The Lost Prince (4 page)

• • •

“How long before the first plant is completed?”

“Three weeks for the engines. The hull assembly plant will come on line two weeks later.”

The Lead Scientist looked up at the sky, “Get the weapons moving.”

• • •

The Nebula Fleet watched the buildings going up and knew trouble was not far ahead. The Prince had to be captured and not killed, but to be used as a hostage against the ships being built on Euclid.

• • •

The four mining vehicles arrived at Heaven’s Portal outpost and E followed the other three to one of the empty bays. The outpost computer connected and said, “First load, enter name.”

E thought a moment and said, “Nosey.”

“Name accepted, your designation is being sent. Report to the teller for totals.”

E said, “Ian, you need to go to the teller in the main office and receive a receipt.”

Suddenly the outpost computer said, “Funds have been deposited in your account. Do you require any servicing?”

Ian thought a moment and said, “Do you have any weapons available for installation?”

“What level do you require?”

“What’s your highest level?”

“Main blaster and sonic missiles.”

E whistled, “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

Ian said, “What do our funds allow us to purchase?”

“Every blaster in our inventory as well as every missile.”

Ian said, “Please install two blasters and two missile launchers.”

“How many missiles do you require?”

E said, “Fifty should be enough.”

“Fifty.”

“The funds have been deducted. Please report to the teller for receipt.”

Ian watched several engineers move forward and start placing mounts on his vehicle. “E, are they going to harm your hull?”

“Not at all. I’ll just absorb them into our storage if we have to leave quickly. Those blasters are as good as a warship’s. We can use them.”

“What about the charges?”

“Oh I can handle that. Go and take five.” E paused and said, “Leave your blasters. They’re off limits here.”

Ian smiled and opened the canopy.

• • •

Porky arrived at the teller and heard her say, “Porky, all your debts have been paid.”

“What do I have left?” The teller handed her a receipt and Porky looked at it. She looked up at the teller and saw her smile. “Really?”

The teller nodded and said, “It couldn’t happen to a nicer miner.”

Porky stepped out of the office and felt the world off her shoulders. She saw a young man walking toward the office and saw he was coming from her group’s four vehicles. He came closer and she said, “Nosey?”

Ian stopped and looked at the woman in front of him. She was about five feet eight and weighed about a hundred and twenty pounds. She had long blonde hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He stared at her and said, “Are you Porky?”

“I am.” Ian started laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“That’s like calling a diamond stony. You are not close to being a Porky.”

Porky smiled, “It keeps most men away.”

Ian tilted his head and said, “Don’t let them get close or your disguise will be blown.”

She smiled and said, “I’ll meet you in the restaurant with the others.”

Ian nodded and went in to the teller. He retrieved his receipt and glanced at the card he was given for purchases and the slip of paper with the teller’s contact number. He began to understand Porky’s reasons for her name. He went to the restaurant and found three very subdued miners. He knew it was his group because Porky was sitting with the other two. He came over and they didn’t look very happy.

The tall miner with red hair said, “Make sure you don’t smile.”

Ian looked at them, frowned, and said, “Why not?”

The other miner sitting at the table said, “You don’t want anyone to know we had a big load. We’ll be followed if any one suspects we’ve found a large deposit.”

Ian grimaced and said, “Mum’s the word.” Ian looked at the short miner and tried not be obvious looking at him.

The miner was about five foot five inches tall but weighted at least four hundred pounds. Ian could see that he was as solid as a brick bathroom. The miner said, “I’m Jefie. I was born on Juniper.”

Ian said, “That’s the planet with heavy gravity.”

“It is and that’s what accounts for my rugged good looks.”

Ian tried not to smile but couldn’t pull it off. He burst out laughing and the others joined in. The tall miner said, “I’m Ribbons and we’re expected to laugh occasionally. All miners tell good jokes.”

Porky looked at Ribbons and said, “Where does the name Ribbons come from?”

“Well, six miners jumped me at a bar and I had to show them the error of their ways. The bartender said I decorated the place with them and the only thing missing was the ribbons. The name stuck.”

