step near the edge of the platform. Realizing the danger of the drop, he lurched back and nearly fell over. Brent quickly rushed over and steadied him.
“What’s wrong with him?” the burly man asked.
“Not got his land legs yet,” Brent answered, getting Owen to his feet. “Too much time on an orbital will do that to ya.”
“One of the reasons you won’t catch me up in those tin cans any time soon,” the burly man replied solemnly.
“Work’s work,” Brent said quickly with a causal shrug. “I have this fondness for routine meals, and the pay’s not too bad. Plus, if I don’t work too hard, maybe it will take so long they’ll give up on the whole thing,” Brent said with a wink.
The burly man laughed and visibly relaxed.
“I guess we all have to eat.” The burly man even smiled.
With Owen firmly on his own two feet, Brent approached the burly man. The device in his hands had a narrow slot running its length. Removing his ident card from his pocket, Brent inserted it into the slot and the device sprang to life. A crude monitor displayed advertisements for hotels and restaurants.
“Just between you and me, forget those ads,” the burly guard whispered to Brent. “Overpriced and too many spacers. Guys who actually like it up there. You want to hit the Silver Dragon. Great prices and plenty of normal people staying there, too. After a while you may not even want to go back up.”
“Who said I wanted to go back now ?” Brent said as he removed his ident card.
Chuckling, the burly man waved off the two men guarding the elevator. As it opened, Brent walked through, noticing one of the guards giving him a disapproving glace. One by one, the rest of the recruits passed through, swiping their cards. Suddenly, the device made a low tone. Owen had just inserted his ident card. The guard near the elevator that had given Brent the foul look clutched his weapon tightly. Brent felt a sour spot growing in his stomach; this was going to get very bad, very quick.
“This ident card is a fraud!” the burly man shouted.
The armed guards took a step toward Owen. Brent could hear some low whimpering from the other recruits. The armed guards raised their weapons, pointing them at Owen’s chest.
“It’s my fault,” Brent called out while pushing through the other recruits. “I knew not to trust them, but I did it anyway.”
“What are you talking about?” the burly man asked, placing his hand on a weapon at his hip.
The guard who had given Brent the evil eye turned his weapon, pointing it at Brent’s head.
“I’ve known his family forever,” Brent explained, not moving any closer. “Recently they fell ill and needed medical help, expensive medical help. He was too young to work at any position that would pay enough, so he came to me.”
“He doesn’t look that young.” The burly man looked Owen over.
“He’s five years younger than I am.”
“Doesn’t look it.”
“Tell me about it, and he’s still growing. Soon he’ll be taller than I am.”
“So what did you do?”
“I talked to a man from the Commonwealth. He was in charge of the orbiter. He was desperate for more workers. When I explained my friend was too young, he said he’d take care of it if I signed on to work, too.”
“I should have known.” The burly man spat on the ground. “Leave it to those spacers to exploit our people for their goals.”
“But sir, you can’t just accept his word,” the guard with the weapon pointed at Brent’s head protested. “There is no proof to support him.”
“Look for yourself.” The burly man turned the device toward the armed guard. “This counterfeit has all the earmarks of a spacer job – none of the expertise or flair of a local forger.”
The armed guard slowly lowered his weapon, nodding in agreement with the burly man. The burly man pushed Owen on toward the open elevator and motioned for
“What’s wrong with him?” the burly man asked.
“Not got his land legs yet,” Brent answered, getting Owen to his feet. “Too much time on an orbital will do that to ya.”
“One of the reasons you won’t catch me up in those tin cans any time soon,” the burly man replied solemnly.
“Work’s work,” Brent said quickly with a causal shrug. “I have this fondness for routine meals, and the pay’s not too bad. Plus, if I don’t work too hard, maybe it will take so long they’ll give up on the whole thing,” Brent said with a wink.
The burly man laughed and visibly relaxed.
“I guess we all have to eat.” The burly man even smiled.
With Owen firmly on his own two feet, Brent approached the burly man. The device in his hands had a narrow slot running its length. Removing his ident card from his pocket, Brent inserted it into the slot and the device sprang to life. A crude monitor displayed advertisements for hotels and restaurants.
“Just between you and me, forget those ads,” the burly guard whispered to Brent. “Overpriced and too many spacers. Guys who actually like it up there. You want to hit the Silver Dragon. Great prices and plenty of normal people staying there, too. After a while you may not even want to go back up.”
“Who said I wanted to go back now ?” Brent said as he removed his ident card.
Chuckling, the burly man waved off the two men guarding the elevator. As it opened, Brent walked through, noticing one of the guards giving him a disapproving glace. One by one, the rest of the recruits passed through, swiping their cards. Suddenly, the device made a low tone. Owen had just inserted his ident card. The guard near the elevator that had given Brent the foul look clutched his weapon tightly. Brent felt a sour spot growing in his stomach; this was going to get very bad, very quick.
“This ident card is a fraud!” the burly man shouted.
The armed guards took a step toward Owen. Brent could hear some low whimpering from the other recruits. The armed guards raised their weapons, pointing them at Owen’s chest.
“It’s my fault,” Brent called out while pushing through the other recruits. “I knew not to trust them, but I did it anyway.”
“What are you talking about?” the burly man asked, placing his hand on a weapon at his hip.
The guard who had given Brent the evil eye turned his weapon, pointing it at Brent’s head.
“I’ve known his family forever,” Brent explained, not moving any closer. “Recently they fell ill and needed medical help, expensive medical help. He was too young to work at any position that would pay enough, so he came to me.”
“He doesn’t look that young.” The burly man looked Owen over.
“He’s five years younger than I am.”
“Doesn’t look it.”
“Tell me about it, and he’s still growing. Soon he’ll be taller than I am.”
“So what did you do?”
“I talked to a man from the Commonwealth. He was in charge of the orbiter. He was desperate for more workers. When I explained my friend was too young, he said he’d take care of it if I signed on to work, too.”
“I should have known.” The burly man spat on the ground. “Leave it to those spacers to exploit our people for their goals.”
“But sir, you can’t just accept his word,” the guard with the weapon pointed at Brent’s head protested. “There is no proof to support him.”
“Look for yourself.” The burly man turned the device toward the armed guard. “This counterfeit has all the earmarks of a spacer job – none of the expertise or flair of a local forger.”
The armed guard slowly lowered his weapon, nodding in agreement with the burly man. The burly man pushed Owen on toward the open elevator and motioned for
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