Space Race (Space Race 1) by Nathan Hystad (book recommendations for young adults .TXT) 📕

me. “Drop your thumbprint here, and we’re settled. The moment you touch it, the payment will be sent.”

The contract was moving so fast, I couldn’t make out the words, and I glanced up at him.

“Disregard the mumbo-jumbo jargon. Just use your thumb,” he said, and I sighed as I tapped my print on the screen. “Terrific. Take care, Lewis. If you need a recommendation…”

My PersaTab chimed, and I pulled it from my pocket. It showed a deposit into my account. “Rog, this is half of our agreed-upon amount!”

Sweat beaded on his cheeks, and he dabbed at them with a stained cloth. “You were late, Lewis. You risked the lives of the team, not to mention the sale to SeaTech. If they’d been trapped there, do you really think the buyers would have followed through?”

I assumed they’d be extremely pleased to have the existing crew gone, along with their knowledge of the mines. These Corporations always wiped the employee base when somebody took over. It was a common occurrence. With modern knowledge management systems in place, no one needed experienced workers when they had the data in the computer networks.

But I didn’t say any of that to Rog, not while I still had his good graces. “Rog.” I lowered my voice, treading closer to him. I wasn’t an overly imposing man, but he still stepped away from me, keeping his distance. I tried to loosen my bunching muscles and softened my frown into a smile. “Oasis owes me what’s due, and I can’t allow you to pay me less. My ship—”

“Capricious? You call that hunk of junk a ship? Arlo, you’re done. Oasis doesn’t want to see you again. If you have any complaints, register them with—”

I was on him in a split second, my forearm digging into his thick jowls. “This isn’t fair. I have bills to pay, Rog. Give me the rest—”

Electricity shot through me, sending my limp body to the floor. I twitched, unable to do anything but stare at the ceiling lights. I groaned and turned to the side, where a waist-high robot loomed above me, electrical currents arcing through its extended weapon.

“See yourself out…Hawk.” Rog spoke with malice, rubbing his neck. “And don’t show your face around here again.”

The door closed, leaving me alone with the robot, and it took another five minutes for me to regain feeling in my limbs. I returned to Capricious with my tail between my legs. There was no winning against a Corporation.

My fingers and toes tingled, but otherwise, I was okay. Well, maybe my ego was bruised, and I had less money than I needed to maintain my ship or to keep the lights on for another month. My return to Earth was off to a dreadful start. I hoped my luck was about to change.

____________

I lived in an apartment block in Oasis territory, like all the employees of the Corporation, but when I arrived at home, my thumbprint didn’t register on the exterior doors. I walked back, peering up at the enormous building, and laughed.

“Something funny?” an older woman asked from beside me, craning her neck to follow my gaze. She clasped her bag a little tighter. It’d been a few weeks since my last shave, and I hadn’t changed out of my weathered uniform since yesterday. I still had on the Oasis jumpsuit, dark gray with a cactus on the shoulder sleeve.

“I don’t live here anymore. Did you know that Oasis sold part of the company to SeaTech? I guess that means I’m out on the street,” I told her.

Her expression softened. “You think you’re the only one? They’ve sold off numerous divisions recently. You didn’t hear that from me, though. I doubt any of us’ll be around before long.” She looked me up and down and pursed her lips. “I have a feeling you’ll do okay, young man. You have an air about you.”

“Thanks.” I started to turn away, but a question popped out of my mouth. “Have you heard of the Race?”

“Space Race?” she asked from the doorway. Her thumb hovered over the pad and it flashed green, granting her access.

“Sure, the Corporation’s attempt to distract us commoners,” I muttered.

“I’d say Oasis is investing to win. They’re creating the best team they can. Even poaching some outsiders. You didn’t hear it from me, but it sounds like they’re banking on the Proxima rights to keep their heads above water. Ironic, isn’t it?” She opened the door and stepped a foot in.

“Do you think they have a chance?”

She seemed deep in thought. “Doubt it. Not with Luna Corp and Sage Industries competing. No one stands to win against those behemoths. But…”

“I didn’t hear it from you,” I finished with a smile.

“You learn quick. See, I told you that you’d be fine. Take care.” The door slid shut behind her.

The sun was low in the sky, but the desert remained hot, and heat waves rolled over Capricious in the distance. It was the largest vessel parked near this complex, and I was glad I kept my personal effects on board, instead of in the cramped apartment unit. All I was leaving behind were some freeze-dried meals and a couple of shirts. Capricious was my real home, my baby. And judging by the sounds she was making on the trip over, I’d been neglecting her.

Before I lowered the ramp and set foot onto my new house, my PersaTab was beeping. I pulled the clear device out, and my mother’s image hovered above it.

“Arlo, we need you to come home.” My mother didn’t ask for much, and sending them money was always a sore spot between us. The recording ended, and I played it again, noticing her posture. The way her shoulders slumped, and her chin drooped as she spoke. Something was wrong.

I’d been planning on sleeping in my bunk for the night before figuring out what I was going to do next, but now I had a mission, a purpose, and I let that encompass me. I