Castaway Chapter 13

[Ed Man]

The House
Chapter 13

Peter was about to land as Kirsch set in the copilots watching every sight as broke through the clouds and they could see the house. “There it is on the right at the smaller one the big house belongs to Ben. He’s my neighbor and a friend but he doesn’t know about the Base or anything else and I want to keep it that way so watch yourself around him.”
[Kirsch] “Not a problem. Your house looks nice Peter. What’s that freighter doing behind Bens house?”
[Peter] “He liked that freighter so much he parked it their. He said he was going to fix it into a mobile mansion in case he decided to visit some of his old friends.”

Peter scanned the landing pad and area before he set the Tempest down. [Kirsch] “It’s bigger than it looks from the air. Who’s that in the flyer it’ headed this way?”
“I don’t know go inside the door and watch.” Kirsch stepped into the house and watched out the door with her hand on her stunner pistol as the flyer landed. Peter noticed it was one of his newly designed luxury vehicles. “Mr. Stone this is a gift from the company it‘s yours to do with as you please. Just a small way of saying thanks please sign here it’s already tagged and registered in your name Sir.”
Peter signed the delivery ticket as the man walked to the back of the pad where a flyer was landing and picked the man up and they were gone.

Peter looked at Kirsch. “Come her and look at the new flyer the company gave me. It’s my luxury model.”
The two looked at the new ship like two kids looking at a new toy. They had seen most of the working vehicles delivered to the Alpha Site but not the luxury model. The vehicle was designed for flying on a planet with a atmosphere to transport five people max and a few belongings to a meeting or back and forth to the office and home.
[Peter] “Sam pull the flyer into the garage and inspect it. Send Ben a message and tell him I’ll stop by tomorrow after work to see him I’m going to take it easy today.”
[Sam] “He sent one back Peter. He want’s to know how your going to rest with that hot chick over their with you.”
[Peter] “Kirsch you are hot you know.” [Kirsch] “What do you mean hot?”
[Peter] “You’re very attractive, I’ll have to keep my eye on Ben.”
[Kirsch] “Why is he dangerous, do I need to watch him?”
[Peter] “No he’s alright he’s just a single man looking for a woman.”
[Kirsch] “Alright and thanks. Do you think I’m hot Peter? Kirsch was looking at Peter waiting for a reply.
[Peter] “Let me look.” Peter turned her around kicked her arms up and placed them on his shoulders and looked into her eyes and give her a kiss. “Kirsch you’re extremely hot!” Then Peter kissed her again backed away and started looking in the kitchens cabinets. Kirsch was glowing after the remark. “Peter why are you so good to me?” Kirsch turned him around and held him close.
[Peter] “You make it easy Kirsch.” Kirsch looked up as a tears filled her eyes.
[Kirsch] “I now I don’t remember everything but I know that was the nicest thing anyone has ever told me.”
Kirsch held Peter close a while then went to her room to freshen up while Peter keep looking around the house trying to see where everything was while looking for a coffee cup.
“Sam where’s the coffee maker and cups?”
[Sam] “I didn’t get a coffee maker or cups you have a food dispenser.”
Peter went to the food processor and got a cup of coffee and smelled it. “I want a coffee maker and cups like the one we had at the Alpha Site. I like the aroma it makes in the air when it makes a cup of coffee.”
[Sam] “I’ll make one right away Peter do you want one in the Base also?” [Peter] “Yes.”

[Sam] “The flyer has no bugs and is in good working order. I suggest these alterations be made.”
[Peter] “I can’t have a normal anything can I?”
[Sam] “You’re not a normal person Commander it’s my job to protect you can I make the changes?”
Peter looked at the refit knowing he could never show what was under the hood to a customer. “Sam
The flyer has to look like a normal vehicle in every way can that be done?” “Yes Commander.”
Peter looked over the new design and liked it but it required a lot more work to conceal the changes. “How long will it take to finish the flyer?”
[Sam] “I need to transport it to the base and it will be finished before you go to work.” [Peter] “Do it then.”

