2010-05-11, 22:28
Leaving home
__________________________________________________________
Hands dirty and sore.
Back tired and hot.
Knees aching.
A broken body that calls out in agony.
Harvest time is here and the crops need to be dug.
“This is my last year, my final term in this hell hole, I can’t be doing this again, not for another year”
The sun falls in the sky, meeting the ground once more; the day is closing time to return home. To bed for the next day is sure to be the same. Maarkus gathers his gear and throws it in his box, closing the lid with relief, he sweeps his hair back from his face and turns to look at the depot and a pained smile creeps across his face. His hands reach out to pull a lever and with it a tremendous noise is created both in front of him and behind, cracks the air around as the rig detaches itself from the plot with a loud industrial noise. His harvester hovers, hanging in the air just above the ground. Maarkus looks at the control panel in front of him his eyes narrowing he crooks his neck and presses some buttons then takes the stick. The Giant harvester springs round to face the depot then he rams the lever forward and the monster lurches for a second, it roars with the torture and begins to edge its way forward toward the depot. His hand flicks a switch and the goliath machine begins to gain speed the engines deafening to those outside inside to Maarkus though they seemed like a feint burble almost relaxing a sign the day was closing and a chance to get clean read and get drunk...again.
The Giant machine pulled into the depot loading bay four; it ground to a halt as it’s grabbed by the docking clamps pressing against the hull to secure the engine. Maarkus flicks another set of switches releasing the hopper and opening it so the factory can remove the contents. “Clear for extraction at docking bay four” he states on the radio.
“Roger that” replied a distant voice over the radio, as a flurry of activity kicks off outside, a giant arm spins round from above reaching into the hopper and hanging for a second before beginning the removal of contents. “Good haul you go there Maarkus the bosses gonna be pleased with you...first out and last in again I take it?” queried the voice on the radio
“As usual Davey boy, as fucking usual. Wander if I’ll get a bonus any time for all this extra work I’m doing?” jested Maarkus.
“heh, you’d be the first, but hey the money aint so bad here, why with that load you must have...oh I don’t know three to four hundred credits coming your way”
“You shitting me Davey boy? Damn that takes me to nine thousand or so this season” replied Maarkus in a startled smug voice.
“You sound chuffed Maarky, you got summat in the works, summat you aren’t telling me” anyway the moneys been wired to your account” Crackled the radio.
“Cheers Davey boy and with that I’m outta here” Maarkus slammed the receiver back in its cradle stood up from his seat and walked to the door, it opened with a creek and Maarkus thought to himself this rig needs a little oiling, damned if I’m doing it though. He stepped out and looked down to the ground about thirty feet below and began his descent down the rusted orange stairs which crept around the outside of large harvester sighing as he reached the bottom. He stepped off the rig and headed into the complex, walking with purpose to the transport hub within.
Everything inside the hub was clean a world away from the grotty harvester he’d been in all day, the benches the floor the lights all perfectly maintained, Maarkus sneered then dropped a cigarette on the floor, within seconds a drone slid out from a hidden panel on the floor to clear away the debris, he grins to himself again thinking “from within chaos comes order” something he’d read. A red pod pulls up to the platform and an automated voice states its destination “red road departure for Clamour heights stopping at...” Maarkus stopped listening and jumped in sitting in the plush leatherette seat and reclining while exhaling harshly “Destination Ridgeore Green” he stated. The transport pod closed and moved off into an air lock the doors closed to the airlock and the chair began to pivot around so Maarkus was facing the back of the pod as it left the airlock into the vacuum tube. The pod accelerated to its top speed in the tube displaying the stations it passed by on the back wall for some reason. The automated voice returned “now approaching Ridgeore Green” Maarkus could feel the pod decelerate.
He stood up as the pod came to a stop and waited for the door to open, his back still aching from working the rig all day, as he reached forward to grab the doorway he caught a glimpse of his oily hands against the pristine pod housing, he stepped out and removed his hand, glancing back to see the mark he’d left there, shrugging as he made his way to the exit headed for a bar where he had arranged a meeting.
