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

She squeezed a substance into the box, and the green matter began to expand. The barrier cracked, and she screamed, staggering from the sample. It grew into a tall figure: two legs, four thick limbs, and a mound for a head. A mouth opened, spewing a substance at her. It caked her face, and her cries went silent. The footage ended.

“What in the world was that?” I blurted.

“We aren’t sure. I only just saw this as I combed the files I’d loaded onto the server for transport,” he said.

“And where is the organic figure?” I glanced over my shoulder, as if it would be on my ship.

“I predict it was unable to survive on the surface, but I fear that incident permeated Veera’s system, and the reaction is as you saw. She’s turned hostile. Infected,” he said.

“Do you have her under control?”

“She is sedated and locked into a storage container. We will continue to survey her,” he told me.

“What’s your plan? You don’t want to tell Oasis?”

Kol scooted closer in his chair and sipped from the cup. “I am responsible for all of these people’s well-being. But if we don’t have the mine, we don’t have jobs. No place in the scheme of things. I’m set to retire in five years. My family can live in peace, without fear of Corporate takeovers and the ever-changing laws.”

“How can you hide what’s happened to her?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“Well, Kol, tell you what,” I said. “You keep the fact that I was late to yourself, and I won’t tell the bigshots that one of your team tried to kill me.”

“Okay.”

“You can’t keep Veera, if that’s the case. She’s a risk. The moment anyone learns of this infection, Capricious and your entire team will be quarantined. The Belt Station won’t allow it,” I reminded him.

He nodded slowly. “I understand.”

I hated what I was saying, but I couldn’t afford to be bogged down in an investigation. I’d known haulers like me who’d been indisposed for months, years even, and were out on the street by the time it was dealt with.

“We’ll dispose of the…evidence,” Kol said.

“You realized she was infected before you sent me to get her, didn’t you?’

He didn’t react. I took his silence as a confirmation.

“Go to your container, clean up your mess, and from now on, we don’t know each other.” I pointed at the mess hall exit, and Kol walked away without looking at me. I wondered what my friend Jinx on Titan would think of all this. He was a conspiracy nut and would eat this news up.

An hour later, CP advised me a canister had been dispatched from the mining container’s airlock. I watched as Veera shot from the ship. We were far from anything out here, and I doubted she’d ever be found again.

____________

“ID,” the Station guard said nonchalantly.

“I gave your friend there my identification. Can’t you let me through?” I tried to push past the overcompensating fool, but he set a hand on my chest, his arm bulging under his uniform.

“Did I say you could go?” He wore the neutral markings of the Belt Protectors, signaling he wasn’t for hire by any single Corporation, but by all forty-seven of them. To a meathead like this, that meant he considered himself above the law. However, I considered him a grunt who hadn’t passed his pilot’s test out of school.

“Look, I’m tired. I’ve just delivered a load from Eris, and…”

“Eris, hey?” The guard stepped closer, his breath stale and warm. “I heard something went down there.”

“Is that so?” How had this guy learned anything about Eris? We’d only landed at the station an hour ago, and I’d spent the entire time filling out my file documentation to send to Oasis.

“Yeah. Some dummy accidentally shot a supply load out the airlock.” He said this with a grin, like it was a funny situation he could bring up over a beer with his buddies later tonight.

So that was how they’d played the airlock incident. It would be on record in their computer system, and I had no doubt Oasis was going to investigate. “People make mistakes. You wouldn’t know anything about that, though, would you? A guy like you never leaves this station.” I walked a step closer. “You idly watch as the pilots come in, the Corporations’ executives visit, and you claim your pittance of a salary while we do the heavy lifting.”

“Who do you think—” He jabbed a finger into my chest, and it took all my concentration not to break it off.

“Hansen. Cut it out. Don’t you have anything useful to do?” a newcomer announced, coming to stand between us.

Hansen stared me down but finally nodded. “Yes, sir. I was leaving for a shift change.”

“Excellent. Go ahead… after you clean the communal locker room floors, okay?” The tall man smirked at me when Hansen trudged away, crestfallen.

“Have we met?” I asked him. I was the sole incoming craft on this section of the station, and all the Eris employees had already been processed. The reception room was wide, with high glass windows showcasing the breadth of the Belt. It was humbling to float so close to it.

“Don’t believe so, but I’ve heard of you. Hawk Lewis, right?” He wore the same logo of the Protectors, but his uniform was black. He smoothed his white beard.

“Arlo. I don’t go by Hawk anymore.” I didn’t care to elaborate, and lucky for me, he didn’t press the subject.

“Are the rumors true?”

“Not you too.”

“No. I’m not talking about that…I meant Oasis. What do you think happened?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” I felt at a disadvantage and hated being out of the know.

“Major Barnes. Hewitt Barnes.”

Crap. The leader of the entire Protectors was questioning me, and I was acting like a buffoon. “Sir, I didn’t…”

“Think nothing of it. It’s not like I have a name tag on. Would you care for a drink?” he asked.

“I don’t have to leave until tomorrow, so why not?” I followed him