[u][b]Zion Space
Core World of Ascalon
City of Sichem[/b][/u]

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Zion did not have any official capital, but Sichem was the closest there was to one, it was the first city and in it was the Hill of Zion and on it, the Fourth Temple built by Ysaak and Patrick, leaders of the tribes of Israel and Ireland. It was nothing like the usual capital worlds of the sector, vertical hellholes of poverty that tried to maximize every inch of space available. At one point of course it had been as badly designed as them of course, but a century ago the Federation had bombed and occupied the entire thing. After this, the inhabitants of Sichem used the opportunity to better rebuild their city with a new network of trams and metros, agreeing to forgo the use of individual cars save for a taxi network of ground and flying vehicles ferrying emergency transports for a hefty penny. It was amazing how efficient the whole thing was considering how Sichem was much more horizontal than vertical as said.

[url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/55caff1e-739d-41f4-b696-1a12eedda1f4/d344yt3-eb4b230d-3e6d-4eec-8d85-5a6682bc35a8.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzU1Y2FmZjFlLTczOWQtNDFmNC1iNjk2LTFhMTJlZWRkYTFmNFwvZDM0NHl0My1lYjRiMjMwZC0zZTZkLTRlZWMtOGQ4NS01YTY2ODJiYzM1YTgucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.mfKzLIgzv62zyAvFzno6qbSLynW42pDFN-IV5o83Xuc]Adrian Rubinski[/url] smiled widely as he emerged from the underground of the metro after his ride from the space port. He always appreciated his home city more after every trip he took outside Zion but especially after a trip on Raygon! The tall, dark haired man took a deep breath of actual non-polluted air and walked with enthusiasm toward a flower shop near-by.

"Shalom and welcome to... Adrian! You're finally back!"

A red headed middle aged man with thick glasses rose his head from behind a row of flowers. Keith, the husband of the daughter of one of Adrian second degree cousin and also the godfather of his third sister's fourth born. (Someone close, in short.) Both walked toward each other and gave each other a firm and enthusiastic handshake, almost immediately, Keith recoiled a little, an amused and disgusted expression on his face.

"Elohim's grace Adrian, where have you been? You smell like a sewer!"

Damn it, Adrian had changed clothes since he had arrived home but didn't have a spare coat.

"I went to meet someone on Raygon, that why."

The pair exchanged a few words, one about his travels and the other about how the extended family was going. All the while Keith happily prepared a bouquet as he always did when Adrian returned from his travels, a present for his wife to apology being gone for so long. Such however was the life of a Financial Inspector. The Rubinski bank couldn't just loan money on people's words, someone had to go on the ground to make sure certain suspicious individuals, like this 'cult leader' on Raygon, were solvent. In the end when Keith's wife came out to announce food was ready, it reminded Adrian he also had dinner with his family. He took the flowers and left running. He didn't pay but Keith didn't mind, knowing his friend would pay him back next time even if he just had his word that he had ran off without paying.

When the elevator finally stopped on the floor of the flat of his father, Adrian quickly stormed inside. His youngest brother, who was at 16 years of age as old as Adrian's own oldest boy, smiled and was about to call out his name but with a wink and a finger across his lips Adrian signaled him to be quiet as he removed his shoes and coat. Tip toeing to the dining room, he saw facing him his mother and grand mother along with more siblings who's eyes illuminated with joy. The rest had began to turn wondering what it was that their kin had seen but Adrian was quick enough to embrace his wife from behind, presenting her his flowers and kissing her on the neck as he did. 

The beautiful brunette turned around to see her husband for the first time in weeks.

"Welcome home, my love."

This was echoed by everyone in the room (grand father, grand mother, father, mother, two sisters and a brother of Adrian who still lived there along with Adrian's own 6 children who were visiting) enthusiastically welcoming Adrian back.

__________________________

It had been hard for Adrian to hold back his tears when he bit down the home cooking of both his wife and mother (His grand mother wasn't in a state to cook anymore), feeling like he had forgotten the taste of real home made food after weeks of a diet of on-the-go processed meals on Raygon. Not only that, but just to see how blessed he was, a happy family, his 8 year old son's biggest concern in life being trying to discard his veggies without being seen... All of them shielded from the horrors in the rest of the sector. Only once did things get awkward, when the subject approached Vincent...

Vincent was one of Adrian's uncle and a man who had always been less... enthusiastic about the current system. He didn't understand how all of this was possible only as long as everyone played their part in the system, without protest. He thus had been made an unperson. One of the grittier and darker part of this perfect world they lived in, but one Adrian was willing to ignore if this meant Zion continued to be an oasis of civility and joy in a dark cosmic sea of despair.

