Alpha Man Chapter 10

[Ed Man]

Boron Blues

Chapter 10

They entered the sector and headed for the shipyard to meet Salas. Kingdom End was a beautiful sector and the Boron was proud of it. They made it their core sector with a shipyard.
Like Argon Prime is the Argons core sector with a shipyard.
The Boron are peaceful and don’t tolerate lawless behavior so Kingdom End is one of the safest sectors in space.
The Argon and Boron are close allies with each other and the Boron rarely venture past Argon space but when the newer faster ships and jump-drives hit the market things will change.

Jump-drives and transporters are being fitted on capital ships now. Transporter buffers are being installed on stations now.

Now was the time to ride the wave of change. Shipping was a start then next escort and security.
And Josh was determined not to get washed away but to be in on the change.

Salas was waiting for Josh to show him the Dolphin he had purchased for the refit when they landed.

As they exited the Zipper Josh seen Salas coming to meet them. Josh introduced Ann to Salas and in formed Salas the Dolphin was for Ann as they went to look at the ship. Salas was glad to see Josh and quickly took an interest in Ann knowing they would be working together.
Salas took them on a tour of the Dolphin explaining to Ann the details of the refit.
Salas was a good ship salesmen he knew about the ships inside and out and all there components and could be trusted. Integrity wasn’t a common quality among salesmen.

Josh had Sarah send the two repair drones to unload the stock parts and start on the Dolphin. Then he asked Ann to register Rious Shipping with the trading station and list it on the job board and try to get a local run in sector until he returned with the drones and could fly escort.

Ann asked. “Where are you going to get the drones?”

Josh replied. “I know a Teladi Yakima; he helped me with the Zipper. He has a few extra drones and wants to sell them. He repairs ships at the Equipment Dock in Ceo’s Buckzoid. He’ll want to haggle about the price I’ll buy him a meal and eat with him. Then he’ll sell the drones to me at the price we agreed on after telling me what a deal I’m getting. Trading with the Teladi is a learned talent.”

Josh headed for the Zipper as Salas escorted Ann to the Registers Office while telling her about a few good local runs she could get.

Josh left the station and headed to open space and activated the jump-drive. Josh liked being able to jump from sector to sector. And not having to use energy sells gave him a massive advantage.

As Josh entered through the South Gate he received a distress call from an Argon Buster in the lower Southeast region of the sector. “Argon Fighter I am in need of assistance! Security Forces have refused to answer! All I have is 10,000 credits it yours if you help!”

Josh headed to help the old man in the Buster. There were three Pirate ships in pursuit. One Mandalay that had taken damage but was still in the fight and one Bayamon firing on the Buster. The Old Man might live to tell the tale if was just the two. But an Orinoco was headed for the kill.

Josh hailed the Buster. “On my way hold on!”
The Pirates responded. “Come on to your death you brainless --------////////.”

Josh fired a Wasp at the heavy fighter as he zoomed by causing the ship to change course and evade the missile giving him some much-needed time to deal with the other two.
Josh turned on the Bayamon firing 4fast bursts into the ship causing it to pull away and let his shields recover. Then asking the Buster to finish of the Bayamon while his shields were down.
As Josh turned to the light fighter that was closing on him and strafed into a roll up and behind the fighter while firing on it as it drifted past the Zipper.
Josh hit the boost to close in behind just as the Pilot ejected into the hull of Josh’s ship killing him instantly.

Josh had Sarah clam it and send it to the Equipment Dock.
As Josh turned to the heavy fighter and dodged its fire as he swung in behind it and let loose with his weapons dropping it shields gradually as the big fighter tried to avoid Josh’s fire.

Josh saw the Buster headed to help as the Bayamon was blown to bits. Josh hailed the Buster and asked. “Please stand down I would like to capture this ship. I need a Heavy Fighter!”

The Buster stopped and picked up the crates from the Bayamon and watched as Josh wore the fighter’s shields down.
Just as the shields were about to hit bottom the Pirate screamed.
“I give up you can have my ship just let me live. I’ll give you the location of a Dolphin we captured if you let me live and just fly away!”

Josh replied. “Drop your shields and start talking.”

The Pirate turned off the one good shield that was left and started telling Josh the location of the freighter and left the ship and headed for the closest station.
Josh clamed the ship and sent it to the Equipment Dock. Josh hailed the Buster; the old man said he would meet him on the Equipment Dock he needed to make a few minor repairers first.

Josh went ahead and landed on the station to check out the light fighter. The station sales representative was waiting on Josh as he got off the Zipper.

The Rep. stated. “What fine ships Sir how can we help?”

Josh informed the salesman to find his friend Yakima they had business together and he would deal with him.
As he hissed and went to find the repairman. The Orinoco had landed as his friend Yakima walked up and said. “Good to see you Mr. Galen we do business?”

Josh replied. “Yes I want the drones we talked about. I want you to repair the Orinoco. Max the speed and rudder. Repair the weapons and shields and get it ready to fly. What will the wise and gifted Yakima give for this fine light fighter? Look them over and make a price. You give me a good price and we‘ll do business.”

Yakima looked over each of the ships going over the damaged parts counting and checking then turned to Josh and said. “Yakima take small fighter. Sell drones and fix Orinoco for 250,000 credits. If you give Yakima the freight still on small ship?”

Josh thought this was a fair deal and he didn’t have to haggle on the price. Josh scanned the small fighter and found two crates of space weed hid onboard. Josh would have ejected the weed and blasted it to dust if knew it was onboard before it docked. To say no because of his principles now would be a insult to the Teladi they sold it on all there stations.

