The Airship landed, I had already prepared the little baggage I had, so I was able to get off quickly with Erik and tow soldier-citizens, and lay foot in the Airstation. The first counter we had to check thru was the one of the Fire, I was searched thru : they wanted to make sure I hadn't recovered nor built any weapons during the trip… then came the Air counter, where they checked I wasn't presenting symptoms of contagious illnesses.

But the counter that was the most difficult to figure out was the one of the Earth, for in the Universal Republic all heavy administration work is taken care of by the bankers. They had to go thru all my papers, and make sure I was allowed to get in the U.R. ! First of all two old men, with astonishingly thick glasses started exchanging numbers and strange physiognomic names… once they had agreed on a number they typed it in a machine and by miracle the mirror that was standing in front of my face flipped and behind I could see a chimera of eyes, ears lips… that resembled me as a twin brother.

By this process I obtained what they call my physiognomic number, then they credited me a bank account and gave me a punched metal card which contained coded data.

-Erik, what is this card for !

-It enables you to pay for what you want to buy without physically taking out Assignats, that is money, from your bank account…

It's good for a period of 3 decadays, during that period any minor payment is dealt with by sliding the card thru a machine which decodes your physiognomic number (thanks to the decoding key of the month, and willonce every day transfer it to the bank (Earth).

In the case of major payments the machine give a physiognomic picture of the number after it's decoded by the monthly key and made visible by your chirographic key (the surface of your left hand), the transaction is then immediately sent to the bank by telegraphy !

-Thanks, everything's understood !

Ah ! I want my Great Alabama Pounds back !