EPISODE 4: THE COMPETITION ## CHAPTER 1: THE ANNOUNCEMENT The holoscreen in the Commercial Concourse flickered to life with an announcement that made Mei's stomach drop. "Coming Soon: UNIVERSAL BEVERAGES. Your galaxy-class refreshment destination. Every species. Every preference. Every time." The rendering showed a sleek, massive establishment—easily ten times the Waypoint's size—with automated dispensers, holographic menus in hundreds of languages, and the cold efficiency of corporate design. The location was listed as three doors down from the Waypoint. "Well," Arthur said, looking up from his tea. "That's concerning." Mei stared at the screen. Universal Beverages was a chain—she'd seen their locations on stations across the sector. They were efficient, affordable, and utterly soulless. Exactly the kind of establishment that would appeal to busy travelers who wanted caffeine without conversation. "They'll take all my business," she said quietly. "Some of it, perhaps. But not all." Arthur sipped his tea with deliberate calm. "People don't come to the Waypoint for efficiency, Mei. They come for what you've built here." "But what if efficiency is what they actually need?" "Then they'll go to Universal Beverages. And the ones who need something else will stay here." It should have been reassuring. It wasn't. --- ## CHAPTER 2: THE PANIC The next few days were difficult. Mei found herself counting customers, tracking revenue, calculating...