Starforge unsec space bo.., p.157
Starforge (UNSEC Space Book 3), page 157
Then she turned, waving with her hand. “With that said, we should move. Anna’s shuttle will be docking in exactly twenty-eight-point-four seconds. Your new ship will arrive not long after.”
He jogged for a second, catching up as Didem rounded another corner in the hallway. “Didem?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” the AI replied. “And thank you as well. You’ve done a lot. For me, and for everyone.”
“Yeah well you paid us, and gave me a place to live, and got Mr. Happy back. Plus you’re getting me a ship.”
“You paid for that.”
“I know,” he said, glancing at her. “But somehow we were first in line.”
She grinned again. “Touché, Mr. Tames.”
“Point is, it wasn’t just us,” he continued. Ahead of them the hall opened up, terminating in another one of the orbital’s observation decks. “It was everyone acting together. You included.”
“I’ll admit to that if you admit to being noble and selfless.”
“Deal,” he said as they stepped out onto the observation deck. He took a quick look around, but the place was empty. Through the glass he could see Pisces idly rotating below them, storms sliding across its surface. “Are we the first ones here?”
“You are the first one here,” Didem replied. “I was already here. I’m everywhere, remember?”
“Yeah, Didem,” he said with a chuckle. “I do. Where’s the ship?”
“On its way.” Jake’s datapad let out a ping. “The specs are on your pad now. Once you’ve had a look, your ship will dock a few levels down. Dock two. But for now …” She grinned at him, and her body began to dissolve into orange smoke. “Enjoy the viewing.” The AI’s words lingered just a little longer than the motes of light that had made up her body, and then they too were gone.
Your ship. Her words echoed in his head as he stared out the observation level. Not his, specifically, but …
Our ship.
I wonder what it’s like?
He’d just begun to lift the datapad when the distant sound of footsteps entered his ears, a slapping cadence coming from one of the nearby halls. He turned just in time to see Anna come around a corner, her face lighting up as she saw him. “Jake!”
“Anna!” The pad could wait. There was a table nearby, and he set it down before moving across the observation deck. They stopped just in front of one another. “It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s only been a week since you left my mother’s,” Anna said, tilting her head to one side. She’d cut her hair close again. Just like it had been when they’d first met. “It wasn’t that long.”
“Yeah well …” He shrugged. “It’s good to see you anyway.” He glanced down at her feet, seeking the source of the slapping sound he’d heard. “Flip-flops?”
“Please,” Anna replied, smiling down at him. “They’re sandals.”
“Those are flip-flops. Sandals have a back bit.”
“Oh shut up.” The reply came without any sort of bite, as did Anna’s smile. He lifted his arms, and a second later they both stepped into a hug.
“It’s good to see you again too, Jake,” Anna said. “Even though it’s only been a week.”
“How’s the family?” They stepped apart, the warmth of her body leaving him and making the cool air of the orbital all the more noticeable.
“Good,” Anna said, still smiling as she picked up the duffel she had dropped, setting it atop the table next to his pad. “Dylan misses Mr. Happy. Mamá says hi. Also …” She opened her bag with a quick tug, reaching into it and pulling something out. “I got you something.”
“What?”
She held out a paper-wrapped package, maybe seven inches along the longest side. “I never did figure out who won that bet, but you got me that amazing gun. I figured I owed you something too. Thought about it and, well …” She passed the package to him, and he hefted it slightly, feeling the weight.
“Here. This was what I came up with,” she said. “I remembered that you had one in your duffels on the way to Pisces, and that it was your family’s.” The paper wrapping crinkled as he folded it away from what it was covering. “And then you lost that when we had to abandon Livingstone. So I got you this. It’s not your family’s, but it is brand new. One of the first copies to be printed on Pisces, actually.”
The paper fell away. There, resting in his hands, was a brand-new, leather-bound—imitation, but still—book.
A bible.
For a moment he wasn’t sure what to say, which was fine, because he had a sudden sense that he couldn’t have spoken even if he wanted to. He stared down at the cover for a moment, then opened it, his fingers instinctively flipping to the first few blank pages where the opening notes his grandmother had written had sat in his own copy. They weren’t there, not that he’d expected them to be, but he stopped there anyway before flipping onward. Genesis.
