Alpha Man Chapter 8

[Ed Man]

Going Forward

Chapter 8

“Thanks Ann I’m sure they’re still a lot of people that would like to get their hands on me for what I know or who I am.” Josh explained.

“Ann I’m going to have a cabin installed on the Dolphin like this do you likes it?” Josh asked.

Ann replied. “I would like that. What about the Split boy I don’t want to see him end up in an orphanage.”

Josh stated. “I’ll contact Noah and have the boy taken to the Goner Temple. They’ll find him a good home. I’ll put 50,000 credits in an account for the boys’ upkeep and counseling.”

Josh explained. “Ann there’s 3 1/2 million credits in gold tokens in the hole of the Dolphin and 1/2 is yours. But if you were willing to pitch in with me I would like to buy a wheat farm and place it in The Wall.
There are 15 worker drones and 6 security androids and 2 maid androids. Elk will be working for us for at least 6 months as a pilot. Caption Mitchell has released him into my custody after finding out he was just being used. If he stays out of trouble after 6 months of probation his sentence will be removed from his record and he can do whatever he wants.

I would like to offer Rob a job as the Senior Pilot at the Wheat Farm. Elk would be Rob’s assistant and Rob can tutor Elk in his piloting skills.

And I would like you to offer Mrs. Shell a position as our Sales and Acquisition Agent for the Wheat Farm.

We can order a Lifter to sell the wheat and equip it with our stocked equipment. And leave the Dolphin here to buy energy cells. One of the medium fighters and the bat for station defense. The Argon Navy has a Carrier in the sector for security so we should be safe.

I estimate we can do this for about 2 1/4 million credits. Then we take and go to Boron space as planed and buy you a new Dolphin.

The Argon Government has an opening for a Wheat Farm to be placed in that sector for an established corporation. I have a corporate license that I obtained three years ago for Galaxy Venture Enterprises.

Salas No my friend at Kingdom End does repairs and upgrades or buys and sales ships. I’m a part owner in his company and it’s underwritten through G.V.E.

I helped a friend get a restaurant started on the Argon Prime Trading Station and he is paying me back through G.V.E.

So what do you thank you want a Wheat Farm Miss Dane?”

Ann was astonished and overwhelmed at the fact she was about to get a Wheat Farm as she replied. “Yes”

Josh ordered. “Sarah file the request with the Argon Shipyard at Argon Prime. And that we will be there within the next 12 hours to make payment. And hire the sectors TL when our request is accepted and finalized.”

“Ann offer Mrs. Shell a 10% increase in pay over the company she was headed to.
And a quarterly profit share bonus of 1/2 of a percent of the Wheat Farms profits. I want her to be our General Manager over the Wheat Farm. The company she was headed to and the place she was at the jobs have already been filled. With Her qualifications we are fortunate to have the opportunity to hire her.” Josh replied.

Ann asked. “Are you going to talk to Rob about taking the Senior Pilots Position for the Wheat Farm?”

“Right after we get the approval for the station from the Argon Prime Shipyard. We should know something in about 2 or 3 hours. So get some rest if you can there’s an extra sleeper in here.” Josh replied.

“Sarah have a deluxe cabin installed on the Dolphin and have the cargo hole extended to the maximum. Ann and I are going to get some rest so secure the ship.
Contact Noah at the Goner Temple and inform him about the Split child and our donation so they can pick the boy up.
And wake me in 3 hours or when we get conformation about the station.” Josh ordered.

Ann and Josh made their way into their sleepers. As sleep came very quickly for the two not realizing how exhausted they had become.

Over in the security department Sherry and Caption Mitchell are having a discussion.

“Caption Mitchell I want to keep my bat and see that it’s repaired for me. Give Mr. Galen 100,000 credit for the Bat and tell him thanks I owe him my life. I told him my first name [Sherry] but nothing else.
You know I like him He intervened just in time. I was about to get passed around like a snack to them dogs!
When I get back to Argon Prime I’m going to tell the President about how slack security is in Ore Belt. The ship I was captured in was never scanned or when we were escaping not one Argon ship came to check on or to assist a ship being fired on.
Please can you just get me home I want to be with my family now I’m exhausted and I just want to go home!” Sherry stated.

