Chapter 6

Ugly. That was the first thought I had as my father led me around the mining shuttle. Bulky body. Large protrusions for the deployable cannisters that hold the ore. The extra directional thrusters and enlarged volatile tanks, combined with the powerful Fusion Power system, Mining Laser and Ore Capture system. Well. Ugly was being nice. Functional. Was the second thought I had as looked at the mining laser under the nose of the ungainly craft. Once a heavy lift shuttle. Now a little prospector that is used to examine ores in the asteroid belts of various systems. No match compared to a real mining vessel, like a Mauler. Whose strip-mining lasers would pull more ore in 1 hour than this shuttle could in days of mining. That’s what I want.

“I hear one of your trainees was cleaning out the interior of his armor.” My father, with a wry smile on his face, said. A mix of amusement and concern washed over me. A reminder of the dangers we faced in the asteroid belts and the need for constant vigilance.

“Yeah. We were out in belt eleven dash two tango. I let them work their way through it a few times before I flew down into it. I thought their breakfast was too heavy, anyway.” Shrugging, “They’ll eat lighter next time.” I said with a humorous lilt to my tone. I also figured it would show that one moment of carelessness could have consequences.

My father just shook his head as we continued to look over the shuttle and its systems.

15 minutes later, Tom arrived and greeted my father before they squeezed down into the Engineering Space. They were down there for ten minutes. All the while I heard panels open and close, a few sounds I didn’t know, as well as some laughing.

“Looks good, Marc, and Tom’s got a decent handle on the power plant. You should be good for the day.” He said as he patted Tom’s shoulder.

After saying our goodbyes, he departed. My systems checks had finished. The only thing we needed were some snacks. Which, upon mentioning that, Tom raised a carry bag.

“Your Dad left this,” he said as he checked. “Four food packs and two snack packs. Plus, drinks. An eight pack of mixed teas and two waters.”

“Nice.” I said as I settled down in the pilot’s seat. Now, should we get going?

“Let’s. I’ll drop these in the galley.” It was amusing, considering the quote galley was at the rear of the cockpit. When the rack dropped from the ceiling, the galley became unusable as well.

Nodding as I fired up the systems for departure. In less than a minute, Tom was getting comfortable in the seat next to me. Applying power to the gravlift system as we lifted off the deck, vibrations could be felt throughout the shuttle, as Tom called us in for departure. He made a pointing gesture signal as he was speaking, and I took us out to space. Bringing the shuttle up to seventy percent power as we headed out for the dedicated lane for the area we were going. We were the masters of this shuttle and its systems. You live and die by your decisions out here.

Tom waited until we were out of the station control space before he began. “So… You were dancing up a storm last night.”

I cracked a smile. “I was having fun.”

“How about Byran?”

“It was alright.”

“Really. The way the two of you were holding each other…” Tom stated suggestively. And I guess I was hoping for more, but I wasn’t all that impressed as we talked while we danced.

“He is…nice.”

“But?”

“He just doesn’t seem to want anything. It was always, whatever you want, Marc.” I drawled. “I don’t want that…I don’t know the right word to describe it.”

“Subservient?” Tom asked.

I shrugged, “I guess. I want someone that wants things from me too. That can challenge me. Not just wanting to please me. I mean. It might be fun for a while. Having someone that does whatever I command, but I don’t think so.”

Tom said nothing. Glancing over. I could see his brows had tightened in concentration as he thought it over.

“Maybe he was like that because of your Birthingday. He doesn’t seem to act like that normally.” He asked.

Changing course and listening to the deep hum of the Mains increasing our speed before I responded. “I thought that too.”

“Maybe try a date night with him and see if he is the same?” Tom throughout as a possibility.

“Maybe.” I responded noncommittally.

We stopped talking after that as I had reached out to the Mining Boss and they sent over the information I wanted. In moments, I had the entire area’s probe data displayed in a constant scrolling of information. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tom lean a little to try understanding the numbers that flashed down the screen as I grabbed seemingly random ones out of the mix to expand their information on another screen. Tom was monitoring the shuttle scanners as it flew on autopilot while I worked out the best location for our first shot at mining. Pickings were not the best, but possibly good enough. It took me fifteen minutes before I spotted a good rock and locked it up. Changing course to intercept.

“How about we invite him out with the gang? Recreation area and then snacks over at that pizza place on the O-Six level.” Conspiratorial was the tone that Tom used. I’m wondering if Rachel had made suggestions last night.

