We had been lingering in Subspace above The Hab for the past hour. It looked just like when I left, a battered ramshackle disk slowly spinning in the light of the star. Like every other human settlement I had seen on that map, the system it inhabited was a desolate waste of ruined worlds and clouds of scrap metal from a past age of unchecked industrial activity.
Hailey stood beside the command couch where I sat, controlling the ship. Her hand lay on my arm, trying to reassure me. Even with my eyes closed I could feel her presence beside me. She was like a warm blanket, warding away my insecurities and doubts. I took a deep breath, there was no point in delaying any longer.
"Drive spooling up for reversion to real space in three, two, one." A high-pitched whine reverberated throughout the ship, and with the familiar sense of vertigo, we dropped back into normal space. I dropped us out only a few hundred kilometers from the station, which was the astronomical equivalent of their doorstep. I had likely just kicked over the Kab's nest on board.
"This is the independent vessel William Cody to Habitat B-744 requesting permission to dock." Silence, either somebody was asleep on the job over there, or they were still panicking. Finally, after several minutes of silence, I received a reply.
"Uh, t-this is Habitat B-744 to the William Cody p-please state your business." I grinned involuntarily, I knew that voice. Tancred Baltasar, or simply Tank as we liked to call him, had been a giant of a teen when I left the station. I could only imagine how much he'd grown since then. His voice was deeper than I remembered it being. He still stuttered a lot, though that might be more because of the situation.
"Offering professional scrap processing services and visiting personal friends."
"Uh, p-personal friends?"
"Don't sound so confused, Tank."
"H-how do you know my name?"
"I'm hurt Tank, you forgot me that fast? I'm devastated. I guess I'll have to tell Tayle after all that you were the one who stole her favorite-" There was a scramble on the other end of the line, and my grin grew to positively slag-eating proportions. I knew what they acted like when a ship showed up, everyone who was free or worked nearby crowded into that cramped traffic control office, listening in. I could guarantee he was dealing with an irate Tayle right now.
"R-rama, is that you?" A different voice this time, Tayle's. She sounded like she was ready to burst into tears. Not the response I expected to get.
"What? You don't sound happy to see me, Tayle. Written me off already?"
"You fragging idiot! We thought you were dead!" I winced, yep that was Tayle alright. A big softie until you made her mad, but once you did void have mercy because she wouldn't.
"Hey! I'm not that easy to kill. Besides, I figured you would have given up on me after I left."
"You say that like forgetting you is easy, Rama." Tank pitched in.
"You may be too old for me to bend over my knee anymore, but when I see you I am going to have so many words with you, Rama!"
"Well, if that's what I have waiting for me now I'm not sure I want to dock." It was easy to fall back onto old habits, and annoying the slag out of Tayle was one of the oldest.
"Just get down here you slaghead!"
"But Tank hasn't given me permission to land yet!"
"Rama!"
"Alright, but don't blame me if something goes wrong because you wouldn't let Tank do his job."
"Hey! Don't bring me into this."
"Just get your Kab-bait ass down here, Rama!" I closed the line with a chuckle, riling up Tayle would never get boring.
Turning my attention back to flying the ship, I headed for the one docking bridge that I remembered functioning. My memory was proven correct as I flew closer, and the rest of the docking bridges and collars lit up red in my vision. Coming to a stop 'above' the docking bridge, the careful maneuvers required for mating the docking collar were easy. The NIL was almost cheating when it came to this kind of fine detail piloting.
The light for the docking collar sensor turned green, indicating a good seal, and I heard a faint 'thunk' of metal on metal as we made contact. A diagram of the ship showed the cargo elevator could now descend into the docking bridge through a gate on the ventral hull. Looking out using the cameras, I was treated to the view of the system's primary reflecting off the station's beaten and battered white hull as we spun, the light of the star turning the station into a glowing crescent.
