A Hero

by Stephen Arseneault

  A talking head gave the report. "The Aarlis Corporation announced the purchase of a new mine on Echelon II. A press release states they expect to be hiring as many as ten thousand laborers and managers, and the support staff needed by both. The company will be accepting applications starting tomorrow."

  Another newscaster followed with a question. "How would one go about getting there, Jean? Echelon is quite a ways out."

  "The job interviews will be held at every Aarlis Corporation site throughout the colonies. If the corporation accepts your application, they will provide transportation going out to Echelon, along with company housing and provisions at a standard rate."

  Denise was standing behind me. "Well. Won't hurt to apply."

  "Not sure I could do that to you and Pea."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The average temperature on the surface of that planet is minus-fifty-degrees Celsius. You're trapped indoors 100 percent of the time. And while I know you could stay here, any contract for work out there is likely to be three to five years. I'd go nuts being away from the two of you for that long."

  Denise came around to sit beside me. The warmth of her body pressing against mine was both comforting and distracting. "Transport captains and crews do that. Chelsea across the way, that's what her husband does. I mean, it's not ideal by any means, but they get by."

  I gave her a skeptical look. "You said they'd split up over it a half dozen times."

  She shrugged. "That's what she told me, but I don't see them as a strong couple anyway. You mean the world to me and Pea, and I know you feel the same about us. If we have to sacrifice to get ourselves on a solid foundation... so be it."

  I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close for a kiss on the cheek. "You two are my foundation. And I have no doubt you would be able to handle being here with your parents. But I would go absolutely insane. Life without you would hardly be worth living."

  Denise smiled. "That's sweet, but we need an income. Wait. With that many people possibly heading out, aren't there likely to be some openings elsewhere? You could always wait and see what comes up."

  I slowly shook my head. "Not how it works in a glutted market. Only those working bottom-feeder jobs will want to swap. And most won't be interested in the confinement of a mine. We have the freedom to move about here, doing whatever we want. Out there, you can't go anywhere but there. And anything you do while there, besides working, costs you whatever rate the corporation wants to charge. You effectively owe your soul to the company store. They own everything."

  "Don't get me wrong," Denise replied. "I do think you should apply."

  I stared back at the newscast with a sigh. "I'll put in my application as soon as the submissions open."

  "You might even send a note to TC letting him know you're doing so."

  I laughed. "And blow my chances? Might be better if I applied under an assumed name."

  "If he's mad at anyone, it's me. Not you. I'm the one who gave him the snow-bath and terror-ride."

  We were interrupted by a chirping on my comm. I looked at Denise with my eyebrows raised. "It's TC."

  She glared at me as the comm chirped twice again. "Well, answer it, you idiot!"

  I transferred the comm to the display we were watching. An image of Thomas Goodall appeared on the screen. "Mr. Rayford T. Jackson. Hope all is well. Have you found work yet?"

  "I... a... no. Still looking. I just saw the newscast of your latest purchase. Congratulations."

  "Yes. Thank you. And about that... first let me apologize for my behavior back at Baxter. I was in a bad place."

  "Did something happen?"

  "Yes. My father decided he wanted me at Echelon. I was being sent out with the negotiating team, and I've since been made the President of Aarlis Mining. Tell Denise I'm sorry for how I acted. I was a bit distracted by that news. No excuse, just a reason."

  "She's right here."

  Denise leaned in front of the display. "Glad you came to your senses, Thomas. And apology accepted."

  "Ray," TC continued. "the reason I commed was to see if you were interested in working for Aarlis Mining. If you heard the news, you know we are hiring as many as ten thousand laborers to start. I expect that estimate to be low—possibly by a factor of three. I need you to come out there with me, as a member of my staff. My father has decided I will be in charge of the entire Echelon operation."

  "Five mines?"

