"Attention passengers. This is your captain speaking. We will be arriving on Sigmorta-5 shortly. Please dress in any necessary thermal gear at this time."
Rana let out a heavy sigh and stood from her seat. She had transferred between three transports to get here, and now it was time to freeze. Opening her carry-on, she started to slip on multiple layers to keep out the cold. She finished off with the thick coat with a hood before sitting back down and strapping in.
"First time?"
"Hm?" Rana looked to the seat across from her. Smiling at her was a furry Sigmor lady dressed in official attire.
"First time on an ice planet? We don't normally get young visitors past Sigmorta Prime," the Sigmor said.
"Uh, yea," Rana hesitantly answered. "I'm, uh… I'm transferring for a work study."
"No need to be nervous, dear. Sigmorta-5 may be harsh, but the locals are incredibly friendly. You'll be alright here."
"Good to know," Rana nodded. She paid the woman no further attention.
Stepping off the transport, the Narjian girl was hit with the biting wind of a snowy landscape. Above her was a foreign, clear, blue sky over a small, industrial city. Not wanting to endure the elements longer than she had to, Rana headed straight for the terminal. The building was modestly busy with people of various species running around to the various docks. It was mostly Sigmors with the occasional Narjian sprinkled in. There were other species, none of which she didn't know the name of offhand.
Taking a second to look around, she spotted a humanoid robot holding a sign with her name on it.
"Are you supposed to be my guide?" Rana asked the robot.
"Rana of Narjahim. Please present your ID," the machine spoke in a monotone voice. Rana did as it asked, pulling out her passport and holding it open for the robot to scan. "Welcome to Sigmorta-5, Miss Rana," it greeted. "Please follow me to the customs office."
"How efficient," Rana smirked.
The customs office was about as bland as the name suggested. While the Sigmors running it were friendly, they rushed her along. She was only there for about 15 minutes before she was being shuffled out with all her documentation and needed information. With her packet of papers and luggage in hand, she took a taxi to her government provided home.
Rana paid the driver with the cash advance she was given and entered the apartment complex. Her place was on the third floor. Unlocking the door, she found it to be incredibly small. It had all the necessities, such as a bathroom, food refrigeration, a sink, a stove, and a bed. There was even a small desk, but it all left little room to maneuver around. At least it was warm inside.
Her new academy was close by, but she would need to find a ride to work. Taking a taxi all the time would eat through her pay too fast. That was still a weird concept to her. Working for a paycheck. On Narjahim, the basic necessities were free for all Empire citizens. But that was why the Sigmors ran so much of the trade within the Empire. They weren't much for fighting, but they knew economics beyond government.
With a huff, Rana put all her belonging away in the few storage spaces her new apartment provided. She decided to buy groceries the next day. She was too tired from traveling. Instead, the green girl pulled out her portable computer. Connecting to the planetary computer network, she looked up a local map for places to order out.
"Class, meet Rana. She's our new transfer student from Narjahim," the Sigmor professor introduced her to the class. As with everywhere else, the class was mostly Sigmor students with a handful of Narjians mixed in.
"Hello," Rana bowed, slightly nervous from the new setting. "My name is Rana. I came here for a work study at the Volcanium plant."
"That sound's quite interesting," the professor smiled. "How are you liking Sigmorta-5 so far?"
"Too cold for my taste," Rana pitifully chuckled.
"Understandable," the professor nodded at her. "We are glad to have you here. Go ahead and take a seat. There's an empty desk in the third row."
"Hey! New kid!" a voice called out as Rana was making her way out of the school.
"Ah, hell," she mumbled, "here we go." She turned around and saw three Narjians quickly approaching her.
"Wow, you're even shorter up close," the lead boy smirked.
"Are you going to do some sort of hazing ritual?" Rana asked in a bored tone. "It not, then I need to go buy groceries."
"No need to be coy," the girl to the left said. "We just want to get to know you better. You haven't exactly been talkative."
"So, what's the deal?" the leader asked.
"The deal?" Rana raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yea, you know. Why are you here?"
"I transferred for a work study at the Volcanium plant."
"That can't be accurate," the boy to the left spoke up. "Narjians don't come to Sigmorta-5 willingly. Anyone who gets shipped here from the home world is being punished."
"Am I supposed to be impressed by your deductive reasoning?" Rana glared at the third kid, growing annoyed.
"I was able to steal a peek at your files," the third kid continued. "You came here from Dietenzi Academy. That's the top school on Narjahim. You wouldn't be here unless you got kicked out."
"Not bad. I guess that makes you the brains of the trio," she pointed at him. She moved her glare to boy in the middle. "You're the meat-headed leader, and you…" Rana looked the girl over with a raised eyebrow. "What's your job? Are you the enforcer, or the group slut?" she smirked.
