Asteroid, Mine
Asteroid, Mine [chapter 7]
The party was great. Friends of Mark and Judy, family, co-workers.
Also friends and family of Cindy and Steve. There must have been well
over 200 people at their farm that day. I met lots of really nice
people that day. Occasionally someone, or a couple, would come up to me
and we'd have a whispered conversation. Apparently word of last night
was spreading amongst `those in the know'. I began to feel like I was
being welcomed to a club. I began feeling pride in what happened, how
well I seemed to take to it. Dear Ceylon dragged me off and made me
show her. She tenderly ran her fingers across the marks, the raised
welts on my back and bum. She hugged my naked body close as we stood
in the bedroom.
"I've never been into the rough stuff," she told me, "but I knew of
others who were. Sweet Cindy told me how you handled it, what happened
downstairs. I'm pleased that you found what you were looking for."
A band had set up on a stage just inside the open barn. There was food
and the drink flowed freely. I wandered around the barn. I saw, along
one wall, pipes which seemed to lead down, pipes for air and power. A
shed attached to the outside of the barn. The other entrance to the
dungeon. The open field between the house and barn. The tables set up
there. I wondered how many people sitting there knew what lay beneath
the ground.
Cindy found me out, asked how I was doing. Fine. I looked deep into
her eyes, thanks, for everything. A huge truck had pulled up and men
were unloading a giant's barbecue. Cases of food. After a while a
feast, the likes of which I had never seen was ready. Beer flowed, I
stuffed myself with the wondrous food. Danced to the beat of the band,
It was a super party.
It was well past midnight when the party wound down and the last
guests left. Tim, Mark, and others, had offered me a bed in their
homes but I wanted to stay at Steve's farm for my last night. I
thanked all those who had made this such a perfect vacation for me.
After we were alone Steve mentioned the dungeon again but I said I'd
rather take the bedroom. He said that would be better.
"Something like what happened last night," he said, "doesn't happen too
often. You may not experience it again, may not want to, or even need
to. Donna, I'm pleased that I was given the chance to show you the
way."
I thanked Steve and Cindy again, for everything, for the wonderful
party. I was asleep even before my head hit the pillow, stretched out
on that big soft, cozy bed. I'd left the curtains open so the sun woke
me early the next morning. After a shower I looked at myself in the
mirror. All the marks were still plainly visible but much of the pain
had left and I felt great. Cindy served me a nice breakfast then Steve
and her drove me to the spaceport and out to my shuttle.
"If you're ever out this way again don't forget to come see us." Steve
said.
I promised that I would and thanked them once more for everything. As
I settled in the seat I watched them drive off thinking what a
wonderful happy couple they were. I powered up the ship and lifted
off. I watched on the screen as the planet dwindled and dimmed, finally
disappearing as my ship powered away.
I decided to take the long way home to see some nebula near the
Chinese sector. It was worth the trip, the brightly coloured clouds
sparkled beautifully in the wash of the energy fields while music from
the discs I'd bought blasted from the ship's speakers. I stopped off
at New Peking and found a great restaurant near the spaceport there.
Then after lunch I set course for home.
I was relaxing in the chair, dreaming, when the auto dumped me down to
sub-light. A rogue asteroid hurtled past the ship at incredible
speed. I set course to follow. I ran a spectral analysis on the debris
field following the asteroid and discovered some fine metals there.
The rock's unusual shape, it's speed and wobble suggested high density.
I watched as it approached a red dwarf star, curved around, then
slowed and headed off again.
The asteroid approached a large planet, Casandra 4 the chart told me.
Big ball of frozen ammonia, mostly. The rock encountered the planet's
gravity and changed course again. I held station and watched it come
around the other side heading back towards me. The big rock curved
again. A one in a billion chance. I watched the asteroid end it's
wanderings and after several passes around the planet it achieved a
high, stable orbit. Ain't life grand.
I fired a pinger into the rock, claiming it for I SAM and recorded the
find in my ship's log. Then I powered up to pick up my course for home
again.