With the meal concluded, Adrian got up with everyone else with the intend to continue the traditions as they were, bringing the dishes in the kitchen for the women to do before going to the living room and talk with the men. As he reached for his plates however an old wrinkled hand reached from across the table. He raised his eyes to see his grand father, 145 year old Reuben, look at him with unusual seriousness. The old man made a chin movement toward the corridor before letting go of Adrian's sleeve. Taking the message, he nodded and moved not to the corridor, but around the table to help the old man who walked around using nothing but a cane while it was obvious he could use a wheel chair.

"Don't you think its time for you to let us help you Reuben?"

Adrian said softly as he allowed his old man to hold his arm for support as the both of them moved away from the group who understood the old man probably had something important to talk about with Adrian.

"It'll be time for me to be burried when Elohim sends me flying down a flight of stairs. What, do I look like an old man?"

Reuben asked with a smirk to his grand son who answered with sigh. He soon led him to another room, the office had had been his and was now his eldest son's and Adrian's father. The old man sat down on the large leather chair and was silent for a moment as he looked at his grand son. Adrian was about to sit down as well but noticed that his elder didn't invite him to sit which was... abnormal. He thus remained on his feet, curious about what this was about.

"Adrian... I need you to go take care of a problem. On Negev."

He raised an eyebrow, incredulous. Negev? As in the frontier world? Adrian had gone on the frontier only twice before, to see family, but his zone of operation was the core really. Another strange thing, Reuben was supposed to be retired it was Adrian's father now who headed the bank. Adrian was about to ask what this was about, but the old man spoke before he could.

"You'll remember Shimon? The sixth son of your great aunt Agatha? Well... He disappeared. With his entire village."

This actually raised more questions.

"This is... terrible news. But, I'm not..."

"An investigator?"

Asked an amused Reuben before continuing.

"We don't have a police you know that. This is an usual situation and someone who knows how to find what's fishy with things is needed. Someone inquisitive who knows how to deal with outsiders and make sure the whole situation in the frontier is solved."

Reuben made sign for his grand son to sit, which he did as he rubbed his temples, not certain of what to say, this seemed out of his area of expertise and above all it sounded dangerous.

"And what is the 'whole situation' as you say?"

Reuben nodded and leaned on the desk toward Adrian.

"Its all unofficial of course, but we have dealings with certain shady organizations. Among them, the Black Sun."

"Black Sun?!" Adrian repeated almost strangling himself saying it as his eyes widened. In resignation, Reuben nodded.

"Yes. You've heard of them as I can see and I have no doubt at least half of what people say about them is true, but you know how we work... better have friendly dealings with someone rather than putting ourselves on their target list. So, they have a base on Negev, I have no idea of the extent of it, but the deal was that while they can do business there and we provide each other with... services, well, they leave our people alone. Now however, people and places just... vanish in the night. Not only that, but I get reports that other people are interested in what's going on in the frontier. The Federation sent a battle carrier with a special investigator of sort on board. I don't need to tell you how bad it would be if we were linked to whatever it is is happening in the deep dark recesses of the sector."

This was bad business, Adrian knew it. Who made that deal? It seemed just so damn risky. But Reuben was right, there was a lot of potential for things to go wrong here.

"So... you want me to go there and... what? Isn't that stepping in the shoes of the Protector Elect of Negev?"

Reuben shook his head negatively and took out what seemed like a worn out white key card, the cheap kind without any company name that a shitty motel would use as a throw-away. It seemed well worn out and something had been scribbled in Hebrew on it but had been removed with cleaning products and a lot of rubbing with a napkin no doubt.

"Don't worry about the Protector, and take this, for funds."

With a surprised look on his face, Adrian reached for the card.

"Is this..."

Reuben waved dismissively but still had a proud smirk on his face.

"A Temple Bank card."

The 'Bank of the Temple' was an euphemism for the entire Zionist banking apparatus working together as one. In practical term this meant that the encryptions on this card allowed for banking transactions being made in every Zionist outlet across the sector. The eyes of Adrian widened as he realized this meant that his grand father, Reuben, was someone very powerful with many more powerful connections. Part of a certain Cabal, one might say.

"You leave tonight."

Reuben knew his grand son would accept but this did put a damper on what little enthusiasm Adrian had.

"Tonight? But I just arrived! My wife..."

Getting up, Reuben reached forward to put his hand on Adrian's shoulder in silence. After a moment, Adrian nodded and got up, shoulders slopped down as he moved toward the Kitchen to look at his wife as she helped his aging mother with the dishes. After a moment, the brunette noticed her husband and the look on his face. Her smile left her face and she sighed, placing down a glass before walking toward Adrian. Mustering her strength, she forced a smile before looking up to her love.

"Come back soon Adrian, ok? I'll make you some beef stroganoff just how you like it next time."

_______________________

TL;DR: Everything is nice and wholesome on Zion, Adrian discovers his grand father is part of the secret cabal, the invisible hand that guides Zion and is tasked with investigating abductions in the frontier while obfuscating the relation between the Black Sun and Zion to the rest of the sector.