Xiang Yi had seen many magnificent man-made structures before, especially the kind of industrial architecture that showcased the might of humanity.
But this was the first time he had seen a giant structure, built by human hands, in such a unique environment: the vacuum of space.
To avoid looking too unsophisticated, Xiang Yi first turned his head and looked back in the direction the ship had come from.
The profound, dark expanse of space stared back.
The entire Spaceport didn't have an exit that could be opened and closed at will. It was a semi-open structure, its outer edge completely exposed to the vacuum of space.
However, Xiang Yi had just noticed people moving about the Spaceport without any protective gear. Even though it was semi-open, the entire area was filled with breathable air.
After using the sight of the cosmos to calm his sense of awe, Xiang Yi turned back to look at the Spaceport itself.
Still, he couldn't help but marvel inwardly at the port's splendor.
The interior of this open-air Spaceport wasn't flat like a maritime port.
Instead, it featured a three-dimensional docking bay, thousands of meters long and wide, capable of accommodating thousands upon thousands of ships of all different models for simultaneous takeoffs and landings.
Furthermore, the docking bay wasn't all there was to the Spaceport. Shortly after docking, some ships were moved by massive engineering machinery into enclosed areas on either side of the bay.
Ship maintenance and repair were likely conducted in those areas, which he supposed would be called "dry docks."
And this immense, magnificent Spaceport he was now seeing was merely one corner of the entire disposal center space station.
'I can't keep looking.'
Xiang Yi worried he'd become completely mesmerized by the captivating mechanical structures and forget his current predicament.
He quickly descended the ship's ramp and shut the hatch behind him.
Stepping onto the deck of the space station, Xiang Yi scanned his surroundings.
He suddenly realized his current position seemed a bit unusual.
The other docking berths were packed tightly together, and for most ships, disembarking passengers had to take a ramp or elevator down to the main structural level of the station.
But he was already on that main level, and there were no other berths nearby for other ships to dock.
'The ship I was on seems to be special.'
Xiang Yi took a few steps toward the interior of the station and saw someone near the ship's stern. The person, wearing an orange-red protective suit designed for engineering work, was operating machinery to access the cargo hold and remove the medical waste inside.
Behind this person stood two others, also in protective suits, who appeared to be station security.
Nearby, several humanoid medical robots, pure white with red crosses on their chests, stood ready with various tools, apparently intending to disinfect the ship once the medical waste was unloaded.
The Engineer operating the machinery suddenly asked Xiang Yi, "Heading into the station?"
Xiang Yi gave a slight nod, not saying a word.
The Engineer nodded back and, paying Xiang Yi no further mind, returned to his work.
Not daring to linger in front of others, Xiang Yi hurried toward the station's interior.
However, one of the security guards suddenly stepped in front of Xiang Yi and said, "Please show me your..."
Before he could finish, the other guard clapped him on the back, cutting him off. He then waved a hand at Xiang Yi, signaling for him to just go on his way.
Once Xiang Yi had passed, the guard said to his partner, "It's fine. Look at his ship. Special-grade medical transports don't require inspection. Be more observant next time and don't get in people's way."
Xiang Yi, who hadn't gone far and had kept his ears open, heard the comment and glanced down at the pilot's ID card he'd just swiped.
The words "Special Grade" were conspicuous on its surface, a completely different class from the "Temporary Worker" designation on his own ID.
He pocketed the ID card and passed through the Spaceport's main gate, entering the station's interior proper.
Near the junction between the Spaceport and the station's interior was a complex of buildings reminiscent of a highway rest stop, designed for pilots to use while their ships were docked.
However, it was far larger and more bustling than any rest stop on a highway.
Beyond this rest area, even more prosperous districts lay deeper inside the station.
It seemed this space station, the "Liuyun Star System Waste Disposal Center," served more purposes than its name suggested.
If Xiang Yi had arrived here through legitimate channels, he wouldn't have minded spending some time exploring.
But as things stood, he couldn't linger. He hadn't yet escaped the prison's sphere of influence.
So Xiang Yi simply quickened his pace, looping around the main buildings before returning to the docking area from another direction, searching for a ship he might be able to board.
While passing through the station's interior, he had noticed what appeared to be a regular public transport shuttle service at the Spaceport.
But these shuttles only seemed to travel within the Star System. He couldn't find any interstellar vessels, and besides, buying a ticket required an ID card.
He was completely off the grid now, so that was out of the question. He had to consider other ways to get passage on a ship.
Hijacking a ship was out of the question. Setting aside whether he could even pull it off, there was no guarantee he could get away clean.
The simple fact that he had zero piloting experience meant he had to fall back on his old methods: trying to sneak aboard a ship.
After a bit of searching, Xiang Yi found a freighter being loaded in the Spaceport.
It was about forty meters long, over twenty wide, and over twenty high—several times larger than the ship he'd arrived on.
Transport vehicles were hauling loads of scrap metal and miscellaneous machine parts to the ship. A few robots, attached to larger engineering arms, were feeding the junk into four cargo holds on the freighter's aft side.
Unlike the berth for his previous ship, there were no humans managing this area; the work was entirely delegated to robots.
He had no idea whether the pilot was on the ship or somewhere in the station.
This was the largest ship he'd found so far that was still being loaded. He didn't know which ships were headed for other Star Systems, but as a rule, bigger ships were better suited for long-haul voyages.
More importantly, he hadn't seen a single person near the ship so far. This was a golden opportunity.
But as soon as he approached the transport vehicles, a robot immediately turned to face him and issued a warning: "Engineering work in progress. Please maintain a safe distance to avoid hazards."
Xiang Yi didn't back away, so the robot remained standing in front of him, blocking his path.
After a moment's consideration, Xiang Yi suddenly reached out and patted the robot's shoulder.
A panel popped up in his vision.
["Engineer" Civilian Micro-Engineering Automaton]
[Energy Core: "Earth Core" Civilian Tritium Fusion Micro-Reactor]
[Logic Chip: "Engineer" Multi-Function Engineering Core Chip]
[Functional Module: "Engineer" Small-Scale Engineering Universal External Interface]
[Control System: "Afterglow" Weak AI Control System]
[Structural Type: "Engineer" Universal Engineering Frame, "Engineer" Humanoid Skeletal Structure]
[Additional Attachments: Shipboard Engineering Machinery Interface, Shipboard Engineering Machinery Core Chip]