• • •

Ian shook his head and Porky said, “How are we going to get out of here?”

Ian looked at her and wondered what she was getting at.

Ribbons looked at Ian and said, “The other miners here see that we are having service done on our vehicles and suspect we’ve found a deposit. But they’re not sure. However, those weapons being put on your vehicle are expensive. Our vehicles appear to just be getting routine maintenance but you are a dead giveaway to finding a deposit.”

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think it through.”

“It might not be all bad. The weapons you’re having installed will prevent most of them from taking you on. However, there are teams that may decide to take the risk.”

Ian said, “So what do I do?”

Porky said, “Stand up and tell us how good it was to meet us and go get a room. We’ll point at you after you leave and laugh. We’ll all leave one at a time tomorrow and meet you a hundred and thirty miles out of the outpost at the depression we went through coming here. Do you remember how to get there?”

“I do.”

“Leave tomorrow afternoon and head that way. If any team follows you, they will have to be eliminated for their inappropriate behavior.”

Ian nodded and stood. He reached forward and offered his hand and only Jefie took it. Ribbons and Porky just waved a hand at him. He managed to look disappointed and left the restaurant. The three put their heads together and Ribbons nodded at the door he exited. They laughed and went back to their serious expressions.

A miner approached their table and said, “Who’s the newbie?”

“Some lucky son of a rock toad that had beginner’s luck.” Ribbons looked at the miner and said, “How’s your luck been?” The miner shrugged and shook his head. Ribbons sighed, “Maybe everything has played out here. We’re thinking about heading over toward Aladdin’s Castle. Have you heard anything from there?”

“I’ve heard rumblings that some are getting lucky.”

Jefie said, “We should do it, Ribbs.”

“Do you have enough credit to purchase the fuel to get there?” Jefie stared at Ribbs and slowly shook his head. “Me either.”

The miner patted Jefie on the shoulder, “Hang in there. One of us is bound to get lucky eventually.”

Jefie took a swallow of water and said, “We can only pray.”

The miner walked away and Porky said, “He’s talking with the other four at his table. They’re trying to look depressed but they’re planning something.”

Ribbons said, “We could just stay out of this and go back to the platinum.”

Porky leaned back in her chair and said, “Thirty deposits, he said. We’ve only cleared one and a half.”

Ribbons looked at Jefie and then turned to Porky, “Porky, has Nosey turned your head?”

“Of course he has. Did you take a look at him?”

Ribbons smiled, “Just checking.” Ribbons knew that just turning Porky’s head wouldn’t be enough to make her risk her vehicle. Thirty deposits would.

The five miners stared at Porky and would have introduced themselves properly, but none of them were willing to attack her as long as Jefie was around. They knew the danger he represented and without weapons, they weren’t stupid enough to try it. They were dangerous but no one would take on the giant from Juniper. Four of them left at noon the next day and waited six miles from the outpost. The fifth waited for the newbie to leave and followed him out.

• • •

Ian left the restaurant and checked in. He ordered a meal and ate it in the room. He linked with E and said, “We may have a problem tomorrow.”

“I heard what your group said. The five miners are planning to ambush you when you start mining.”

“Did you check out their weapons?”

“I did. They could pose a problem if we didn’t have my force field. However, we do have it, so I’m not really worried.”

Ian heard a knock on his door and he went and opened it to find Porky standing there. “I can’t afford a room and thought I’d bunk with you.”

Ian saw the small smile and opened the door wider. She walked in and Ian closed the door. “I’ll talk with you in the morning E.”

“Good night.” And it was.

• • •

The next afternoon Ian backed the vehicle up and turned toward the entrance. He went through and put on speed. He roared away at sixty miles per hour and forty miles out began running at seventy. Porky had given him the coordinates of where to go and an hour later he started looking for the tracks she had left four days earlier. He spotted the tracks and slowed down. He moved forward and lowered his blade to the ground. Five mining vehicles came roaring over the small rise and began firing blasters at him. Ian turned the vehicle broadside to the oncoming miners and saw the three mining vehicles of his partners appear behind the five attackers. The two vehicles on the end of the line exploded along with the center vehicle. Ian turned the two heavy blasters toward the surviving two vehicles and fired a beam that blew through them and blew the huge vehicles apart.

