Profiteering in the Milky Way

1

Mckenzie Edwards laid down in the grass and looked up at the stars. I’m not sure why I stare at them so much, but I love the stars. Too bad I don’t have a telescope, he thought.

“Mac is out there staring at the stars again?” William Edwards asked his wife. He wasn’t fond of their son’s name as he always felt it was too girly, but the name had made her happy, so he had agreed to it. Besides, he liked the name Mac, which was a common nickname for Mckenzie.

“Yes,” Samatha Edwards replied to her husband as they both walked out onto the porch and sat in the rocking chairs William had made for them. “He’s drawn to them like countless other children have been over the centuries.”

“I wish Mac was drawn to farmwork the way he was the stars,” William muttered.

“Name a child that is drawn to farmwork when they’re six,” Samatha countered, favoring her husband with a smile. He smiled back.

“Good point,” William replied as he gazed out at the reddish soil in the field closest to the house. He would plant cotton in that field solmorrow. Despite the terraforming that made Mars livable, the red soil had persisted. “I just wish there was a way to ensure his future wasn’t just sharecropping like ours or asteroid mining like our parents did.”

“We could save credits and pay for Mac to go to the private corporate school and get a real education,” Samatha offered. The two corporations that owned Mars demanded their citizens and employees be at least basically educated and gave that barebones level of education to them. Anything beyond that had to be paid for.

“Sam, you know we can’t afford Redrock’s education rates,” William retorted. “Heck, even if we lived somewhere on AresCorp’s side of the planet it would be the same. Both corporations take too much and barely leave us enough to scratch a living in that red dirt! Sometimes I wonder if we would have been better off staying in the belt and mining like our folks instead of taking on the debt we did to buy this farm.”

“I know Wil, but we wanted more for our child than living on recycled air and being stuck in a can all sol long,” Samatha said. “Our parents wanted the same for us, which is why they helped with the down payment for this place.”

“Yeah, they did. But look how much good all our desires for his future have done. He wants to be out there!”

“I know. But there’s supposed to be scholarships and grants that Mckenzie could earn.”

“He don’t have the education for that!”

“No, but he can learn,” Sam countered. “There are free educational materials on the net too.”

“You’re not going to give this up, are you?” Wil asked.

“Nope,” Sam answered, shaking her head. “I want our son to live his dreams just like we’ve done with buying this farm.”

“Fine,” William said. “But we need him to help around the farm. He can’t stare at a screen all the time.”

“Mac won’t have to. He’s bright and has an interest in machinery. Perhaps he could be an engineer one sol.”

“Alright. That would help us too,” Wil conceded. “He is always bugging me and the mechanics about how things work when we’re making repairs.”

“Mckenzie!” Samatha called.

“Yes mom?” Mac replied, turning his head to towards his parents. She beckoned him over. He got up, dusted himself off, and ran to the porch with his arms held out to his sides.

William chuckled. “Are you an air transport?”

“Spaceship!” Mckenzie answered, coming to a stop in front of his parents.

“You really want to go into space?” his mom asked.

“Yes ma’am!” Mac answered. “I want to fly a spaceship.”

“What about being an engineer?” his dad asked.

“Hmm… maybe,” Mac replied. “Do they get to see the stars up close too?”

“I suppose,” William answered. “They’re on the ships just like pilots.”

“I don’t know if they see the stars as often as the captain and pilot though,” Samatha said. “Engineers have a very important job and keep the ships running.”

“Oh,” Mac said, a little dejected. He then brightened. “But that could be fun too because I love seeing how things work.”

“You’ll need a good education to go to space,” his mom said. “And that means going to an academy to become an engineer or pilot.”

“Really?” Mac asked.

“Yes,” Samatha answered.

“Then I’ll study really hard and get good grades!” Mac promised.

“Alright,” his dad said. “Would you be willing to apply yourself and learn how to fix things here on the farm?”

“Why?” Mac asked.

“Because it would help you learn, look good on your academy application, and help your dad on the farm,” Samatha answered.

“In that case, yes!” Mac shouted. “Besides, I’ll help fix things because I love you both.”

“We love you too,” his parents replied.

*

12 years later

“I got in!” Mac shouted with joy, waving his tablet around to show his parents the acceptance email.

“In Mars Academy?” Wil asked.

“No sir,” Mac replied.

