Ghost Station by Chris Hechtl

Author:Chris Hechtl [Hechtl, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, High Tech, Hard Science Fiction
Amazon: B00BSG0LF4
Goodreads: 17667361
Publisher: self
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

“Admiral, if you have any hope of repairing this place we need to make it safe. Which means doing something about the gangs and the Dilgarth. Starting with the Dilgarth,” Sprite said. She sounded exasperated. Irons could see why. They had their share of impossible projects before, but this station... wow.

“I vote we space the lot,” Myers said tiredly. Irons gave the cyber a long look. Myers shrugged it off. “It was a mistake bringing them on. I don't know what we were thinking at the time,” he said tiredly.

“We were thinking expense of course,” Sid said with a sideways smile. “They came cheap. Apparently too cheap.”

“Security force?” Irons asked. The two cybers nodded.

“We paid for their transit here and augmentation.”

“Augmentation... are they linked?” Irons asked.

“No no, they had basic implants. No I meant adapting them to this environment and well... the spine launchers,” Sid said uncomfortably.

Myers looked away. His jaw was set. After a long moment he blew his cheeks in and out a few times and then exhaled. It was interesting to see a hologram do that. “Yeah, not one of my better ideas,” he finally admitted.

“You think?” Sid asked shaking his virtual head. “Spine launchers and adapting them to the station. We contracted a Ynari to do the job. Simple really, make the spine launchers and change their skin to allow them to adapt to the environment in the station. I didn't know they wanted a chrometophore ability until after it was approved. That was rescinded of course, the predator laws prevented it. I think the Fu's were involved in that fight. I was busy with a rich asteroid and a dispute between subcontractors at the time. I remember they settled on the corporate colors instead.”

“That explains that,” Sprite said looking at the admiral. Irons nodded. He'd wondered about the off white and purple mask and trim.

“Anyway, they asked that the changes be made permanent so that their prodigy wouldn't need to be changed if and when they signed on to the corporation. Since it would save us money in the long run the accountants were on board. And we would have only a slightly higher up front expense but wouldn't have to reinvest in the project again so we agreed. Wrote it off in the end.”

“Wrote it off as a tax rebate you mean,” Sprite said with a sniff. “And the people of the station have been paying for it every day since.”

“Don't remind me,” Myers said, wiping his face and mouth with one hand. He turned to Irons and spread his hands helplessly.

“I've... we've been paying for it too. The Fu's voted against the idea and have been beating us over the head with it ever since. It's undermined everything we do, every argument since. They keep pointing to it as an example of how wrong I was.”

“Ouch,” Sprite said.

“We all make mistakes,” Irons rumbled. “There aren't any easy answers. We do the best with what we've got and what we know at the time, second guessing this far out from the time period is pointless.

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