"You runt!" the girl screamed, leaping at Rana.
Rana easily stepped out of the way, tripping the girl and causing her to fall. The brain kid tried to grab Rana from behind, but the Rana had predicted his attack. Using her momentum from the first dodge, Rana slid to his side before punching him in the back of the head. The leader was about to charge, but Rana launched her backpack at him before he had the chance. The force of the improvised projectile caused the boy to stumble back against the wall. Rana took the opportunity to punch him square in the jaw, causing the boy to fall over in pain.
"Want to know why I'm here?!" Rana yelled down at him. "I shot a man, because he got in my way! And if you know what's good for you, you won't make the same mistake."
A crowd of students was starting to form around them. Not wanting to cause any more of a disturbance on her first day, Rana grabbed her backpack and rushed out into the cold. No one got in trouble, but everyone had heard about the incident within a few days. The other students made a point to avoid her after that.
"So, you're the troublemaker they sent me," the older man greeted Rana at the plant entrance. "I'm Foreman Jurian. I run this place. Anything I say, goes."
"Yes, sir," Rana nervously nodded. She was used to strict authority, but something about the Foreman was off-putting.
"Good. Follow me." Jurian led Rana to receive her safety gear before leading her through the Volcanium plant. The inside of the plant was boiling, a stark contrast to the icy winds outside. There were only Narjians present, mostly older workers, all going about various task in the manufacturing process.
"These are the filtering tanks," the Foreman said as they entered a large room with four massive, open-top vats. Each was filled with glowing Volcanium. "They are fed from the storage outside by those pipes. The outdoor tanks are in turn fed directly from the drilling sites by the main inflow pipe. You have a few years till your old enough to work on those."
From there, Rana was led back to the Foreman's office. She was handed a safety manual and a Rules & Regulations guide and told to read through both. Neither was particularly long, but both books were mind numbingly dry. It took Rana the rest of the day to read through and memorize all the legalese. As she was packing up after work, she was stopped by the Foreman.
"Hold up, rookie," Jurian said. "There's one last place I need to show you." He led the girl through the plant once more, taking her all the way to the back corner. The area appeared to be a workshop, and it was surrounded by a wire cage. "Hey, Seumus! You here?"
"The hell you want now, Jurian?" another man said, approaching the cage from inside and sliding open the door. He looked much older than anyone else at the plant, but still seemed to have a healthy physique.
"Meet your new apprentice. This is Rana of Narjahim."
"Uh, hi," Rana waved to the man.
"Hu. We don't get many home worlders out here," Seumus raised an eyebrow at her, but quickly smiled. "Nice to meet you Rana. I'm Seumus, head of maintenance."
"Kid is some big-brained troublemaker," Jurian commented, earning a nasty look from Rana. He ignored her and continued. "She should be able to keep up with you better than the other slackers, and your ass should be able to keep her on the straight and narrow."
"Alrighty then," Seumus nodded. "You can come straight here tomorrow, Rana. I'll get you prepped for your real first day."
As requested, Rana went straight to the maintenance department the next day. She gave a polite if empty greeting to Seumus as they got started.
"What's the Foreman's deal?" Rana asked. "Seems like a jerk."
"Jurian? Oh, don't mind him," Seumus commented as he looked over the task for the day. "He's just another pencil pusher that thinks he's hot shit. I've seen plenty of his type come and go during my time here."
"You been on Sigmorta-5 a while?" Rana continued.
"Born and raised. I've been sent to other plants in the Empire when they require assistance, but this is my home. I always make my way back here."
"Hm," Rana grunted, her eye drawn to the various tools hanging on the wall.
"What about you?" Seumus asked. "What is Dietenzi's top student doing so far from home?"
"Does it matter?" Rana retorted.
"I suppose not. But I like to know who I'm working with."
"I was kicked out for shooting a man."
"Did you now?" Seumus chuckled.
"He got in my way."
"Did you know him well?"
Rana didn't answer right away, as she was caught off-guard by the question. Most people would ask what her mental damage was. But for some reason, this old man decided to throw her for a loop.
"Yea, I did," Rana finally responded, looking down in shame. "We had a fight at the worse possible time, and there was an accident."
"I see," the old man nodded. He was silent for a few seconds as he gathered his things. "That kind of honesty will get you far on Sigmorta-5." He handed the girl a toolbelt with a smile on his face. "Best thing you can do is learn from your mistakes."
Rana silently nodded and put on the toolbelt.