“I’ll take you home personally Mama. You can rest on your way home I’ll have two escorts with me. And Argon Prime security has already sent a pair of Elite fighters for added safety.
I’m not pleased with the way security is being handled in Ore Belt and will place a formal complaint to the Argon Prime Security Commander myself.” Caption Mitchell declared.

Sherry’s capture was just a random act of pirating. They didn’t know anything about her all they seen was an easy target. An easy ship to sell and slaves was there interest, not a political prisoner.
Caption Mitchell escorted Sherry backs home to Argon Prime and her family.
Sherry was a family friend and an aid to the President. She was on a lobbing mission for the President when she was captured.
Caption Mitchell would be man of the hour thanks to Josh. Caption Mitchell was appreciative to Josh for going after the boy and saving the girl. Josh and Ann’s rescue of the Boy’s and Sherry along with a special thanks for there help in eliminating a Pirate gang was in Caption Mitchell’s report he sent to Argon Security Command.

Sarah had received confirmation about the station and had just awakened Josh. “The station has been approved. The TL has been hired and is on way to the Shipyard.
The Bat has been seized by Argon Security and has offered a 100,000-credit compensation for it.”

Josh replied. “Take the offer on the Bat and remove any of your programming from the Bat. Are the doctors finished with Robert and Rose?’

“Mr. Lank is in his room. Mrs. Shell is still in recovery. All surgeries have been completed and paid for.”
Sarah stated.

“Sarah wake Ann after Mrs. Shell is taken to her room and she’s alert and moving.” Josh stated.

Josh was on his way too talk to Rob about the job offer. The bat had been moved to a secure area. The other ships were starting to look good Josh thought as he walked past them. The Zipper had returned and was docked the supplies were being offloaded as Josh ordered.
“Sarah don’t installing the transporter and jump drive on the Dolphin. Finish construction and store them in the cargo hole of the Lifter.”

The Argon Government and Goners had designed their jump drive to us energy cells and wouldn’t work without them. Josh had helped in their development and was aware that the need for energy cells was a safety concept to keep pirates from taking advantage of its benefit. The jump-drive and transporter were going to be released for sales after security buffers have been installed on stations and buildings where security is a concern.
New weapons and ships were about to be offered to those with a good reputation with the race they were dealing with.
The new TP class and the Corvette were going to be made available before long. And a completely redesigned line of ship was about to come out.
The older ships won’t be able to compete or keep up with the bigger, faster and newer versions. So most will be decommissioned and scraped.
Wharfs were about to be built throughout the universe to ease with the transition off ship replacement and decommissioning.
Josh wanted to make sure that all the new features was a part of the station he was receiving so he went to the commutations office and requested a line to the shipyard.

The officer relayed to Josh his line to the shipyard was ready as he handed Josh the handset.
“This is Josh Galen I want to make sure that all the new features are a part of the package. And can you add an additional secured section to the station for research and development with its own small docking bay? Here’s the ideal size give or take 10%.” Josh relayed the information to the shipyard.

The shipyard had the newer features for the station and realized that if Josh knew about them he was someone with inside connections. So his request was granted for the additions and updates.

“The new upgrades and the additional section and docking bay will be added to the Wheat Farm. You will need an additional shield for the added section. The cost will be 250,000 credits extra for the additions. And an added 12 hours to add them and load the TL.
Do you want to proceed with the additions?” The Representative asked.

Josh replied. “Yes here is my account number I will authorize the transfer off full payment now.
When the TL is loaded send it to The Wall I’ll meet with the Caption there to decide on the deployment area. Are the new ship models available for purchase? I need a M5 and TS.”