“King James Version,” Anna said as he flipped a few more pages. “It’s a … quad … thing. Like the one you had. One of the Freelance team members actually brought it with her. She had a whole card with thousands of banned books and movies she kept with her suit. Anyway, it’s one of the first printings, and—”
“Thank you,” he said at last, wrenching his eyes away from the pages and looking at her. His throat felt hot. “I mean it. It’s perfect.” Reverently, he folded the paper back over the cover.
“You know, I used to read it to Mr. Happy sometimes. Ever since I was a kid.”
“Really?”
“He was all I had after—Well, you know.” She nodded. “Thank you.”
“If you do it again,” Anna said, closing her bag, her eyes on it rather than him. “Maybe …” She looked up. “Maybe I’ll listen in.” She smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly. “Got any favorites?”
“A few, actually.”
“Anything not in the UN or megacorp approved bibles?”
“A lot, actually.”
“Well, then I definitely might listen in.”
“We’ll have time.” He set the bible next to his datapad. Anna reached out for it.
“We’re going the same place.” she said, sliding the wrapped book back across the tabletop and opening her duffel. “I’ll carry it.” She reached for the pad next, but he shook his head.
“Ship data’s on it,” he said, reaching for it instead. “We’ll want to—”
“Hey!”
Anna’s face lit up. “Sweets! You made it!”
Jake tuned as Anna stepped past him. The hacker was just stepping onto the deck, smiling at both of them. “Of course I made it,” he said as Anna wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “There was no way I was going to miss this.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Anna said, stepping back. “Nice uniform. No Apatos?”
Sweets shook his head, as Jake stepped up, and then they embraced. “No,” he said as soon as Jake had let go. “She had to shuttle the delegates down. And besides, I think this is just for the three of us.”
“How’s it going with you two?” Anna asked. “Good?”
Sweets nodded. “Good. It’s … different. But I think I’m getting used to it.”
“Didem keeping you busy?”
“Of course. She wants her fleet locked down.”
“You do anything on this ship we’re about to get?”
“I’ve never looked at it,” Sweets said, grinning. “But I have been all over the systems. I think you two will find them … familiar.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Familiar how?”
“Look for yourself,” Sweets said, pointing at the window. “I think that’s it.”
Jake turned. Through the glass a large, bright object was rushing toward the station, growing wider and larger by the second. Thrusters began to fire, small pinpricks of light that slowed the ship’s approach, but not by much. It grew larger and larger, first a small shape, but then—
“Is that The Python?” Anna asked, stepping up to the glass. Jake stepped up beside her, looking at the familiar arrowhead-shape. “No,” Anna said as the ship drew closer. “But it’s close.” And he couldn’t disagree. It was an arrowhead, but elongated, flatter than The Python had been. Wider as well. But there was no shaking the similarity. Jake turned, dragging one hand across the nearby tabletop until it met the plastic of his pad and bringing up the file Didem had sent him.
“It’s new,” he said, looking down at the file as the first bits popped up and splitting his focus between the pad and the ship—now just a few dozen feet away, thrusters kicking as it came to a relative stop.
“We knew that,” Anna said, and he rolled his eyes.
“I mean it’s a new design,” he clarified. When she gave him a sideways glance he shrugged and turned the pad so that she could see the text. “That’s what it says. Corvette, designed for …” He paused. “Atmospheric operations?” He looked up at the ship. “Orbit-to-surface and back?”
“That’s why it’s flat,” Sweets said. “So it can maneuver in atmo!”
“And those are engines like on a VTOL,” Anna said, pointing. “It’s a big dropship.”
“Based off of the dropship design we used at the Starforge, and combined with the silhouette and engineering of The Python, and atmospheric hard-light fins?” The last bit came out as a question as he read. “Outfitted with an FTL drive, interior storage and cargo space. Capable of VTOL, just like you said. Fusion reactor … Expedition-level equipment, armory …” He skimmed down the list.
