Life of a Miner by Jamie Mcfarlane

Author:Jamie Mcfarlane [McFarlane, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Colonization, Young Adult, Exploration, Coming of Age, privateer, Adventure, short story
Publisher: Fickle Dragon Publishing
Published: 2016-09-28T04:00:00+00:00

Theft

"Hey, get away from there," Merley broadcast over the public comm channel. There was no guarantee that the figure rustling around in the cab of the large ore-sled was even listening, but it was worth a try.

Security lockout, Hoffen ore-sled. Attempted hijack in progress, Ulran ordered, close on his brother's heels; Priloe not far behind. A red light flashed inside the cockpit and a head poked up over the controls, peering out.

"He's making a run for it," Merley exclaimed as the vac-suited figure jumped free of the sled on the opposite side and blue arc-jet cones brightly lit his retreat.

"Don't, Merley," Ulran called after his brother, following more slowly.

It was an all too familiar scene for Priloe. Attempted theft, followed by a chase. He wondered if his newfound friends had considered what they'd do once they caught the would-be thief. Life on the streets, however, had taught him one important lesson and that was not to be drawn away by emotion. Big Pete's ore-sled was considerably more valuable than catching whoever they'd run across and he wasn't about to put it at risk.

Upon entering the ore-sled, Priloe acknowledged a prompt on his HUD to squelch the alarm Ulran initiated. Struggling to slow his panicked thoughts, he reasoned that the first order of business was to secure the sled and scrambled to pull the doors closed, locking them as he did. Second order was to retrieve Ulran and Merley. If they were being led into danger, the ore-sled might help.

Without strapping on the harness, he pulled the sled from the ground and spun it in the direction the boys had taken.

Locate Ulran and Merley. Provide a good route to them, Priloe requested. He cursed himself under his breath, unable to remember the words he'd so often heard Silver use to bring up the directional indicators.

Two diamond-shaped reticles appeared in his HUD with textual tags beneath, reading Ulran and Merley. They'd disappeared around the curvature of the asteroid and Priloe's heart pounded in his ears as he urged the large ore-sled forward, digging one of its legs into the rough surface of the asteroid.

"Ulran, what's going on?" Priloe asked once he leveled out his flight, gaining altitude to avoid an approaching swell.

"We lost him," Merley replied. "Did he take anything?"

"I'm not sure," Priloe answered. "I'm headed your way."

Priloe breathed a sigh of relief when the two boys appeared over the top of a hill, heading his direction. Setting the sled down, he released the lock on the starboard door and directed it to open. Once Ulran and Merley were aboard, he lifted from the surface of the asteroid, slowly moving back to where the scuttled ship lay in ruin.

"What the frak!?" Merley laughed. "That was insane." He punched his brother on the shoulder.

"Did you get a look at him?" Priloe asked.

"No. Whoever it was can scoot," Merley replied.

"He trashed the cockpit," Ulran announced, holding up an empty box of loose fittings. "Everything's dumped all over the floor back here."

Priloe leaned back, looking over the shared seat and took in what Ulran had already observed.

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