For the rest of the day, Seumus taught Rana the basics of his job. They started with the 3D printing machines and performing basic upkeep on the large printers and computer circuit printers. Then they did a basic check of all the conveyor belts in the building, making sure that everything was running and marking spots that needed further inspection. After lunch, Rana had to read about forklift maintenance while Seumus started on small repairs.
"You're a quick learner," Seumus commented.
"I try," Rana smirked as she turned the page on the truck manual.
"I know you didn't intent to end up here," Seumus continued, "but I think you'll do alright for yourself."
For the next two years, that was my life. Everyday, I either went to school or I went to work. Seumus turned out to be alright, and he taught me how to run and fix pretty much everything at the Volcanium plant. After being there for so long, I started getting ideas on how to improve the place.
"I propose we research automating more parts of the Volcanium plant," Rana started.
"No," Foreman Jurian said, not looking up from his papers.
"It might sound crazy," Rana stubbornly continued, "but with you struggling to bring in more workers, investing in automation would be a great way to futureproof the-"
"I said no," Jurian spat, gazing at Rana.
"At least hear me out," Rana whined. "I drew up some sketches this week. You'll see that robotics would allow us to increase efficiency and-"
"Rana!" Jurian cut her off again. "I have no interest in your crazy ideas. You might think of yourself as some sort of super genius, but you forget that this is MY factory. I said no. Now scram."
"Fine," Rana practically growled before marching out of the Foreman's office.
"Did he say no?" Seumus asked as she stepped back into the workshop.
"He didn't even let me explain my idea," Rana signed. She sat down at the work bench next to the older man.
"Yep. That's Jurian," he nodded before turning back to the motherboard in front of him.
"What are you working on?" she asked, looking to change the subject.
"I'm trying to replace these capacitors, but… I can't seem to… get it to stay."
"Let me," Rana offered. Seumus scooted over, allowing her to look over the motherboard. In less than a minute, she had the first capacitor soldered in place.
"A perfect job," Seumus nodded proudly. "Guess my eyes and hands aren't what they used to be."
"Maybe you're just tired," Rana suggested.
"Tired of this job," Seumus scoffed. "I've been doing this too long."
"You looking to quit? Leave me to deal with Jurian on my own?" Rana softly laughed as she continued to work on the motherboard.
"You're already doing most of the hands-on repairs. And you can do them faster than I ever could," the man smiled. "I think you would be just fine holding this place together."
"And Jurian?" she gave him a sideways glance.
"Well, you already know how to deal with him. All these little changes we've made with the line workers. Jurian doesn't pay close enough attention to notice us fixing his stupid ideas."
"And what about big changes?"
Seumus let out a soft sigh. "How dead set are you on this 'automation' plan of yours?"
"I mean," Rana shrugged, "I don't know. I just know that it would make things better around here. The line workers wouldn't be under constant crunch, and we wouldn't have to make so many repairs. Automate just 50% of the work here, and we could meet quotas in a fraction of the time. And I could use the down time to look over the robots. Make sure they are running efficiently and replace bad parts."
"I'm sold," Seumus laughed. "Shame our Foreman is too stubborn to listen to such glamorous ideas."
"You think it would work?"
"I haven't the slightest clue. But with you in charge, I'm sure it would."
"Thanks," Rana beamed. Then her expression fell. "Jurian is never gonna listen, though."
"That man would get into an argument with the Emperor if it was over this place," Seumus griped, drawing a giggle from Rana. "Hate to say it, but so long as Jurian runs the plant, nothing is going to change."
"Alright," Rana frowned. She finished up the motherboard before standing up. "Want me to install it?"
"I think I can still manage some basic computer assembly. You go ahead and leave early. I'll worry about clean up."
That night, Rana started going over ideas on how to get rid of Jurian. The easiest way would be to get him fired or promoted off Sigmorta-5. But the more she thought about it, the more Rana realized both would be near impossible. While Jurian was a planet-sized ass, he had technically never done anything that could get him removed from his spot as Foreman. And as far as promotions go, the man had already declined one that she knew of in the last two years. Jurian said something about "Sigmorta-5 being his home and the plant workers were like family". Rana remembered having to hold back a cynical laugh at that.
That left Rana with just one option. She would have to figure out a way to eliminate Jurian without getting caught.
Her first idea was a workplace accident. Sometimes things go wrong around industrial equipment, and that sometimes leads to someone getting seriously hurt. She tried thinking up ways to cause an "accident", but none were too her liking. There was too much risk of hurting multiple people. And even if only Jurian was hurt, the blame would most likely fall on her and Seumus.
Rana needed to get rid of him outside of work. That didn't leave many options. It would need to happen while she was at school, as to give her a good alibi. She could easily build a drone to carry out the deed. As for the weapon? A blaster would be best. Anything else would either be too unreliable or too obviously done with a robot. She just needed to get her hands on an unregistered blaster, so that it couldn't be traced back to her.