“Then which school?” Sam asked.

“Titan Custer Academy on Europa!” Mac happily answered. “It’s the best naval academy in the system.”

“I didn’t even know you had applied there,” his mother said.

“I wasn’t sure I had the grades, so didn’t mention it,” Mckenzie replied. He hugged her. “Sorry mom.”

“Naval academy?” his dad asked. “Is this place a military school?”

“Partially,” Mac answered. He showed them the acceptance letter. “I got a full ride scholarship and after my first two years, I get to decide my track. I can choose military or commercial. At least that’s what people say on the net.”

“Well, congratulations son,” Wil said, giving his son a hug.

“Thanks dad,” Mac replied. His mother congratulated him as well. “Thanks mom.”

“When does the first semester or whatever start?” Sam asked. “Beginning of the fall, which means I’ll miss the harvest.”

“Don’t worry about it Mac,” William said. “Farmwork is automated and we’re only here to make sure things go smoothly. Your mom and I can handle it. We did before you were old enough to help after all.”

“But…”

“And we can always hire a farmhand if we need to,” his father said.

Mac nodded. Guess my knack for fixing bots helped over the years more than I thought over the years.

“How long are the courses at this academy?” Samatha asked.

“Engineer and pilot are four standard solar years,” Mckenzie answered. “Captain is six.”

“And you want captain, don’t you?” his mom asked.

“Yes ma’am, I do,” Mac replied.

2

Mckenzie finished brushing his teeth and stared into the mirror. I’m not as tall as dad’s 192 centimeters since I’m only 182 cm, but I’m more muscular and outweigh dad’s 79 kilograms by 11 kg. Guess that’s due to the gravity difference and hard work I’ve done since I was a kid. Plus, mom always fed us as well as possible. I’m going to miss her cooking.

Like his dad, Mac did keep his hair cut short. I got my auburn hair, and green eyes came from mom but got my square jaw and straight nose from dad. Finding dates was never as hard as I thought it would be considering my quietness and singular focus on getting into space. I guess I owe that to the girls, even the rich ones, who found me handsome, especially with my size added in. I’m going to miss some of those girls, especially Heidi Johanson.

Mac grinned. Heidi was pleasantly surprised to find out I’m fully proportional when we said goodbye the other night. Too bad I had never asked her out before.

“Get a move on Mac!” his mother yelled. “It’s quite the drive to the landing field.”

“I’ll be out in a couple of minutes,” Mac replied. Now that it’s time to leave, I’m having second thoughts. Do I really want to leave my folks and everyone I know to pursue a life out in space?

Mac finished getting ready to leave while he considered his options. If I don’t go, I’ll have wasted the credits mom and dad spent on my schooling. And I could stay and help on the farm and inherit it. Perhaps even marry Heidi or another girl.

But if I go, I can live my wildest dreams and find my way out there. Besides, not going would be a waste of my scholarship. He took a deep breath. I’m going.

Mac quickly exited the bathroom, returned to his bedroom, and grabbed his bag of clothes and personal effects. It wasn’t much, but he couldn’t take everything because of academy rules. Uniforms and everything else needed were provided as part of his scholarship fund.

He glanced around his room one last time. I can always come home to visit, Mac thought. He turned off the lights and walked out.

*

“I know you don’t want us worrying, but Europa is not like Mars or even Deimos Station,” Sam told Mckenzie. “People out there are different and not as trustworthy.”

That’s no different than here, but mom is going to worry anyway, Mac thought. “I know mom. I’ll be careful.”

“We’ve already paid for your passage on the ship,” Wil said.

“The academy is supposed to provide transportation,” Mac replied.

“We looked into it and got you an upgraded seat and meal,” William countered. “It’s a long trip to Europa and I’ve heard those little dinghies aren’t comfortable.”

“We’ve also put some credits in an account for you. I’m sending you the account number and codes,” his mom said.

“I’m afraid it’s not much,” his dad added with a shrug of his shoulders as Mac’s tablet beeped.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Mac protested.

“We know but wanted to give you the best start we could,” Wil said. “So, I’ll hear no more of it.”

“Dinghy is right,” Sam muttered, changing the subject, as a beat-up old Redrock Pug 212 shuttle landed on the field. Mac frowned and covered his eyes as did his parents as Mars’ red dust whipped around them. The pilot cut the engines. “Disappointed?”

