Slipspace

My arm was numb when I woke up the next morning. I had apparently slept on it most of the night if the drool-wet skin was any indication. I stretched and yawned. I had at least woken up before my alarm went off, so my awakening wasn’t as rude as most days.

The routine came easily to me. Despite the significant interruption, the week of upset to my schedule hadn’t dulled the nearly instinctual process of preparing for the day. My night clothes were exchanged for my jumpsuit and I ran a quick brush through my hair. My boots went on last and I grabbed my work sack. 

Breakfast consisted of a yoghurt pouch and a granola bar grabbed from a vending machine on my way to the lift. As was usual, foot traffic was heavy as people changed shifts. I eventually fought through the crowd and made it to the docks. I had missed the traffic the previous day due to going to see the Ericksons instead of going straight to work, but the morning rush was in full swing today. 

Down in the berthing area, pilots and deck crew scuttled everywhere, preparing for flights. It seemed only a couple of the independent pilots had managed to get out already, while the direct contract pilots were only just starting their shifts. As always, the Oxide sat nicely in her berth, still dwarfing most other vessels. 

Due to the size of the ship and the oversized reactor, my fuel costs were always a bit higher than other pilots’, but I also had a lot more capacity and capability than most. My ship may have been a rust bucket, but it was the best damned rust bucket in the hangar and I was proud to be her pilot. 

In the next berth over, another pilot saw me walking in and waved. “Matson! Welcome back!”

“Hi, Ned. Taking some time for myself.” Ned was one of the corporate pilots, but was generally one of the few decent ones, comparatively. 

He looked around and then closed in conspiratorially. “I heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with the Erickson Enterprises people. A lot of people around the station have seen you with one of the officers and the captain.”

I shrugged. “The captain invited me to dinner after a job I pulled for them. Great guy, good businessman.”

The other pilot shook his head. “Nuh uh, you spent a lot more time than just having dinner with them. A couple of the dock workers yesterday said they even saw you going aboard their ship. Tell me straight, what’s the deal?”

If not for the seriousness of the question, I might have snorted at him asking me to be straight with him. As it was, Ned was a semi-decent fellow, but he was corporate and I didn’t want to reveal too much for fear of retaliation from management. By the same stroke though, I couldn’t just say nothing for fear of suspicion. 

“I was doing some business with him. I ordered a couple parts for my ship and he offered transport services.” It was the truth, but hopefully not too much of it. 

Unfortunately, Ned didn’t seem convinced. “I don’t know, guy. You seemed to be getting awfully cozy with that officer girl.”

I winced and put my hands up in surrender. “Alright, you got me. I went on a couple dates with her.”

This seemed to satisfy him and his expression shifted into a grin. “Ah! You sly dog!” He slapped my shoulder. “That girl is a fuckin’ ten for sure! You see that hair? Damn! Good on you bagging a girl like that! Did you get her in the sheets yet?”

Oh yes… The stereotypical pilot jock makes his appearance. With a deadpan, I replied. “No, Ned, unlike some people, I have more respect for women than to be only dating to go for a tumble.”

“I bet you’re thinking about it, though! A girl like that’s gotta be pretty wild in bed. Come on, bro! You need to make your move!”

I did have to suppress a blush at that. I had indeed had some thoughts about her and I in more… intimate situations, but not in quite the way that he was thinking of. “Yeah, yeah. Maybe at some point. For now though, I need to get to work, Ned.”

He shrugged. “Whatever, man. You obviously need to work on your game.” Finally, he walked away, allowing me to approach my ship and open the hatch. 

From there, the day honestly proceeded exactly as I expected. I spent right about eight hours out in the debris fields, collecting what I could. The last fighter in the asteroid base was already stripped, so I left it alone and just stayed around the far side of the planet, collecting bits and pieces of old wartime satellites. They weren’t much, but the sensors and thrusters should make the day worth it. 