Rana stood from her desk and marched over to her tiny bathroom. Staring at her own reflection, she had to question her own sanity. Was she actually considering this? Killing a man in cold blood? The girl had done plenty of things that could be considered messed up or 'dishonorable'. She had made tons of mistakes. But this would be on purpose. Once the deed was done, there was no taking it back.
Rana decided to start work on a drone. Even if she didn't go through with her crazy plan, she could use the robot for other things. And who knows? Maybe she could convince the Foreman to look over her ideas. Even if he turned them all down, just an acknowledgement would be enough.
"For the last time, Rana. I said no!"
"If you would just look over the details, you might find that-"
"No!" Jurian glared at her, a vein in his forehead seeming to pulse in anger. "Not another word. If you bring this up again, you're fired."
"W-what?" Rana stuttered in shock.
"You heard me. Waste my time with anymore of your foolish ideas, and I'm shipping your ass back to Narjahim."
"Yes, sir," Rana grumbled before leaving the office.
Rana and Seumus looked over the Volcanium printer, trying to find any obvious signs of damage. Jurian was there as well, watching them work.
"So, what? It just started glitching out?" Rana asked the line worker.
"That's right," Zak nodded. "The alarm started beeping and it went on the frits. Started spurting Volcanium all over the conveyor. I hit the emergency stop and called you."
"I'm not seeing any obvious signs of damage. It's either an internal part or a software glitch," Seumus said.
"Hm. It seems like an over reliance on machines is leading to problems," Jurian smirked.
"If we actually had time to properly maintain the machines, there wouldn't be any problems," Rana snapped at him.
"Oh, I'm sorry? Did you not want to work here anymore?" Jurian accused her. Rana looked away with a pout.
"Get your ass out of here," Seumus griped at the Foreman. "Go back to your office and let us work in peace."
"Of course. But you better have that printer running by the end of the day." Jurian walked off, head high at his victory.
"I'll take the 3D printer to the workshop and get it fixed. Shouldn't take more than a few hours," Rana said as she started to disconnect the pipes feeding the printer. "You want to get started on the conveyer repairs?"
"I can, but will you be alright with the printer by yourself?" Seumus asked, concerned for his young apprentice.
"I just need some time alone," Rana sighed. "This is the perfect opportunity for that. Zak, I'll need you to bring one of the mini-tanks back to the workshop. I want to do a full test before I bring this thing back to the floor."
"Yes, ma'am." Zak nodded before hopping on a forklift.
Once Rana had wheeled the 3D printer back to the workshop, she got started on repairs. It helped that she already knew what was wrong with the thing, as she had installed the bug on it during the morning inspection. The pump was set to overflow the printing nozzles at a set time, causing the internal filters to break. Rana replaced the entire nozzle set and pump before wiping the computer of the bug. Then she set it to safe mode.
Hooking up the mini-tank to the printer, she started the calibration test. It took the printer about an hour to finish its calibration, at which point it was ready to go back to the floor. After checking to make sure Seumus wasn't coming back anytime soon, she had the printer make a single blaster for her. Rana stashed it away, burying it in her backpack. Then she wiped the computer again and ran another calibration.
"Get the thing working yet?" Seumus asked as he walked into the workshop.
"I believe so," Rana stated. "The internal pump was messed up and overflowed the nozzle. I replaced both. Calibration is taking longer than I would like, though."
"So long as it works," Seumus smiled. "Once it's done, I'll help you wheel it back onto the line."
That night, I overclocked the blaster and attached it to my robot. It had taken a couple months of planning, but everything was set. The robot would wait at the chosen spot till it saw Jurian and take the shot. I had already jury rigged a power supply and tested it. Everything was set. I activated the robot later that week. It would kill Jurian while I was at the school before returning to my apartment complex. It would wait on the roof till I called it down. I would dismantle it and dispose of everything with the scrap at work. But we both know these things never go as planned.
Rana dropped all the robot and blaster parts into the workshop's scrap bin. Thankfully, it was almost full. Smiling as she went, Rana wheeled the scrap bin to the metal recycling smelter. All the metal scrap would be melted down for use on the line. Watching her robot sink into the molten slag, Rana let out a light giggle. She had already wiped all the evidence from her personal computer and apartment. She was home free.
Returning to the workshop, a pair of Sigmors were waiting for her with a Narjian she didn't recognize.
"This area is for maintenance staff only," Rana said.
"Miss Rana?" one of the Sigmors asked.
"Yes?"