“Yeah. I was hoping to be picked up in a scout ship of some kind, you know, a barge, sloop, or cutter,” Mckenzie answered. I’m not sure that thing would make it to Deimos Station.

The boarding hatch opened, and a ramp descended. An unkempt, slightly overweight man with greasy blonde hair and brown eyes stepped out of the hatch.

“You folks the Edwards?” the man asked.

“That’s us,” William answered. “And you are?”

“Bart Croft, and I’m running late,” the pilot replied. “Where’s Mckenzie?”

“I’m Mckenzie Edwards,” Mac replied. The pilot frowned in obvious disappointment. Looks like he was expecting a girl despite my name being gender neutral for centuries now.

“Say your goodbyes and let’s get a move on,” Bart ordered. With that said, the pilot turned and entered the shuttle.

“I guess this is it,” Mac said.

“We love you boy,” his dad replied. William pulled Mac into a hug.

“We love you with all our hearts and wish nothing but the best for you, Mckenzie,” his mother added. Samatha hugged him and kissed his cheek.

“I love you both too,” Mac said after his mom released him. “I’ll write often and try to visit when I can.”

“You better,” Wil said as he put his arm around Sam’s shoulders. The shuttles engines fired up. “Better go before you miss your ride too.”

“Yes sir,” Mac replied. He hugged them one last time and boarded the shuttle. The hatch sealed behind him.

“Take a seat,” Bart said. “You can stow your bag in the hatch above the seat.”

“Is this shuttle ride part of the upgrade my parents paid for?” Mac asked. “Do you have a ship in orbit or something?”

Bart shook his head and laughed. “Strap in.”

Mac did as the pilot ordered. The shuttle immediately lifted off.

“Does your pug have a jump drive?” Mac asked. I’ve never heard of a small shuttle having a jump drive but guess it’s possible.

“Nope,” Bart answered.

“So, you have a ship then?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Nope.”

“But you’re supposed to take me to Titan Custer Academy on Europa,” Mac protested.

“Kid, I’m taking you to Deimos Station,” Bart stated. “How you get to Europa after that is none of my business.”

“But my parents paid…”

“Want me to land and put you out on that red dust ball?” Bart asked.

“No.”

“Then shut up and enjoy the ride,” the pilot said. The cockpit hatch slid shut.

3

This is not what is supposed to be happening, Mac thought in a panic. What am I going to do?

I could inform the station authorities, but would they do anything? Probably tie things up in small claims court for a lot longer than it’d be worth. I could say nothing and put a message on the net to warn others from using this guy ever again. While that would hurt his profitability and be a good long-term solution, it’s not very satisfying personally. Besides, others might not take my word over his.

He’s older and taller than I am but he’s not in as good of shape as I am. Maybe I could intimidate him or something to get my parents’ money back, Mac considered. He shrugged. And knocking his block off would be satisfying.

Mckenzie smiled at that image.

My size always worked to keep the bullies at bay growing up even if I don’t punch anybody. Mac nodded to himself. I’ll confront the pilot when he docks.

*

Mac’s tablet beeped as the shuttle docked. The message can wait. The tablet beeped a second time, signaling a priority message.

Guess the message can’t wait, Mac ruefully thought. The message was from TCA’s admissions department. The email had an attachment with it.

What is this? Mckenzie wondered. He read the message. So, I’m to meet Captain Dana Morgan at small ship slip 12 and his or her ship will take me to the academy. The attachment is a digital ticket for my passage. Huh. Maybe she’s the one mom and dad paid.

Ugh! They should have told me. I should have asked instead of just assuming because I almost made an ass out of myself by doing so!

Mac returned his tablet to his jacket pocket and unhitched the seatbelt. The cockpit hatch opened, and Burt walked out.

“We’re here kid. Grab your stuff and find your ride to Europa,” the pilot said. “I got places to be.”

“Thanks for the lift,” Mac replied. Burt nodded and opened the entry hatch. Mckenzie walked through and off the shuttle.

“Good luck kid,” Burt said.

“Thanks. You too,” Mac replied.

“Don’t let them screw you too badly,” Burt muttered as Mac neared the bottom of the ramp.

“What do you mean?” Mckenzie asked after coming to a stop just off the ramp.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the pilot replied. He stepped back and closed the hatch as the ramp retracted.

