Tales from Inter Space Freight Services: Sweetness

By B Duane Smith

The crusty Captain of a small freighter and her Ericusian crew member only want another job to pay for fuel, supplies, and a smooth jump to the next star system. But sharks are out there. Whether armed with cannons and missiles or illegible contracts and conditions, they keep getting in the way of smooth runs. Why does saving the Universe have to keep getting in the way?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329700000

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Tales from Inter Space Freight Services: Sweetness

Tales from Inter-Space Freight Services, Ltd. – Sweetness

B Duane Smith

Copyright Notice

Copyright 2015  B Duane Smith

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

ISBN: 978-1-329-70000-0

Cover by Papertrumpet Graphics

Notes:

This eBook is a work of fiction.  All names, characters, places and incidents are a work of fiction.  Any resemblance of characters to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental with no intent to portray real people. 

Acknowledgements

My wife and children have been a source of strength and inspiration for me and I dedicate this book to them and their support

Another source of encouragement has come from a new group of friends.  M.Pax, author of several Science Fiction and Fantasy series has been gracious in regularly corresponding with me, and introduced me to the annual Realms Faire.  Contests, blogs, and an introduction to a whole new world opened for me resulting from her friendship.  Please check out her works, including The Backworlds, The Rifters, and others.  Other new friends including Cherie Reich, Alex J. Cavanaugh, River Fairchild, and the entire Untethered Realms membership deserve credit, too.  Please search for their works in your favorite online book sites.

Sweetness

You Win Some, You Lose Some

I'm sorry Captain Leong, but the decision has been made. The contracts are signed.  Honestly, it's out of my hands.  Perhaps you could fly for Donaldson Harris. They may have need of freighters now.

Callie Leong scowled at the young face of the New Earth naval officer standing over her. Even though he stood a full head taller than she did, her thick build and martial arts training clearly gave her an advantage if it would come to it. She was angry enough and perfectly willing for that if it wouldn't land her in jail for six months. You know as well as I do that DH flies nothing smaller than Conestoga class ships, she growled. You could fit two of my Linstroths in their ass holds alone.

The young officer pressed his lips together and looked at Callie sympathetically. I know Captain Leong. I know. But nothing built today can beat your ship for fast and tight in-and-out operations.

Callie couldn't resist. You suggesting something there lover boy? she leered.

The young officer stood confused for a breath's span of time before understanding. Oh!  N-No ma'am Captain! he stuttered.

Callie's communications datapad clicked several times. T'Grawn was having fun listening to this part of the exchange. She glanced up through the cockpit's lower canopy and saw him rocking his massive shoulders from side to side in what passed for gut-splitting laughter among the Ericiusian race. She silently mouthed to him, Laugh again when you're hungry, porcupine!  She glared at him another second as his shoulders continued to rock and he reached down for a whiff from the CO2 inhaler worn like a pendant on a necklace. The Ericiusian home planet was hot with a higher carbon dioxide to oxygen ratio than most human inhabited worlds. Without occasional puffs from the inhaler, T'Grawn suffered a condition much like hyper-ventilation in humans.  His raucous laughter was sure to bring that on faster.

The officer didn't notice Callie's mouthed conversation with her crew mate. Trying to recover from his earlier faux pas, he consulted his datapad to finalize payment to Callie. Alright then, payment done, he added with an exaggerated finger press on the pad's surface.

Holding her own datapad, Callie mocked him with an equally exaggerated Payment ... received. Her fake smile was more of a toothy grimace in her round Old Earth Asian featured face.

Good luck and safe travels, Captain, the young man offered sincerely, extending his hand.

Yeah, whatever, she replied merely bumping his hand with her closed fist. Anyone else she would have completely ignored.  Having served for several years in the military herself, she at least respected his rank and his attempt at professional courtesy.  It truly wasn't his fault a decision was made that would terminate her work with the New Earth Aerospace Navy, a member of the Allied Core Systems Fleet in which she'd served.  She wouldn't ignore the offer to shake hands with the young officer, but her tough persona allowed little more than a bump from her fist in response.  He watched her step around a support strut and climb the forward ramp into the hold of her aging but rugged little freighter she had named Sweetness. Better move your ass, Lieutenant Commander, she called from inside not looking back. Lifting off in thirty seconds.

The officer quickly returned to his land car and waiting driver. He slipped into the passenger seat beside an even younger petty officer second class. She accelerated the silent land car forward as its large tires crunched the gravel underneath and eyed him when he sighed.

I know, I know, he answered her unasked question. She's gruff as a pit spenthar, but she's a great pilot and a war hero to boot. I wish the admiralty would cut her and others like her some slack. I don't like the new freight services. The Navy should have never considered sole sourcing. We're going to pay a price for that beyond just credits.  She's saved more than a few Marine butts during heavy firefights. You think these new company freighters are going to even think twice about entering a hot zone to do the same? 

