Space Race (Space Race 1)

by Nathan Hystad

  Selfishly, I knew she’d done that to keep anyone from tracking Capricious to her home out here in the unsanctioned Wastes. “Be careful. You’re too special of a woman to get tied up in any conspiracies.”

  “Watch your back.” She kissed me on the cheek, and then jogged down the ramp toward her shop. She’d hated how I had no other crew members. Said a ship needed a crew, not a lonely pilot.

  “Time to go,” I told myself, and shut the ramp, sealing her tighter than a toucan’s beak in a rainstorm. I’d been hanging around with Grid far too much. “CP, initiate mapping system. Set course for SeaTech.”

  “SeaTech marked and plotted. Initiating flight sequence. Option to manually override.”

  “Nope. She’s all yours. I’m taking a nap.” Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and I wanted some shuteye before meeting who I hoped would be signing my paychecks very soon.

  I dreamed of a lengthy mission, carrying simple supplies from one point to another with no incidents: just solitude, reliability, and a hefty payout.

  Five

  It had been almost a month since I’d met Major Hewitt Barnes after bringing the Eris team to the Belt, and I was finally nearing SeaTech’s head office. I checked the map, indicating we were forty kilometers from the largest island. Huge pieces of an underwater factory rose from the ocean, giant whitecaps crashing against the bulky metallic beams with a vengeance. Drones flew everywhere, surveying the plant from above, and likely duplicating as security.

  “Class Two Seven Alpha Hauler, what is your business with SeaTech? You are not authorized to fly through our airspace,” a terse voice said through my bridge dash.

  “Took you long enough,” I said before hitting the communication icon. “Greetings, SeaTech. My name is Arlo Lewis, and I’ve been requested to meet with Bryson Kelley.”

  The other end went silent. “Class Two Seven Alpha Hauler, you are not scheduled to visit our offices. Please turn around, and move at least two kilometers above the water’s level—”

  “You’re not listening. I was invited here by your CEO—” I stared out the viewer, spotting the island in the distance. Tall structures clung to the shores, stretching high into low-lying clouds.

  “You have thirty seconds to abide by our orders or—”

  I rolled my eyes as the drones begin to pivot toward Capricious. “Seriously?” Before I bothered to reply, I lifted the ship higher, adjusting my thrusters. I may have burned out a couple of their drones in the process, but it was their directives I was obeying, after all.

  Once I met their demands, I continued for the island. “Can you please alert Kelley that I’ve arrived, and direct me where to land?”

  Another pause. They weren’t used to someone showing up out of the blue.

  The woman’s voice started to argue, but it was silenced by one short sentence. “I asked him here.” That had to be Kelley himself. It almost made me laugh, picturing the CEO watching the lines of communication and cutting in.

  “Class Two Seven Alpha Hauler, I’ve sent clearance and docking details.” Then she was gone.

  The map flashed on my dash, and I let CP guide us while I stared out the viewer at the city below. I was pleased to see that while there were tall buildings and fancy warehouses in the region, much of the island’s natural integrity appeared to be left intact. I’d never been out here, but had heard tales of the beauty of SeaTech’s shores. I understood it now.

  My radar began blaring, making me crane my neck as a red blur raced above me. It went so quickly, I couldn’t determine a shape. “What the hell was that?” I asked CP, but she seemed as oblivious as me.

  “There was no identification on the vessel,” she advised.

  “That was a vessel?” I searched for it, with no result, and the dot on my radar was already gone from the ship’s default perimeter.

  Capricious flew between two green-tinged high rises, a giant white logo connecting them: “Home of SeaTech.” Their symbol was a trident, a three-pronged spear. I dove underneath it, and descended toward the mostly-vacant landing pad a half kilometer from the head office.

  “Hold down the fort, CP,” I said, standing up and stretching.

  A Coin fell from the dash, clinking to the floor, and I snatched it up, spinning the gold circle in my fingers. This held the details from my last trip. I’d removed them from the ship’s database, and now, this single memory device was the only proof that I’d ever encountered the prototype. I wondered which of the Primaries had created the vessel. It had to be Sage, but the rounded lines resembled the more delicate shapes Lotus preferred to use in their spacecraft.