"I'm detective Nazyam. This is detective Dughick and Narjian Investigations Officer Maia. We need to ask you a few questions," the Sigmor continued.
"That's nice, but I have things to do. So, unless my boss says otherwise, I should get to it."
"That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about," Officer Maia stated.
"What? Did the Foreman get into a barfight or something?" Rana laughed.
"What was the nature of your relationship with Jurian and Seumus?" Dughick asked.
"S-Seumus?" Rana's smile disappeared. "I mean, the Foreman is a jerk. No one likes him. Seumus is cool though. I've worked with both for a little over two years now. Seumus taught me how to run and fix everything in this building. We're always talking about Jurian behind his back. After graduation, Seumus is going to put in a recommendation for me to learn about the drilling site."
"Did Seumus have any enemies that you can think of?"
"No," Rana shrugged, trying to play off her worries. "Maybe Jurian. But again, the Foreman is a jerk."
"You mentioned graduation. How often do you work here?" Officer Maia asked.
"Any day I don't have school. Part of a work study. Comes out to about half work, half school," Rana answered, but she was losing her nerves. "I-I'm sorry, but what is this all about?"
The three adults all gave each other uneasy knowing glances.
"Miss Rana," Nazyam started. "Jurian and Seumus are both dead."
"W-w-what?" Rana stuttered. Her heart began to race as she struggled to control her breathing. "H-how?"
"It appears to have been murder. Witnesses state that the two were walking together and seemed to be having an argument. They were both shot and killed by a powerful blaster bolt."
Rana stared at the three, her mind becoming blank. The girl's gaze slowly fell as her brain slowly made sense of the words. She didn't want to think, or feel, or breath. She just wanted to crawl into a tiny ball and rot away.
"We're you close to Seumus?"
Rana nodded. "He was nice. He believed in me." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold in the baking Volcanium plant. "Um, could you excuse me." Rana rushed to the restroom, desperate to collect herself. In the mirror she saw that a couple tears had fallen down her cheeks, causing her black makeup to run.
Work was canceled for the week. Everyone was sent home to grieve. Rana didn't know what to think. She had accomplished her goal. Her plan worked. The detectives continued to ask her questions throughout the week, but she was never a primary suspect. After it was confirmed that Rana was at school that day, they stopped visiting her all together.
Rana threw a series of punches at the dummy. She was having trouble sleeping, so late night visits to the gym were becoming a regular occurrence. To just shut off her brain and sweat seemed to help her focus. Tonight, she decided to work on her combat stances. She continued to wallop the sand-filled dummy until her knuckles started to bruise. Something about the pain made her feel alive. It cut through the numbness.
"We're closing soon. You should wash up," the night manager said, drawing the young woman out of her trance. Rana nodded, breathing heavy from her workout, and made her way to the shower room.
Rana didn't bother with a full shower. She preferred to take those in the morning. Instead, the woman washed her face in the sink. She took a moment to examine her reflection, as she tried to collect her thoughts. She didn't regret what she did. Once the new plant manager showed up, Rana could easily push her plan into action. She just wished she had been more precise.
Rana rubbed at her eyes, trying to will the bangs away. She went to collect her things and dress for the late night cold. She didn't thing this emotion was guilt. She knew guilt from when she accidently hurt Akio. This was different. Like a weird mix of grief and belligerent acceptance. She wanted Seumus back. The old man was good to her. But all fights had a cost. She could kill her target and avoid the police, but something had to be given back. The universe decided to take her mentor. Rana decided that it would be best to not get too close to people in the future. She had a bad habit of hitting the ones close to her in the crossfire.
"Thank you for coming, Miss Rana," the Narjian lady greeted. She had set up in the Foreman's office but was dressed far more formally than Rana was used to. The lady looked like she should be attending political meetings as opposed to running a Volcanium plant. This impression wasn't helped by the fact that the lady looked like she was barely holding herself together.
"No problem," Rana shrugged. "I'm guessing you're the new Foreman?"
"At the moment," the lady nodded. "I'm Loreta. I was assigned to maintain the plant until a more permanent replacement could be selected."
"I'd hate to break it to you, but you might end up becoming the permanent replacement," Rana said as she sat down at the desk, across from Loreta. "There has only been one new hire since I started a little over two years ago, and he's been talking about enlisting in Full Combat."
"Yes, I know," Loreta sighed. "I've read the reports on the labor shortage here." Loreta slowly sat down behind the desk as if trying to maintain some illusion of composure.
"If you need some caffeine, I know an awesome tea shop not far from here. You can walk it, so long as you bundle up."
"I'm fine," Loreta smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about your responsibilities here. As far as I'm aware, you are the only person in maintenance."
