Connection Unknown: Chapter 1 Part 2 of 9 (Patreon)

“Reactor looks good. As you said, probably a buildup. Though when we get to Odessa station, I’d like to get a scan reactor two, I’m getting some strange readings. Like to run on the backups if we can,” Joey said, accepting a box with a nod.

“I’ll give you a hand, gut feelings can save a ship.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Luke smiled as she put down the box in front of him, clicking it to the table surface.

“Looking to get ahead on your certification?” Stephen laughed.

Joey grinned, downplaying it with a shrug and getting a sporkful of food.

“You’ll be tearing apart a reactor and putting it back together in no time. Or you could build them. I did hear from a friend working in the Sigma system shipyards. Said that they’re looking for some engineers.” Stephen’s low-key statement drew Joey’s attention.

He opened his mouth to talk and got a glare from their mother.

Luke hid a smirk and kept eating as Joey speed-chewed.

“Really? What are they working on?”

Stephen leaned forward, his eyes shining as he shared a smile with Joey. “Got three yards going—freighter, cruiser, and private, but they’re looking to concentrate on the luxury cruisers and private builds. The mega-yards out of Kari and Gongdian system are beating out all the others with their mega-freighters.” Stephen added the Chinese inflection on Gongdian. It served a trader well to know how to pronounce the systems they were selling in.

“I don’t get why Gongdian is a settled system,” Luke said.

“People like their freedom, and Tiankong Gongdian was created by old China, before the council of Sol was created. They didn’t want to be under the Coalition or the Federation’s rules,” Adeline said.

Stephen grunted in understanding.

“Anyway, no politics at the table. I heard that you got that thruster chore done?” Adeline smiled at Luke.

“Just a connector run down. I bent it back into shape, fired it up again. Marissa said it was all working fine.” Luke shrugged and kept eating.

“Well, there is plenty to be done on the ship,” Stephen said in a light, wheedling tone.

Luke hid his expression behind another mouthful of food. There always is.

Adeline’s smile became strained as Joey focused on his food and Stephen took another sporkful.

Luke grunted in response and shoveled down food, without tasting it.

“So, Luke, have you thought about what we talked about?” Stephen looked up.

Luke twisted his lips, noticing Joey paying more attention to his meal than before.

“You’d get a cut of the profits from every run we do, get to work on your associated skills.”

“Dad, I just… I don’t know if being a trader is what I want to do.” Luke hunched his shoulders.

“If you tell us what you want to do, we can help you honey.” Adeline said.

“I—” Luke grimaced, then drew himself up looking at them both. “I want to play for the guilds, get paid for gaming.”

“Gaming isn’t a job,” Stephen tried to make it soft but Luke dropped his gaze, eating faster to give himself something to focus on.

“It is if I get accepted into a guild, a career contract, bonuses, benefits.”

“You’ve been playing near non-stop all the way through high school.” Adeline said.

“I know, but I always had school or chores taking up my time. I’ve only been out of high school for a month!”

“Luke, this is the time to focus on your future,” his mother said.

“You might have more responsibilities now but that doesn’t mean you won’t have free time,” Stephen said.

“What about when Marissa goes to pilot cruisers? Or when Joey goes to work in the shipyards?”

“Then we’ll hire on people. We’ve been thinking about hiring some more people anyway, spread the work out, bring us up to a ten-person crew. It’ll mean less shares for everyone, but we’ll all get more free time.”

Dahlia was their home, having strangers wandering around would be weird.

“Who?” Joey asked.

“Your cousins, there are plenty who would jump at the chance to work on a wormhole capable freighter,” Adeline said.

“Luke, if you don’t want to work on Dahlia that’s fine, but can you please consider options other than becoming a guild player?” Stephen asked.

“It would be easier if I didn’t have the impending rent hovering over my head.” Luke spooned the last of his dinner into his mouth, not missing the glance between his parents.

“Rent isn’t a punishment. You’re an adult now, and you’re going to have things you need to pay for. We know it isn’t easy.”

“So get a job or we’ll press gang you into working on the freighter.” Luke shook his head and escaped the table. “Thanks for dinner. I’m gonna go work on my useless dream.”

“Luke…” Adeline’s wounded voice bunched up Luke’s shoulders as he shoved his box and spork into the cleaning unit.

“You know Dahlia’s systems. Another two years working as an apprentice, and you’ll be able to get onto any of a hundred ships.” Stephen’s words turned softer, running over the all-too-familiar argument.

“I don’t want to work on ships. I don’t want to rebuild thrusters or pilot us into unloading docks! I want to fight. I’m good at it. You won’t let me join a military, so this is the next best thing. If I did the other things, I wouldn’t be me.”

Their faces twisted, struggling.

“I know you care for me, but I don’t know what I’m going to do. Thanks for dinner.” His shoulders slouched, leaving for the net room.

He breathed in the smell of sweat and grease as he closed the door behind him.

Several bays lay open, three taken up with three hardened plastic and alloy net suits, worn over the years. Closed they appeared like powered armor. They stood on their charging pads, an oversized mechanical arm fastened to their backs, connecting them to the ceiling.

Luke felt the tension leaving his back, his arms and neck as he ran a hand over the cold surface of the suits. He patted his trusty net suit, wiping his hand.

“Looks like going to need a clean soon, have to pull the fans and get all the dust out.” He tapped the screen built into the suits chest, it flickered, going fuzzy on one side.

A few placed taps brought it into clarity. Need a new screen, falling apart like the rest of the ship.

A bare glance told him what he needed to know.

“Servos good, sensors good, net connection good.” He cleared the checklist and hit the power button. The suit’s plates unlocked and retracted the helmet hinged back.

“Fresh as always, even with sweat cleaner can’t get out the smell.” He took off boots, leaving them mag clamped to the floor, and pulled off his coverall to reveal a worn t-shirt with a peeling logo, his shorts were similarly well-used.

Clipping his semi-armored coveralls to a hanger he checked the readouts once more and stepped back into the net suit.

Still after these years there was a familiar thrill as his feet slid home, wriggling his arms into their sleeves.

He took in a breath and let it out, pressing the roll balls, at his finger-tips. The servos on his back hummed as gears moved under the surface of the plates. From his hands and feet upwards to his chest, the plates closed and locked into place with a series of clicks. The suit’s inflatable pillows expanded, tightening around him like an old-fashioned blood pressure test sleeve, before releasing slightly, pushing up against him without restricting him.

The heat exchangers kicked in, briefly chilling Luke as they flushed out the stagnant coolant laying just under the next-to-skin layer.

His helmet hinged down, entombing him in darkness before projectors flickered in front of his eyes.

Creating a light blue welcome screen in the visor.

He rolled his fingers and thumbs over the familiar input balls to input his net account information.

“Welcome Luke Torjak to the net.” A soothing computerized voice said.

Light poured in as Luke rose, he knew the arm was lifting him in the net room. Inside the net suit it appeared he was flying up into the ceiling towards a golden hex of light. He flew through, coming to a halt as he stood inside the net. Noise, light, and people stretched out through the Odessa public net. A virtual city spread out in every direction, packed with humanity’s avatars, with physics—and gravity-defying buildings, parks that were designed like a fishbowl, with streams and trees curving along the walls. Airships and shuttles shot through the skies. People flew—in cars, or by themselves as they desired.

Luke moved his fingers and rolled his shoulders, the avatar just a few inches smaller compared to his own size. A lifetime of gaming and using the net—it was like wearing jeans instead of shorts.

Five astronomical units from any human he wasn’t related to, and here, he was in a sea of them.