. Clarke. While standing in line, he thought grimly to himself that this trip had better be everything he wished it to be. It was his friend and sometime colleague, Barsine Torsche, who had recommended the Clarke to him; he had made his reservations for the vacation with some trepidation: previous vacation trips on the IVS liners Olaf Stapledon and Robert A. Heinlein had proved less than salubrious experiences, to one of his fastidious taste.

The reception clerk at the desk was, he noted with mild surprise, a human being, rather than a robotic servitor. This was only to be the first of the many surprises—some pleasant and some less than pleasant—which awaited him on the voyage to come.

Quicksilver proffered his Citizen's Card, a thin wafer of indestructible, and also uncounterfeitable, plastex, which the clerk inserted into the console slot. Instants later the viewpanel informed the clerk that Ser Hautley Quicksilver's credit rating was thus-and-such, his visa status thus-and-so, and that his identity was confirmed.

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