“What’s it called?” Anna asked, looking back at him. “Are we naming it?”
“Uh …” He skimmed down the report, skipping a few pages until a flash of bolded text caught his eye. He read it, reread it, and then with dumb disbelief let out a laugh.
“What?” Sweets asked. “What’d Didem name it?”
“Or does it not have a name yet?” Anna asked. “We bought it. Normally we’d give it a name.”
“It has a name,” Jake said, setting the pad back down on the table and stepping up next to her by the glass, looking out at his—Anna’s—their ship.
A hand intertwined with his. Anna’s. “Well?” she asked, giving his hand a small squeeze. Past her Sweets stepped up to the glass, giving Jake an expectant look. “What’s the name of our ship? I want to know what we’re going to spending the next few months, years, whatever, living on.”
Jake nodded, returning the squeeze. She sent one right back, smiling at him. “That,” he said, smiling as he turned his eyes back to the ship on the other side of the class. “Is the first of its kind, and first of its class … Troublemaker.”
Anna twitched as she let out a laugh. “Troublemaker?”
“I have to admit, with you two getting the first one, it’s apt,” Sweets said. “Do you know where you’re going yet?”
“Kind of,” Jake said, glancing at Anna. An unspoken understanding passed between them, and they leaned against one another. “Lot of stuff out there in space. Probably one of the colony worlds. See how things are looking, ask if they need any help from Pisces.”
“A good shakedown,” Anna said. “Test the ship out. We’ll probably have to bunk together again.”
“We will?”
She gave him a grin that was almost … predatory. “Of course. Shakedown. Didem’s going to have a few of her engineers along to make sure everything works. You didn’t think of that? Or worse, do you have a problem with that?”
“No.” He smiled. “I guess I don’t.”
“Good,” Anna said, her hand squeezing his once more. “Because if it works, we might just want to stick with it.”
“I like the sound of that.”
They stood there for a moment, pressed against one another, staring out at their new ship.
“Took you long enough,” Sweets suddenly said from nearby. “Seriously. It’s been months.”
“Kind of got involved saving mankind,” Anna said. “Little busy.”
“Yeah well … that’s fair.”
“Por apostar que sí,” Anna muttered as she turned toward Jake. “So,” she said, tilting her head in the direction of the Troublemaker. “We should get aboard. You ready?”
He smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “I am.”
“Then let’s go.” She turned, grabbing her bag … but she didn’t let go of his hand. “Come on Sweets, we’ll give you the tour.”
“You’ve never been aboard. It’s brand new. How can you two give me the tour?”
“We can all get lost as a group. One last adventure. What do you say?”
Sweets let out a chuckle. “I can live with that.”
“Good.” Anna said. She turned, her fingers still tightly intertwined with Jake’s. “Then keep up,” she said, her eyes locked with his and—he suspected—her words as much for him as they were for Sweets. Together, they both stepped forward, matching their strides, hand-in-hand, leaving the observation deck.
Heading for home.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Max Florschutz was born in Wrangell, Alaska, and experienced a somewhat normal upbringing that included being surrounded by wolves, working on commercial fishing boats, dealing with bears in the front yard, and other perfectly ordinary events that everyone experiences growing up.
He began attending Brigham Young University Provo in 2004, taking a two year break to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints before continuing his education in Provo. He transferred to BYU-Hawaii for his final year before graduation in 2011.
Max published his first book, One Drink, in 2013, followed by a successful sequel in 2014. Since then has continued to produce well-loved works of fiction and adventure for the world at large. In addition to his successes with fiction, he is also known for his weekly writing guide series, Being a Better Writer, which he publishes each Monday at his website.
You can find those—and follow—at said website, Unusual Things (maxonwriting.com), where you can also find news, fun odds and ends, and of course information about his latest works.
You can also check out his books page on Amazon.com (just search “Max Florschutz”) to find other works of his, or even leave a review for the one you’ve just finished!
Max currently resides in Utah, hard at work on his next writing project. Which, after this titan of a book, will be smaller in scope.
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Max Florschutz, Starforge (UNSEC Space Book 3)
