Deep Six Chapter 20

[Ed Man]

One More Time
Chapter 20 Deep Six

Gabe looked over the list of ships and equipment Salas suggested he get for his scrap yard and the number of people needed for them. Which was a great help for Gabe as he tried to decide on how big to start out.
Too small would just be a problem and to big would be a waste.
Gabe already had a contract with the local shipyard to supply new and recycled materials so the two Miners were a sure thing along with the support ships needed to keep them in operation. The scrap yard would sort out the parts worth fixing and rare materials needed to build them.

Gabe made up a list of the ships and equipment and sent it to Salas for a price and when the mission was over hopefully a order. Flying into a Xenon sector to get data from a ship wasn’t something Gabe was looking forward too and everything he was planning on doing hinged on his return.

Gabe wrote a message for his family and Donna and stored it on the Buzzard with instructions for Bit to send it if he were killed.

The time came as Gabe loaded up on the Buster with the others but this time he would be alone in a special Disco with a point to point jump drive and jammer. The ship had the latest tech in camouflage as it looked like a blur on your screen when it flew by and with the jammer it should be a easy mission.

The mission had been revised and getting in the sector was the hard part now. Gabe was to go in with a captured Xenon P that will go off line after it enters the sector and will drift off while Gabe heads off away from the crowd of ships around the Gate.

The special long range scanners and viewers on the Disco was designed to give the Pilot a advanced look ahead to steer clear of any Xenon between him and the Centaur and if he was spotted he could jump away.
Gabe had run test runs in the simulator for the mission and he was ready to go.

The Xenon P headed for the Gate with Gabe riding piggy back in the Disco. Gabe could fill his heart beat as the ship entered the Gate. The Xenon ship drifted into the sector as Gabe detached and pulled away and out from the mass of ships closing on the derelict.
It didn’t take long for Gabe to get out of scanner range as all the Xenon just stayed to there course never seeing Gabe or the Disco.

Gabe was trying to calm down as he keep his eye on the scanner and viewer looking for any Xenon between him and the Centaur. Gabe adjusted his flight path a little to dodge a group of Xenon deep into the sector headed in the direction of the Gate.

The Disco slowed as it neared the Centaur as Gabe did a full sweep to make sure the area was clear. The ship stopped and the area was clear as Gabe closed on the Centaur and sent the codes. The ship showed up on the HUD as green as Gabe docked. The drone transported up and went to work while Gabe watched the HUD any Xenon ships headed his way.

After what felt like way to long to Gabe the drone transported back with the Data. Gabe checked the HUD and pulled away and headed out to open space so he could jump out of the sector without being seen.
After a long ride placing the Disco in the light of the sun to mask the jump Gabe was safely back in Argon space.

Gabe set course for the TL that was waiting on him in the sector and as soon as he docked the mission was over with.
No welcome party was waiting as Gabe got of the Disco just the Commander of the base. “Good job Mr. Lander are you ready to return to your Base. We’ll be completely gone within the next 24 hours then it’s all yours.”
Gabe smiled. “Yes Sir I’m ready and just glad to be alive right now.”
[Commander] “I understand completely Mr. Lander and let me say it’s been a pleasure working with you.”
The Commander shook Gabe’s hand as he closed the door to the cockpit while Gabe settled in for the trip back.
Gabe looked at his PDA and seen the reply from Salas. Gabe opened it up and seen the quote with a message from Josh. “Your M4+ is at your Base consider it a gift for the business well be doing.”
Gabe ordered the ships and equipment as soon as the Buster entered the sector to his new Base.
The monitor in the area Gabe was waiting in was showing the sector traffic and a pair of Eclipse ships headed for his Base.

The next message was sent to Donna and Simon explaining about the Base with orders for Donna to load her things up and meet him at the Shipyard in the sector they had workers to hire and some catching up to do.
The Buster landed and Gabe walked over to look at his new ship. You could see it had the base structure of a Elite but now was something else. The Commander asked Gabe to meet him in his office before he took off. Gabe just turned and followed him on into the office.

The talk was brief and to the point as Gabe signed the deed making the base his. Gabe needed to have security in place when they left to keep vandals and looters out. A TP and Freighter was on the landing pad being loading up with the rest of the equipment and supplies that didn’t go along with the Base.

Gabe made his way back to his new ship and this time he was going to look it over from top to bottom. He had Bit transfer his things over onto the new ship and was admiring the interior when the two new Eclipse ships landed. As Gabe signed for them he got a message from Donna saying she was at the Shipyard.

Gabe tried to hurry as he sent a message back saying he was on his way. The new ship was as a slight bit more responsive and just as fast as the Buzzard and with two fast charging 25 meg shields, bigger weapons and a rear turret the new ship had just become Gabe’s favorite.
The onboard computer was giving Gabe a list of all the extras that Josh had put into the ship for Gabe. It had a luxury interior with lots of extras but the big surprise was a special jump drive powered from a self charging unit that could jump one sector and point to point. For longer jumps it needed energy cells like all other jump drives.

Gabe had tried to take in all that was onboard the new ship and was at the Shipyard in what seemed to be only a few minutes as the docking computer eased the ship inside. When Gabe got off the ship he could see Donna through the glass looking out at him waiving her hand with a big smile on her face.

