Sliding Reality: Chapter 11 Part 1 of 2 (Patreon)

Chapter 11:

08/04/2242

Dana looked around her apartment, most of the boxes had never been unpacked. Her rig had been removed, leaving an opening in the middle of the living room.

She pulled up her small backpack adjusting her ball cap as she pushed out of the door. It closed behind her with the electronic beep of the lock closing.

She weaved through the walkways of the tower block, stores, courtyards, schools, train and elevators running through the kilometers of mixed living apartments.

Dana took the sights in a way she hadn’t for a long time. Apprehension gripped her chest.

The towers had been the only thing she knew, she’d never left the continent except through the net. Never left Earth. The doors to the elevator opened, Dana tensed looking at those inside; a couple in the rear of the elevator whispering to one another, a teenager on her screen listening to something escaping her ears. A group of tired workers, office, cleaning maybe? Dana followed the others boarding.

Her apprehension, her anxiety mixed with excitement. To see the stars, to burn between planets, true zero gravity. Her reality and day dreams clashing together into a new future.

The elevator closed and dropped away pausing on different floors, exchanging patrons. Dana pulled out her screen checking her messages.

Jacqueline again. Dana picked out the message and blocked her.

The door dinged and opened, she looked up, seeing the transit floor.

"Excuse me," she exited, tapping her screen to a pay-point, saloon like doors opened through into the throngs of people checking grimy screens that showed the arrival and departure times of different tubes. Dana checked her screen stretching her legs as she studied the armed guards walking in twos around the transit hall.

Don't know what a black badge would look like.

Dana nearly sighed in relief when the train appeared. She boarded and took a seat near the doors, playing with her screen and covertly watching the people around her.

The doors closed and the train lifted up on its magnetic bearings and accelerated out of the station, dozens of floors above the ground as it thundred through its see-through tube.

"The United Nations of Sol put out a statement today, asking Sphere World players to come forward." the volume of a screen droned above the seats opposite.

A gnarled older man stood at a lectern.

"Sphere World is no game, players are able to access weapons and items that are illegal under our charters and constitutions. Though this was unforseen and we are not blaming the players, we are asking them to turn over their account information so that we might safely deal with the repercussions of this changing situation."

"Many gamers have angrily refuted these claims, saying that they would not get the money back from the government who only cares about 'taking away more of their freedoms'. When asked about the financial value of these accounts, the UNS only said that there was no greater reward than to secure Sol's future. In other news the corporations of humanity have announced their own programs to purchase accounts from Sphere World Players, undercutting the UNS attempts to control the situation."

Dana looked out the windows of the train, rain falling on the towers below. Lightning crackled in the distance.

A sea of towers spread out across her view, some different from others, most nearly identical.

She shifted her small bag, owning all of her personal belongings.

Two changes of clothes and seven sleeves. She snorted and went back to changing her phone, checking on the status of her ships, her stomach twisting up at the thought of what she was doing.

About time I left Sol I think, my first ship out is going to be smuggling in a freighter.

She smiled as the train slowed down, entering a new tower.

"Now arriving at orbital needle." The bland voice announced, stirring some, waking up others.

Dana stood, rolling with the train's stop. The doors hissing open allowing a trickle of people out. She forced herself forward, moving before her thoughts could catch up. She reached a new set of saloon doors and tapped her phone, they opened and she passed through, funneled into a security area.

"Bags, hats and shoes off and in the buckets." A man said, leaning on a scanner.

Dana watched the others, copying them and walked up to the scanners.

"Hats." The man said in a tired tone that questioned his presence.

Dana reached up, feeling her hat and tossed it into her bucket with her bag.

She followed others through a scanner. Her eyes flickered across the security officials, some were talking and laughing, most were bored, staring at scanning screens, or addressing people, to remove items from their pockets or bodies.

Dana gathered her stuff, looking around and left, she tensed up, expecting someone to call after her.

She let out a breath when she turned the corner, looking around, seeing numbers on a wall with arrows.

"Number forty three," She checked signs and followed the numbers.

"Just a straight shot up to orbit, then a fast packet to Neptune. Easy." You've done hundreds of orbital inserts and departures.

