Castaway Chapter 8

[Ed Man]

New Friends
Chapter 8

“Peter wake up the upgrades are done and the woman on the freighter is acting up.”
Peter stretched and rubbed his eyes as he said. “How is she acting up she’s in a cage?”
[Sam] “She has tossed everything in the cage out at the drone along with the food it served her.”
[Peter] “I take it she doesn’t like the food she was giving her captive! Did she damage the drone?”
[Sam] “No its just covered with food it can clean it’s self up.”
[Peter] “Set the autopilot on the freighter for the Trading Station and transport our drone and then little Miss Trouble maker into the hole and secure her to the wall. Then give command of the freighter to the Drone and increase our speed to full after we drop if they let me keep the freighter I’ll fly back out and escort it in.”
The ship hit full speed and nothing was on the HUD but open space so Peter went to talk to the woman.
[Woman] “Who are you and what are you going to do with me!?”
[Peter] “I’m the one that rescued the young Man you had in the cage. And as for what am I going to do with you? You’re going to Sector Security and lockup.”
[Woman] “I’ll give you the two that bought me off the Pirate Station in the nebula just for this job. They said they would free me after the Man I was watching was returned to the planet and released.”
[Peter] “So you seen their faces?” [Woman] “Yes I seen them.”
[Peter] “Did the Man you had hostage see them?”
[Woman] “No just me. He never seen them I’m the only one who can ID them.”
Peter pulled up a picture of the two men he had captured. “Is this them ?”
[Woman] “This is one of them.” As she pointed to the one from the Disco they were in.
[Sam] “I have a picture of the one that was killed.” Peter showed it to the Woman.
[Woman] “That’s the other one! I don’t know who that other guy was.”

Peter left the hole confining her to a small area with restraints and set the drone on guard.
The young man was up when he entered the cabin so he asked. “What do they call you and tell me about the woman?”
“Everyone calls me Junior I was named after my dad. And the woman what can I say she’s hot. She was everything I wanted but she acted distance and I didn’t understand why until I woke up in that cage.”
Peter looked at Junior as he held his head down with a distant look on his face.
[Peter] “I got her in back locked up do you want to tell her anything?”
Junior looked up at Peter for a minute and lowered his head back down. “No I got nothing to say to her. If its alright with you I’ll just lay down and rest.”
Junior ate a little and went back into the small room and stayed for the rest of the trip only coming out for a snack until they reached the Trading Station.

As soon as they docked a man and security team was waiting on the other side of the hatch.
“Mr. Stone I’m Dana’s Lawyer please come with me and explain everything to me that happened. Mrs. Lena has asked that I stay and handle your case the man that owned that Discovery said you stole it from him. I see you rescued Junior and have one more of the captors let me review the statements and tapes you have if she tells on the others this will all be over in just a few minutes.”
Peter went into a room and waited and watched the news they had running on a monitor. After watching the same story three times he knew it had been at least three hours when the Lawyer came in.
“Mr. Stone everything is fine the girl confirmed your story and named the Pilot as one of the men that hired her. Then he rolled over on the man in the Buster and the rest of the case I can’t discuss. But the Discovery, Buster and Dolphin are now yours. Mrs. Lena has asked that you meet with her at the shipyard she want’s to talk to you about the Dolphin.”
[Peter] “I need to get back out to the Dolphin and escort it back will it wait?”
[Lawyer] “Mr. Stone I will send a escort to protect the Dolphin right now you actually need to speak with Mrs. Lena to understand, I’m not at liberty to say anything.”
[Peter] “Send the ship I’ll go to the shipyard as soon as I get something off my old ship tell her I’ll be their in a few hours.” The Lawyer talked into his phone and replied. “The escort has left for the Dolphin and Mrs. Lena will be waiting on you at the shipyard and the shipyard will repair your Buster for you free you can send it down now if you like.”
“Thanks I will.” Peter replied as he headed out of the office. “ Sam have the drone on the Buster fly to the shipyard for repairs. Have the wrecked ship pulled out of storage and send the drone on the Disco to get started getting the parts of the wreck we need I’m on my way there now.”
[Sam] “The Buster is on its way. The ship will be out in a few minutes and the drone is on its way. Peter the drone can get the parts we need off the ship. Kea is looking for you and headed your way.”

