Read Online Space Relics (Galactic Archaeology Book 1) by Nathan Duke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nathan Duke
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let acid rain and contaminated food finish him off. She wasn’t in a hurry to buy food to eat or to pay the ship’s mortgage, but Rick was. The loan sharks he’d worked with wouldn’t be too happy unless he had something to pay them with.
Lucas walked into the shuttle with his head buried in his tablet. He’d spent the whole week reading about ancient Martian structures, and he didn’t care that they were in one of the worst dumpsters in the galaxy.
Lucas lived and shone amongst books. He read everything he found about mythical stones and their magical properties. He blabbered about ancient tombs that hid history’s greatest enigmas, and he dreamed of the chance of finding one of those trinkets in their expedition.
Rick didn’t care about the historical value of silly tomb objects; history was far too expensive for men like him. Though he did care about the expedition leaders who’d become rich after finding one of those special rocks.
Although, realistically, they wouldn’t get rich with a single expedition. As long as the money was good enough to keep going, it was a nice and easy job. And being in a lawful business wouldn’t get any of them arrested or sent to the prison colonies in half-terraformed planets.
Lucas didn’t care about those mundane matters. He didn’t notice Amy or Rick and continued reading and munching one of those vitamin sticks that he always carried around.
Amy tilted her head and stared at him to try to grab his attention.
Lucas didn’t react; it was normal in him. He spent his time in bed or around the excavation site. He rarely exercised and never ate anything aside from processed foods. He was stick-thin, skin over bone, and his eyes had become more sunken during the expedition. He was as broke as Rick, but he’d had a normal life at some point in his life. Ever since he’d lost his family’s fortune, he’d tried to return to that comfortable life. Every day brought him farther away from it.
“Lucas,” Amy said with a broad smile on her face. She got rather scary when she looked at people with those bright eyes and her Machiavellian expression. “Tell me something: what do you know about Lord Baylor that makes you trust him?”
“Huh?” Lucas turned around and opened his mouth to think. He was taller than Rick and as naturally athletic as most of the genetically engineered kids, but opening his mouth like that made him look dumb. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t trust him. I’m working on something that will change our view of history, and he’s an honored academic. What makes you doubt his intentions?”
“The fact that he’s hired you,” she said matter-of-factly. “You two aren’t the kind of assistants that anyone would hire, and he’s paying you far more than you’ve been earning until now.”
“I’d pay to take part in the expedition, so I don’t care if I’m not paid.” Lucas shrugged and continued eating his vitamin bar.
“Am I the only person who cares about the real world?” she said, pacing around the shuttle. “You’re insane, both of you! If you think that a lord is going to give you anything once you find the lost civilization, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise.”
Rick chuckled. Sometimes, Amy got so annoyed that she forgot her place as the ship’s holographic AI. He let out a long sigh. “Okay, let’s do something: if Lord Baylor doesn’t pay us, I’ll get you a better motherboard.”
“Aboard my main ship?” She glanced around at the control panels. She’d never liked the transport shuttle, but it was way newer than the Argonaut.
“As long as you stop complaining.”
“And as long as you find a way to pay for it,” she said. “Do I need to remind you that if Lord Baylor doesn’t pay you, you won’t have any money left? It’s rather irresponsible of you, Richard.”
Thanks for telling me. I hadn’t noticed.
“Thanks, mom,” Rick said. “I’ll try to get my boss to pay me, and then I’ll eat my
Lucas walked into the shuttle with his head buried in his tablet. He’d spent the whole week reading about ancient Martian structures, and he didn’t care that they were in one of the worst dumpsters in the galaxy.
Lucas lived and shone amongst books. He read everything he found about mythical stones and their magical properties. He blabbered about ancient tombs that hid history’s greatest enigmas, and he dreamed of the chance of finding one of those trinkets in their expedition.
Rick didn’t care about the historical value of silly tomb objects; history was far too expensive for men like him. Though he did care about the expedition leaders who’d become rich after finding one of those special rocks.
Although, realistically, they wouldn’t get rich with a single expedition. As long as the money was good enough to keep going, it was a nice and easy job. And being in a lawful business wouldn’t get any of them arrested or sent to the prison colonies in half-terraformed planets.
Lucas didn’t care about those mundane matters. He didn’t notice Amy or Rick and continued reading and munching one of those vitamin sticks that he always carried around.
Amy tilted her head and stared at him to try to grab his attention.
Lucas didn’t react; it was normal in him. He spent his time in bed or around the excavation site. He rarely exercised and never ate anything aside from processed foods. He was stick-thin, skin over bone, and his eyes had become more sunken during the expedition. He was as broke as Rick, but he’d had a normal life at some point in his life. Ever since he’d lost his family’s fortune, he’d tried to return to that comfortable life. Every day brought him farther away from it.
“Lucas,” Amy said with a broad smile on her face. She got rather scary when she looked at people with those bright eyes and her Machiavellian expression. “Tell me something: what do you know about Lord Baylor that makes you trust him?”
“Huh?” Lucas turned around and opened his mouth to think. He was taller than Rick and as naturally athletic as most of the genetically engineered kids, but opening his mouth like that made him look dumb. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t trust him. I’m working on something that will change our view of history, and he’s an honored academic. What makes you doubt his intentions?”
“The fact that he’s hired you,” she said matter-of-factly. “You two aren’t the kind of assistants that anyone would hire, and he’s paying you far more than you’ve been earning until now.”
“I’d pay to take part in the expedition, so I don’t care if I’m not paid.” Lucas shrugged and continued eating his vitamin bar.
“Am I the only person who cares about the real world?” she said, pacing around the shuttle. “You’re insane, both of you! If you think that a lord is going to give you anything once you find the lost civilization, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise.”
Rick chuckled. Sometimes, Amy got so annoyed that she forgot her place as the ship’s holographic AI. He let out a long sigh. “Okay, let’s do something: if Lord Baylor doesn’t pay us, I’ll get you a better motherboard.”
“Aboard my main ship?” She glanced around at the control panels. She’d never liked the transport shuttle, but it was way newer than the Argonaut.
“As long as you stop complaining.”
“And as long as you find a way to pay for it,” she said. “Do I need to remind you that if Lord Baylor doesn’t pay you, you won’t have any money left? It’s rather irresponsible of you, Richard.”
Thanks for telling me. I hadn’t noticed.
“Thanks, mom,” Rick said. “I’ll try to get my boss to pay me, and then I’ll eat my
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