Glen snapped the last fastener into place on the drill cover to the mining drone and initiated the startup sequence. Green lights came up across the status board and Glen released the drone to finish its current mining assignment.
"Only 4 more to go", he muttered to himself.
Talking to yourself was an easy habit to fall into when you have been in an asteroid belt fixing drones for over a year. And the last 6 months of that being alone.
Doing what should have been a 2 man job by himself had put him behind schedule and now there was little chance for him to get back on schedule.
If Roger hadn't gone insane with space sickness and gotten himself killed, Glen would have been back home, or at least back one one of the space stations by now. But he had little hope for relief at this point. Whoever corporate sent who should have been his replacement would be arriving in the next 20 hours, but Roger's death most likely meant another 6-8 months before he would be able to return.
Over a year in the asteroid belt was a longer stint than he had signed up for. But there was no way that Sol Mining Inc (aka Cost-Cutting- R-US) was going to go to the expense to send out another transport just to bring him home. Even if he had mostly fixed the problems with the drones and mining production was beating their best production goals.
Glen was considered a space engineering savant and often found himself in situations where his skills were in high demand. The solitude of the asteroid belt had honed his problem-solving abilities, and he had become somewhat of a legend among the mining community for his innovative solutions to the most complex technical issues. Not that Sol Mining wasn’t doing everything in its power not to acknowledge that. In fact, they were trying to claim that since his new drone design had been created while working for them the drones, drills, and other improvements he had made should be the property of Sol Mining.
As the mining drone hummed to life, Glen's mind raced with ideas on how to streamline its operations even further. He knew that if he could just shave off a few more seconds from each cycle, it would significantly increase the overall output of the mining operation. And increased output meant increased profits, something that Sol Mining Inc couldn't ignore. And since he would NOT be adding the improvements to these existing drones out here, they would be forced to pay up. He had already gone above and beyond his current contract and if they wanted his further improvements, there was no way that they were going to get them as part of the current contract that they were insisting was all they owed him.
Turning off the magnetic clamps holding his boots to the asteroid’s surface, and returning to his CAT (Collision Avoiding Tug), Glen launched from the asteroid and started his 20 minute trip back to the hollowed out asteroid base he currently called home.
The Collision Avoiding Tug (CAT) is a sleek, compact vehicle with a metallic gray exterior. Its front equipped with advanced sensors and cameras, scanning the surrounding space for potential collisions.
As the CAT moves through space, it emits a low hum, the sound of its engines working efficiently. Beeps and alerts sound from the console as it navigates through the asteroid field, avoiding potential collisions.
As Glen navigated through the asteroid field, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty that surrounded him. The shards of rock glinted in the sunlight, casting shimmering reflections that danced across the dark expanse of space. He had grown accustomed to the treacherous terrain, learning to anticipate the sudden shifts and movements of the asteroids as he weaved his way through them.
The asteroid belt had become more than just a workplace for Glen; it was a canvas of wonder and mystery waiting to be explored. Each asteroid held the potential for discovery, whether it be a hidden cache of valuable minerals or a new technological breakthrough waiting to be unearthed.
Glen forcefully brought his mind back to his current task. Being present in the moment was something that the Glen of a year ago had sometimes had a hard time with, but this past year living in the dangers of an asteroid belt in harsh conditions had mostly broken him of the habit of letting his thoughts drift.
And it was not a moment too soon, just as he ducked behind a smaller asteroid, movement was detected on the CAT’s screen. Something was coming in hot and collisions had started happening. Like a rack of billiards balls on first break, the first collision was cascading and the avoidance system started blaring alarms as it was overwhelmed trying to predict a way to avoid anything that would overwhelm the shields.
Glen's heart raced as he frantically scanned the screen, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him. The sudden barrage of collisions was unprecedented, and he knew that if he didn't act fast, disaster would strike. Sweat beaded on his brow as he gripped the controls with white-knuckled intensity, his mind working at lightning speed to calculate the best course of action.
With a steady hand and unwavering focus, Glen maneuvered the CAT through the asteroid field with expert precision. He deftly dodged hurtling rocks and debris, his reflexes honed from a year of navigating the treacherous terrain. The alarms continued to blare, each collision sending shockwaves reverberating through the CAT's hull.
Just as Glen thought he had found a safe path through the chaos, a massive asteroid loomed into view, hurtling directly towards him. Time seemed to slow as he assessed his options, his mind racing through every possible scenario. With a swift twist of the controls, Glen managed to veer the CAT sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding a direct impact with the colossal asteroid. The force of the sudden maneuver sent him careening towards a cluster of smaller rocks, each one a potential threat to his fragile vessel.
Sweat ran down his temples as he deftly navigated through the maze of obstacles, his movements fluid and precise. The CAT's engines roared with power as he pushed them to their limits, weaving through the asteroid belt with a grace that belied the chaos surrounding him.
As he emerged from the storm of collisions, Glen let out a ragged breath, his heart still pounding in his chest. The alarms finally fell silent, replaced by the low hum of the CAT's engines as they hummed along steadily. He glanced at the damage report flashing on the screen, relieved to see that the hull had held up against the onslaught.
Taking a moment to collect himself, Glen surveyed his surroundings once more, and his scan jerked to a stop as he saw IT. The unknown capsule that had caused the chaos was now drifting aimlessly in the distance, its metallic surface glinting in the sunlight. Glen's curiosity was piqued as he steered the CAT towards the mysterious object, his mind already racing with questions about its origin and purpose.
As he drew closer, the capsule came into clearer view. It was unlike anything Glen had ever seen before, 3 strange symbols adorned its surface, and even though it seemed to be the cause of several Asteriods’ exploding into powder, there was no obvious signs of damage to the object itself.
With a mix of trepidation and fascination, Glen brought the CAT to a stop just a few meters away from the object.
A quick scan of the metals it was made of showed that this was not a substance known to the current science of humanity. The symbols carved deep into it's surface pointed to it's alien origins. There were no signs of any breaks in the surface beyound the 3 symbols he could see on the upper side of the multifacted shape.
He needed to find out more, and this was not the place to do it. Just because he had avoided the most damaging parts of the major collisions, that did not mean that more problems could not be on their way. Like dominoes falling there could be sharp objects traveling at increased speeds coming his way at any moment. He needed to get back to the protection of his base.
And that meant this object was coming with him.