"Uh, yea," Rana rubbed her arm in discomfort. "I worked under Seumus. It was just the two of us."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"As for your inquiry, yes. I am the only maintenance person. If something breaks, I'm mostly likely the only one who can fix it. And I'm not here every day. I have school, too."
"Yes, I read about your unusual circumstances as well," Loreta nodded. "Expelled form Die-"
"Don't," Rana interrupted. "It's no longer relevant." The room fell silent for a breath before she continued. "Besides, I'm graduating soon. After I return from the ceremony, school will no longer be an issue. I can work on improving this place full time."
"Yes, yes. Of course, Miss Rana." The older lady fiddled her thumbs, seemingly unsure of how to continue. "I'm glad we have someone so skilled on staff," Loreta nodded again. "I'm curious about how you plan to improve this place, though."
"Hm? Oh right. You wouldn't know," Rana commented, perking up at the opportunity. "I had been working on plans to increase automation. It could offset the labor problem while also increasing efficiency and output," Rana beamed as she began to explain. "Seumus loved the idea, but Jurian was hesitant. He was… old fashion in his thinking. I wouldn't be surprised if they were arguing about before… well… you know," Rana tapered off.
"Would you-" Loreta paused to clear her throat. "Would you be able to explain this idea of yours in full? If we can offset the labor shortage even slightly, it might be worth investing in."
"Yea, of course," Rana smiled. "I'll make you a deal. Give me the day to get my files together and get caught up on work. I can give you a complete run down tomorrow morning."
"I think that could work. That would give me time to get oriented and bring in other officials. I can think of a few people who would be interested in this idea."
The next morning, Rana came prepared to give the best presentation of her life. She even stopped by the tea house and ordered tea and biscuits to bring in. Every little advantage to help win over minds she would gladly take. Stepping into the Foreman's office with snacks and computer in hand, Rana was greeted by Loreta and two other officials that had also been sent to the Volcanium plant.
The young woman's presentation went off without a hitch. It helped that she had been planning this for months. Rana was able to easily explain her various designs and how they could help improve the manufacturing process. Everything from Volcanium filtering, to assembly, to shipping was covered. There would still need people to help run and guide the machines, but far fewer people would be necessary as promised. And to top it all off, everything could be built in house. The couple of 3D printers they had could make all the parts needed. They would just need to be assembled.
There was one catch though. Rana's plan would come close to a complete renovation of the factory. It would require several months of planning followed by assembly to complete. The building would have to be shut down for most of the process. This was the detail that caused the officials to hesitate.
"While I appreciate the ambition," one of them started, "we would need to make sure we can afford a shutdown of that length. There's also the matter of retraining everyone for the new process." The two officials and Loreta began to discuss the project's merits before Rana gathered their attention again.
"This is more than a way to mitigate the labor shortage," Rana spoke with confidence. "This is a way to futureproof the entire factory. With this setup, we could easily redirect manufacturing efforts towards whatever is demanded of us. The factory could create more that just weapons and spare parts. Whatever item is requested, this plant would be able to create it with upmost speed and quality. It's also a proof of concept for other Volcanium plants. This automation setup could be adapted to any location."
"The upfront investment is steep, but with increased efficiency we could make up that loss within a Sigmorta year. It will be worth it. I can do most of the planning from now till I leave for the graduation ceremony. Once I return, we can shut down, and I'll oversee the assembly with Loreta or whoever is Foreman at that time."
"Thank you, Rana," Loreta bowed gratefully, which Rana returned. "Your idea is impressive, but we will need some time to discuss it."
"Of course."
Three days past. Rana was struggling to maintain her optimism. The pessimist in her was saying that her idea had been reject and forgotten. That was until she was called to the school's main office.
"Miss Rana," one of the staff poked their head into her class during a test. One that Rana had already finished. "You have a visitor."
"Ok?" Rana raised her eyebrow. The teacher excused her, and Rana made her way up to the main office.
"Good morning," Loreta greeted her with a bright smile.
"What the-" Rana blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to bring you lunch," the woman offered, handing Rana a paper bag and drink from the tea shop. "Think of it as a congratulatory gift."
"Congratulatory?" Rana squinted. "Wait? You don't mean…"
"Mm hm," Loreta nodded. "Your project has been approved. We are currently working to bring in other engineers from around the empire to help. They will be acting as your planning committee."
"When you say they are my committee, does that mean I'm in charge of the project?" Rana grinned.
"Of course," Loreta stated matter-of-factly. "It was your idea, and you have the most familiarity with the machinery. Who better to spearhead the project?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Rana cheered, practically jumping out of her skin in glee.
"I expect you at the plant bright and early tomorrow," Loreta chuckled. "Now back to class with you. You're not a graduate yet."
