Space Race (Space Race 1) Nathan Hystad (ebooks children's books free .TXT) 📖

sight. It was only a matter of time before the Corps shut this place down. It was inevitable.

Bello stopped at the exit and smiled. “Hawk, I’m glad you came. It was nice seeing you. Take care of yourself.”

“What’s the damage?” I asked, ready to swipe my tab.

“It’s on the house.”

“No way, it was far too much—”

“It was Grid’s idea. He likes you, Hawk.”

“It’s Arlo,” I muttered out of instinct.

“No, it’s not. You’ll always be Hawk to me.”

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing with this Liberty group, I think you should reconsider.” I didn’t want anything to happen to her or her little family. Just because I wasn’t the one in her life didn’t mean I couldn’t wish her the best.

She shifted defensively. I’d struck a nerve. “Where did you hear this?”

“In passing. I spoke to an old farmer, and he mentioned the people you’ve been consorting with.”

She started to walk away. “It’s none of your business, Hawk.”

“Wait. Bello, I’m only looking out for you. These people could be dangerous.”

She froze, turning at the exit. “You know what’s dangerous? Waiting by for the Corporations to destroy humanity. That’s what. Don’t you worry about me.”

“You know I can’t help but do that,” I whispered.

Her defenses dropped when I walked over. “I know. We had a good time, but we were meant for different paths. By the way, I had Aster check out your security system and add improvements.”

Selfishly, I knew she’d done that to keep anyone from tracking Capricious to her home out here in the unsanctioned Wastes. “Be careful. You’re too special of a woman to get tied up in any conspiracies.”

“Watch your back.” She kissed me on the cheek, and then jogged down the ramp toward her shop. She’d hated how I had no other crew members. Said a ship needed a crew, not a lonely pilot.

“Time to go,” I told myself, and shut the ramp, sealing her tighter than a toucan’s beak in a rainstorm. I’d been hanging around with Grid far too much. “CP, initiate mapping system. Set course for SeaTech.”

“SeaTech marked and plotted. Initiating flight sequence. Option to manually override.”

“Nope. She’s all yours. I’m taking a nap.” Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and I wanted some shuteye before meeting who I hoped would be signing my paychecks very soon.

I dreamed of a lengthy mission, carrying simple supplies from one point to another with no incidents: just solitude, reliability, and a hefty payout.

 

 

 

Five

It had been almost a month since I’d met Major Hewitt Barnes after bringing the Eris team to the Belt, and I was finally nearing SeaTech’s head office. I checked the map, indicating we were forty kilometers from the largest island. Huge pieces of an underwater factory rose from the ocean, giant whitecaps crashing against the bulky metallic beams with a vengeance. Drones flew everywhere, surveying the plant from above, and likely duplicating as security.

“Class Two Seven Alpha Hauler, what is your business with SeaTech? You are not authorized to fly through our airspace,” a terse voice said through my bridge dash.

“Took you long enough,” I said before hitting the communication icon. “Greetings, SeaTech. My name is Arlo Lewis, and I’ve been requested to meet with Bryson Kelley.”

The other end went silent. “Class Two Seven Alpha Hauler, you are not scheduled to visit our offices. Please turn around, and move at least two kilometers above the water’s level—”

“You’re not listening. I was invited here by your CEO—” I stared out the viewer, spotting the island in the distance. Tall structures clung to the shores, stretching high into low-lying clouds.

“You have thirty seconds to abide by our orders or—”

I rolled my eyes as the drones begin to pivot toward Capricious. “Seriously?” Before I bothered to reply, I lifted the ship higher, adjusting my thrusters. I may have burned out a couple of their drones in the process, but it was their directives I was obeying, after all.

Once I met their demands, I continued for the island. “Can you please alert Kelley that I’ve arrived, and direct me where to land?”

Another pause. They weren’t used to someone showing up out of the blue.

The woman’s voice started to argue, but it was silenced by one short sentence. “I asked him here.” That had to be Kelley himself. It almost made me laugh, picturing the CEO watching the lines of communication and cutting in.

“Class Two Seven Alpha Hauler, I’ve sent clearance and docking details.” Then she was gone.

The map flashed on my dash, and I let CP guide us while I stared out the viewer at the city below. I was pleased to see that while there were tall buildings and fancy warehouses in the region, much of the island’s natural integrity appeared to be left intact. I’d never been out here, but had heard tales of the beauty of SeaTech’s shores. I understood it now.

My radar began blaring, making me crane my neck as a red blur raced above me. It went so quickly, I couldn’t determine a shape. “What the hell was that?” I asked CP, but she seemed as oblivious as me.

“There was no identification on the vessel,” she advised.

“That was a vessel?” I searched for it, with no result, and the dot on my radar was already gone from the ship’s default perimeter.

Capricious flew between two green-tinged high rises, a giant white logo connecting them: “Home of SeaTech.” Their symbol was a trident, a three-pronged spear. I dove underneath it, and descended toward the mostly-vacant landing pad a half kilometer from the head office.

“Hold down the fort, CP,” I said, standing up and stretching.

A Coin fell from the dash, clinking to the floor, and I snatched it up, spinning the gold circle in my fingers. This held the details from my last trip. I’d removed them from the ship’s database, and now, this single memory device was the only proof that I’d ever encountered the prototype. I wondered which of the Primaries had created the vessel. It had to be Sage, but