Starbound: A Space Odyssey 29 Hangover 1

(Author's Note [A/N]: I don't know if everyone had read the auxiliary chapter "races", so I have to put this information, a lot more condensed and with some slight changes, in the regular chapters.)

Apex was originally a much more human-like race until a completely natural mysterious water-borne pathogen of unknown origin threatened their survival. Fortunately, the ruling government, known as the Miniknog, had developed a cure that countered the harmful effects of the pathogen... with the unexpected side effect of starting the VEP(Vestigi-Evo Process), which "devolved" their bodies to a more ape-like state. On the other hand, it also greatly increased their mental capabilities, leading to even bigger advances in super-science. They have an ape-like appearance with lots of hair in the face and body, in both female and male s.e.x. They also have prolonged skull that resembles the apes from Earth.

Avian is a bird-like race of humanoids hailing from the planet Avos, their simple clothing style and deeply-religious nature make them seem primitive at first glance. But the Avian are very intelligent and they have the monopoly over their own energy source, the Avolite crystals, this allowed them to live recluse from the rest of the universe and avoid the Letheia Corporation's influence. They have a humanoid bird-like appearance with the whole body covered in feathers, beak and bird claws in their hands and feet.

Floran is plant-based humanoid race, they are extremely violent carnivores with no central government or power structure, split into numerous tribes spread across the universe, each led by a Greenfinger. Though they are biologically a single-s.e.x race, they may adapt s.e.xually dimorphic physical traits and male/female ident.i.ties if they so choose. Most of them have a speech that is often simplistic, and they tend to hiss their sibilants.

...

John walked around the Shopping Complex but saw nothing that lead to the underground facilities.

John walked toward one of the Shopping Complex's guards that were wearing Durasteel armor and asked him how to go to the underground.

"Oh, you mean the Underworld Facility." The guard said, "You have to take a special elevator that hidden from the general public's sight. It's just at the far end of the Shopping Complex. You will have to exit the Shopping Complex, circled it and at the end, you will see some suspicious looking people, they are the securities of that place."

"Why is it hidden?" John curiously asked.

"Well... Is simply because the type of people that go to that place is rather... You know... Dangerous..."

"Oh..." John slightly exclaimed. He thanked the guard and left the Shopping Complex.

He circled around the building and soon saw what appeared to be an abandoned construction site behind the Shopping Complex.

He approached the place and soon he saw what the guard called 'suspicious looking people'.

At the giant pitch black door that lead to the underground, a couple of people wearing some battle-scarred t.i.tanium, Tier 3 armors and carrying electric batons.

The armors were completely black, simple, and covered the entire body.

The guards themselves emanated killing intent and were constantly looking around with sharp eyes.

[Veterans...] John concluded at the same time he saw them. They were like the veterans Protectors back at the Terrene Protectorate, those that had killed a lot of people and had seen all kind of atrocities of the universe.

The guards saw John and all of them simply curiously stared at him.

John approached the door, but he was stopped by a guard.

"Hey, kid!" The guard walked in front of John, "This isn't the place for snot brats, turn around and leave."

The other guards snickered at the guard's remark.

"Yeah, right!"

"Go back to your mom!"

"You better get out of here brat!"

They started to happily bully John.

John squinted his eyes. He was about to make a move when he heard someone behind him.

"What are you punks doing!?" The shout came from a guy wearing the same kind of armor that the guards were wearing, but the armor had 2 golden stripes at the left arm.

"SIR!" The guards all stopped talking and saluted.

"I had said before to not scare possible customers. Do you think master Jevil will be happy with you guys doing so!?" The older guard with the 2 stripes armor howled.

"NO, SIR!" The guard said in unison.

"Than don't do it again, do you understand!?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Return to your posts, immediately!"

"YES, SIR!" They replied, returned to their places and stood there like statues.

"I'm sorry kid." The guard that appeared apologized to John, "They lack any sort of entertainment while they are guarding there so they usually resort in this type of activities to entertain themselves."

"Ah, well... I don't really mind." John said with a relaxed tone, [As long as they let me in, I don't care whatever they think about me.]

"Come." The guard signaled to John, "Let me show you the entrance."

John followed the guard toward the door.

The guard gave a series of knocking in a strange pattern in the door and immediately after he finished the door started to open.

From the inside, two guards emerged. They were carrying real weapons instead of electric batons.

They saw the guard beside John and the two of them stopped in their tracks and saluted the guard, "Captain!"

"Rest." The captain waved his hand.

The guards saluted once more and returned inside.

"Well..." The guard looked at John, "To enter the underground you just have to go ahead until you get to the elevator. Welcome to the Underworld Facility." The captain said and was about to leave to the outside when he turned around and evilly chuckled toward John, "Lad, be careful and see if you aren't going to get terrified or... Die. Hehehehe..."

John's eyebrow lifted and he glanced at the retreating captain's back.