For the next couple months, I led my new team in planning for the revamp. It was just me and one other person at first, but as more engineers showed up my team grew to 13. I would go into work, do any needed inspections and repairs, then join the team for planning and designing the new machines. There were a few bumps and disagreements as to be expected when you work on a committee, but we got it done. But then my father had to show up and ruin the good times.
Rana stripped off her layers and threw them into her locker, ready for another day of work. As she was making her way to the workshop, Zak stopped her.
"Hey, Rana," he shouted out.
"Morning, Zak," Rana greeted as he walked over to her.
"Morning. Loreta want's you to meet her in the Foreman's office," Zak explained.
"What for?" Rana asked.
"She didn't say."
"Whatever," Rana shrugged. "Better not keep her waiting."
Rana made her way up to the office. She didn't bother to knock, opening the door and freezing in shock. Sitting in the chair across from Loreta's was her father.
"Good morning, Rana," Loreta greeted. "I would like you to meet-"
"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Rana screamed, her brain still trying to comprehend the sight before her.
"I wanted to check up with you, seeing as the graduation ceremony is just one standard week away. When I learned you were working on something big, I decided to inspect it for myself," her father calmly explained.
"And who in their right mind would give you clearance for that?"
"I would," the father chuckled. "I am the head of Transport Design and Manufacturing after all."
"I'm sorry, are you two related?" Loreta asked, bewilderment painting her features.
"Hashim is my dad," Rana sighed. "We've haven't spoken since I came to Sigmorta, so you could say this is a shock."
"Oh," Loreta said. Her eyes awkwardly dashed between Rana and Hashim, suddenly feeling out of place in her own office. "Would you two like some time to catch up? I don't believe anything requires immediate attention."
"I have to do the morning inspections," Rana deadpanned.
"Let your staff do them," Hashim spoke.
"No," Rana grimaced at the man, demanding he be quiet. But her father would not yield.
"Nonsense. I was told of a lovely tea shop not far from here."
"Just came from there," Rana sighed, but her father ignored it.
"I say you let your staff complete the morning duties. We can drive over to this tea shop, have a nice chat, then come back and look over this project you've been working on."
"Loreta, can't you tell this guy to leave me alone?"
"He outranks us," Loreta nervously pulled at her collar, obviously not wanting to be dragging into the family quarrel.
"We are not military," Rana pointed out, gesturing between herself and the Foreman.
"But this is an Empire owned factory. Hashim cannot make major changes by himself, but he can make minor request."
Rana angerly pouted at Loreta. Her disappointment was palpable. She turned to her father who still sat there calmly, if slightly smugly at his position.
"I'll get my coat," Rana grumbled.
Rana huffed as she sat at the small table across from her father. She handed him his tea before taking a sip of her own.
"Thank you, Rana," her father nodded. "I'll be sure to pay you back."
"Don't bother. It's just tea," Rana said. Her father was struggling to wrap his head around the idea physical money. Being the head of a major military department, most of his large possessions were government provided. The few things he needed to spend money on was bought through digital transactions, like all things on Narjahim. Rana would find his confusion hilarious if it wasn't so embarrassing.
"So," Rana frowned, "why the sudden interest in my life?"
"You are my daughter, and you are about to experience a major life event. Why wouldn't I be interested?"
"Maybe because you've never been interested in anything I ever do?"
"That's not true," her father defended. "I've told you before, I want you to grow into a successful and honorable woman."
"You have a funny way of showing that," Rana griped. "You've been neglecting me since Mom died. Hell, even before then, I remember her taking care of me. Not you."
"Rana, I had responsibilities beyond you and your mother. I tried to be there for you as often as I could. I'm sorry that wasn't enough for you."
"Oh, please," Rana rolled her eyes. "Even when you were there, you never tried to support me. All you ever did was go 'good job' and pat me on the back."
"I was proud of you," her farther explained. "I'm still proud of you. You've come so far and learned so much."
"I've had to do everything on my own!" Rana slammed her cup down harder than she intended, causing some of her drink to splash out. She sighed as she wiped it up with a napkin, doing her best to ignore the sideways stares she was now receiving from the shop's patrons.
"I've been on my own," Rana continued, much quieter this time. "You were never there to help me. And as much I resent you for that, I should probably be thanking you. Cause I'm the best there is, and I proved it all on my own."
"There goes your ego again," her father sighed. "It's not about being the best."
"Sure it is," Rana glared. "At least that's what it means to me. And do not try to tell me I'm wrong to think that. You lost that right a while ago."