Turn-in went smoothly and I walked into the office to retrieve my payment from the previous day, just as I always did. I didn’t expect problems, it was just supposed to be business as usual. The secretary waved me in and I walked directly back to Kruger’s office.

“Mr Kruger.”

The man looked up at me and his expression shifted from relaxed to a forced smile. “Good afternoon, Matson. Here for your pay?”

“Yes, sir, I am.” 

He nodded and waved his hand at the slot. I stuck my cred chip in and pulled up my holopad to watch the transfer come through. 

The transfer was only for two hundred credits. My face darkened and I leveled a look at the manager. 

“I think you missed a few credits there, Mr Kruger. I brought in an entire fighter yesterday and it's still semi-functional. That thing is worth quite a lot. Certainly more than a couple hundred credits.”

He tilted his head with a look of false sorrow. “Unfortunately, Mr Matson, I had to deduct some penalties for your recent actions.”

My expression sharpened further still. “And what actions were worthy of these fines?”

“Well, according to your contract, there is a strict non-competition clause that you agreed to. I received word that you have been doing business with Erickson Enterprises.” Kruger’s mask of sympathy was betrayed by eyes that gleamed with contempt. 

“I did personal business and nothing else.” Now my voice carried an edge with it.

“That’s not what I heard. You performed engineering services for the Ratatosk two days ago. I had already graciously offered the services of Torgal engineers to assist in repairs to their drive core, and you went and undercut that business. That very clearly violates your contract and I was forced to take appropriate measures to submit you to disciplinary action.” His tone was saccharin, but I knew the venom contained within.

Fury burned in my veins. “I was just lending a hand. Furthermore, I was unaware of your apparently generous offer. Contract be damned, you can’t take away my entire fucking paycheck for that!!”

That got a sneer out of my contractor. “Language, Mr. Matson. I only fulfilled my end of the contract, just like you demanded I do during our last meeting.”

Having my words thrown back in my face like that shredded through the last of my patience. “You’re a damned asshole, you know that, Kruger? You sit here in your office all fucking day, doing nothing but treating your employees like worms so you can squeeze every last credit out of us! You never once gave a single shit about any of us and now you go and pull this?! That’s low, Harvey, even for you. I’ve seen black holes with more respect for people’s well being than you.”

The bastard’s sneer turned into a cruel smile. “And that is insubordination. Added to your offenses previous in this last week, I see no other option than to revoke your contract.” The cruelty froze into an icy edge. “As your station residence deposit was included in that contract, I would suggest you vacate the space within the day before the station authority finishes the eviction process. Get your ship out of my hangar, Soren. You’re through here.”

“YOU BASTARD!!!” I roared. “You can’t do this! I live here! I’ve put up with your shit for two fucking years!!”

His volume raised as well, though not to where mine was now. “I can and I just did! I told you that I wouldn’t tolerate you screwing up my deal with the Ericksons! You just HAD to fuck around and find out, didn’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes and seethed as dots suddenly connected in my mind. “You asshole… You spiked the Ratatosk’s computer, didn’t you?!” My fist slammed into the desk with frightening force. 

It was Kruger’s turn to roar. “You just forfeited your final paycheck. Get the hell out of my office before I call security and have you arrested, Matson!” 

I turned on my heel and stormed out, nearly punching the key to open the door. The secretary was staring at the office door as I walked through, looking scared at the nearly violent argument. The poor woman shrunk down in fear when I stomped by, but I was too angry to care. 

My rage carried me all the way back to my ship, people stepping aside as soon as they saw my thundering disposition. With the reactor still warm after shutdown, things fired up quickly, almost as if even the Oxide could feel my anger. Every minute that I waited for clearance from traffic control was another minute that fumed in my seat.

When the pad reached the exterior of the station and I was cleared for departure, I hit the thrusters hard. Through the large bubble cockpit, I was easily able to see where the thrusters, powered by a supercharged reactor, scorched the pad in a mirror to my own feelings towards the place. 

