Depot-14: Crash Landing

By J.J. Mainor

A security job turns into a fight for survival when a passenger ship crash-lands on the hostile world of Hen. While Jakarta struggles to defend the survivors, her biggest threat may not be the natives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.J. Mainor
• Release date: Mar 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370959419

J.J. Mainor

I can talk about my characters and stories far more easily than I can talk about myself. The best way to learn about me is through those stories. Writing primarily science fiction, I enjoy worlds and universes that aren't so black and white. Every story has something to say, and every message is not as straight-forward as it seems. We tend to boil ourselves down and define ourselves according to neat labels, whether by race, gender, political identity, or whatever; and the truth is, we're more complicated than that. I try to write worlds and characters that reflect that complexity and diversity of belief.

Book preview

Depot-14: Crash Landing

Copyright 2017 by J.J. Mainor

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 1

How much do you know about the Hennites? Mr. Phun asked.

Jakarta glanced to her buddy Colton who admittedly had more knowledge than she on the matter, but the young man wouldn’t take her hint.

No more than the average person, I suppose, she began. They’re native to the third planet Hen. Somewhat hostile toward us, but they only cause trouble when our planets pass.

Phun gave her answer a silent nod and looked to her partner. What about you?

I probably know more than most since I had ancestors who fought in the wars. They’re a primitive species, still in the stick-and-rock age, but they’ve acquired quite an arsenal of ships and weapons through trade and plunder, and they’ve learned how to use and maintain them. Like Jackie says, they’re dangerous when our two worlds are at their closest point, but otherwise they leave us alone as long as our ships steer clear.

Why the questions? Jakarta asked.

Mr. Phun was better dressed than most of the other guests crowded into the bustling mess hall. With a neatly cut suit and perfect hair, the professional-looking case on the table in front of him completed the look of business.

I just received word our passenger liner will pass within ten thousand kilometers of Hen on its way out of the system.

Jakarta and Colton looked to each other with their own concern.

I’m sure the Army will escort your ship as it passes.

Phun had an amusing laugh at the idea. The Army doesn’t get involved unless there is a situation. When they decide to step in, the Hennites will have already disabled the ship and docked. By then, it will be too late.

Too late for what? Jakarta asked him.

As if he anticipated the question, the man opened his case and spun it around so the two stationmasters of Supply Depot-14 could see what he carried. Inside the case were ten reddish-orange rods about twenty centimeters long and two centimeters in diameter. Neither of the stationmasters had seen anything like them before. After looking to each other for answers, they looked across at Mr. Phun once more.

We call them cuauric rods, he told them. My company, Cardyne Metatronics has been developing them for more than ten Durango years. They have passed laboratory testing so I am taking them to the shipyards on Sherman’s Rock for field tests.

What do they do? Colton asked.

Simply put, they absorb and magnify energy.

Magnify!

"Yes. In much the same way scientists have been arranging carbon lattices to create all kinds of unnatural materials, we have discovered that certain unusual arrangements of gold and copper atoms have the potential of amplifying energy waves.

If the Hennites get their hands on these and figure out what they can do, they might plug them into their ships’ engines. They could outrun the army frigates and reach Durango no matter how far apart our worlds are. Worse, they might apply them to their weapons and render them deadlier than they already are. Why, the pulse cannons on their raiders could then vaporize this entire station with one shot.

I see the dilemma, Colton sighed.

Yeah, Jakarta agreed. But if it’s such a valuable invention, why not hire your own courier vessel and chart your own course?"

We are more worried about the criminal element, Phun explained. "Those courier ships can become targets for their raiders. With a package this small, I can carry it on a passenger liner and no one would ever suspect. Only the really desperate outlaws board the liners to rob the passengers.

Besides, my company isn’t too worried about the Hennites. I didn’t ask to talk to you because I wish to complain. I wanted to hire one of you on as extra security.

We’re not really in the security business, Colton tried to explain. We have enough on our hands with this station.

And I wouldn’t make you the offer if I could get someone from the surface. Problem is, that passenger liner arrives in just a couple hours and there will not be another shuttle from the surface until tomorrow. Besides all that, this ship reaches Camden in two days. I won’t need your services beyond that. You can catch the next ship back the day after we arrive and be back here in two more days. For that Cardyne Metatronics will pay five thousand credits.

Five thousand! Jakarta blurted out. Those rods must be valuable if you’re puttin’ up that kind of security.

Easily. I already have one man hiding among your guests, but we would feel much better with a second gun in case the Hennites do try to board.

Colton glanced across the room to spy his teenage brother, Tucker, at the counter. While they were talking, the boy was busy cooking and serving the other guests, but at that moment, all he seemed to be doing was talking with a particularly attractive young woman.

It was uncertain if he looked at her the same way Colton might, but the older brother knew she was trouble, and inappropriate, even if Tucker had been old enough to make his own decisions regarding these matters.

I would love to take you up on the offer, Colton told the businessman, but I have too much on my hands right now.

He looked to his partner, thinking how tempting that much money was for such little work. It would have certainly been a help to him when his underage brother ate into his share of the depot’s profits (literally and figuratively). And though Jakarta didn’t share the same burdens, five thousand credits meant a lot to her no matter how he spelled it out.

If you want to take the job, he told her, I can certainly handle this place for five days.

Jakarta took a look around the room herself. It certainly was a busy place – busier than they were used to. Then again, Camden was a popular destination on that day. She knew most of the people would be gone with that ship, and yet a few would remain behind to tax her buddy’s time and attention.

You sure you can find time to do everythin’ around here and get Tuck to do his lessons?

He does enough for me if I keep him focused.

Jakarta fell in love with the idea. Beyond all that money, she honed in on this idea of starting their own private security firm right out of that depot. Anytime a courier needed an extra gun to watch over their shipment and ward off the criminals, she or Colt could provide the trust so their clients wouldn’t have to waste time asking around on the surface of the planet.

The money they might make from such a venture was intoxicating, but she had to tell herself she was getting a little too far ahead. It might have sounded easy since she didn’t expect the trouble from the Hennites Mr. Phun expected. Before she could think about expanding, she had to make sure she could handle the job presented to her first.

If you’re okay with it, she told her friend, "then