Josh didn’t like it but he held out his hand and bumped knuckles with Yakima finalizing the deal.
Josh went and signed the agreement with Yakima and gave him the credits and asked that he have the drones loaded on the Zipper. The contract said the ship would be ready to leave in 7 hours.
Josh thought that would give him time to deliver the drones and go and check out the hidden Dolphin.

As Josh headed to the docks the Old Man from the Buster stopped him and said.
“Here are the credits I promised you.”
As he held out gold tokens worth 10,000 credits.

Josh took the tokens and asked him his name. The Old Man smiled and said.
“My name not important I’ve changed it several times. It what I do that’s valuable. I’m a Blues singer, player and righter that’s what’s important. Come to my ship I want to give you a gift for helping me out of that mess.”

Josh followed the Entertainer back to his ship. Josh waited as he went inside the Buster and came out with a guitar and a chip and handed them to Josh and said.
“Here anyone that can fly a fighter as good as you is going to know heartache, regret, lonesomeness and pain. That’s what the blues are all about. I’ve lived a good life with good times and bad. I played my guitar and sang about them and people paid to hear. That’s a signature copy of my guitar. On that chip are all my albums listen to them you might like them. Pick that guitar up some time and learn how to play it. It has a built in amp and you never need to change the strings isn’t technology nice.”

Josh thanked the Old Man for the gifts and asked if he knew which station the Pirate went to. The Blues Man replied.
“Let me tell you about that scum. I was doing a show about 3 years ago with a young group that was opening for me. And one of there crew went missing a young girl all of the crew had been tagged with a chip under there skin for security reasons.
So we formed a search party and got in our ships and hit the sector. When we meet back one of the ships was still out there. Sector Security was involved with the search now and had taken over.
About 12 hours later he showed back up. He had come across her signal in a light fighter so he followed the ship to the next sector then it turned to deep space. So he lagged behind and watched as the ship went to a distant freighter they were using for a base with two other fighters. Security had review the tapes and had the man picture that took her.

A rescue mission was sent for the girl. They found what was left of her. They did things to her that a crazed wild beast wouldn’t have done. They were cannibals and had eaten part of her. The two that were there died fighting when they took the ship.
There were three plates the man that took our friend had eaten her heart and left.

He was never found till today he was in that ship I blew up.
And his friend didn’t make it to a station he got burnt up by my weapons fire.

I caught him by chance. I thought I seen him out of the corner of my eye and showed his picture around and got a hit. His friend was buying that ship you got and would be back in two days to pick it up.
So I took a room and waited. I gave the salesman a bribe and said there was more if he told me when they returned. That’s how I caught him and they would have killed me if you hadn’t helped. I owe you my life thanks.”

Josh was over whelmed with the story as he looked at the Old Man. The Old Man turned and went into his ship. Josh had Sarah check the story out as he went to his ship. Sarah informed Josh that the pictures checked out it was the man. Josh left the station and headed to where the Dolphin was suppose to be in Boron Space one sector over.

As Josh entered the sector he hailed a Sector Patrol and told him about the ship and asked that he follow him to check it out.
As they got closer to the position the ship came on the scanner.
There it was Josh thought he wished there had been empty space in its place.
As they neared the ship they scanned for life signs and traps.
There was a live woman in a cage no bones or body parts and an easy to bypass trap on the hatch.

The Security Officer informed Josh that if he clamed the ship he could disarm the trap and free the woman.
Josh clamed the ship as two more Security Officers arrived and took Josh’s statement as the freighter started going to the Trading Station.
The Officers asked that Josh follow them to the Station. Josh asked if he could beam onto the freighter and sent his ship to deliver its cargo. And return meeting them on the station. Josh had a very good reputation with the Boron so they agreed.

Josh beamed a first aid kit and some food then him and ordered Sarah to go drop of the drones and inform Ann what’s going on. Then to jump back and dock and wait on him.

The young Woman told the Boron Officer Josh was not involved the man in the picture was the one that had kidnapped her. Josh gave her a blanket and food as he took care of her wounds the best he could.

As Josh scanned the ship it was clean no one had been slaughter onboard. The three Pirates had used the woman like a toy. She explained that the Pirates had said they were going to do something important to her when they returned.
Josh didn’t tell her that they meant to cook and eat her. Josh asked if they had any other freighters or bases that she knew or heard them talk about?
She said she was in a Vulture for a day then they moved her into a Dolphin they bragged about capturing and killing the pilot after he ejected.
They had boasted about the new fighter they could get as soon as they sold the Vulture while bushing onto the feet of next one like a dog here she is you play with her a while!
Josh could see the woman was getting very upset and was traumatized.
Josh looked at the woman and held her hand and said. “I’m sorry to have to ask you these questions but we needed to find out if there was any other people or ships we needed to check. The men that did this to you have been killed and can’t hurt you or anyone else.”

The woman smiled and said good as she pulled the blanket around her looked down for a couple minutes and then started crying.
Josh backed away and sat down to give the woman some privacy as she came to terms with the reality that it was over and she was alive and safe.

It took hours for the ship to reach the station the woman had settled down and had eat a little more as they docked. The Boron took the woman to medical and Josh went to file a report with the officer.

The Zipper was docked as Sarah hailed Josh and reported. ‘The drones have been delivered and were working on the ship. Ann was covered up with local runs and was safe and secure but was worried about you. And asked that you please contact her.”

Josh had Sarah send Ann a communication that he was fine and all was well and as soon as he got to the Zipper he would contact her.