That was odd. I wonder what he meant, Mac thought as he passed through the security scanner. He shook his head and headed toward the station information terminal across the corridor. I need to find which level the small ship docks are on.

*

Holy cow! Mac thought as he stared at the ship docked at slip 12 through the port. I’ve never seen anything like this before.

Evidently others felt the same way as a small crowd gazed at the ship. Unlike others Mckenzie had seen, this ship had a short main body with two extendable wings for atmospheric flight. The craft also had a more rounded nose than other craft he’d seen and two booms sticking out the rear.

“What kind of ship is this?” Mac asked aloud.

“Don’t know, but you’re blocking the corridor. Would you kindly get out of the way?” a dock worker asked.

“Sure. Sorry,” Mac replied, stepping closer to the bulkhead. The other man nodded and hit his little cart’s accelerator and zipped away.

“This is the Sapphire Hummingbird. She’s an AllisonCraft S-38 Lightning, and one of a few hundred pre-modular ships left in service,” a pretty, willowy middle-aged woman with blonde hair and blue eyes informed Mckenzie and the others standing around. Mac noticed a hummingbird had been painted on the side of the bridge. “There’s maybe 10 S-38s left flying in the galaxy.”

“How do you know?” another woman asked.

“Because she’s mine,” the first woman answered. “And if you’re not here on business, you need to clear the corridor before security shows up.”

Mac looked down the corridor back toward the heart of the station and noticed two security guards walking their way. Others noticed and started walking away after telling the woman how much they liked her ship.

“Are you Captain Dana Morgan?” Mac asked the woman after the crowd had dispersed.

“I am, but I don’t know you,” the captain answered, sizing him up. “Who are you?”

“I’m Mac, I mean I’m Mckenzie Edwards,” Mac replied. “Titan Custer Academy on Europa has booked me passage on your ship.”

Captain Morgan stood there for a moment with a faraway look in her blue eyes. The captain nodded her head and made eye contact with Mac.

“Right you are, Mr Edwards. Send me your digital ticket so we can go aboard and get you settled,” Captain Morgan said. Mac’s tablet beeped with a request. He saw it was from the captain, so sent her a copy of the admissions email and attachment.

“You don’t have a tablet?” Mac asked.

“No. Every spacer uses implants these sols,” Captain Morgan answered. “You’ll get yours at the academy. Spacers that don’t attend academies either get theirs through their ship, their company, or most likely buy their own.”

“I see,” Mac said. I should have known that but didn’t. Wish there was information about implants on Redrock’s net. I feel like a country bumpkin.

“You’re pretty big for a Martian,” the captain commented.

She has a point. I am one of the larger guys my age that I know.

“Farming is hard work even though most of it’s automated, ma’am,” Mac replied. “Plus, mom made sure I ate well.”

“Evidently,” Captain Morgan remarked. “Anyway, don’t worry about not knowing about implants. A lot of corporations lock down what information is available for their employees and citizens.”

“I bet the Redrock executives and other elites have implants,” Mac muttered.

“You’d be correct too,” Captain Morgan said as she opened the hatch. She led Mac up the ramp and onto the ship. “The Hummingbird isn’t just my ship, she’s my home, so treat her as such please.”

“Yes ma’am,” Mac replied. Once past the airlock, Mac felt his mouth open in surprise. The captain smiled. “Your bulkheads are covered in wood!”

“Synthetic wood,” the captain clarified. “I can’t afford real wood.”

“But still,” Mckenzie said.

“The paneling adds a little more mass, but as I said, my ship is my home and I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible,” Captain Morgan explained. “The airlock, cargo hold, and bridge are the only spaces without the paneling.”

She showed him the galley, lounge, and head. All were tastefully decorated, complete with nicknacks and a few pictures on the bulkheads. She didn’t show him either of the two cabins, but he assumed they were just as decorated. The ship reminded Mac of home, and he said as much.

“I grew up on Titan. It’s not much different than Mars, so that’s probably why,” the captain said. “You can toss your bag on the couch or in one of the chairs.”

“Are you sure?” Mac asked. She nodded. “Alright.”

He put his bag on the couch and looked around. She is pretty, even if she’s probably as old as my mom.