And when Gabe went into the area Donna was waiting in she wrapped her arms around Gabe and held him tight. “Gabe I missed you I been so worried is everything alright you’re not hurt or shot are you?”
Gabe smiled. “I missed you too and I’m fine not even a scratch. I got a contract with the local shipyards to supply them new and recycled materials. And I now own a closed military base on the planet to use as a scrap yard. We need security guards now so lets get started.”

Gabe and Donna had just set down in the small office they had rented for the interviews when Mr. Brown opened the door. “Can we talk Mr. Lander?”
Gabe got up and stepped outside and followed Mr. Brown into a room with two other people.

[Mr. Brown] “I’m here to help you get settled in as head of your security for two months to give me a break and watch your back. This two are here to help with the hiring and will know if someone is lying as soon as they open their mouths. And they have full access to the Argon security files for background checks.”
[Gabe] “Why the sudden interest in my business.”
[Mr. Brown] “In light of all that has happened and because you’ll be supplying our shipyards with materials your security is a concern of the Argon Government now. All major suppliers have a government inspector yours will be a little more relaxed than others but necessary to keep you, your business and the shipyards safe.”

[Gabe] “That make since to me how do you want to do this?”
[Mr. Brown] “We already have a list of security people, pilots and workers already cleared for you start looking at and we’ll screen the rest as you pick them out. There not plants on the list so pick who you want. If the Argon government fills it needs to place plants in you business to fill secure will do business with someone else who is secure.
So if they say you got a problem deal with it or you‘ll loose your contract. All the employees will have to sign a statement and release form for a background check and statement saying they understand if they are found out to be involved in anything prohibited on their contract they will be fired. All government workers have to sign the same forms.”

Gabe was a little upset at the enforced control the government was placing on his business at first but after some time had passed and he had been shown the reason why some of the ones he had picked out had been declined. Gabe remembered Sugar and how she had planed on killing them all so the added security was for their protection and the safety of the Argon personnel that could be affected by a would be criminal looking to make a quick score.

The interviews went well as Mr. Brown explained what kind of security people it took to make a good team. Anyone could point a weapon and shout stop but a good command team to direct the security was the most important part of security and for that a basic three man control team would work the type of business Gabe was running.

Gabe took a group of security people to the Base to get settled in so they could get ready to take control and secure the Base in what was only a few hours away now. Just a few smaller ships the Commander and the guards on duty was all that was left. The TP, Freighter and all the other ships and worker were gone just empty rooms and buildings.

A few beds and basic security systems were left. Gabe was stopped by a rep from Salas the first ships had arrived and Josh and Salas had sent a few extras in one of the Miners that Gabe needed to know about and sign for before he left.
Along with all the equipment Gabe had ordered there was three androids and the rear bonus was one large and two small constructing units with power supplies and four drones designed to work with the constructing units. The Rep handed Gabe a list of ships and equipment already programmed into the units along with a note form Salas and Josh saying. “Good luck with your new Base and Business.”

Gabe signed for the order and headed for the command center to go over what went where with the few workers that had just been hired. First thing on the list was to get security in place and there equipment was to be unloaded first. Then restock the bathrooms, furnish the living quarters and put food units in the mess hall.
Gabe had his people in place on time as the Commander handed over control of the Base to Gabe. The Commander wished Gabe good luck gave him a salute and got on his Buster and was gone. The Base was Gabe’s now one of the Androids was running taxi missions in a Eclipse and was on its way back with more personnel for the Base.

Gabe got back to the Shipyard in time to call it a day everyone was way past being exhausted they had hired a Manager and enough people to keep the Base secured and running. They were going to take a ten hour break then start the interviews and hiring again.

Crews for the Miner and its companion Miner Disco were next so they could start their simulator training on the new ships ahead of the other Pilots to give them time to qualify and hopefully they all would be ready to go to work about the same time.
Over the next few days the Base was up and running they quickly discovered the best Pilots for the special Disco Miner turned out to be skilled fighter pilots. Credits were starting to come in as payments for the first few loads of recycled ship hulls had been delivered. After two weeks Gabe ordered two more Miners and a Elite to try and satisfy the need for materials the Shipyards were wanting.

The scrap yard was in full operation as the parts and materials keep pouring in. Gabe had already rebuilt a derelict Mercury Hauler and reworked a old model Nova into a small freighter to carry parts and materials from the worksites to the Base.

As the weeks turned into months the Scrap Yard had added on a fourth and fifth pair of Miners and support ships to recover the huge amount of derelict ships of every size and factories needing removed to make room for new ones. The ship repairing had a backlog of ships setting waiting to be worked on so new constructor units and repair drones had been added on.

Lander Salvage and Scrap Yard had made a name for itself in their sector. As customers were waiting on all the ships to be fixed the Company wasn’t keeping. Dealers were waiting on the used or repaired parts and equipment they sold.
Pop had retired and handed the running of his business over to Cherrit. Pop and Gabe had bought some land off away from the Base to build a home on and it was about ready to move into. Gabe was about to marry Donna and they both had plans on having a large family which made Pop happy.

Things were going well for the Lander family as Gabe and Donna went off on their honeymoon too live the life most only dream about.

The End

[SpitfireJB]

Another great one to add to the books. Keep them coming

[dreamchaser]

THE END????
How Could You....
But a very good story none the less.
I hope you will write more stories in the near future.
2 THUMBS UP for you.

[collins50]

well Ed I have to say that its been a very good read, But The End
come on theres got to be more.

But I did enjoy it while it lasted.
and I have to get mine going again