Grim City, many come to see it, an homage, to the soldier, the fighting prowess of the people on this planet, and an effigy to the military might, and to those who have fallen in combat. Also an amazing piece of architecture. Billions make pilgrimages every year from all over the surrounding galaxies. To bear witness for the first time, for some, and for the hundredth time for others, the architectural brilliance of this proud warrior people. The City of Grim, houses over 60 billion people, both in living quarters and some places of business as well. Many who live there, military familes, never have to leave the confines of the Grim city for anything. All is provided inside. There are agricultural green houses that spread for miles, growing food for the trillions of people the planet over. Hundreds of millions of square kilometers of earth and woodland transplanted and grown inside this self contained living facility for over 3 thousand years. The four incoming ships at the moment are filled with thousands of passengers being shuttled from various interplanetary cultures, college students, religious scholars, people on vacation, you name it, they are on their way to the biggest spectacle they'll ever see. The ships commander radios to the Grim City guard vessels that they are currently 2,000 miles out, but closing fast and would like an escort to the nearest docking bay available to offload their payload and visitors. In the mean time the flight attendants on all 4 ships begin by calling all the visitors to the front of the ships so they can see out the viewing portals, the wonderful image of the Grim City effigy... Many, upon entering the view port, stop in awe, while the rest goad them onward so "they can sneak a peek", and then they themselves stand there while more behind them press on. Then the strangest thing happens, as it always happens...silence...after the first muted gasps, the inadequacy for words to describe what they see begins to show for about 30 minutes until all have rotated past the portal. Then the usual response is some crying at it's splendor, some gripping their hands tightly to their sides without knowing it, and thinking about all the things they've heard of this place, only to find out the story tellers were right...there really is no place like it anywhere else in the galaxy, and to describe it in words is never enough. And they all go to get their belongings in order for their departure. The tension builds, adrenaline begins to pound, breathing becomes deeper, as they prepare to make the most of their visit here. I wish them well as they depart the front portal view and begin the long traversing of my ship to return to the captain's chair and pilot my baby in for the 10,000th time. Routine to me, but I still like to be in the common area by the front portal when the crowd is brought in. It reminds me of when I first came here those many years ago as a young seaman aboard a vessel much like the one I'm piloting now, only as a yeoman. Ah, watching their faces brings back the memories, the joy and elation of the possibilities opening up before me as the city grew and grew and grew, so much larger than life, or dreams, or words, could ever describe...looking out that portal.....