Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

coming home in a month is just so cosmic, dad. I almost can’t believe it.” Tomas smiled. “We’ll all be together!” There was a crash off-screen, and he looked toward the sound.

Gwen shouted, “Just stop, Calvin.” Then looking at Tomas: “Will you please go help your brother?”

“But mom!”

“Please Tomas?” Gwen’s eyes made it clear it was not a request.

“Yes, ma’am.” Tomas looked at his father. “I love you, dad. Can’t wait to see you.”

“I love you too, Tom.” Cam watched as Tomas walked off the screen.

Gwen scooted to center herself on the monitor and fixed her skirt seam. “He goes by Tomas now.”

“Right. Right.” Cam nodded. “ I remember.”

“We can figure everything out, Cam, but I need you here. I can’t do this again. Okay?”

Cam adjusted his hat. He had so much that he wanted to say, but he was not sure where to begin. “Gwen…”

The ship com squawked, “Drop in 3 minutes.”

Cam’s heart sank. I still have to get to the pod.

“Love of my life, when I get home we can figure all this out, but right now I have to go.” Gwen nodded as he continued, “You are my guiding star and I just want to give you and the kids the universe, babe.” Cam reached out and touched the screen. “You are my everything. I love you so much.” He swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored the burning of his eyes. “I will see you in a month, okay?”

Gwen’s eyes filled with tears. “You be safe, you hear me?”

Cam nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Gwen reached out to the screen, touching Cam’s hand, so many billions of miles apart, and yet connected in a single action. “I love you, Camron.”

Cam fell into her eyes. “I love you, Gwen.” The screen cut to black then displayed “Call Ended.” Without hurrying, he grabbed his backpack and the remainder of his armor, including his helmet and his rifle. At the door he stopped to inspect the room once more; all was in order. He double-timed to the drop pods.

Entering the hanger, Cam saw the tech working on his drop pod, labeled “Sol Mining and Survey” in bright yellow letters.

“I was wondering if you were gonna make it!” the tech said without looking up.

Cam slung his armor into the pod. “Hiya Verne. Wouldn’t miss it.”

The ship intercom crackled, “Drop in thirty seconds.”

“So look,” Verne said, “the moon is fine, but the gas giant’s gravity and its plasma field are going to affect your pod’s entry.” He continued hitting keys on both the datapad in his hands and a panel on the pod. “The pod can take it, no problem, but it is going to shake more than usual.”

“More than usual? And you’re sure it won’t come apart?” Cam asked as he stowed his rifle in a lock-drawer in the pod.

“Yeah. The inertial dampers will probably cut out, but the retros will be fine and the pod can take it.” The tech unplugged his datapad from the pod. “You look pretty fancy to be dropping.”

Cam slipped off his bolo tie, removed his flannel shirt, and tossed them both to the tech. “Wait. No inertial dampers? At all?”

“Something about how this moon reflects Ophelia’s static, so probably not. Why do you think they chose you?”

Cam grunted. “It’s nice to be loved. Stow that in my bunk until I get back.”

The tech examined the bolo. “Only because you asked so nice. Oh, yeah, there are three mags of tranq darts for your rifle in the secure drawer. They’ll knock out anything that breathes oxygen.”

The ship intercom croaked, “Drop in ten seconds.”

“Thanks.” Cam pulled the pod door shut and spun the lock wheel, sliding the bolts into place. He carefully set his cowboy hat on the floor as he sat down, then slipped the harness over his head and strapped himself into the seat. “All set.”

“Five, four, three, two, one. Drop!”

Cam gripped the arms of the seat as the pod was kicked out of the ship's hangar and he was suddenly weightless. The speaker popped, “Good luck down there, Shaw. See you in thirty days. Po’olu’u out.

“Just make sure you stop on the way back,” Cam joked. “Don’t get swallowed by the black. Shaw out.”

Stillness and quiet settled into the drop pod. This is my favorite part. Drifting toward the moon, Cam sat calmly, enjoying the emptiness. The utter freedom of nothingness. He watched his hat float. He hoped that death came with this type of calm. Peaceful.

It was part of his process to study the orbital survey before he got into the pod and he normally allowed no deviation. But the drop had been scheduled at the last minute and he had been preoccupied with his family. Now he took the time to review it, even though he would rather just relax. Preparation is survival.

“Malolo Pod, display orbital survey for approaching lunar body.” The pod’s operating system did not answer but immediately displayed the first page of the report, including two photos.

The photos made it obvious that the moon was distinctly red, even with its hazy yellowish cloud cover. It was primarily landmass; there were several large lakes scattered about, but nothing that could be called an ocean.

Orbital Survey, Lunar Body 10113R

Location: Orbiting Gas Giant Ophelia, solar system Phaedra, Portal 156, quadrant 9C

Orbital Distance: 337,000 km

Body Diameter: 3,700 km

Gravity: 1.2 G Earth Standard

Atmosphere: Nitrogen-75%, Oxygen-23%, Neon-.4%, Carbon Dioxide-.02%, trace other

Temperature Range at Poles: -3C-20C

Temperature Range at Equator: 25C-55C

Flora: Yes

Fauna: Yes

Sentient Population: None

End Report

“That’s it? Are you kidding me?” He groaned. Orbital reports normally ran at least three or four pages and included detailed photos of the survey area and route, plus stuff like the weather, precipitation, potential natural hazards, and even possibly dangerous animals. How new