“Possibly.” Again, I was noncommittal as I spoke. Cute as Byran may be. I wasn’t really interested in having a… boyfriend. Not yet. A friend with benefits. Yes. That interested me, but not someone that always gives me what I want.

It didn’t take long to bring the Mining Shuttle into position before I set the controls to station keeping. Firing the beam from the mining laser once it was warmed up, while also making adjustments to the power and capture stream. Tom had moved back to Engineering Space and was monitoring the systems from there. Once the first batches of ore hit our holds, I ran the quality test. By that time, Tom had joined me again. Looking over my shoulder at the numbers, he whistled softly.

“That looks good.” He said appreciatively, and it was. I was happy.

***

Checking the time, I made a sour face. We did better than I thought and dropped 4 loads for pickup, but now it was time to head for home. Only slightly better than half full. Tom knew what I was looking at and patted my shoulder as he handed me another drink pack. The net on this trip should be around four kilocreds, I figured. Doing the math in my head.

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“We’ll do better next time.” Tom added, taking the thought right from me, “This should be enough to get us out here for forty-eight hours at least.” consoled my lack of mining time today.

He knew I really wanted to make it out mining for seventy-two hours at a time. Even the forty-eight hours are good, as we can extend our range to the better mining belts. I just lucked out this time and found a ninety percent grade rock for us. Not as good as the ninety-three’s I could get us over in belt six-three, but enough to get us there.

“True, and out to better locations. How does Thursday night look? Say 1900 hours. Then return on Saturday at nineteen hundred hours.” I asked as he checked his Link schedule.

“Looks good to me.” He confirmed.

Both of us were tired as the excitement of finally getting out here wore off. We both worked continuously, using no shifts. Four on, four off should work the next time out and we can work on our course work too, to keep us ahead. After I dropped us into the unloading hanger, it took us seven minutes to unload our measly amount of ore. I say that because there was an older Mauler mining vessel unloading when we arrived and still unloading as we left. Probably takes them about forty minutes to unload a full load. Someday I hope to do that too. Contrary to what people think. I don’t want to take over the Family Corporation at any point in my life. I just want my Miner and my rocks to play in. Possibly a mate and children too. Many children would be nice if I had one of the larger Mining Command Ships by then. Very large Industrial Ships that could support three wings or 9 of the Mauler Mining Vessels plus two haulers. Plenty of room to raise a family. I gave myself an internal shake.

Shifting out of the unloading hangar to the Shuttle Hangar took a few minutes because we had to wait for a freighter that had arrived to Dock. Tom pointed as we exited the hangar at the two Maulers headed in. I smiled as I shifted us up to SH-2. The hangar that this shuttle needed to be returned to was where I had a flight scheduled for me by our Marines through my dad.

***

Flashes through the forward viewport as large kinetic strikes tore up the planet below, people yelling over the noise of the bangs and crashes vibrating the hull like being inside a bell being rung. The Assault Shuttle pitched and twisted again, slamming me into my harness. My seat threatening to toss me out at its earliest opportunity. Scram the chaff, Taylor. Dosard. Hit those damn flak cannons. Tango Seven. Hit that bunker with kinetics. Now. Yelled the person behind me. As I pushed hard on the pedals and twisted my left hand just as another series of explosions rattled us from the spot we would have been in if I didn’t drop us. Metal pinging off the hull as our shield was already drained.

“Alexander. Get us on the ground.”

“Aye, Lieutenant.” I said. Pushing the nose down and rolling us onto our heads before I pulled the joystick back. Effectively reversing our course and dropping us into the crater just as we rocked again from flak explosions. Alarms blared as I watched my controls light up in an array of red flashing indicators before I turned us hard again and dropped like a rock from orbit.

“Hot Drop.” I yelled even as I pulled back engaged the landing thrusters. The ground approached fast as the landing thruster roared in defiance of gravity. Multiple streams of rail gun tracers flowed away from the front of the shuttle as I fought to drop us on target.

“Crap. Loosing thrusters.” I yelled as I tried to compensate. Explosive sparks covered me as another round of explosions and rocking caused another batch of blaring alarms and red indicators as I fought to keep us level.

“BRACE. BRACE. BRACE.” sounded, as I made a last attempt to slow us as the ground was coming up fast just as another explosion rocked us.

The shuttle flipped hard to port seconds before we hit the rocks. My head snapped to the side, then forwards. Smashing against my helmet as the shuttle drove the nose into the ground, went head over heels before coming to a rest on its side. HUD displays went shaky as they turned a rainbow of colors. The cockpit had filled with black smoke. I could only see what my helmet told me was there with infrared cameras.