“I Can get you off this rock is you so chose” said the shadowy character “send you up on the shuttle with the cargo is what I’ll do. Cost you though it will, get you past security and hide you in there, couldn’t do it for free”
“Stop talking” replied Maarkus “I just want outta here, I wasn’t meant for this, my dad worked the haulers my mother too this was their idea of a quiet retirement not mine. I’m sick of it so stop your blathering and give me a price”
“Like that huh, I like your attitude kid” another figure stepped out from the shadows, a well dressed man tall, slight and respectable. He placed his hand on the shoulder of the other and whispered something in his ear, with that the first man left the bar headed out towards the nearby space port. “ That was my Colleague close friend and trusted associate Andam Surite, and that was your first test kid I can see your eager, But I’m not sure you understand the risks behind your decision. Any vessel I put you on is in immediate danger your time on my crew could be varied anywhere from one day to fifteen years. Fifteen year may seem like an arbitrary number but that’s how long Andam has been at my side”
“I know the risks, I lost my brother in his quest to seek out the prosperity of the skies, but he was in it for the cash not the adventure and passion, I belong in space, on a ship with a crew, the engines humming me to sleep, the rock of the ship as an anti matter charge buries itself into the hull, the shudder through out as the guns fire volley after volley that’s what I want, that’s who I am” protested Maarkus.
“Well if that’s what you want I can arrange it, go to docking bay seven and ask for the vessel ‘Simple Things’ Tell the men there Drammis sent you and give them this” Holding out an open hand Drammis offers Maarkus a coin encrusted with morphite. [Test 2 the value of the coin is enough to keep the average family on a planet going for well over a year anyone in it for the cash would normally just walk off never to be seen again, but someone who truly wanted to reside on his vessel would obviously turn the coin over to the docking crew yet it’s value to Drammis was next to nothing] Maarkus grabbed the coin, holding the Octagonal item upto the light then looked back to where Drammis had been stood, he’d gone, disappeared. Maarkus paused to consider his options, looked at the coin again and turned to leave the bar.
__________________________________________________________
Hands dirty and sore.
Back tired and hot.
Knees aching.
A broken body that calls out in agony.
Harvest time is here and the crops need to be dug.
“This is my last year, my final term in this hell hole, I can’t be doing this again, not for another year”
The sun falls in the sky, meeting the ground once more; the day is closing time to return home. To bed for the next day is sure to be the same. Maarkus gathers his gear and throws it in his box, closing the lid with relief, he sweeps his hair back from his face and turns to look at the depot and a pained smile creeps across his face. His hands reach out to pull a lever and with it a tremendous noise is created both in front of him and behind, cracks the air around as the rig detaches itself from the plot with a loud industrial noise. His harvester hovers, hanging in the air just above the ground. Maarkus looks at the control panel in front of him his eyes narrowing he crooks his neck and presses some buttons then takes the stick. The Giant harvester springs round to face the depot then he rams the lever forward and the monster lurches for a second, it roars with the torture and begins to edge its way forward toward the depot. His hand flicks a switch and the goliath machine begins to gain speed the engines deafening to those outside inside to Maarkus though they seemed like a feint burble almost relaxing a sign the day was closing and a chance to get clean read and get drunk...again.
The Giant machine pulled into the depot loading bay four; it ground to a halt as it’s grabbed by the docking clamps pressing against the hull to secure the engine. Maarkus flicks another set of switches releasing the hopper and opening it so the factory can remove the contents. “Clear for extraction at docking bay four” he states on the radio.
“Roger that” replied a distant voice over the radio, as a flurry of activity kicks off outside, a giant arm spins round from above reaching into the hopper and hanging for a second before beginning the removal of contents. “Good haul you go there Maarkus the bosses gonna be pleased with you...first out and last in again I take it?” queried the voice on the radio
“As usual Davey boy, as fucking usual. Wander if I’ll get a bonus any time for all this extra work I’m doing?” jested Maarkus.
