A Trip Worth Taking. Part 6

Wissen was sitting at his desk in his smoke filled cramped office looking at his voluntary retirement papers. He had just finished reading the morning e-reports from Command and was halfway through the stack of paper work when he came across them. Retirement papers are sent out the first time after serving in the Rheinland Military for fifteen years. He was staring at them with the last two inches of a cigar in his mouth, trying to think through his options.

His family was dead, so there was no Mom and Dad to go home to. He had nothing outside his carrier in the Military. On the other hand, he never wanted to sign up in the first place. His father forced him to do it when he was 17, promised him that if he served five years, he would buy him a ship, and Wissen could do anything he wanted with it.

A Trip Worth Taking, Part 5

Tripper sat in the bar on the Briesen Mining Facility, sipping his beer looking out the window.  The orange gasses outside filled the entire view.   He was thinking of Morris, the little brat would be seven by now.  Tripper wondered if he still wanted to join the Liberty Navy, or if he ever found out the name of this nebula.

“The Walker Nebula.” Tripper said to nobody. 

A Trip Worth Taking, Part 4

He could not stop smiling.

He tried to, he tried to make the transaction with debonair and eloquence.   The reality is, though, Tripper had been smiling since he had the money to buy the ship he had his eye on. 

His final cargo run was the same one as the ill fated one that made his first million, except this time, he didn’t run into any pirates.   Tripper was accompanied by a trader who hired him, a man named Harus.   Harus was looking for some advice on a good trade run, and Tripper told him about the ore run to New Tokyo, and offered his services as an escort.  Surprisingly, Harus agreed.   So, while Harus went to get his ore, Tripper went with him and filled his own cargo bay up.  On the way there, Tripper did the math and realized he would have enough credits to buy the ship he was saving for.  He was so excited, that he didn’t charge Harus for the escort. 

A Trip Worth Taking, Part 3

Tripper was in the helium cloud by Erie, he planned on spending an afternoon making a little bit of profit.  A six year old boy was in the passenger’s seat, looking out the starboard window.  Dave had a sister whose son wanted to join the Navy when he grew up, and she thought it was about time to introduce him to space.  So, Dave offered Tripper a week of free beer if he took him up.  Tripper thought mining would be a safe excursion to take the kid with him. 

It was hard for Tripper to imagine anyone never being in space.  He was in his early twenties before he had a place called home that was on a planet.  Being a miner’s son and growing up on an interstellar transport was an upbringing that was far removed from this little boy he now had as company.  Tripper’s father always told him they were going on trips.  He used to say: “That little Demetrius is the six year old that has been on the most trips in all of human history.”  Once this was pointed out, Demetrius was given the nickname ‘Tripper,’ and he has gone by that name ever since.   

A Trip Worth Taking, Part 2

Tripper stepped out of the licensing office.  No longer registered as a miner, he looked at his freelancer license.

“Man, I look like an idiot in my picture.”

Half an hour later, Tripper was sitting in David’s bar with warm beer in hand and the newly procured license sitting next to the half empty bowl of nuts. 

Dave picked up the card and inspected it with a suspicious eye.  He looked it over as if he suspected it was a fake, half thinking this was an elaborate joke.  “Well pant me green, you really did it.  You gone and did it.”

'A Trip Worth Taking' Part 1

Wrote this a couple years back about a character of mine for an on-line game. It's a bit long, so I'll post it in parts. The places, vehicles, and organizations are specific for the game (Freelancer), I apologize if they get confusing.

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“Hey there, Trip.  Long time no see; I hope your run to Kusari was good.  What will it be?”

“Hey Dave, I’ll have the usual.”

Tripper sat down at the bar stool.   His overalls were dirty and smelled like they hadn’t been taken off in a week.  His short dark hair was sticking in every direction possible.  He let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed between his eyes, trying to work out the furrow he’s been wearing ever since he got back to Erie. 

Tripper

Here is a little something I put together for a game I played for a bit.