Peter stepped around the corner and seen Kea headed right for him. “Peter wait you need to know Klope was the one who sold the codes for the ship to the Pirates. He stole Harrier and parts from Ananeoo and disappeared after Security man asked Klope questions about who had codes to ships.”
[Peter] “Klope didn’t like me and didn’t care much for him. What’s Ananeoo going to do now his ship and Klope is gone?”
[Kea] “He want’s you to work full time now and go and fix Disco in storage at shipyard and fly it back.”
[Peter] “I’m going to the shipyard on business I’ll have to get back with Ananeoo on the offer. Do you need me to pick up some parts while I’m there?”
Kea called Ananeoo and asked. “How much you charge?”
Sam stated as Peter was thinking. “The drone has got the part what do you want to do with the ship?”
[Peter] “Tell Ananeoo I’ll do it for free to help him out. Do you want the ship I have in storage Kea?”
[Kea] “How much?” [Peter] “You can have it for free.”
[Kea] “Free why free what wrong no one give free!” [Peter] “Nothings wrong I did real well on that trip do you want it?”
[Kea] “Yes Kea want ship. Kea in your debt, Peter good man. Ananeoo say yes, he too in your debt.”
Kea bumped knuckles with Peter and said as he was leaving. “Good flying Peter you make many credits.”

Peter headed for the shipyard to meet with Dana to see what was so important she needed to see him so soon. Sam had downloaded the data and was working on the food processor when they entered the atmosphere. “Peter I have finished upgrading the food unit if you want to give it a try.”
Peter put the ship on auto pilot and fixed himself a cup of coffee and a sweet roll.
[Peter] “That’s better Sam it has a good taste now. Did you get all the data off the storage unit?”
[Sam] “Yes, I am receiving a message from the shipyard. You are to meet Mrs. Lena at construction bay three.”
Dana was waiting to greet Peter as he docked. “Welcome to the Shipyard lets go inside we need to talk.”
Dana explained that when the ex-wife found out about Dana’s return and the capture of one of the pilots. And how she escaped into open space with her latest boy toy in a heavy fighter before the authorities had a chance to question her. The Sector Director had commissioned the Shipyard to build and place a wharf to be used as a shipyard and equipment dock to build a Destroyer and two Corvettes for the planets protection and sector security. But the system had no TL and that was where the Dolphin came in play.
The shipyard wanted to refit the Dolphin into a makeshift TL and deploy the Station in sections. The Dolphin would be returned to Peter when the Station was built.
Dana showed Peter what the Dolphin would look like when the refit was finished. It looked like a double take picture of a Dolphin one on top and one underneath with hull connecting the two together. A small docking bay and deployment doors on the side. The control room would be extended for the added workstations everything about the ship was doubled and turrets and a weapons generator had been added for protection. The ship would have to make four trips to deploy the whole station and from start to finish it would take two months to complete the refit and station deployment. Peter signed the release for the Dolphin to be refitted and used before Dana had showed him the freighter she wanted him to have as a gift.

Dana took peter into a bay where a Mercury Hauler was parked. “Peter I want you to have this My husband was working on it as a prototype for the Argon Mercury Miner series. The Mercury series can’t mount a mobile drilling system so we came up with this. It has a rear turret that will mount a mobile drilling system and a front turret with two APAC in it for busting up the ore. If you would follow me to the rear.” Peter followed Dana to the back section of the freighter and up a catwalk where he could see the top section of a Discovery sticking out of the Mercury.
“This was to be a optional feature making it the only TS to be able to dock a M5 giving the owner a much needed option we thought. Here are the ships specifications I think you’ll be impressed.”
Impressive it was as peter looked over the data on the freighter. It had a M5 weapons generator a large crew cabin with increased speed and rudder control and still held 7200 XL units of cargo. The Disco was a one of a kind it had hard points for four APAC in the front and a small tractor beam mounted in the rear to pull ore out of the hard to get to places for the freighter.