“Your parents paid extra for a meal and a better seat,” the captain said. “I don’t have better seats and it’s just the two of us, so you can sit up in the bridge if you’d like. It’ll take four hours to get to Europa.”

“I’d love to sit in the bridge for the flight,” Mac said.

“Thought so,” Captain Morgan said with a knowing smile on her face. “As for meals, well, I’m flying so I won’t be cooking. My insurance doesn’t cover passengers using the galley either, so you’ll get a ration bar and protein shake if you’re hungry.”

“Uh, sure.”

“If you need to use the head, go now unless you want to hold it through take off,” Captain Morgan said. Mac heard and felt the engines start up.

“That’s nice,” he said.

“Yep,” the captain agreed. She headed to the bridge, and he went to the head.

4

“Permission to enter the bridge?” Mac asked at the bridge’s hatch.

“Cut that out,” Captain Morgan replied. “Permission is granted though, and you can sit at the copilot’s station. Just don’t touch anything.”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you,” Mac said. He took the seat. The bridge was small and only had the two stations. He paid attention to the consoles and controls. The consoles are new even if the ship is old. The consoles’ layout is a little bit different than I’m used to seeing too, even in the sims. Come to think of it, the galley looked newish, as did the head. I guess Captain Morgan updated everything recently. “Ma’am?”

The captain held up a finger, silencing him.

“Deimos Control, this is the Sapphire Hummingbird,” the captain said. “Flight plan for Europa is filed. Request permission to undock and get underway.”

“Sapphire Hummingbird, your flight plan is approved, and the way is clear. Permission granted,” a woman replied. “Safe journey Dana. Next time the steak and beer are on you.”

“Copy that,” Captain Morgan laughed. “See you around Rozen.”

She dropped her finger and engaged her controls. The ship backed away from the station. It swung about and the captain engaged her thrusters. The hummingbird shot away from Deimos Station.

“Now, what’s on your mind, Mr Edwards?” the captain asked.

“Earlier, you said the Sapphire Hummingbird was a pre-modular ship,” Mac said. “What does that mean?”

“The short answer is that unlike more modern ships, I can’t just swap modules when I want to upgrade her,” Captain Morgan answered. “I can’t even add new modules to make her larger, faster, or more of a fighter.”

“Oh. Does that mean you had to manually add the wood paneling and other upgrades?”

“Yep. Had to do the same for the shields, weapons, life support, the reactors, engines, sensor suites, and everything else. That takes specialized work, which you can’t find here in the home system.”

“Where did you get this done then? You didn’t do it yourself, did you?”

“No,” the captain laughed. “I’ve found two shipyards that can work on an AllisonCraft ship. The first is at Tau Ceti and the second is at Teegarden’s Star.”

“Expensive?”

“You have no idea,” Captain Morgan answered. “I’m still paying off the most recent upgrades.”

“Then why?” Mac asked, gesturing around them.

“It was love at first sight when I found her over at Barnard’s Star despite my Hummingbird being a rust bucket at the time,” Captain Morgan answered with a smile on her face. “And my ego loved the idea of owning a rare working pre-modular ship. Another nice bonus is I can swap out individual parts like the consoles instead of having to pay for a standardized module. The consoles are Epsilon Quanputer Tager 3s, which is the most advanced console I can put in the Hummingbird.”

“Nice. But we’ve been making modular ships for 200 years!” Mckenzie pointed out. What the heck is an Epsilon Quanputer? Some company from the Epsilon Indi system?

“And the Hummingbird is at least 250 years old. AllisonCraft went out of business 190 years ago or there about. The public records are a little fuzzy from back then, so it’s possible my baby is even older.”

McKenzie whistled his appreciation. The captain smiled and nodded her agreement.

“I don’t think I’ve heard of a ship lasting longer than a century,” Mac said.

“It’s uncommon, but not as rare as you think. As you’ll discover at TCA, ships are expensive. So, people keep them operating as long as possible,” the captain replied. They fell silent and Mac enjoyed the view while she flew.

That’s twice now that someone has mentioned costs and the academy tosol. Are things at the academy not as they’re presented on the net? If so, why? Mac glanced at the captain. Maybe I could ask the captain. She had to go to an academy after all.

“So, what’s your experience farm boy?” Captain Morgan suddenly asked. “Have you ever piloted a shuttle before, or did you just do some mechanical and engineering work on the farm?”