“heh, you’d be the first, but hey the money aint so bad here, why with that load you must have...oh I don’t know three to four hundred credits coming your way”
“You shitting me Davey boy? Damn that takes me to nine thousand or so this season” replied Maarkus in a startled smug voice.
“You sound chuffed Maarky, you got summat in the works, summat you aren’t telling me” anyway the moneys been wired to your account” Crackled the radio.
“Cheers Davey boy and with that I’m outta here” Maarkus slammed the receiver back in its cradle stood up from his seat and walked to the door, it opened with a creek and Maarkus thought to himself this rig needs a little oiling, damned if I’m doing it though. He stepped out and looked down to the ground about thirty feet below and began his descent down the rusted orange stairs which crept around the outside of large harvester sighing as he reached the bottom. He stepped off the rig and headed into the complex, walking with purpose to the transport hub within.
Everything inside the hub was clean a world away from the grotty harvester he’d been in all day, the benches the floor the lights all perfectly maintained, Maarkus sneered then dropped a cigarette on the floor, within seconds a drone slid out from a hidden panel on the floor to clear away the debris, he grins to himself again thinking “from within chaos comes order” something he’d read. A red pod pulls up to the platform and an automated voice states its destination “red road departure for Clamour heights stopping at...” Maarkus stopped listening and jumped in sitting in the plush leatherette seat and reclining while exhaling harshly “Destination Ridgeore Green” he stated. The transport pod closed and moved off into an air lock the doors closed to the airlock and the chair began to pivot around so Maarkus was facing the back of the pod as it left the airlock into the vacuum tube. The pod accelerated to its top speed in the tube displaying the stations it passed by on the back wall for some reason. The automated voice returned “now approaching Ridgeore Green” Maarkus could feel the pod decelerate.
He stood up as the pod came to a stop and waited for the door to open, his back still aching from working the rig all day, as he reached forward to grab the doorway he caught a glimpse of his oily hands against the pristine pod housing, he stepped out and removed his hand, glancing back to see the mark he’d left there, shrugging as he made his way to the exit headed for a bar where he had arranged a meeting.
“I Can get you off this rock is you so chose” said the shadowy character “send you up on the shuttle with the cargo is what I’ll do. Cost you though it will, get you past security and hide you in there, couldn’t do it for free”
“Stop talking” replied Maarkus “I just want outta here, I wasn’t meant for this, my dad worked the haulers my mother too this was their idea of a quiet retirement not mine. I’m sick of it so stop your blathering and give me a price”
“Like that huh, I like your attitude kid” another figure stepped out from the shadows, a well dressed man tall, slight and respectable. He placed his hand on the shoulder of the other and whispered something in his ear, with that the first man left the bar headed out towards the nearby space port. “ That was my Colleague close friend and trusted associate Andam Surite, and that was your first test kid I can see your eager, But I’m not sure you understand the risks behind your decision. Any vessel I put you on is in immediate danger your time on my crew could be varied anywhere from one day to fifteen years. Fifteen year may seem like an arbitrary number but that’s how long Andam has been at my side”
“I know the risks, I lost my brother in his quest to seek out the prosperity of the skies, but he was in it for the cash not the adventure and passion, I belong in space, on a ship with a crew, the engines humming me to sleep, the rock of the ship as an anti matter charge buries itself into the hull, the shudder through out as the guns fire volley after volley that’s what I want, that’s who I am” protested Maarkus.
“Well if that’s what you want I can arrange it, go to docking bay seven and ask for the vessel ‘Simple Things’ Tell the men there Drammis sent you and give them this” Holding out an open hand Drammis offers Maarkus a coin encrusted with morphite. [Test 2 the value of the coin is enough to keep the average family on a planet going for well over a year anyone in it for the cash would normally just walk off never to be seen again, but someone who truly wanted to reside on his vessel would obviously turn the coin over to the docking crew yet it’s value to Drammis was next to nothing] Maarkus grabbed the coin, holding the Octagonal item upto the light then looked back to where Drammis had been stood, he’d gone, disappeared. Maarkus paused to consider his options, looked at the coin again and turned to leave the bar.
Ackercoke Wrote:Comments here if you please