Setting the systems to standby, the command chair returned to its normal position, and I stood. Hailey had at some point during my conversation left my side because now she stood by the door to the bridge holding a folded bundle, on top of which sat a holstered handgun of some kind.
"You're not going to let me go until I agree to wear whatever that, is are you?" A silent shake of her head and a small smile were my answer.
Walking over to her, I took the offered gun. My NIL identified it as an NPB-44, which fired a beam of charged particles. It was a sleek charcoal gray, and unlike most equipment, I was familiar with that was designed with more alien ergonomics in mind, this one fit perfectly in my hand. The capacitor 'magazine' of the gun held forty shots, and could be ejected and replaced during combat. The belt and holster it came with conveniently had loops that held several spare 'magazines.'
Strapping on the brown leather belt, and holster it carried, I looked at the other item Hailey held in her outstretched arms. It was a K/T-40-rated jacket, which meant it could take a shot or two from a weapon equivalent to my own handgun. It was typically worn by officers and crew going ashore in areas that, while not hostile, still had some measure of risk associated with them but didn't actually merit gearing up in full combat armor.
The Jacket itself was a dark, glossy bronze with the typical blue trim and reflective shoulders I had become familiar with. Shrugging into it, I felt something in it come to rest at the small of my back. My NIL helpfully informed me that it was a holdout version of the same gun strapped to my hip. I admit, looking at myself using one of the cameras that I looked good. Hailey stepped forward and hugged me, her arms around my middle.
"Stay safe, Rama."
"I'll do my best, Hailey." She pulled back and smiled at me.
"That's what I'm worried about." This brat, almost makes me regret getting her to open up. Actually, that's a lie, I wouldn't have her any other way.
Letting go of her, I made for the elevator, my gut churning nervously. I'd dreamed of this for years, of going out and making it big. Then I'd come back as the conquering hero. The teen in me who'd left all those years ago still imagined that. The part of me that had to do horrible things just to survive knew not to expect such a fantasy to come true.
Stepping on the lift, I took a deep breath and triggered it with my NIL. The time for dreams and second-guessing was over. Whatever happened happened. If it all went bad, then I'd just give it up as a lost cause and be on my way. If they were actually happy to see me, I'd stay and help out for a bit before moving on.
The lift descended from the docking collar, the doors of it groaning and squealing, into the dimly lit docking bridge that looked just as I remembered. Dim, flickering lighting, exposed wiring, missing bulkhead panels, and bare floor plating that had been worn smooth where it wasn't missing entirely.
Standing in the long corridor of the docking bridge was a group of a half dozen or so people. They were all a little more worn and thinner looking, but I recognized each and every one of them. They all showed signs of rad sickness with missing hair and scars where tumors had been removed.
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Tayle was the most obvious, her face was missing pieces now, including a part of her nose that had been cut off, and even one of her ears. She was dressed in a patched hazard orange vac suit, sans the helmet, of a scrap worker.
I frowned, last I remembered, she was going to end up with Kal, the head of the workshops that tried to kludge together equipment to keep the station running. There should have been no reason for her to work a job as dangerous as a scrapper with someone important as him as her husband. Her brown eyes were the same as ever though, warm, bright, and telling you that whatever was bothering you, everything would be alright.
Tank was the same but bigger. His left leg was in a splint so he was probably running the coms office until it healed. He had just as many scars and missing pieces as Tayle did. Despite it all, there was a huge smile on his face as he waited for the lift. If I'm honest, Tank was never the brightest, but his simple outlook on the world gave him a friendly, optimistic demeanor that made him impossible not to like.
Winri was still a miniature gremlin from the looks of it, and the perils of life here had done nothing to slow her down. Even now, as she waited for my arrival she was bouncing on her feet with that familiar slag-eating grin on her face and bright green eyes that sparkled with mischief. She looked like she was doing better than the others health-wise, with fewer scars and no major chunks missing from what I could tell.