The driver just glanced at him without answering. She knew it wasn't really a question. One hundred meters behind, great clouds of gravel dust billowed out from under Sweetness as the blocky little freighter lifted slowly, then climbed skyward.

Looking for Work

At the controls of Sweetness, Callie requested an approach vector for the commercial docking facility of New Earth's third largest city. A display in front of her showed a question mark, as her headset clicked once.

I heard about a possible run to the Crissada system. There's a moon there almost as big as a class M planet orbiting a gas giant. It isn't quite self-sustaining yet, but supposedly has some rich mineral deposits. They need food and medical equipment.

Another click and a second question mark displayed.

"Not big enough for big outfits.  Sweetness can land in canyons other ships can't even think about.  I figure it's a start. If it pays for fuel and supplies we'll see where it leads next."

A triple click and plus sign showed on the display.

Yeah, it'll be safer than rescuing Marines, but won't pay near as good.

The display showed a simple dot, indicating that T'Grawn understood and was satisfied with the answer.  Approach permission and vector was granted from air traffic control.

Acknowledged, Callie transmitted back. She thumbed the internal com system paging T'Grawn back in his own small cabin. Two standard cycle hours till arrival T, she let him know. Good time for a quick nap if you want.

She was answered with a rapid double-click in acknowledgement. Sweetness continued to gently climb.  Callie watched the horizon ahead and the forested hills below, broken only by wide river valleys and the lush patchwork fields of New Earth's rich agricultural topography.

Back in his cabin, T'Grawn adjusted the CO2 level in his oversized sleep pod for greater comfort. His massive shoulders barely fit his enlarged bunk and the sandpaper surface of the coverlet felt good against the keratin strengthened split quills covering his back and long arms. His head, normally thrust forward and positioned just under the joining of his big shoulders, nestled comfortably back leaving only his pug snout exposed in what reminded humans of an Old Earth turtle. He closed his jet black eyes and tucked his short but powerful legs up as he curled up on his side. As he relaxed, exposed quills slowly fanned out and back again regulating his body temperature while he slept. He dreamt of his good fortune on meeting Callie. Raised in servitude, he was considered too adventurous to fit in with his clan, and his Chaak'tn, or clan chief sold him to Callie after he had expressed his desire to explore the stars as a laborer. The Ericiusians had been discovered by a human Missionary sect of an ancient religion, and they treated the stone-age Ericiusian culture with respect, befriending their leaders and learning of their needs and history once the language barrier was overcome.  Militia accompanying the humans was able to protect most of the planet's inhabitants from others who thought to enslave and sell the Ericiusians as mindless muscle. While slavery was quite common to them, exploitation by outsiders was reviled. The Ericiusian may not have been advanced technologically, but they were remarkably adaptable and fast learners.

Besides helping to regulate their body heat, the Ericiusian's quills served as strong shielding. It was purely defensive, but each quill was split so that the tough tissue within fanned out forming strong overlapping plates that even hand held projectile weapons couldn't penetrate.

Without vocal chords, Ericiusians communicated through a complex mix of sign and body language along with clicks and occasional whistles of their double tongue on the hard palate of their mouth. From the missionaries they learned written language quickly, and their triple thumbed hands managed enlarged keypads deftly. Callie had been able to learn T'Grawn's click pattern of communication, aided by sign language and datapad displays of his shorthand style of messaging. He understood her language completely, and during the last four years learned nuances of tone and slang, too.  As a keen observer of facial expression and posture, T'Grawn was never lost by Callie's sarcasm.  Shortly after departing from his home planet, she gave him his freedom.  In response, T'Grawn branded himself with a symbol in his palms. The brand was painful until it healed, but it symbolized the permanence of his loyalty and chosen subservience to this human woman. His was a longer lived race than humans, and there was no doubt he'd outlive Callie. He would deal with that when the time came.

A New Contract

The Aubin space port of New Earth was not for tourists or travel brochures. It was a mix of industrial and agricultural warehousing alongside light manufacturing centers.  All were dotted with pads for ships of various sizes. Instead of majestic skyscrapers stretching upward, cranes and cargo loading framework sent skeletal fingers into the blue heavens of New Earth. Sleek transports were replaced with tractors and jitneys darting about randomly. Artsy billboards and theater signs gave way to building designations and warehouse names.   If the beautiful sculpted city-scape was the face and soul of New Earth, Aubin port was its heartbeat. Without Aubin, there was no thriving New Earth.

Callie was given clearance for a medium sized pad near one of the smaller manufactured goods warehouses. Medical equipment and supplies had been loaded into wheeled containers that would be stacked into the small freighter's main hold. Grain products in barrels and oversized sacks would fill all the spaces between. Sweetness was equipped with a modest Captain's cabin, and two smaller crew cabins, a tiny galley, and an engine compartment comprising almost a third of the ship.  Her aft hold, one third the size of the front access main hold, sat