[Dana] “The ship is yours all that I ask is you put it to work and make every miner out there want one. I need the added ore for the shipyard so I’ll but all the ore you mine at standard price until we get our station built and our stockpiles are full then I’ll buy at the market value price. The freighter will house a 12 man crew with ease. But I would start with a smaller amount say around eight for starters. I have deposited a million credits into your account as a gift for your services. I owe you my life and the life of my stepson and for that we will always be in your debt.”
Dana took Peter onboard the Miner and transferred ownership over to him and showed him a list of people with contact numbers the shipyard had already interviewed, screened and tested.
[Dana] “I have placed you on our list of company employees as a permanent staff member. Good luck I wish I could spend more time showing you around but company business calls. If you would give the woman I was working for on the outpost this bag of tokens I promised her if I made it out of their alive.”
Peter took the bag agreeing to deliver it and thanked Dana for everything.

Sam transferred everything over into the Buster and started refitting the systems while Peter was hiring a crew for the Miner.
The first person on the list he hired was the mechanic the Pirates had tried to kill on the Harrier. The next few hours were spent talking to and hiring a Ten man crew. The crew came in one by one to their new job as miners each with different abilities. Two had medical training three were mechanics one was a electrician three were fighter pilots and one was security agent but all of them were pilots and all signed on for a three month tour.
Everything was going well the plan was to use two of the crew in the Disco to run taxi and escort missions while the other eight run the miner. And the first job for the Disco was to check out the Discovery in storage and make a list of parts needed to repair it. Then pick up the parts shipment and deliver the list and parts to Ananeoo. Then join up with the Mercury and Buster on their way to Outpost Gamma.

Dana had maxed the Buster and Mercury Miner out with everything you could but including jump drives. The crew had settled in secured their gear and was strapped in ready for takeoff.
Peter run his systems check, filled their flight plan and waited on the Mercury to give the ok.
The all ready was given and the two ships took off and headed for open space. Peter watched trying to take in the astounding sight of going from a light blue sky fading so quickly into the dark blue void of open space. As a thought came to Peter of him on his mothers lap as she read to him. That life was like a vapor here but for a short time.
Peter was remembering pieces of his life and most of them were not pleasant. Peter knew he had been a warrior most of his life and he was good at it. But now the only thing Peter wanted to shoot was rocks.
Something inside him told him he had crossed this path in life before. But life being full of complications had taken him in the other direction. But now busting rocks sounded like a good distraction from the complications of life Peter knew would catch back up with him sometime.

The 60 hour ride to the outpost was an easy trip and the outpost was waiting to look at the new miner due to arrive. “This is Outpost Gamma you are cleared to dock. Please dock the freighter in the ore receiving docks we have a lot of miners wanting to get a look at that ship. Fighter escorts please dock in the main docking bay.” The price tag for the whole setup Disco and all was a little over 2 million credits. The Miner alone started out at 1.3 million making it a big investment for any private owner. The Shipyard had sent a sales rep to answer questions and give a small tour of the ship for anyone willing to order one.
After Peter had docked and made his way down to the lower decks where the Miners had their own little lounge. Peter looked around most of the miners were there for the free food and drinks and take a break from the everyday grind. A older Man with more gray hair than black walked up to Peter.
“Welcome to the Lower Deck young Man I run this section what’s your name?” “Peter.” [Answering back as he shook the Mans hand.] “Well Peter they call me Digger if your looking to make your fortune out here you’re in for a rude awakening. You can make the credits but it’s a hard life here at the Outpost.”
[Peter] “You’re the Man I’m suppose to see about the area we can mine.”
[Digger] “That’s Me come this way to my office if you can call it a office.”
Peter walked into a room full of tools and parts off of what looked to be every machine. And a big active HUD on the wall.
[Digger] “We have a relay of satellites feeding back to the Outpost. This is your area to mine stay in it and out of the others and we’ll all be fine. What you mine in it is yours and you have a one years lease. When your lease is up the Outpost holds the right to increase the cost of the lease up to ten fold if you find some kind of valuable material. So if you find something you better get it the first year or we’ll be talking credits do you understand everything?”
[Peter] “Yes stay where we belong and get what you came for the first year.”
[Digger] “That’s it! Sign the lease here Mr. Stone. I’m also the law around here so stay in your area and if someone gets killed it better be a accident! Good luck to you and your crew and if you breakup that new ship we can fix it here at the Outpost.”
Peter left the lower deck and went to deliver the package Dana asked him to give to the woman she worked for. As he walked into the lounge the Woman replied. “You’re the one that Dana slipped out of here with. I’m surprised you’re still alive three fighters took out of here when the seen Dana was gone is she alright?”
[Peter] “She’s fine she asked me to give you this.” Peter handed her the package and left as the woman set it down and scanned it.
[Woman] “Hay wait! Dana said if she got out of here and back to her home she would send me one of these. Tell Dana when you see her I said thanks.”
[Peter] “I will when I send a report back.” Dana had given the woman a top of the line laptop and a entertainment chip loaded with her favorite movies and shows.
Peter called the crew chief. “Chief you need to get your ship in the field and mining for ore. I’m going out to our area and start scanning Mrs. Lena has a freighter in route how lets don’t disappoint them with a light load.”
[Chief] “Understood Sir loading up now.” The Discovery had already booked a passenger and a pickup from the Trading Station and was going to leave in two hours. Ounce back at the Trading Station they would take local runs to stay busy then return to the Outpost every 48 hours.

