Castle Vroman by DePrima Thomas

Author:DePrima, Thomas [DePrima, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Vinnia Publishing
Published: 2011-02-01T22:00:00+00:00

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Chapter Thirteen

~ February 18th, 2280 ~

The crew chief assigned Vyx to the third shift, as was standard policy with new hires. Because of the strict exercise regime he followed, months of virtual inactivity in space hadn't left him soft, so as he stood in line to enter the mining compound he appeared to be exactly what he professed to be— a deep-shaft miner. He mused to himself that he had once been destined to become a miner in a slave colony after being betrayed by an arms dealer, and here he was voluntarily choosing to descend into the bowels of the planet and toil in a dirty, menial job that prized brawn over brain. At least here he would be free each day after completing his shift.

Holding up his new ID for the guard to check, he passed through the security gate and followed the other miners to the shaft entrance. The foreman pulled Vyx aside and told him to wait with him until the shift was ready to descend, while the other miners, mostly men, separated into their normal work groups. As the first group entered the car, the foreman brought Vyx to a group with a missing man and introduced him to the group leader. The group waited their turn and then climbed into the car for the half-kilometer descent.

Although machines and bots performed all the actual digging and tunneling, the miners had to constantly monitor their performance and occasionally struggle to free drilling equipment that had become stuck or jammed. The group leader took Vyx to a previously opened ore vein and showed him what to look for and how to operate the machinery. He watched as Vyx started work, then left after being satisfied he was sufficiently proficient to handle it alone. Vyx didn't mind the dust, dirt, dark, din, and danger half as much as the full-face respirator mask he had to wear. Although absolutely necessary, he hated the tight fit and discomfort. His beard made it that much more uncomfortable because he needed a reasonably tight seal. He considered shaving it right after his shift ended, then changed his mind because it was a necessary part of his disguise.

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