  "Soon to be six. The entire planet. He landed a huge military hardware contract and we'll be needing the raw materials necessary to fill it. In addition to the mines, we're opening up two ore processing foundries on Merchain. I hoped that would be my posting, but he gave it to Estelle. She seems to be his favorite."

  TC raised an eyebrow. "So, do you have interest in working on Echelon? Comes with housing and a food allowance. And a standard salary when considering the prior two."

  Denise leaned in. "Any kind of travel allowance?"

  TC was silent for several seconds. "I could allow three weeks off every six months. Contracts will be for five years. I can also tell you the housing will be slightly larger than standard in the executive building. But make no mistake... it isn't big, and the entire stay will be indoors."

  "So, am I finally going to receive that formal offer?" I chuckled.

  TC smiled. "I'll have my aide send it your way. And Ray, I'm very interested in you coming aboard. I know how committed you are. You'll be an asset to the team."

  I nodded. "Can't wait to see the offer."

  "Denise, it was good seeing you. And Ray, I look forward to your acceptance."

  TC closed the comm.

  Denise was grinning. "Well that's a good turn of events."

  "I'll admit to not having expected that. But a five-year contract? That's a long time. And the cold out there is insane. We need to talk this over."

  "You are taking this, right? It's on his executive staff, Ray. This would be a starting position most would kill for. You'll be working directly for the President of Aarlis Mining!"

  "Let's wait and see what the offer says. It's been promised before."

  Denise stood and walked toward our bedroom.

  I followed her with my eyes. "Where you going?"

  "To put on some nicer clothes. We finally have something to go out and celebrate."

  I laughed. "Too bad we can't comm Sheila."

  Denise stopped and turned. "I think we can entertain ourselves without her. Would take her a week to fly out here anyway, but I bet she'd come if asked."

  Even though it was still early, we headed out to a local pub as Denise's parents watched Pea. An hour passed before the offer arrived. The terms were far from generous.

  Denise sat with her arms crossed. "It's almost insulting. With the cost of room and board deducted, and then taxes, we only net about 15 percent."

  "Gives me incentive to work hard and move up."

  "Bah. Move up to where? You'll already be on his executive staff."

  "Then I make myself valuable, indispensable. And let's be honest. We won't have anywhere to go or anything to do. That 15 percent will be all savings."

  "And what about Pea? She'll be stuck indoors with me all day. What kind of life is that for a child?"

  I sighed. "Are you trying to talk me out of this now? You stay indoors all the time as it is. When was the last time you took her to the park? Last month?"

  "There were dogs there. They scared her. Believe me, I tried to get her over that fear, but she's only three. And sorry if I seem to be contradictory. The more I think about this the more uncertain I become."

  I glanced around the bar. "If you stayed here on Demos, I could opt for smaller quarters out there. That would save us some money. And the two of you would be where you have family and friends. I could handle a few weeks of travel every six months to see you."

  I leaned back on the bench of the booth we inhabited, spinning my drink glass in my hand. "And there's one thing I'm certain of, TC doesn't want
to be there either. He'll be looking for ways to move his executive staff to a warm, more heavily populated colony. If this was a standard engineering job, I would definitely be stuck at Echelon. And with no travel allowance."

  The discussion went on for another hour before we made the decision to accept the offer. Denise insisted the three of us would move. The transition would be difficult but was something we would endure together. In addition, I promised if they didn't like it on Echelon, I would send them home.

  The shuttle ride back to her parent's house had me smiling. At last I had a job, something I desperately needed. After talking it over with her parents that evening, I pressed a button on my comm, sending notice of my acceptance.

  — Chapter 4 —

  * * *

  Three days had passed since I agreed to work for TC. I skipped the interview process, having a connection at the top. All that was left was the long ride to Echelon.

  We said our goodbyes to Denise's family. The most difficult was for her mother who was also having to give up her granddaughter. Tears flowed, deep hugs and blessings were exchanged. A hover-taxi was waiting in front of the house.