  But the language. That was what had me truly baffled. It was like nothing I’d ever seen, but I had no doubt some of these Corps were using coded text to suppress their secrets. I just needed to find someone to break the cipher.

  I contemplated leaving the Coin on Capricious but ultimately decided I couldn’t trust SeaTech. Kelley might be aware of my recent discovery and send a team to dismantle my girl. Why else would the guy want to hire me out of the blue?

  I stopped at the bathroom, checking my reflection in the mirror. I’d slept in my chair, and my clothing was wrinkled. I tried my best to straighten them out and splashed cold water on my face. Maybe I should have shaved again? I didn’t have time now. I scratched at my stubble and left my ship. The moment I set foot on the ground, the Pod arrived.

  The door opened to pick me up, and I was startled to see a man inside it. “Greetings, Mr. Lewis.”

  Bryson Kelley himself. “I didn’t expect you.”

  “I’ve been anticipating this introduction, Mr. Lewis.”

  “Call me Arlo.” I appraised him. He looked younger in person. His hair was perfectly styled, with gray flecks along the temples. His brown eyes were intense, but his smile friendly.

  “Not Hawk?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as I climbed into the Pod.

  “Arlo,” I mustered out.

  “Fine by me, Arlo.”

  “What’s this about, Mr. Kelley?”

  “You can call me Bryson, since we’re being familiar.” He laughed, clearly evading my question.

  The Pod rose, moving for the top of the dueling head office buildings. It didn’t lower; it just continued until we were once again over the ocean.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “To my office.” He grinned as the Pod adjusted trajectory, flying straight down. It breached the water, and I almost fell from my seat. It continued to sink underwater, and I appraised the manufacturing plants.

  “Your office is in the ocean?” How eccentric of him.

  “I prefer to keep a close eye on my operation. I’m a very hands-on CEO,” he told me.

  “I can see that.” I stared at the long tubes, each twenty feet in diameter. There were ten of them stacked on top of one another, running in intricate patterns directly from the main island. Instead of asking him anything else, I sat in silence, enthralled with what I saw. Schools of brightly-colored fish zigged and zagged around the Pod, and a dolphin raced alongside us. I had no idea they still existed.

  We finally slowed at a central hub where the tubes connected into the hull. A doorway opened, and the Pod entered. The door sealed again, and water drained from the room around us. The whole process only took two minutes, and I stared like a kid seeing snow for the first time.

  “SeaTech does things a little differently from the others,” Bryson Kelley said as the Pod exits swung upward.

  “You don’t say.” I stepped out, glancing below me to where thousands of drainage holes resided in the black rubbery floor.

  Bryson walked farther into the room, standing by the entrance as a blue light rolled over him and we were permitted access. “Come. We have much to discuss.”

  I followed, nervously peeking around. We were at least a kilometer below the surface, with nothing but water enveloping us. I felt a slight wave of nausea, and the pressure in my head built up into a constant throbbing.

  “Don�
�t worry about that. Happens to all of us at the start.” He pressed his thumb to a container on the wall and pulled a small packet from the box. “Take this. It’ll calm you.”

  I fumbled with the unmarked bag and tore it open. A small pink pill lingered in my palm. “My mother always told me not to take candy from a stranger.”

  “Suit yourself, but it’s purely medicinal.” He looked away, as if granting me some privacy, and I took the pill, swallowing it dry.

  The floors were a clean gray material, the walls molded and pleasing to the eyes. Kelley hadn’t spared any expense on this operation. We finally ran into someone, a woman wearing a blue uniform, the SeaTech logo on its upper arms. She smiled at her boss and continued on, a projection showing blueprints of a machine I didn’t understand on her PersaTab. He shared a few ideas, and she made notes before leaving us alone.

  “I’ll show you to your room first,” Bryson said.

  “Room? I thought we were having a meeting.”

