- Suit Integrity – Holding
- Power – Check
- Oxygen Levels – Nominal
- Mining Laser – Priming in Fracture Mode
- Aim Laser – Center of Rock
- Fire away!
- Watch heat readings for spike – Maintain Green
- Back off Laser – If Necessary, Call out for Emergency
- Rock Break!
- Switch to Scan and Extract.
- Rinse
- Repeat until Boss says stop
Before I knew it, the rock in front of me gently split apart. I switched immediately over to scan mode. I began to follow the readouts, taking only anything not labeled Inert, just like one of the other guys had been saying.
“Less Inert this time! Breaks into profits!”
Stinky Moe
I remembered the line clearly, so began to avoid what the computer told me to. The entire process had been faster than I’d anticipated. I got Rixton in my ear in response, “Good job, Cap’n!” That sarcastic compliment had been the end of the chatter. I fell into somewhat of a rhythm after that. Until we happened on the big rock.
I watched a single laser, from the middle of the craft, light up another rock that was looming in front of us. This one was quite a bit heftier than anything we’d broken so far tonight. We were still only barely loaded. Rixton’s voice broke through the brightness, “Jobbes, hit it! Full heat! This thing isn’t budging! Cap’n, hit it and hold it at half lever.”
I followed the instructions I was told. Two more beams lit up the darkness of the black. The heat level started to slowly climb on the rock. I brought up the heat, slowly, to half power. However, the levels didn’t budge. The lasers switched off. Leaving us plunged in darkness, once again. Other than the occasional blinks of the ship’s navigation lights, that is.
Rixton’s voice manifested in my comms, as though he’d just known I’d need direction. “Your discretion, Cap’n. This would be a good payday,” his voice holding the doubt we had all begun to feel, at this rock even being able to be cracked.
I took the lever from half, to an immediate three quarters. The other lasers fired at full power not long after mine fired. Small response. I held both the lever and my breath. It didn’t budge once again. my breath released in a disappointed sigh. I moved the lever all the way up. The heat levels barely moved.“Jobbes, get out there and slap a heater on it! Can I get a volunteer to spot him,” Rixton queried the crew through the comms. No one seemed to respond. I was already in a Novikov suit, why not?
“Rixton, Cap’n. I’ll go,” my voice came out confident. I’d take my small wins where I could. I’d hated Zero G training in the academy. I was good at it, however, I hated it. I began to unfasten myself from my station, the chair moving me back towards the rear of the Mole. Allowing me to leave the seat, and make my way towards the component deck.
“Good girl! Thank you! I owe you,” Rixton’s relieved voice made the words a bit less strange. Still, I’d take the gratitude where I could get it. These days, it was better than being spat at. Many of those that found out who I am did that. Pirates weren’t well liked in UEE Space.
“As long as you never say that again, we’re good,” I said, as I hit the touchpad control of the elevator to take me out of the ship. I joined Jobbes, who was already outside the ship. He was attaching some kind of machine to the outside of the gigantic rock. This thing was massive. Humbling, one might even say.
By the time Rixton responded, we were done with our task, his voice cracking and full of unbroadcasted laughter, “Deal, Cap’n. Deal. I see you’re on station. Let’s try this again.” He sounded a lot more confident this time around, as my former station once again flared to life.
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