By the time the Miner had made it out to the area they had leased Peter had already started getting ore ready to collect. The Disco on back undocked and started work blasting as the miner started collecting. Peter pulled away form the two and started scanning for that special mineral that would make him rich and spotting high yield ore for the next collection. After rotating through a ten day cycle of three on two off everyone had done two full shifts Peter had scanned the whole area they had and had been transporting over to the Miner on a daily basis at different times to get to know his crew. The freighters offloaded each days load of ore like clockwork pulling to a safe distance away from the miner and transporting the ore off.
The Discovery had made to many empty trips so they decided to make the Outpost run ounce a week and stay with the more productive Trading Station and Planet runs besides the freighters were stopping in on a daily basis collecting ore for the Shipyard. They were taking everything Peter could mine and filling the empty space up at the Outpost making Digger and the other miners very happy.

Peter was in the Buster working on the next area to collect from when Sam replied. “Peter you’re receiving a message from Digger at the Outpost.” [Peter] “Pull it up on the screen.”
[Mr. Stone there is a miner working the area next to yours that is a week overdue on his regular visits to the Outpost. He’s helper quit him a month ago so he’s alone and over due will you check on him for me I’m tied up here.] [Peter] “Send a reply. I would be glad to.”
[Sam] “Digger said thanks. He’s in a old Demeter his name is Ben and here’s his last know position.”

Peter went looking for the man expecting to find the worst. Peter had the scanners on long range as he eased into the next area and two hours into the search he spotted the ship and when he got close to the ship Ben hailed him on a spacesuit com.
“What are you doing in my area!?”
[Peter] “Digger asked me to check on you. Do you need assistance it looks like your ship is stuck in that asteroid.”
[Ben] “It is some Outlaw I hired in a Harrier was trying to loot my dig. You’re that Man in that fancy new miner. I could use that fancy little Disco you have with that tractor beam right now to dig my ship out.”
[Peter] “I’ll transport you over and we’ll talk about it.” [Ben] “I’m ready.”

Ben explained that he had hired a Pilot with a Harrier to help with the mining and three days into the job Ben used his mining unit to bust up a the asteroid he was stuck in. When he fired at the asteroid it opened up a cavern in the largest piece the Harrier took a quick look and was all excited about the crystals inside yelling their rich. Ben quickly set him straight about who owned what and when he looked inside the Harrier opened up on him with a missile and weapons fire. The explosion pushed the Demeter into the opening and a few shots intended for the cockpit trapped it as the opening closed around the ship.
The Harrier took another pass at the trapped ship as Ben fired the mining unit sending the Harrier flying out of control into space and that was the last he seen of the Harrier.

[collins50]

Good one Ed
more adventures, and all ways helping out.