  Don pulled me in for a short hug after setting two bags on the ground. "Take care of my daughter."

  I smiled. "Will probably be the other way around."

  He chuckled and gave me a slap on the shoulder as we hoisted the bags into the cargo space of the taxi.

  Twenty minutes later, I walked the spaceport with Denise as Pea sat on my shoulders. We boarded the shuttle for Echelon II along with several dozen other families. As we settled in for the journey, our bags were brought to our cabin. It was a nine-day trip to the most remote colony in the empire.

  Denise smiled as we each looked out the tiny window of our room. "I'm glad we're going with you. I hadn't even realized eighteen days of your three-week travel allowance would have been spent in flight to and from here."

  I nodded. "Three days of seeing you both wouldn't have been enough. I just hope the two of you can handle the confinement."

  "We'll be fine. According to TC's assistant, there are around two thousand families in our housing complex. So there should be lots of other children for Pea to play with. And the network channels are all available as well, even if they are on a four-day delay from Merchain."

  The ship rumbled as its gravity drives kicked in.

  Paulette clung to the edge of the window, her eyes scanning for every bit of movement on the spaceport grounds beside us.

  As the shuttle lifted, she clapped her hands and shouted, "We're moving!"

  The quarters were tight. A pair of bunks, a table with bench seating, and a small restroom with a toilet, sink, and sonic shower filled out our space. The shuttle had no common area for escaping the confines of the cabin. Every nook and cranny had been stuffed with supplies for the colony.

  The first several days of the ride were spent watching recorded shows, movies, and with quiet reading. During that time, I had grown to be an expert on the adventures and happenings of Jason and the Jackrabbits, a favorite animated cartoon of Pea's.

  Six days into the trip, when we had finished an episode, I tucked Pea in for a nap and took a seat across the table from Denise. "You do realize life is gonna be a lot like this out there," I said.

  "Uh, according to the diagrams the assistant sent, our quarters will be quite a bit bigger than this."

  I nodded. "They will. But not really what I meant. Until you make friends, you'll have most of the day where it is just the two of you together. No adults."

  "I just did the last three years like that. Wasn't so bad. And TC didn't say anything about you working any longer than a standard workday."

  I returned a half smile, half frown. "This is a salaried position, on an executive staff. And if I know TC, he is of a mindset that he'll be demanding a lot of my time. Especially until he gets that whole operation running the way he wants it."

  "Did he ever let you know exactly what it is you'll be doing?"

  "I haven't a clue. But he isn't one to just sit around and take things easy. He'll be wanting to prove to his father that he's better suited to run Aarlis Mining than his sister."

  "How do the two compare?"

  "She's driven. Just like him. Only she's smarter. She has her PhD in business from Brassington. Graduated top of her class."

  Denise chuckled and looked at me with a sarcastic grin. "So, what was she doing with the likes of you?"

  "We met waiting on shuttle flights. Me for coach and her for a private shuttle that was unable to land due to a congested spaceport. We were in the spaceport lounge and I guess I was patient with her complaining. Tolerant is more like it."

  "I can't see you asking out a complainer."

  "I didn't. She asked me. No... wait... she kind of insisted that I go out with her. She's attractive. And she's the daughter of Aarlis Goodall. How could I say no?"

  "What was she like? Why'd you stop seeing her?"

  "Other than the complaining? She was just too demanding. Anyway, I had already developed a crush on this certain local girl who had caught my attention."

  Denise leaned in with a twinkle in her eye and that cute little coy smile she got when she was teasing. "You don't say. And who might that have been?"

  "You know who it was."

  I drew her in close for a long kiss.

  Denise pulled back with another tease. "Wait, you weren't just thinking of her were you?"

  The question was promptly interrupted by a frustrated, three-year-old girl sitting up with a frown. "Stop talking. I'm napping!"

  The outburst brought chuckles from us both.

  A knock came at the cabin door accompanied by a yell, "Dinner meal!"

