When Space Gives You Lemons
“Minley Traveler, you are denied landing permission at Qechra Down, technical eval. Maintain standard orbit, eight of twelve. Do you desire re-routing to Qechra Orbital? Qechra Local, over.”
“Ah, Qechra Local, clarify technical eval? Minley Traveler, over.”
“Minley Traveler, we have low confidence in your structural fitness for re-entry. Qechra Local, over.”
“Qechra Local, we may not be a standard class, but if you check our spec plat, we are well within spec for re-entry on this world. Minley Traveler, over.”
“Minley Traveler, by your spec plat, we read you as a half-Hargis and half-Karakrayt slice-and-splice. And that doesn’t disqualify you from landing, no, but I can see the weld lines on your hull from here by eyeball. Qechra Local, over.”
“Local, we got here in one piece, didn’t we? Over.”
“Traveler, just ’cause Athnéël smiled enough to let that piece of kveth-lakh stand up to thrust ’til now doesn’t mean she’s going to keep doing it, so bring it in to Orbital under cold-gas or take it elsewhere. She blinks at max Q, you’re looking for two landing spots and not likely to pay for either. Not in my atmosphere, you don’t. Qechra Local, clear.”
– overheard on local space-control channel, Qechra