Sarcastically, I let out a quiet “Oops.”

Slight regret did cross my mind when I landed soon after in my personal hangar. The shock absorbers that cushioned the landing skids of my ship protested loudly as I set it down far harder than I should have. 

I at least didn’t have to worry about losing my hangar yet. I’d paid for it fully out of my own pocket and so it was completely unattached from any influence of Kruger. 

For the second time in the hour, I went through shut-down procedures and then locked up the hangar. My anger was beginning to bleed out as I made my way back to my apartment, but quickly made a last showing after I walked up to the door and already saw an eviction notice already waiting on the doorside display. The door opened and I threw my bag onto the bed, screaming. I soon collapsed on the couch, crying and yelling into the cushions from the sheer frustration of the entire situation. 

It took an hour before I had calmed enough to do anything else. With red eyes, I opened the D’reth station commnet and accessed the interstellar communications array. After a minute of waiting for the connection to open, I opened the promised message I had received from Echo, containing her father’s contact information. I quickly used that contact to throw a line his way. I only hoped that he wasn’t busy. 

Another minute passed as I waited for the call to go through, but soon enough, Marcus’s face appeared on my viewscreen, a hand rubbing at tired looking eyes. 

“Adresta? Good morning, though I suppose it’s evening according to your station clock.”

Gods above… “I hope I didn’t wake you, sir.”

“Not at all. Just a bit slipspace-lagged and my morning coffee hasn’t quite hit yet. What has you calling?” 

My shoulders slumped. “Harvey Kruger saw my assistance with your core problems as undercutting Torgal business and terminated my contract. Since he was the one that fronted my residence deposit, I’m losing my apartment as well as my job.”

The captain took a deep breath and huffed. “Well, that is certainly less than ideal. I’m sorry that happened, Adresta. Is there anything I can do to help?” 

“Frankly, sir,” I replied. “I just wanted to know how things were going with getting that computer. I’m going to lose my apartment within two weeks and I don’t want to have to be forced off the station. I’d much rather be gone before that happens.”

He nodded and took a glug from a coffee mug. “I understand. Well, the good news on that front is that my man with Alterra says the module should be ready within the next couple days. I’ll make a call after I’m done with you and ask him to put it on a rush order. With luck, I can get an express transport to you the day after tomorrow.”

Oof… “Sir, I would hate to cost you even more money.” 

“I don’t mind at all,” he said. “This has turned into a situation that requires a bit of a rush. If it makes you feel better, I can deduct the added cost from your proposed sign on bonus.”

That soothed my heart and I nodded. “That’s acceptable.”

I saw him turn to the side and type away at a keyboard. Without even turning back, he spoke again. “Do you think you can get the Oxide to Telemachus IV tomorrow? Or take an orbital shuttle instead? I’m going to get with my legal team to finish up with your name change process on the double. We’ll need to have your contract signed so that we can do all of this on the up and up.”

My eyes unwittingly blinked in surprise. “Uh, yes sir, the Oxide is equipped for atmospheric flight and planetary landing.”

“Excellent. You’ll need to go to the Terran Union embassy in the capital city to sign the official documents and get your new identification cards and ship registration. I’ll have Rachael send you the contract as soon as we get the notification that things are completed.”

The surprise was still evident on my face, even through the dried tears. “You really don’t mess around, do you, Captain?”

A grim smile. “Never do, especially not when it comes to this kind of situation. I take care of my employees.”

“You are truly a miracle worker. Thank you, Captain. I’ll be sure to get everything done.” I bowed my head in respect to the man. He just nodded back.

“I’m no miracle worker, just someone who actually gives a damn. See that you do. Anything else, Miss Matson?”

“No, sir. You’ve already done far more than I expected. Have a good day.” He smiled and the call then closed. I leaned back and sighed in relief. It was going to be okay.