Jace walked out of the building in a daze. On one hand he was holding the folder he had entered with containing his data for the application and on the other a new data stick ,this one containing orders for him to report to the Security bureau for a quick training highlighting the most important parts of his new job.
He took a few steps and then stood still watching the starport through the screen acting as a window on the wall,his mind busy processing all that had happened in the last 30 minutes.
The spaceport was a beehive of activity with every ship crawling with technicians and other ground support personnel finishing last minute repairs and checking to see if anything had been missed. The three largest ships in the system,the habitation ships , were conspicuously absent signaling to everyone who knew how the colony worked that a mining expedition was almost ready to begin.
As Jace was watching the frantic activity he started to realize that this was it! This was his first expedition preparing to go. For the first time he would be joining a ship going to space not as a passenger or as a trainee but as an actual member of the crew.
With a big smile on his face he walked to the nearby capsule terminal and passed his credit card through the scanner calling a capsule. As it approached on the rail he looked at it with appraising eye of an aspiring mechanic. Noticing the well secured pylons connecting it to the rails and the perfectly clean capacitor below the see-through pleximetal covering it on the top of the capsule he nodded in approval as he ducked and sat comfortably inside the single person capsule. Clearly his old buddies at the maintenance department had been taking good care of their babies.
“Destination?” the capsule computer asked.
“Security Bureau”
The capsule took off , it’s teardrop frame racing across the rails. Inside a map appeared with an eagle eye holographic projection of the city marking their progress. Above it a timmer stated “Seven minutes until destination”.
Looking outside the one way windows Jace noticed his reflection on them. His short brown hair stood pressed on his head after the sweat he worked up running all the way to the Consortium offices. The thing that would normally draw the most attention on his face , his nose which was bigger than average and with a hawkish look, was currently eclipsed by the shine in his brown eyes and his stupidly huge grin.
He tried to smother his grin and only succeeded in making it bigger. Giving up on the futile effort he just sat back and enjoyed the moment. He got his first work slot in an expedition!
And he would even be paid extra for pulling security on the habitation ships! The president even said that if he managed to do well they would turn it into a permanent position. If he managed that maybe he would even be able to afford his own house when he went to study in the core worlds in 2 years instead of staying in the college dorm!
Sure it would be extra work but he was never really afraid of interesting work. Boredom though, that was his eternal enemy and anything that lessened it was a good thing in his book.
He took a deep breath. First things first. He had do the security training and do well. It wasn't like this time security job was clinging on him passing the training with flying colors but he was sure that if he wanted to keep this sudden boon he would have to give it his all and make a good impression to the rest of the security personnel.
The capsule slowed down and stopped. Jace got out and activate his visor following the instruction to find the security bureau. When he reached he stopped and studied it.
Unlike the headquarters of the the Consortium ,or the office of the HPF he had visited multiple times with his mother , this building did not have a large staircase leading into it. Instead it was surrounded by a three meters tall black colored wall dotted with metal spikes on top and with signs everywhere notifying anyone stupid enough not to get the message
“WARNING"
"ELECTRIC FENCE ON TOP OF THE WALL’’
The entrance was a heavy metal double door clearly designed with durability in mind and looked capable of withstanding a cannon round or five and with the words “Security Bureau” etched on it. Attached to the wall next to the gate was small guardpost with one way windows on the 3 sides overlooking the road.
“Well this sure looks… menacing” he murmured to himself
“Yeah that's the idea” a voice suddenly said right next to him.
Jace jumped in surprise and took two quick steps away from the unknown voice instinctively lowering his center of gravity and raising his arms , as his mother had taught him years ago , then turning to face the unknown speaker.
In front of him less than a meter away from his original position stood a well build man with black hair falling on the sides of his face. He was dressed in plain dark clothes that failed to disguise the amount of muscle beneath them. His left cheek had a scar running through it which ,in the age of advanced cell regeneration, was either a memento or a statement.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Or both.
The man put his hands on his waist ,chuckling, as he watched Jace falling into a combat stance.
“Sorry about that didn't meant to scare you” he said. He pointed at his left arm which had a blue armband emblazoned with the letters S.B. “I am with the bureau” he said needlessly.
Recovering from both his surprise and his combat stance Jace stood up noting for the first time the electric button on the one side of the man's waist as well as his pistol holster holding what was clearly a magnetic pistol on the other.