Kirsch came out of her room all cleaned up and ready for bed and asked Peter. “Peter go clean up and I’ll rub your shoulders and neck before bed you look tense.”
Peter cleaned up and laid down on his bed face down like Kirsch asked. She started giving Peter a massage that turned into a gently rub and that was the last thing Peter remembered as he woke up.
Peter eased out of the bed and seen Kirsch at the foot of his bed on the floor asleep with her pillows and blankets. “Kirsch wake up did you stay in here all night?”
Kirsch opened her eyes and smiled at Peter. “Yes I wanted to stay in here with you and I didn‘t want to bother you.”
[Peter] “Come on and get up I’ll go make the coffee.”
Peter went into the kitchen while Kirsch went to her room with her makeshift bed to freshen up and go set with Peter at the table.
[Peter] “Sam give me a report.”
[Sam] “The Flyer is finished and setting in the garage. You have a lunch meeting with Dana. Your miners, taxis and freighter are all running with no problems making a above average profit for your privet company. The small vehicle division is now operating at 100% and making a steady gain in profits.
The Dolphin has been refitted and is transporting the station a section at a time from the shipyard.
The Teladi Company Director has ask to speak with Mrs. Lena about building and placing a super complex that can produce energy cells as it’s main product and sun oil as a secondary product. Which means they will be needing your refitted Mini TL to place the station.
The Board of Directors has already talked about building a TL and have decided against it establishing it would cost ten times more to build and operate a TL than it would ever make in a closed sector.”

Peter pulled up the final design the Dolphin had been extended, stretched out, expanded and refitted to hold 1000 units of station size containers and the generators, equipment and a small 4 slot docking bay.
The only thing that looked like the Dolphin on the outside was the cockpit sitting on top of the enormous body of a ship. The original plan was a smaller version of ship that would have held about 300 units.
But after construction had already started on the Dolphin they discovered the design lacked the room to make it effective so the massive design holding a 1000 units was settled on.
Ownership of the ship was to return to Peter after the station was finished and Peter needed to hire a crew, rent it out or sale the ship outright but which one was the question Peter was thinking as he looked at the ship on his PDA.

Kirsch came into the kitchen and asked. “When we leaving for work?”
Peter turned the PDA off and put it down. “Early I have a lot to do.”
Peter and Kirsch finished up and loaded up into the new flyer and headed off to work.

While back at the Alpha Site on one of the outpost in a bar a man walks over to a table where a man is setting with a bottle of space fuel filling his glass back up. “I need you to do a job for me.” The man ask as he sets down. “And why should I you still owe me part on the other job I did for you. I may just do you for free! How would you like that?” The man eases his hand down onto his pistol looking at the man with the bottle saying. “I wouldn’t like it at all. I have the rest.” The he replied as he pulls a small bag of tokens from his coat and lays them in front of the man holding the bottle.
He lets go of the bottle and opens the bag counting the payment puts it in his coat and replies. “Tell me about the job.” As he takes hold of the bottle again. The man pulls a data chip from his coat and puts it beside the bottle saying. “I need a answer before I leave it’s all on the chip.”
He picks the chip up and puts it in a PDA and looks over the data takes a drink and fills the glass back up looks at the man saying. “I’ll take the job do you have the down payment?”
“I have it.” He motions at a man watching from a table in the shadows of the room and nods his head yes. The man walks over and lays a bag down in front of the man holding the bottle and walks away.
The man takes his hand off the bottle and opens the bag and looks inside then looks at the man setting with him saying. “Don’t make me wait on my pay again it makes me fill like you’re trying to stiff me.”
The man hiring the killer replies. “I had to lay low after that last job it didn’t work out for us like planed.”
The killer took a drink and filled the glass back up saying. “That’s not my problem I did my job don’t let it happen again or we won’t be friends anymore and you know what happens to my enemies.”
The man stands up to leave answering back. “I know it won’t happen again can I send my friend over their with the rest if I need to?”
The killer takes a drink and replies as he fills the glass back up. “Yes but I only take jobs from you just send him with the payment understand?” “I understand.” The Man replies then walks out the door with his friend.
A man walks from the back of the bar and sets down at the table with the killer saying. “You did real good give me the bags.” He gives the bags of gold tokens to the real killer smiling as he takes a drink finishing of the bottle while the killer takes the chip and PDA and leaves the bar with the imposter right behind him headed to the docks and their ship.

