“So, you think he’s gonna be the boss we need?”
Earnest ‘Full House’ Warwick’s question hung in the air in the modestly-sized bunk room where his three squadmates stood. No one answered right away.
“Who cares what kinda boss he is, House?” Joker said, the ceiling light reflecting off his bald, dark head which bobbed as he spoke enthusiastically, “so long as he pays us on time, and we get protection from those Corporate b-holes?”
“I believe House’s concerns lie not with the Captain’s ability to pay us,” Yue said, staring at the door, “but more for his lack of experience in a real fight involving the possibility of death in the field.”
“She hit the traak’s eye,” House said, running his hand through the closely cropped, single stripe of hair that ran down the middle of his own, otherwise bald pink head, “He’s nice, an’ he fought back those Corporate’s who’d been hunting us. But is he gonna get us contracts that pay? Is he gonna lead us from the front or from behind a console? ‘Cause I don’t think he’s ever hit a target that wasn’t just a bunch of ones and zeros and colored blips on a sim-screen.”
“Maybe so, maybe not,” Anja said, her accent fading a little as she relaxed with a small tumbler of clear liquid, her red hair pulled back into a practical ponytail. “All we know now is that we are safe, we are fed, and have a strong roof over our head, no? And we know these things will be here tomorrow. Good captain, experienced captain, live or dead captain, those things were not there with the last captain we had, yes?”
“No, no they weren’t, true,” House grumbled. “You gots any more of that fancy stuff, Anja?”
“For you, House? No. For that handsome captain? Maybe. For my boyfriend Vladimir, though…” still holding her drink in her left hand, she pulled out the small handle she’d used in the fight earlier. With a quick shake of her wrist, it came alive and the red light appeared and grew in a curve from the handle until it formed a red sickle, hovering over the red light beaming from the handle. “The wodka will always be there!” she dipped the tip of the glowing blade into her drink, which promptly began steaming. Dousing the light of her weapon with a button’s click she up-ended the small glass and drank the vodka in a single shot.
Anja’s face wrinkled in pain for a moment, then settled into a sense of dreamy happiness. “Besides, children,” she said, “my tribe has had a saying since they lived in the biggest country on the surface of Old Earth…k’toh ni risKUyet, tot ni pyot shamPANSkava!”
“...Which means?” Joker asked.
“He who doesn’t take risks doesn’t drink champagne,” Anja said, her voice already starting to slur a bit as the alcohol began to do its work. “Besides, if we don’t take a chance here, where do we go, nuh? Were they lining up out into the street to hire us in that little deshevo bar we were drinking at?”
“Well, you gotta point there,” House said with a sigh, looking at the floor. “Yue, your eye got anything to weigh in on this?”
“I can find information through the infranet, but there is relatively little of it available on our new Captain. New Avalon is a virtually autonomous colony located at the rim of the Palladinic Territories. The Captain is the son of Texas Morgan, Earl of New Avalon and de facto ruler of the colony, elected repeatedly in a series of free plebiscites over the course of the past twenty years. The Earl is a war hero, who led his small force of defensive War Mechs to an unanticipated victory over a numerically superior force of Corporate aggressors…”
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“So, his daddy knows what he’s doing. Anything on junior here?” House said, looking at the wall with a bored expression.
“Nothing that I haven’t already told you. The colony guards the privacy of its citizens quite jealously, and that extends to any records or news that does not concern other worlds or territories.”
“Sounds like my people,” Anja said, “only they guard the news so no one outside knows how awful it is living there, or how useless the government is.”
“That may be,” Yue said, her head twitching slightly as she accessed more information, “but unlike the Red Star Coalition, I can find no evidence of people trying to escape from New Avalon in search of a better life. The Captain excepted, of course.”
“Yah, an’ with your people, Anja,” Joker piped up, “what I hear, anyone who complains gets put into the nearest prison asteroid an’ spends th’rest of their lives breakin’ big rocks into little rocks.”
Anja poured herself another drink. “I vish I coult say ‘now that’s not fair,” but it’s probably the mos’ accurate thing I’ve heard about my homespace all week.”
“Sounds to me,” House said, “that you’re trying to suggest we move to the Captain’s homeworld and set up there instead.”
“You know, lately? This little bald-headed Merc wouldn’t mind that. Maybe be a farmer or a security guard. Beats gettin’ shot at or murderin’ people who never done nothin’ to me with high-powered lasers or proj.”
“Joker, if there’s a pretty face involved, there’s nothing you wouldn’t at least think about trying.”
“So? Jus’ ‘cause I ain’t as big an’ ugly like you, House, don’t mean I can’t dream a little. An’ if’n I can’t sock away enough flash to retire jus’ yet, don’ mean I can’t keep tryin’. Right, gals? Back me up here.”
“If I were to marry and settle down,” Anja said, “he’d haff to be able to take care of me. But right now, no kids. I know I’d make a terrible mother, so no to that. Yue?”
“I am not opposed to marriage, but right now? I’ve failed to find anyone who interests me in that area. Still, the possibility of starting a life in a place where I am not constantly monitored or possibly arrested for my thoughts or speech, as often happens in my home territories, is quite appealing, too at times.”
“So, we could at least think about settling down, someday,” Joker said, “at least if the Cap’n gives us a raise past what we’re used to gettin.’ And then, if-”
“Shaat on a bakka, Joker, you listening to yourself? I may be big, dumb, ugly or all three, but even I know when someone’s getting ahead of themselves. You haven’t done job one for the boss, and already you’re thinkin’ about hitting him up for a raise! And settling down at a homestead down the road from him besides!”
“Well, you gotta think ahead in this business, House! I mean, otherwise, why-”
A series of electronic blips sounded above them, interrupting Joker’s latest train of thought. “Attention,” Dallas’ voice sounded throughout the bunkroom where the warriors sat and the rest of the ship. “This is your captain speaking. My name is Dallas Morgan, callsign…callsign Cowboy. It’s a great honor to be helming this ship, and as of now, we are switching from being a transport service to a mercenary company. The resulting uptick in income is projected to pay off our debts within six months.”
In the engine room of the Palefroi, the three self-taught staff looked at each other and nodded their heads. A debt-free company meant more money for the workers.
“...But that means we need to get working, and fast. Four mechs have been loaded into our bays in addition to my own, the Galatine. We have reviewed the jobs available and will be undocking soon.”
The navigator, first officer and CFO on the bridge traded glances as Dallas spoke under the watchful eye of Gareth, who also looked at them with his mechanical arm folded over his left arm of flesh. “All personnel, be ready for the order to unmoor. All warriors report to the cafeteria for briefing on our upcoming destination and- our first job as a team.”
The four mech-fighters looked at each other in the bunkroom. “Looks like we’re employed, people!” Joker said happily!
“Or dead already and we just don’t know it,” House grunted.
#
BI TO BE CONTINUED....