Melba, an employee at Interstellar-Plus Flight Headquarters on Planet 462, manages a department dedicated to lost luggage. Due to the complexities of interstellar travel, suitcases are often accidentally sent to the wrong destinations and can take decades to be rerouted. The luggage is molecularly reduced for space travel, resulting in tiny bags that Melba enjoys examining with an X-ray scanner, offering glimpses into past lives and cultures.
Melba works in a basement office at Interstellar-Plus Flight Headquarters, a location that is mostly empty as staff relocate to a newer facility. She receives suitcases and bags that have been shrunk to a few inches tall as standard practice for interstellar journeys, a process designed to save space and weight on ships. The problem arises when luggage is mistakenly placed on the wrong vessel, leading to significant delays in its return.
Most owners do not file claims for their lost luggage, simply giving up hope of recovery. Melba spends her days scanning the miniature suitcases, not just for damage or mold, but to observe the contents. She has found items like a knitted hat for a colder climate and a delicate, near-transparent porcelain tea set. Her favorite is an orange suitcase containing a tiny chess set.
Melba envisions a public display of the miniature suitcases, allowing visitors to view the contents through scanners without opening them, preserving the items for their eventual owners. Many of these “time capsules” predate her own life, and she hopes to showcase the history contained within.
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