Back on the planet Peter is going to his meeting with Mrs. Lena. “Peter please have seat. Sales are up and we are very impressed with the new line. There is one thing I don’t understand the aid you brought back with you Kirsch she has done a good job as far as I can tell so please tell me what is she to you? And the only reason I want to know is I don’t want any scandals or lawsuits that can hurt us!”
[Peter] “It’s complicated.” [Dana] “It always is please explain.”

Peter decided the best way to explain was to just tell the truth as he told the story. After it was all over Dana asked. “Is she just staying because she wants to pay her debt to you or has it turning into something else that seems to be the question? Either way this could be a problem if the wrong person found out about it. You need to get her out of your house and into a place of her own. If she go’s to see you that’s between you two. Slavery is against Argon law but helping someone or a personal loan isn’t. Let me talk to her and see if I can resolve this matter somehow and get her a place of her own even if it‘s just for show she needs a residence other than you house. The next problem is the Mini TL we have a job for it and we need to know how you want to proceed here’s the proposal we came up with for you to look over.”

Peter left the meeting and called Kirsch. “Kirsch have lunch with me we need to talk about a problem.”
After lunch Peter explained the problem and how he was the head of that division and anything he did could effect everyone under him and the company. After a long talk about why, where, when and how Kirsch got a message from Dana wanting her to come to Dana’s office.
[Kirsch] “I have a meeting with Mrs. Lena I’ll do whatever I have to as long as I get to honor my word to you.” Peter watched Kirsch as she left the cafeteria woundering if he would have a job after the meeting or not. Peter liked his job but he liked having Kirsch around and he was the one that agreed to the servant deal in the first place and wasn’t about to abandon Kirsch for trying to keep her word.

Peter went back to his office and looked over the proposal on the Mini TL and laid it down until the housing issue with Kirsch was settled. Peter had just finished talking with one of the supervisors about a problem with one of the suppliers when Kirsch came back in as he was leaving.
[Peter] “How did it go?”
Without a word Kirsch laid a check on his desk in front of him saying. “You have to call me Miss Moon now that’s everything I owe you. Mrs. Lena gave me a job on the new station as a sales agent with a sign on bonus and a company Disco for a two year contract and a room at the companys apartments to stay in till the station is ready.”
[Peter] “I’m glad things worked out for you Miss Moon that’s a huge promotion and you deserve it you’ve done a remarkable job at the Alpha site and now you get to put everything you’ve learned to use.
Are you excited about the position and getting to have your own team?”
[Kirsch] “Yes I am. Are you alright with all of this?”
[Peter] “Of course I’m glad for you. Do you want to get your things now or wait till after work?”
[Kirsch] “I don’t want to get them at all can I stay with you tonight and load up my things tomorrow?”
“Of course you can.” Peter replied with a smile.
Kirsch kissed Peter and left his office headed for her temporary office to start her new position.
Peter went back to work and without thinking hit his button for his secretary. “Sam get me human resources I need a secretary.”
[Sam] “Mrs. Lena has already informed them you’ll have one in the morning.”

Peter set their thinking the one person he trusted too show the base is now moving out and off the planet.
The base was finished with two heavy fighters a scout and a support ship were setting in the docking bays and they were all empty. Peter picked up the phone and called Dana. “I need to talk to you.”
[Dana] “This is not about Kirsch is it?”
[Peter] “No I’m fine with that it’s about a security issue.”
[Dana] “Come on to my office I been meaning to talk to you about something I discovered.”