I knew I was late back at work. I rushed in and dropped off ship's
log, then ran to clock in for my shift. My supervisor intercepted me
at the punch clock.
"Your late!" he roared. "Shift started an hour ago."
I knew it was mostly an act, but I played along.
"Sorry boss." I started. "But I found. . . "
"Never mind the excuses!" he yelled. I could see he was trying not to
laugh. "Gave your shift to Jackson. You Look Like SHIT! Didn't you get
any sleep?"
I supposed I did look like shit. If boss only knew! I sagged down,
acting the part.
"Get lost. Report back tomorrow. 1500, GOT IT! Not," He glanced at the
clock "16:27, oh fuck."
He was late for the staff meeting. My laughter followed him down the
hall.
I went to my room and changed. I put on a one piece leotard, one I'd
never worn but covered me completely. I did a workout in the grav gym,
slow at first but as I loosened up I started to feel like my old self
again. I went back to quarters and took a private shower rather than
have anyone see the marks all over me at the gym. I poked at dinner in
the cafeteria. Ugh. After the food I'd had on Crydon this stuff was
vile. Even if you spent the credits and had stuff brought in it still
paled in comparison. Back in my little room I read some mail, watched
the news then hit the sack.
Life for me continued much as it left off. People did notice I seemed
a bit more cheerful, a little more full of life now. I got a few
comments about the leather bracelets I still wore. The ones I hadn't
taken off since Cindy put them back on me that morning. The bruises
they hid disappeared after a week, along with most of the other marks
on me. The ones that were left were going away more slowly.
Sometimes, at night in bed, I would feel a twinge from one of those
marks and I would remember. That amazing event that touched my very
soul. And I would smile.
Eleven days after my return I sensed a buzz around the station. When
ever I asked, no one would tell me anything. Around mid morning Boss
came up and told me to go see the old man on the top floor. I'd met
the owner only once before. Was I in shit for something?
Upstairs the secretary met me at the lift and escorted me into the
owner's office. When he asked her to fetch us tea I assumed I wasn't
there to get fired. After we'd settled in he brought up a file on the
big screen. It was a lab report of an asteroid which was orbiting a
planet called Casandra 4.
"When I saw your log report," the man said, "I got a feeling that you
may have found something interesting." He read off some figures from
his screen. "A million five metric tonnes of gold, Six eight platinum,
seven fifty lead. The survey crew reports the metals seem totally
separate encased in the rock, ninety nine percent pure. Quite the
find."
I was stunned. He went on. "We've closed the operation on Gandel and
are sending that crew to visit your little rock. Naturally your
finder's fee should end up to be quite a sizable amount of credit. The
company will have to make the deposits to your account over a period
of time, say five years?"
The owner wrote a number on some paper and handed it to me. "This is
just an estimate based on the lab report on the samples we took. When
the crew gets set up and starts working we may have to increase that
amount."
A year's pay for me. Every week. For five years. Wow.
The owner said, "Gold has been in short supply for too long now. You
know the uses for it, electronics, shielding. The other metals too.
Platinum filters, yes, your little find will mean a big step forward
for humanity.
I was speechless. We stood up and the owner shook my hand. "Take some
time, Donna, decide what you want to do with your new found wealth.
Anything you need, just call me and it's yours."
As he showed me to the door he turned and said "Oh by the way. I heard
from an old friend the other day. Steven and Cindy said to say hi.
Good luck Donna."
[Epilogue]
With my new found wealth I did some travelling. I got my shuttle fixed
up in the I SAM shop. New engines, controls. I didn't want a new ship,
this one had character that suited me. I had only minor repairs done
to the hull, the dents and scratches stayed.
First stop, Judy and Marks wedding on Mars colony. They were ever so
happy to see me, as was I to see them again so soon. I went down to
old Earth with Mark to see for myself some of the wonders Tim had
shown me.
A month later found me wandering the galaxy stopping at other worlds,
sampling the cultures there. Now, I'm bound for Crydon. I wonder If
uncle Jeff knows of any good land for sale in the south?
[End of story Asteroid, Mine]