Gericht was standing next to Winri, a familiar long-suffering look on his face. Given the way she would lean back against him to say something though, that relationship had ended up exactly as most had expected. Gericht was quiet, and one of the few people capable of tolerating extended periods with Winri. I remember the times I would find them off in some corner after Winri had worn herself out with her curled up sleeping on his legs or even in his lap on occasion.
There was a man wearing a pair of overalls standing a few feet from Tayle that I assumed was Kal, I didn't remember him that well. His face was set in what looked like a perpetual glare with a scrunched brow and frown, his sharp features making him look even more severe. He was probably here in his role as head of the workshops. I felt sorry for Tayle being stuck with him. He was as cold as the void and just talking to him made you feel chilled. He looked to be in good health with very few visible scars.
There was another lady I didn't recognize at the head of the group. That wasn't unusual, there were several hundred people who lived on the station. Each section of the station with a few dozen residents had their own separate facilities for food, life support, and maintenance. I was from this section, that had the only working docking bridge, so this was where all the people I knew lived.
She was in good health, whoever she was, and wore what I could only guess was some approximation of a human business suit. If I had to guess, this was probably the current representative for the station. I don't really remember who was in charge when I lived here. I wasn't interested, and if I met them I wouldn't have recognized them.
The lift finally stopped, and I stepped off to complete silence. The faces of the people I knew were locked in expressions of shock. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. With my steady supply of food and medical treatment aboard the William Cody, I looked completely different than when I left. The scrawny teen they last saw had been replaced by a healthy young man.
"What, you don't recognize me?" I spread my arms wide, "If you think I'm a fake, I can always pull out some more embarrassing facts like the ti-"
"You have hair!" I pouted as Winri interrupted my theatrics. I blame watching all those movies with Hailey for my newly found sense of drama.
Winri's comment pulled everyone else out of their shock, and soon I was surrounded by Gericht, Tank, and Tayle joining her. Winri wasted no time climbing my back and latching on like the little gremlin she was running her hand over my scalp 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over my short hair.
"Wow! Looking good, Rama. I like the jacket." Tank was the first to speak, a happy smile on his battered face. He gave me a friendly slap on the shoulder that earned him an offended hiss from the Winri-shaped growth on my back.
"You look so different! I... almost didn't recognize you at first." Tayle was still looking at me with a sense of awe that made me shift awkwardly.
"Hey, it's still me in the flesh." I pulled Tayle into a hug as I heard a squawk from behind me and felt the weight of Winri disappear. Tayle stifled a sob as she buried her face in my shoulder. I didn't realize she'd taken my leaving so hard. I should have expected it, I guess, she was like a big sister to pretty much all the kids my age. She watched over us, taught us, and comforted us when we were upset.
Gerich gave me a silent nod from where he stood, holding a pouting Winri that I returned before looking at the other two people that had come to meet me. Kal, if anything, was scowling even harder, and his glare felt like he was trying to remove me from existence. The woman in the suit smiled politely while she waited patiently, compad in hand. Gently extricating myself from Tayle's grip, I turned to them.
"Well, I suppose this is where the business part of my visit happens. I'm Captain Rama Hardmod of the William Cody. I already know Kal, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, miss?"
"I am Sakchai Lumir, the station representative. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Captain Hardmod." I felt a thrill of pleasure go down my spine at being addressed as 'Captain Hardmod' as I shook her offered hand.
"Same here, representative Lumir. Getting right to it, my ship is equipped with machine shop fabricators capable of processing any scrap or organics you give me into finished goods."
"I see, that is a very valuable service you offer us, Captain. What do you desire in return for access to this service?" I frowned as I thought it over. If it were up to me I'd just offer it for free. The wear on the fabricators would be minimal, and I had no real need for anything they had to offer. I doubted their pride would accept me simply giving it to them, though.
"I'll take 10% of all materials processed as my fee for access to my fabricators." Sakchai's brow rose in surprise.