Peter went to Dana’s office and was took right in by her aid. “Peter please set down let me ask you something? I knew I had met you somewhere and a few weeks ago I was looking at some pictures with the Argon Security Director and Governor and seen Josh Galen who went missing a few years ago. You’re either him or his clone can you explain because I’m at a lose?”
[Peter] “I’ll explain but let me ask you did either of them recognize the picture as me?”
[Dana] “Yes we talked about how much you looked like him. But the Security Director knew you from the station and he asked me to check into it that was the real reason we called you back early.”
[Peter] “I need someone to trust can I trust you with the truth and do you trust the Security Director and Governor?”
[Dana] “Yes you can trust me and I trust them.”
[Peter] “Then I need to show you something. Is their anyone you trust in the company?”
[Dana] “I trust our head of security he knows everthing about me and the company.”
[Peter] “Can you call him in here for a privet meeting? I need to show you two something.”
Dana called for the Officer to come to her office for a meeting.
[Peter] “Sam bring the Tempest to the company land it on the pad near the offices.”
[Dana] “What do you need the ship for?”
[Peter] “To take you to what I need you to see.”

The Security Officer came in as Sam told Peter the ship had landed. Peter looked at two. “Are you two ready to go I need you to stand up so we can transport over to my ship.”
[Security Officer] “We have trainsporter safeguards on we’ll have to walk to the ship.”
[Peter] “That’s not a problem just stand up.”
The Head of Security stood up with a annoying look on his face as Peter and Dana stood up.
[Peter] “Sam we’re ready to transport over.”
A second later the annoying look turned to surprise as he asked. “What just happened we had security blockers on. You are him!”
[Peter] “Sam take us to the house and transport us down to the Base.”
Peter told a brief story of what had happened to him as the Tempest went to the house.
[Sam] “The ship has landed I need you three to stand up again to transport to the base.”
The Head of Security and Dana was looking a little worried as they stood up not knowing where they were going as they transported to the base.
[Dana] “Peter where are we?” [Peter] “This is my base and the main reason I brought you two down here was to show it to you and enlist your help with the personnel to man it.”
Peter led them from the trainsporter pads down a hall and into the main courtyard of the base.
The two looked around as Peter pointed out the different departments. Then Peter took them down a hall and to a tramcar. “Please get on I want to show you the docking bays and ships ready to go.”
A few seconds later the car stopped and Peter opened the door leading out to the bays.
[Dana] “How did you do all this alone?”
[Peter] “It’s a long story but let me show you two the control room then you can decide if you’re willing to get involved.”
They got back on the tram and returned to the main complex as Peter lead them into the control room and started pointing out the different work stations. The two quickly noticed a live feed was going on one of the large screens of the traffic going between the planet and trading station.
[Security Head] “Is that a live feed of the traffic?” [Peter] “Yes.”
The two tried to talk without Peter hearing them as they looked at the screen whispering back and forth.
[Dana] “We’re on board with you Peter but we need to bring in the Governor and Security director with us this was what we were talking about doing and we need them. We were planning on building a base to launch fighter support from and a pair of Corvettes to protect our new shipyard and maybe a Capital Ship.”
[Peter] “You set the meeting up and I’ll show them the base.”
[Dana] “Can we do it now the Governor and Director are going to meet us for dinner at my house to discuss our plans.”
[Sam] “Peter Kirsch is on her way to the house now and your flyer is still at the company.”
[Peter] “Dana we need to return to work and transport to your office and leave like normal or people will be wondering how we got out of the building. Come to my house when you’re ready and I’ll show them the Base and we can talk or if you want we can have dinner at my house or the base.”
[Dana] “I’ll bring them to your house as soon as I can and I’d like to eat at the base.”
[Peter] “I’ll be ready.”
They transported back to the Tempest and flew back to the company and transported back into Dana’s office.
[Dana] “We’ll see you at dinner.” Dana replied with a smile as they left the office.

[X1000]

Just read throught all the 'Castaways' Now i need to read the ones about 'Josh'

[Snowship]

Some interesting delevopments happening there Ed, can't wait til the sector get opened up and what's the assassin doing.

(Although everything seems "easy come / easy go" in the X-universe)

Keeep em coming

[SpitfireJB]

Ok just got time to read the new chapter and wanted to say Great job.