  “You’re going to want to stay a few days. If that’s all right?” he asked.

  I had nowhere else to go, with zero prospects, so the answer was simple. “Sure.”

  We walked by more people. Each of them seemed genuinely happy as they greeted their CEO. He didn’t introduce me to anyone, and I was fine with that. A few minutes later, we were in a residential wing, with crew quarters stretching as far as the eye could see.

  “We like to ensure our citizens are taken care of when they’re working in the Tubes. They have their own rooms, unless their family is below with them. In that instance, they’re provided with a suite.” I heard a child laughing, and two little kids in SeaTech blue dashed by, chasing one another through the halls.

  “You let families stay here?” I asked.

  “Sure. Why would I split them up?” Bryson seemed to mean it, but my years of working for Primaries had left me jaded. None of the others accommodated their workers like this, so I was distrustful. “I’ve set you up in an empty suite. It’s in my private wing.”

  We entered a clear lift and rose five stories. Out the rear of the elevator, I saw the dark depths of the ocean, with lights shining outward from the hull.

  Bryson turned to me as the door opened, and set a hand on my shoulder. “Arlo, I want you to know that I appreciate you coming.”

  “It’s not like I had much of a choice,” I told him.

  “We all have choices in life, don’t we? You could have secured a job with any other corporation. There are at least ten of the minor corporations on the hunt for a decent pilot as we speak,” he said.

  I hadn’t even bothered to check. This invitation had held my attention. “Maybe I don’t want to be minor anymore.”

  “Good. That’s what I was hoping to hear.” He led me to a room, the door rounded at the top, and the number 11 was stamped on its surface with white digits. “This is it. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

  We entered, and I was taken aback. This was the finest suite I’d ever stepped foot in, let alone been invited to. The furniture was expensive, the décor tasteful but elegant. A fireplace crackled, and even though it was only a hologram, it felt like the real thing. Beyond this was a bedroom and a spacious bathroom.

  “Do you like it?” Bryson’s eyes narrowed as he asked the question.

  “Like it? When do I start?” I laughed.

  He pulled a PersaTab from his pocket, the clear screen flashing blue as a projection began scrolling between us. “How about right now?”

  The name SeaTech was on the header, with a few thousand words of employment jargon above a signature line. Bryson’s name was typed in, with a thumbprint beside it. I recalled the last time I’d pressed my finger too carelessly on an e-doc, and my heart rate sped up.

  “You want me to sign a contract? You haven’t even told me what I’m doing here.” As much as it seemed to annoy me, I also found the interest in my employment flattering.

  “Arlo, we don’t have a lot of time. The announcement is coming soon, and unfortunately, I can’t explain what’s transpiring unless you sign this document,” he said, urging the Tab closer.

  “Can I read it?”

  “This is a temporary work contract. It offers you ten million universal dollars in exchange for the next six months of your life. You will only receive the money when the term is complete. Of course, by then, I hope you’ll choose to remain with SeaTech, where you will be offered an executive role.” Bryson’s smile was gone, his jaw clenched as he waited for a response.

  I didn’t know what to say. This man was offering me five years’ salary for six months’ work, and the potential to alter my future. I considered my father on Mars, and my mother under Sage’s thumb, and stared at the projection. “What will I be doing?”

  “I can’t tell you that. Not until you sign.”

  “My parents. I—”

  “It’s included. They’ll both be given residence in our retirement community on the island of Kauai, with no work detail, once your commitment is met.”

  I frowned at him. There had to be a catch. “My grandfather used to tell me if something was too good to be true, it likely was.”

  Bryson smiled at this. “Then your grandfather was a wise man. But I assure you, it won’t be an easy six months. Arlo, times are changing. The face of the Earth will be far different in ten years, maybe fewer, and our expansion is inevitable. I’ll be the man to make a difference in this outcome. I haven’t spent my life creating this masterpiece for my own vanity. No. I’ve done it for our people. Not just SeaTech’s, but everyone’s. But we’re running low on time. The declaration might happen at any moment, and once it does, I’ll be unable to associate with you unless you sign this.” He pushed the Tab closer.