“Hey, hey, I didn’t know those beams had that much power.”

Ian smiled; E had supplemented their power with his reactors. “Me either. It looks like I made a good purchase.” The four partners gathered around the five burning vehicles and Ribbons got out and went to the center one and hammered a sign in the ground. Ian pulled the view in closer and saw “Claim Jumper” written on it in red writing.

Porky said, “We can go now.”

Ian led the way and the four returned to the platinum deposit. They completed it and after a three hour run they arrived at a diamond deposit. “E, how do these deposits exist so close to the surface?”

“This planet has a huge number of continental plates. The surface is constantly rolled and the deposits work their way to the surface. I think this planet is unique.”

“The carbon deposits must have been under tremendous pressure before they came to the surface.”

“They were. However, I think we’re going to be full again before we finish this one.”

Night fell and the four vehicles stopped. The four exited their vehicles and Porky brought out a portable stove. Jefie started a fire and the four ate and settled back on reclining chairs surrounding the fire.

Ribbons said, “Nosey, I don’t know how you do it but this load will probably cause a huge amount of suspicion.”

“I can see that. However, you can probably remove some of it.”

Ribbons looked at Ian and said, “Do tell.”

“Pull two wires off your engine’s turbine and limp back to the outpost. No one can see you empty your reservoir while you’re having it serviced. When you go in to see the teller, no one will know if you’re paying for the service or getting a receipt. Tell everyone in the restaurant that Porky and Jefie are coming in behind you. Just say the three of you ran into some fine dust that clogged your intakes and adhered to the channels.”

Ribbons stared at Ian and shook his head. “Sneaky, yes sneaky you are. However, how will you go back without causing a disturbance?”

“I’ll arrive two days later with five drive wheels missing.”

“That would do it. You can’t come in with the same problem. That would make it look suspicious and allow everyone to see we’re working together.”

Porky looked around the circle and said, “You know we’re rich. We could retire with what we make on this load alone.”

Jefie looked at them and shrugged, “What else would I do? This is what I know.”

Porky sighed, “I guess if we stay here, the safest place is out on the plains. I just hate that we have to keep fighting to be left alone.”

Ian said, “Is there anyone else you know that could use what we have. There’s more than enough for us and others.”

Ribbons looked at Ian and turned to Porky, “What about Derek and Violet? Their vehicles are heavily armed.”

Porky just stared at Ribbons. Jefie looked at Porky and said, “You have to forgive him eventually.”

Porky took a deep breath and sighed. “I’ll contact him and ask him to meet us at the outpost. That’s all I’m promising.” She looked at Ribbons, “Where’s Violet?”

“She gave me a contact number. I’ll see if she’ll come as well.”

Ian said, “Who’s Violet?”

Jefie said, “She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met but she prefers to remain alone.”

Porky said, “Give me the number Ribbs; I’ll call her.”

Ribbons nodded, “That’s probably a good idea. I’m not sure she’d take my call.”

Ian knew that there was some history with the two suggested but the group didn’t appear to be open to discussing it. He settled back and was disappointed when Porky went to spend the night in her vehicle. He suspected that Porky was not going to be coming to see him in the future. He thought about it and decided it was probably a good thing. He looked up at the stars and wondered what was happening in the Union.

• • •

The Officer arrived on the planet and rushed into the building that was adjacent to a major hospital. The scanship had detected the mind of a genetically altered human and he knew he had finally found his quarry. The ten agents rushed into the building, burning the hospital staff with their blasters and arrived outside the room the reading was originating. The door was blown in and the six soldiers rushed in followed by the Officer. He walked through their ranks and saw the young adult male sitting in a chair staring at the wall. The nurse in his room said, “There’s nothing there. He’s been like this since birth.”