Dana's hallway stopped at a series of numbered stairs.

"Seven bravo," She went up seven stories and to the right, she tapped her phone again, a camera taking a picture of her and allowing her past into. The pod.

Dana played with her phone, more of something to do and to cover her watching her fellow passengers.

"Please secure all belongings and strap in, Orbitalz is not liable for any injury you sustain while using our services. Please watch our safety video."

The screen played with how to secure the belt and in the event of a crash.

Dana secured herself with the crash harness, her bag secured in the locker under her seat.

The doors sealed and the pod moved back from the platform, inserting into a launch cradle-a hollow spaceship.

Families talked among one another, others looked through the windows, or checked their phones.

Dana looked out as the cradle locked onto the pod and then moved forward on its own conveyor belt.

They stopped, doors must have opened above as rain fell down on the outside of the pod.

A hum built in the pod as people quietened, bracing.

Dana was pushed down into her seat as lights rushed past her window, faster and faster, a rumble grew beneath the vessel as the artifical lights and launch tube were replaced with sky and the rumble quietened and kicked. The vessel cut through the clouds, and beyond. Dana saw through the patches of clouds, the towers turning into a spread of colors, indistinguishable for their individual features.

She could see the blues turn to black, the ground curving away with the planet. In the distance, lights blinked in the darkness. Stations.

"Arrival at orbital station in thirty three minutes."

Dana looked out of her window, taking it all in. This could be the first time and last time I see Earth from here.

Now she just needed to rescue a family from her old government and wage a war across an entire star system. Thankfully I have Minnie and Sphere World’s manufacturing abilities.

***

"Last bolts retracted, we are free and clear," Stephen said.

"Understood, increasing thrust," Joey said.

Luke checked the engineering readouts, his brother and father in the main control seats as his mother and sister were clustered around the communications station. The two of them have been talking about markets and making their plans since I gave them that information.

Luke smiled to himself, the two had been busy purchasing up established scrapyards and getting contracts in to clear out scrap in different systems.

The Georgin pushed out of the cylinder of girders that made up the slip.

"How are we looking?" Stephen asked.

"She's purring, reactor isn't even feeling the load, new struts are all looking good, no resonance in them to show shaking or loose fitting." Luke said. "Capacitors are fully charged and she is sipping on fuel."

"Good stuff," Stephen said.

Georgin's mass cleared the shipyard as she quickly headed out into the black.

"Cutting main engine, altering to new heading," Joey said.

Luke checked the different systems, the ambers and yellows had disappeared from across the board. The new struts gave them an increased capacity and decreased their overall mass. New engine coverings, and fuel runs, new reactor and wormhole projectors.

"Every emission we're going to be giving out is going to be different," Luke summarized.

"Raffi does good work," Adeline smiled. "So, first stop, Hydrea?"

"I thought you were going to spend all the time talking about buying up container space and scrap," Stephen grinned.

"We've got deliveries to make first! And a new crew to pick up along the way." Adeline said. "Got a delivery to make to Hydrea's Martian conversion project post haste. Then a pickup from there and off to Sol's Neptune, I got into contact with some of the inter-system shippers there, they're going to have a full load of scrap for us waiting. With the fees the yards are paying it won't cost us anything to pick them up."

"Once we can confirm the prices with the Legion, then we have three other ships that are looking for freight that will be in Sol in two weeks." Marissa said.

"Seems like you have a plan together?" Luke asked.

"Who would have known that scrap wrangling also requires one to have a full crew? Safety and all," Adeline smiled.

"Going to be lively around here, are there any good looking girls?" Joey asked.

"Great, cause having you meet all of my friends from the net is going to be a good thing," Luke sighed and shook his head.

"Forty minutes until we're ready to head for Hydrea system."

"I hope that Fin was able to catch his transport." Luke said.

"Alright Torjaks, everything is looking good on my end, Georgin is purring like a new kitten. Safe travels among the stars and see you soon!"

"Thank you Uncle Raffi, see you later," Adeline said.

Luke and the others chimed in with their goodbyes as Stephen closed the channel.

***