  I didn’t love being given an ultimatum, but the offer of setting my parents up was too much to dismiss. Not to mention the ten million dollars. That would… I couldn’t even grasp what that meant, plus the option to join SeaTech’s executive team.

  I tapped it with my thumb and added my signature. “You have a deal.”

  The contract flashed, and my own PersaTab vibrated. He’d sent me a copy.

  “Now can you tell me what this is?” I asked.

  “How about I show you?” The smile returned to his face, and he led me to another room, touching his thumb to the keypad. The suite doors slid wide, revealing three people staring at us from the table.

  “Drink?” he asked.

  “No thanks.” I glanced at the group and noticed only one of them wore SeaTech clothing. The guy was young, maybe twenty, and he had the same clean-cut good looks as Bryson. The eyes were almost identical, and I assumed this was his son, Holland.

  “We’re celebrating. Holland, grab the best stuff,” Bryson said, and his son jumped to his feet, dashing to the wet bar across the room. The table was large enough to hold twenty, and his guests were spread out around it.

  The man was middle-aged, with dark skin and an untrusting gaze. Even sitting down, you could tell he was in better shape than most men half his years. The woman had dark curly hair, and she avoided eye contact with me. I judged her to be around my age, maybe slightly younger.

  “Hi, I’m Arlo,” I said.

  “Where are my manners? I’m just so excited to have the team together,” Bryson said.

  “The team?” the other man asked. “You never said anything about a team.”

  “Wait, you guys don’t know what we’re doing here either?” the woman asked.

  “Not a clue. Did you get the same ‘time is running low’ crap too?” the guy asked, and she laughed, nodding.

  “If I may interject, this is a ground-breaking day for all of us. Holland…” Bryson’s son dispensed four glasses filled with an orange liquid. “Local stuff. You’re going to love it. Everyone, this is Arlo Lewis. He’s piloted for Sage Industries, and most recently, Oasis.”

  I waved.

  “This is Luther Payne. He was Lotus’ head of security for over twenty years.”

 
; Luther gave a slight nod.

  “And last but definitely not least, we have Jade Serrano. She was the lead technology innovator for Luna Corp until recent setbacks made her a free agent,” Bryson said, and I stared at the woman. She looked too young to have commanded a tech department at Luna. The sides of her head were shaved under the mop of curls, and I noticed her left ear was covered in solid black piercings. Her green eyes settled on me before she plucked her drink from the table.

  “And I can’t forget my son, Holland Kelley, who will eventually inherit SeaTech and my title. But hopefully, not for a few years yet.” Bryson laughed, and so did his kid.

  “What are we celebrating?” I asked, and Bryson walked to the desk, using a screen to showcase a projection across the room.

  “Breaking news from the Board. Sending you to Primary City for an update.” The newscaster vanished, and the screen showed Octavia Post, the Lead Chair. She stood at a press conference, with a dozen drones recording from all angles. She was frowning, obviously upset, but that had been her default since she’d been in charge of the Board.

  “Due to recent shifts in the ranks, and with the news that number ten, Temeletron, failed to comply with reporting standards, I have to inform the world that Temeletron has slipped to number eleven, removing their status among the Primary.” She cleared her throat and blinked a few times before speaking again. “This shifts SeaTech into their position. Welcome to the Primary, Bryson Kelley and those of SeaTech. We couldn’t think of a more deserving Corporation.”

  He turned it off, and all eyes fell on the CEO. “We did it, Dad!” Holland rushed over, hugging his father triumphantly.

  I froze, unsure why three strangers were witnessing this precious moment in SeaTech’s history.

  “We did, son.”

  “Congratulations, Bryson,” I said, lifting my glass. The others followed suit, and we drank the rich nectar. It was sweet, with notes of citrus and pineapple.

  “Do you have any idea what this means?” he asked me.

  “You’re rich?”

  “I was already rich, Arlo. This means we can compete in the Race.” A smile spread across his face, and I felt the enthusiasm radiate from him.