“I’ve got my small engine certification and a robot repair certification,” Mac answered, letting the farm boy dig slide. “I’ve also got my shuttle pilot’s license.”

“Not bad,” the captain said. “The pilot’s license is expensive.”

“Yes, it is,” Mac agreed. “But mom and dad found the way to pay for it somehow.”

“Looks like your parents really love you and want you to live your dreams.”

“Yeah,” Mac agreed again. “They do.”

“Then you need to make the most of your time at TCA,” Captain Morgan said. Mac nodded his agreement and understanding. She glanced at him and grinned. “So, want to fly the Hummingbird? It’s not too different than a shuttle.”

Mckenzie’s eyes widened in shock. “You mean it?”

“I could put her on autopilot, but I have a good feeling about you. So yeah, I do. That’s if you think you can handle her.”

Mac heard the challenge in the captain’s voice. He looked over the console again. “The layout is different than I’m used to, but the basics look the same. I think I can handle it.”

Captain Morgan put the ship on autopilot. She then showed him a few things about the console. “How do you feel now?”

“Better. I’m sure I can keep us on course now,” Mac answered.

“Alright,” the captain said. She pointed at the autopilot control. “Use that if you need to. I’m going to hit the head and grab something to drink. I’ll also be monitoring you with my implant… so, don’t screw up.”

5

“Autopilot engaged,” a mezzo soprano voice announced.

“What? I didn’t…” Mac sputtered.

“Come on back and let’s eat,” the captain called out. “Oh, and I’ve engaged the autopilot. Hummingbird’s AI is more than capable of flying us all the way to Europa.”

Mckenzie blew out a sigh of relief. She could have warned me. He checked the time on his tablet and was surprised to find it had been an hour since Captain Morgan had let him take control.

He smiled. Mac then sniffed as a tantalizing smell hit him. He took a deeper sniff. Oh, that’s pasta… and garlic bread!

Mac bolted up from the copilot’s seat and then stopped himself from running back. She could be teasing me with that smell. The captain said I just got some premade meal thingy after all.

Mac walked to the galley and stopped. Captain Morgan glanced at him and smiled.

“I decided to cook since you were doing a good job of keeping us on course,” she said. “I can’t stand ration bars, so spaghetti will have to do instead. Though you can still have a ration bar if you prefer.”

“No ma’am! I would much rather have the spaghetti,” Mac replied. She laughed and gestured for him to take a seat at the table.

*

After the meal, Mac helped clean up the galley. He kept stealing glances at Captain Morgan. I have a million questions I want to ask her. Ok, maybe not a million, but a lot.

“Is there something on your mind or do you just find me attractive?” the captain asked.

Uh… both despite you being old enough to be my mother, Mac thought. “Questions ma’am, though you are attractive.”

“If this were a longer trip, I’d be happy to educate you,” a smiling Captain Morgan teased. Mac felt his face heat up and she laughed. “Ask your questions. I might not be able to answer all of them though. Things have changed since I graduated.”

“Fair enough,” Mac said. She led him to the lounge, and they sat on the couch. “To start, you’re the second person that’s mentioned costs to me. Shouldn’t my scholarship cover all my costs?”

Captain Morgan smiled sadly and shook her head. “No. The galaxy is basically ruled by corporations even if everything is under the UN banner.”

“Yeah, I know. But that just means not every system, planet, or even landmass is rules by a traditional government. The corporations rule in place of those traditional governments in most cases,” Mckenzie replied.

“But it also means everyone that is an employee citizen or a ‘self-employed’ citizen that is bound to their corporation,” Captain Morgan said, using air quotes around self-employed.

“Right. My parents had to pay Redrock for the farm,” Mac agreed. She prompted him to continue. “They also had to buy and sell everything to and from the company.”

“And that’s how they get you,” the captain said. “Your parents may not have been direct employees, but they still work for Redrock. Your education was through Redrock as well, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Mac agreed. Thinking about it like this makes it sound almost like slavery, indentured servitude, or serfdom. “But how does this relate to academies?”

“The same rules apply,” the captain answered. “Your scholarship is most likely just what used to be called a grant or loan. You’ll have to pay off that debt after you graduate.”

“That’s…”

“You really thought you had earned a free ride?”

“Yeah,” Mac answered.