“Status People.” Barked Lt. Hutchings.

“Dazed. OK.” I mumbled as I tried to get out of my harness as a set of feet dropped in front of me. To be followed by a body, presumably the Lieutenant, as he descended past me. I listened as the Sergeant replied and started moving the marines out of the open stern bay. I sat, hanging on my side, in the seat as I let that report sink in. Seventeen dead in the platoon, three crew out of our seven dead.

Lights blazed to life as I felt the shuttle right itself and the ventilation system kick into evac-mode. Simulation Complete. Muster in the briefing room. Simulation Complete. Muster in the briefing room. I smacked the quick release twice and waited for the straps to fall before standing to climb back out of the shuttle.

“Not bad, Kid.” Said the grizzled Sergeant Major climbing out behind me. “Better than some newbies coming out of the Academy.”

“Thanks Sergeant Major, but didn’t I kill you too?”

“Happens all the time, young Alexander. Better now than in actual combat.” She said as she patted my shoulder and stomped off in her powered armor, giving commands.

I yanked off my helmet and rubbed my sweat ladened head, wincing. No blood, at least. I thought as my fingers came back clean. “That’s going to leave a knot.” Speaking to myself as I followed the assault team, falling in with the shuttle crew. Checking the time. Just enough for a fast hop into the fresher after this.

***

Walking to the lifts, I stopped to double check my Link for the right location. I nodded to myself as I stepped in and tapped the deck I wanted. Tom and Rachel had talked me into asking Byran out on a date to see if he was different or not. Byran’s unexpected subservient attitude piqued Rachel’s curiosity, especially since they had two classes together. I wore civilian clothes. Absolutely not my best outfit. My dark denim pants and loose open chest, long-sleeved shirt and black top of the calf boots caught people’s attention. Or maybe it was because I had sprouted up to six feet tall over the last year and was putting on muscle mass. Another year or two and I will settle in at my six-foot two-inch height. Probably top out at one hundred and eighty pounds. Or so my parents tell me, as that was what the A.I. said before I was Birthed.

Stopping outside the hatch to Byran’s quarters, I took a moment to compose myself. Nervous was an understatement. I had not dated outside of class functions before. Finally tapping the controls for entrance, and waited. Four seconds later, the hatch opened on Byran’s shining smile as he stepped out.

“Shall we?” he asked as he moved up alongside me.

“Indeed.” I replied as I took his hand and led him off towards the lifts.

“Recreation room or movie and then something to eat after.” Byran asked.

“The gang has a new team game they wanted to try. Something to do with shooting each other.” I said and Byran laughed.

“I should have known. They changed the Laser Tag arena again.” He said as he shook his head.

“They did.” I confirmed.

We continued in silence to the B-Nine level, which was the first level below the ‘O’ levels. Of which there were twelve levels. The ‘B’ levels were higher and larger in diameter because of the hangers. Much larger. A majority of the businesses are down there and the larger of the recreation areas are. Waving, we approached the gang for our greetings.

***

Three hours later we were laughing at the antics of one group against us in our fourth try to win the team games. We had made it up to the top ten teams on the Leader Board, but that was as good as it was going to get tonight. The best point was our last team was a group of midshippersons from one ship, here at the station. It was funny as I took a Holo pic of the score and sent it to my sister. With the caption, I’m not training these people too. Which she was laughing at and told me she sent it to a few other ships that were here for their enjoyment.

“Did you have fun?” Tom asked as we left the eatery. Byran had to leave after he received a comm call ten minutes ago. Insisting, I stay as I rose to walk him back. A chaste kiss on my lips before he did.

“The game. Yes. That should cause some interesting remarks on one ship, anyway. If you mean Byran.” I paused and Rachel replied, “Yes. About Byran.” She said, as Tom snickered. He knows as well as I do that Rachel is the head of the gossip committee.

“I’m not sure. He seemed to have to work hard to not just do whatever I wanted.”

“But he kissed you.” Rachel countered, as well as any tennis player sending the ball back across the court.

“Hugged me twice too.” I replied, “Even let me hold his hand all the way here.”

Rachel was wide eyed with glee as she started in with the questions. My own thoughts had already discounted Byran as romantic relationship material. His subservient attitude was a turnoff, and I longed for someone to challenge and push me to grow. Besides, I already know that my mate is taller than me and Byran is not. Rachel tried to ferret out anything else they didn’t know as well as plan more dates that I didn’t agree with. Much to her dismay. All the while, thoughts of Midshipman Wojact continued to flash into my mind at the most inconvenient times.