The pistol in particular caught him by surprise. Having grown up in Whitestar city he had of course seen the Security personnel many times in his life but they always wore their uniforms ,their full uniforms, and not just the armband and never carried pistols around using dart tasers instead
The man caught his suspicious look at his holder and said reassuringly “Dont worry too much kid! Here let me show you. ”
Saying that he proceeded to approach the entrance of the bureau. Picking a card from his vest he passed it thought the scanner which beeped and the door started sliding open
A voice was heard from the guardpost external speaker.
“Hey Cap! How was the patrol”
“Nothing spectacular just a lot of miners and sailors getting stoned out of their minds in preparation for the expedition. The usual stuff” he said with a sake of his head and then turned back to look at Jace
“See you around kid ” he said shaking his hand at him.
“Wait” Jace exclaimed “I have to go in as well!”
The man frowned at him “Only members of the bureau or people carrying orders can enter here young man. You can't just enter to look around!” he said his voice rising slightly in indignation
“I have orders” ,Jace said quickly, “Orders to report to Captain Averof for a stint in security on a habitation ship ”
He stretched out his hand holding the official data stick with the orders.
The man ,still frowning, took it and passed through the scanner
“Tom is he saying the truth?”
“Yes cap” ,the voice from the speaker answered, “the order is coming straight from the president in fact. ”
“Curiouser and curiouser”,the man murmured and then turned to face Jace,
“Well it seems like you found me young man” he said while inclining his head at Jace's direction “Captain Andrex Averof at your service. Now come on in so we can talk without standing in the middle of the road”
After saying that he passed through the gate and Jace hurried to follow him.
As they walked into the building and down a long corridor with office doors left and right, there were a lot people passing them in both directions ,all of them looking busy.Some of them were carrying actual paper files and others pushing trolleys holding big metal boxes that Jace recognized from his training as combat equipment storages.
Even with the chaos reigning in the corridor everyone was always finding time to incline their head and call out the captain as he walked forwards. In response captain Averof would call out their names adding a small comment sometimes
“Celena ,you and Mac, make sure to be carefull patrolling your area tonight some of the new guys may try to enter the city through there again”
“Sure thing Captain dont worry about it”
“Shiv is the armory done inspecting our equipment for the expedition”
“Almost done Cap,we will start loading it up tomorrow morning”
Like that and with Jace struggling to follow him the captain passed through the chaos with a grace that showed that this was not an unusual occurrence for this place.
Reaching the end of the corridor Jace and the captain entered a gravlift and started heading upwards.
“To answer the question you clearly had before”,Averof said looking at him , “Yes security officers are not allowed to carry lethal arms generally. But an exception is made when we have to patrol the White Night district”
Jace nooded his head at him hearing that explanation.
The White Night district was an area in its own separate dome connected to the rest of the city via a strictly regulated underground tunnel. It was though accessible freely from the spaceport and it was there for a very specific reason.
A lot of asteroid miners and freight ship sailors had a ... less than stellar relationship with the law. But while these people preferred to live in their ships they often had need for the kind of facilities only a port could provide.
Thus places like the Whitestar district where people could find intoxicants ,booze and , for the right price, companionship of either genre while the local government could still tax them were a fact of life in every major and minor port in human space.
While it was understood that security would patrol those areas to prevent them from falling into lawness it was also better something done districtly and without flashing the full uniform in front of every drunk sailor looking for a fight.
And considering the total lack of import and export control in that kind of area it was also wise for the police to go there armed and in groups less they find themselves in the wrong side of an imbalanced firefight.
“Same thing with the gate and the guardhouse isn't it?” Jace said thoughtfully. “Intimidate them enough so you won't have to kill them in an actual fight”
“Yep ,got it in one” Averof grunted and then looked at him “What's your name anyway. If you are gonna work for me I should stop calling you young man or kid don't you think?”
Jace flushed embarrassed and then offered his hand for a handshake “Jace Vans nice to meet you… Captain”
Andrex grabbed his hand and squeezed it powerfully without seemingly realizing it. He then proceeded to drag him out of the lift as it stopped on the 6th floor.
“Nice to meet you as well Jace. Now come inside my office and lets see what our august President want me to do with you shall we?”