“I apologize for bursting your bubble,” Captain Morgan said, patting him on the knee. “But at least you’ll go in with open eyes now, unlike the rest of your future classmates that aren’t from wealthy families.”

“So, I should probably give up my dream of becoming a captain and focus on one of the lesser disciplines,” Mac muttered. “The TCA reps I spoke with did strongly hint I’d benefit more from pursuing the engineer track.”

“I didn’t say give up your dreams,” Captain Morgan said. She smiled. “But you do have options, and I don’t just mean pursuing lesser degrees.”

“What kind of options?” Mac asked.

“Well, you can find a sponsor. That’s someone or some company that buys your academy debt and you work it off over time. It’s no different than what you’re facing, except the sponsor is already your employer and pays you a steady rate after you graduate. They might even pay you while you’re in school.”

“I wouldn’t even have a clue about how to find a sponsor.”

“Can’t help you there,” Captain Morgan replied. “I’m not wealthy and can’t afford to sponsor someone.”

“Yeah. Are there any other options?”

“Yep. Next up is forming a partnership with a classmate or a few classmates. You can pool your resources and get a larger ship from the get-go,” the captain explained. “That’s what I did. Just be warned, everyone still must pay off their debt and wants a larger slice of the profit pie. Partnerships often end badly. Mine did.”

“What’s this about ships?”

“I’ll get to that. But one of your other options is to seek out wealthy classmates and agree to work for them. Their family will buy the debt of promising students and have them work on their wealthy classmates’ ship or on a different family vessel. I don’t recommend this option, though it’ll be presented as the most tempting. I won’t explain it in any detail, you’ll have to see for yourself.”

“Alright, but that sounds like a worse version of a sponsorship,” Mac said. She nodded and patted his knee again.

“Your final option is staying the course and working for yourself. This is the least popular option,” the captain said. “But it allows you a sense of freedom until you pay your debt off. It also gives you some flexibility in who you work for or with and what systems you work in. Partnerships have those same two benefits.”

“That sounds the best to me.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. Sometimes shipping companies and others will offer employment. It’s straight employment where you get paid for your labor, but you still must pay off your debt.”

“I think I’d prefer being my own boss,” Mac said. He smiled. “Seeing you and your ship has shown me what I want.”

Captain Morgan laughed. “Don’t be expecting to find a rare vessel at the academy or just after graduation. I had contacts and lucked up. Then, spent a fortune bringing her up to modern standards.”

“I can dream though.”

“True. Now, onto ships,” the captain said. “Everyone starts out with a small sloop or perhaps a cutter. This will be a new ship from the company the academy is in partnership with or from whichever corporation owns your academy. I have no idea what TCA does, so don’t ask. And if you do one of the other options, you may end up starting out on a schooner, cutter, barq, or other similar sized vessel.”

“I’m sure the ships are new so they can charge more to the debt,” Mac grumbled. The captain nodded. “And since ships are modular, you’re locked into the manufacturers’ product line.”

“Just so,” Captain Morgan agreed. “Want some advice?”

“Yes, please,” Mac answered.

“First, get a researchers’ implant, and not the standard one. It’ll add more to your initial debt, but the enhanced memory and functionality will be more beneficial in the long term, including while at TCA. You may have to go outside the academy for that, but there are plenty of shops and doctors on Europa that will be glad to sell you what you want, which the school will pay for,” the captain explained.

“I’ll do that,” Mac said after considering it. “Do you have that kind of implant?”

“I did, but not anymore. I’ve upgraded since then,” Captain Morgan replied. “Now, my second piece of advice is to buy an older ship. Find something around 100-150 years old.”

“Those will most likely be on their last legs,” Mac pointed out.

“True, but they’ll be cheaper than a new ship, just out of their prime, so cheaper than a younger ship, and the academy will pay for the refurbishment and upgrades,” Captain Morgan explained. “Plus, the biggest benefit, other than cost, is that those old ships can take modules from most manufacturers if you meet the required level and can afford them.”

“Levels?”

“Enough questions. TCA will explain that to you,” Captain Morgan said. She stood and stretched. She caught him watching and grinned. “We’re still 90 minutes out. That’s not a lot of time but should be enough for me to give you a short lesson.”

Mac’s eyes widened in shock as she pulled him to his feet. Captain Morgan kissed him and led him to her cabin.