Life of a Miner

Life of a Miner – Prologue

Priloe and Milenette were introduced in the novella Cutpurse. As a quick introduction, Priloe was a street urchin from the city of Nannandry on the planet Grünholz in the solar system Tipperary. Priloe’s primary task while on Nannandry was keeping his very young sister out of the street gangs. Without giving away too much for those who haven’t yet read Cutpurse, Priloe ends up living with Celina and Jenny Dontal on the cloud city of Lèger Nuage.

Priloe is approaching the age of majority (12 stans) where he can make decisions for himself and his young sister. His interest in the stars hasn’t gone unnoticed by Silver and Pete Hoffen, who’ve invited the young pair to visit their mining claim and the Descartes Co-Op.

Chapter 1 – Descartes Bound

Priloe’s heart hammered in his chest as he mounted the steps to the gleaming black spaceship.

“Just put your hand on that panel,” Jenny instructed from behind him. “It’ll open the airlock.”

In response to his touch, the panel glowed bright green and the armored door slid aft into a hidden recess.

Priloe ran his hand across the shiny skin of the ship, his suit’s touch sensors communicating a high polish. He smiled – his dream was becoming a reality.

“Up, little mouse.” He turned and lifted Milenette into his arms.

“You need to go, Priloe,” Jenny said. “Captains don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Priloe nodded and tried to swallow, his throat suddenly dry. He gave Jenny a final hug, squishing his sister between them. He turned and walked to the second, closed door in the airlock and palmed the door open.

“I’m back here,” a woman’s voice called from inside.

Milenette raised her arms and stiffened, signaling to be set down. Priloe obliged and watched her disappear aft, around the corner of the brightly painted hallway.

“Mill…” Priloe started after her as the airlock closed behind him. He pulled up as he rounded the same corner and saw Milenette already in the arms of a slender, gray haired woman in a dark blue vac-suit.

“Welcome aboard, Priloe,” the woman said.

“Thank you, Captain Hoffen,” he said. Jenny had given him specific instructions on how to address Liam’s mother when onboard the ship.

“And you, little one, you’re adorable,” she said, making Milenette giggle. Priloe inwardly rolled his eyes. If he was still on the grift, he could have made bank on how distracted women became when faced with his baby sister.

“Riloe says we’re going on a ride,” Milenette said.

“That we are. And Priloe you only need to call me Captain when we’re on the bridge. Either of you two need something to eat?”

“We ate at Lena’s,” he replied.

“Then let’s get underway,” Silver Hoffen said, handing a juice pouch from the reefer unit to Milenette and turning Priloe forward with her free hand. They walked to the end of the hallway where Silver palmed open the door to the bridge. “Jenny tells me you’re both making good progress with your studies. Did she tell you that on top of being a ship’s captain I’m also an educator?”

“What’s educator?” Milenette asked, struggling to pronounce the word

“I like to play games like your AI does,” Silver responded, setting Milenette into the port seat at the front of the bridge. “For take-off, you’ll need to be strapped in. Priloe, I think there’s enough room for both of you.”

Priloe sat in the chair next to Milenette as Silver laced a strap across their laps.

All hands, prepare for departure, Silver instructed the AI as she checked off items from a holographic display.

“Looks like we’re ready,” Silver said. “Priloe, you may hold the flight sticks. They’ll provide feedback, but don’t worry, I have the controls.”
Priloe felt a thrill as the powerful engines of Sterra’s Gift spooled up and gently lifted them from the landing pad. The sticks moving in his hands didn’t make much sense, but he pretended he was in control nonetheless.
Silver orbited the floating city a single time then throttled up, accelerating toward the brilliant purple nebula that Priloe had seen so many times from his home on Lèger Nuage.

“When do we go weightless?” Priloe asked.

“The ship has a gravity generator and we’ll maintain 1.0g for most of the trip,” she said. “But you’re right. The further from Grünholz we get, the less natural gravity we’ll experience.”

Show gravitational field from planet Grünholz on forward holo. Overlay with effective gravity in ten percent bands, Silver requested.

A holographic image sprung to life between them and responded to Priloe’s hand gestures as he rotated, zoomed and panned the image of the planet.

“How long will it take to get to your home?” Priloe asked when he grew bored with the image.

“Our burn plan is eight days,” Silver answered. “And we’ve a lot of work to do before we get there. Big Pete wants you trained on driving sleds.”

Before he could ask, Silver replaced the holographic image between them with two vehicles: the first, a spindly-legged ore-sled designed to haul long containers of ore. The second, a grav-sled, wasn’t much more than a seat sitting behind a thick scoop. The hologram showed how the two vehicles worked together to move material from the surface of an asteroid.

“I’m going to sail one of those?” Priloe asked.

“Good chance,” Silver said. “We’ll see how you do with the simulations. Liam was operating both when he was several years younger than you, but he also had the benefit of growing up around them.”

“What do I have to do?”