"Hmph, typical. You come back only to make a profit off your home. How Itzli of you, Rama." I bristled at Kal's tone and accusation. Before I could open my mouth, Sakchai was already glaring at Kal.
"Kal, enough. I don't know what your problems are with Rama, but you will not let them interfere with our business with him am I clear?" Kal looked away with a grunt.
"Kal, I said am I clear?" I watched as Sakchai's glare redoubled at his refusal to answer clearly.
"Yes, representative." Kal bit out his reply through gritted teeth, and Sakchai faced me again, all smiles.
"That is very generous of you, Captain. What do you have available for fabrication?" Instead of giving a verbal reply, I stared at her compad and triggered my NIL, uploading a list of available products and their resource requirements. Sakchai jumped slightly as her compad chirped, and her jaw dropped as she scrolled through the items listed.
"Just select what you want to order in the list and set a quantity. It will tell you how many materials and what type I will need for the fabricators to produce it. If there's something you need that's not on the list, let me know, and I'll see if I can't come up with something." Sakchai was still absent-mindedly looking through the catalog but jolted out of her daze at the sound of my voice.
"Yes, understood. How do you wish for the materials to be delivered?"
"Simply put them in containers on the lift, and the ship will do the rest after they're loaded. Once they've begun processing, your compad should show a timer for when fabrication is finished. Once it's done, you'll receive an alert, and you can pick up the finished product off the lift when I send it back down."
"That's quite the efficient setup you have, Captain. Very well, I will meet with my staff to decide on what to procure from you. Expect deliveries to begin in about two hours. If you'll excuse me."
"My ship will be ready, Representative." A final nod and handshake, and I turned back to my friends.
"Well, I'm sure you only have a million or so questions for me." I managed to draw a chuckle out of them with my comment, but they were looking much more subdued now.
"So, what say we go surprise Uncle before we start the interrogation eh? That way I only have to repeat- what's wrong?" My stomach dropped as Tayle's composure crumpled, and Gericht gave me a silent shake of his head.
"Uncle died two years ago, Rama." Tayle's words echoed in my head, and I swayed on my feet in shock.
"How?" I croaked out, barely noticing Winri giving me a hug around the middle.
"There was an accident, Uncle and the children he was taking care of were taking a class tour of the salvage dock when a crane mount broke. He pushed the children out of the way... But he couldn't avoid it himself." I nodded as I felt more than saw the presence of my friends surround me.
Winri let go of me to turn and bury her face in Gericht's stomach. Tayle enveloped me in another hug and Tank put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I blinked rapidly, futilely trying to fight off the tears trying to escape. Uncle had practically raised me and every other orphan on the station. Despite his grumpy attitude, Uncle had cared about us despite all the problems we could cause him. He'd never once prioritized anything else over taking care of us. Knowing that he was gone, that I'd never even get to say goodbye or tell him that I was doing alright, it hurt. My tears flowed freely, and I buried my face in Tayle's shoulder.
Most of us orphans didn't even know who our parents were, just being dropped off one day at the station by a passing tramp freighter who refused to say where we came from or who we were outside of a name on a metal tag hung around our neck. Uncle hadn't given a single scrap and taken us all in. Maybe he saw some of himself in us, I'll never know. If he had a name beside Uncle, no one knows what it was.
Finally, my tears slowed, and I pulled back from Tayle and Tank. Scrubbing my eyes with my sleeve, I tried to regain at least some of my good mood. It was obvious that talking about Uncle had torn open a half-healed wound for them, too. I didn't have the right to come back into their lives only to be miserable.
"So, we should probably find somewhere else to talk then, I guess." Tayle shook her head, still sniffling.
"No, Uncle left something for you. His room was turned into the station archive, but otherwise it's been left alone. No one bothers going there, so no one will bother us there while we talk." I gave a nod tugging on my jacket self-consciously.
"Alright, let's go talk."