“We have a new M5 none of the other models are out. But I can give you a 10% discount on one freighter because you purchased a station.” The shipyard rep replied.

“Good I want a new M5-S and one TS-S max out the rudder, speed and cargo on both ships. A deluxe cabin on both ships and a 4-passenger compartment added on the M5.” Josh ordered.

“I don’t have a 4 passenger for the Disco but I do have a 6 and you will lose 10 units of cargo space.
Do you want the 6 or do you wish to wait till we have a better selection. Or we can give you an older model with what you want.” The sales rep replied.

“I’ll take the 6 passenger on the new model. And send both ships here when there finished. I authorize the transfer of full payment on the ships now.”
Josh ordered.
“Sarah notify the Station Bank security to come and pick up and deposit the gold tokens into my corporate account. Calculate what has been spent on the factory and ships subtract the Lifter we captured and the addition to the factory and tell me what’s left.” Josh ordered.

Sarah informed Josh there would be over 1.9 million left. Josh was headed to offer Rob the Senior Pilot position. Rob was up and looking on the Universal Net for a pilots job.
Josh informed Rob about the job offer and its responsibilities and how Elk was part of the deal.
Rob quickly accepted the position and the salary. Josh told Rob to go to the Dolphin and review the supplies and get what he and Elk would need. And to start interviewing pilots and to hire at least 6 freighter pilots and 6 fighter pilots. And the jobs would start as soon as the factory was completed. Which would be in about 2 weeks from today. Josh opened an account for the Wheat Farm and placed 500,000 credits in it for operating funds.

Ann had talked to Rose and had hired here as Manager of the Wheat Farm. Ann asked Josh to meet her onboard the Lifter.

Josh instructed Sarah to upgrade the new Disco and Lifter using the supplies on hand that would take the last two 25 watt shields in stock. And move the remaining stock into the new Lifter. Except what it would take to outfit a new Dolphin and place it on Josh’s Lifter with the extra transporters and jump drives.

Josh entered the Lifter and sat down across from Ann and asked? “What do you want to call the Wheat Farm? And what do you want to name our shipping venture?
What did you want to talk about Ann?”

“We can’t leave the ships here while the station is being built. We need to store them at the shipyard the Dock Master has given us 18 more hours to finish the repairs and make way.” Ann conveyed.

“Rob can take the ships to the Goner Temple and have transporters installed on them while he’s interviewing pilots. Rose can start interviewing personal there also. The Goners know a lot of people who needs a job they are prescreened and rated and would be a perfect place to start from.
Sarah place two repair drones on my Lifter and the other two on the new Lifter.
Sarah download your upgrades onto all our ships and place your programming on one of the maid androids and take control of it.
And change it into pilots’ apparel and select some weapons and a scanner for security the android will be Rose’s pilot and assistant. And if needed protection for Rose and her Son. When it’s ready send it to Rose.” Josh ordered.

Josh informed Rose about the android and her ship for now was the new Disco. And instructed Rob to take the new Lifter as there command ship and the Dolphin and the two M4s to the goner Temple.

Josh explained to Rose and Rob about going to the Goners first and why and what to do to the ships.
Then Josh instructed Rob after he hired the pilots to go to sector The Wall and use the Dolphin to start trading and the fighters as escorts. Too keep a fighter on each freighter and use the Lifter as their base ship and keep it in The Wall as the station is being assembled. And limit the Dolphins trading to Argon Prime and The Wall. And Rose would have to rent a room on the Trading Station at The Wall and inform her personal when the Wheat Farm was ready.

Josh and Ann decided about a name for the station and the shipping business.
The station name and any others would be called Golden Enterprises.
And the shipping would be called Rious Shipping.
Josh and Ann had to go to the Argon Prime Trading Station and register Golden Enterprises Wheat Farm and Rious Shipping with the Argon Commerce Office.
Josh was thanking about all that had happened as they left the station headed for Argon Prime.
And how they can at last set down and eat that meal he promised Ann.