  I opened the door to a package being pulled from a cart and plopped in my hands.

  The attendant said, "Sorry folks. Fish stew again. Looks like the supplier screwed up. That'll be our dinner every day until we reach Echelon. I've been authorized to give you extra crackers."

  Denise stood to take the box from me. "Thank you. And at least the stew isn't so bad."

  The attendant scowled. "So long as you like fish, I guess."

  He pushed the cart down the hall as I closed the door.

  I smiled as Denise unwrapped the food. "You sure have had a good attitude during this flight."

  "My daddy raised me to be a Marine. Whining is not an option."

  "From your dad I can see that. But you've had your moments." I grinned.

  It was a dig that fell flat. Joking about her upbringing was not something Denise did. She was proud of her parents and proud of who she had become. I was proud of her for that.

  At the journey's end, the shuttle dropped through the atmosphere, heading to the spaceport on Echelon II. The planet had a blue-white tint. Ice-covered mountains and plains were the norm.

  The ship angled toward the spaceport coming in from the north. What looked tiny from a distance turned out to be an entire city. From our window we could see the buildings were connected by a series of indoor walkways. There was no going outside. Echelon's surface temperature was a deadly cold fifty below.

  We passed over several, small, transparent domes as we closed on the port. From what I had been told, they were the mine shafts. Each was connected by an indoor walkway to the main complex of buildings.

  I pointed. "That big one is where our housing is located."

  Denise frowned. "There aren't many windows. Looks like a big concrete block. I hope the families in there are friendly."

  "I'm sure it's the same as anywhere else."

  The shuttle landed on a tarmac and taxied several dozen meters to a stop. A connecting tube extended from a concrete wall and attached. Warning buzzers sounded. A chime came after. The tube had made a safe connection. A sudden rush of air told us the main hatch was open.

  As we transited the tube into the spaceport, an escort was waiting on the other side to take us to our new quarters. Half an hour of walking and riding elevators took us
from one dreary gray hallway to the next. The halls had no windows, no pictures or video posters, no colors besides the gray, nothing but doors lined either side.

  Most of the walk I carried Pea. The three of us were quiet. The escort turned us down a final hall from where we entered our new home.

  Denise came to a stop, looking around. "This can't be right."

  The room was the same drab color as the hall. Four featureless walls were lined with bunks, a double bed, a closet, a kitchenette, and in the center a table and chairs. A sliding door beside the closet led into a tiny bathroom.

  "We were sent a diagram of an executive level suite with two bedrooms, a family room, and a kitchen." Denise grumbled. "It also had several windows looking outside."

  The escort frowned. "Miscommunications, Ma'am. Have been hearing that all morning. The executive level is yet to be under construction."

  I sighed. "So, this is temporary? For how long?"

  The escort shrugged. "I'm sorry. I don't have that information. I was told to bring you to this room."

  Denise growled. "Not much bigger than our cabin on that shuttle!"

  The escort again shrugged.

  I placed my hand on her shoulder. "I'll see what I can do." I turned back to the man standing in the doorway. "When can we expect our things?"

  "Has been running anywhere from several hours to as long as two days."

  Denise stepped forward. "Two days! We just walked here in half an hour! How could it possibly take two days to unload that shuttle?"

  The escort shrugged. "Couldn't say. Anyway, if you'd like I can show you the amenities in this room."

  Denise let out a huff. "Thanks. But it looks as though everything is within eyesight. We can find it on our own."

  "OK then. When you come out here, turn right. It will take you to the cafeteria on this level as well as to the shopping plaza. Mr. Jackson, you are expected upstairs in the morning at 7 a.m. sharp, top level.

  "You'll be receiving the access code for level one on your comm when you reach the elevator. That on your comm, along with your face, will get you aboard. When you get off the elevator, just tell the receptionist who you are. You'll get further instruction from there. And Mr. Goodall demands the highest of security at all times."