Both Narjians fell quiet. Rana just wanted to be done already, but her father looked like he still had a lot to say. So, she sat and waited. Her mind wandered to the various corners of the shop, silently observing the surroundings she had grown so familiar with. Her natural instincts tried to get her to remain more vigilant of her father. He was unfamiliar and should be watched. But Rana didn't care enough and would not allow herself to focus on the man.
"Have you, um… chosen a crest for the ceremony?" her father hesitantly asked.
"I have," the young woman smirked.
It was tradition for each Narjian to take on a symbol to represent themselves. This was chosen at the coming-of-age ceremony, or the graduation ceremony as it was referred to in modern times. Most would choose to use a family crest or the crest of whatever group they may be apart of. That may be a guild, team, or military unit. A few would get fancy and design something new, but there was a basic formula to follow out of tradition.
"Something refencing Sigmorta-5 I assume," her father smiled.
"Uh, no," Rana deadpanned. "I went with a simple, nontraditional design."
"I can't say I'm surprised. What is it?"
"You won't like it."
"It can't be that bad."
"Oh, it's actually pretty awesome," Rana cheekily grinned, "but it's unfathomably unorthodox."
"Is it a skull?" her father asked unamused.
"Nope. A Volcanium heart."
"Rana," the man sighed, his face falling into his hands. The heart was a symbol that appeared in several cultures around the galaxy but was usually frowned upon in Narjian society. To them it represented untamed lust, and it was seen as rude outside of private situations.
"You don't get to judge."
"I'm your father. I have every right to judge you," he stated disappointedly. "You can't honestly be considering this."
"I am." Rana pulled out her phone and opened the picture file. Showing it to her father, the screen was black with a red heart. The heart had holes and liquid drops pouring from it as if made of dripping Volcanium. "Already have my robe ready."
"I can't believe this. Are you insane? What will everyone on Narjahim think?"
"Do you actually think I care?" Rana raised an eyebrow at him. "I stopped worrying about what others think awhile ago." She checked the time before standing up to stretch. "If you're finished with your tea, I need to head back to the plant."
"Very well, but we will be discussing this further," her father relented.
"No. We won't."
Rana walked back the Volcanium plant. Her father never went back, reportedly no longer having interest in the automation project.
The transport came out of slip space over the red skies of Narjahim. Rana examined the planet from her window seat and huffed, running her hand through her hair.
"Wow. It's even more beautiful in person," the Narjian student beside her whispered in awe.
"Try not to be too impressed," Rana scoffed. "Most of the people down there are stuck-up pricks."
"Is that why you left?" the girl asked.
"No, but it's why I haven't come back yet."
The 130 students from Sigmorta-5 had all been gathered on the sacred island that was considered the heart of the Narjian Empire. It was part of chain of islands that was home to several cultural and religious sights including the Palace of the Emperor. The island they are all on was formed by the Vahladeh Volcano. It was believed to be where Narjians first discovered the rejuvenating fire.
Dressed in nothing but simple robes, all the students walked the trail up the volcano's peak. It took about two hours until they were all standing before the open gullet of an active volcano. A hole had been dug out the side, allowing a slow, steady flow of natural lava to run down the side of the volcano. One by one, the students removed their robes and stepped into the river to be baptized in the fire.
Soon it was Rana's turn. She stripped off her rope and dipped her foot into the lava. She had handled Volcanium directly a multitude of times at the plant. This felt different somehow. The unfiltered substance seemed to glob around her, as if wanting to drag her down. Making her way over to the group of priests, she bowed her head and recited a prayer she memorized.
One of the priest approached and placed his hands on her back and over her eyes. With a light push, he dipped Rana back into the lava as the group of priests cited their hymns. The heat seemed to permeate her very core, as if trying to reforge her very soul. Three times the priest dipped her into the river, granting her the blessing of the Empire and the Old Religions.
After pulling her out a final time, the priest bowed to Rana and she bowed back. Rana stepped out of the river on the far side, the lava dripping off her form. After a few minutes, her body she was free of any molten rock. Only a light layer of soot covered her. She put on her personal robe that was waiting for her, the black one with her Volcanium heart crest.
As the ceremony continued, the other graduates were all giddy around her. Each seemed to feel a new sense of meaning and excitement from the event. They were ready to take the next step in their lives if serving the Empire. Rana felt… nothing.
Rana didn't feel a damn thing…
She tried to find a reason for this continued numbness. Maybe it was because she was so far ahead of everyone else in life. She had already found a path in life, even if it wasn't what she originally intended to walk. Maybe it was because she never put much faith in the old ways. She always believed it was better to look forward and push innovation. Maybe it was because she had already made sacrifices for the Empire. She had already killed for the Empire.
"No," Rana whispered to herself. "Not for the Empire. For you." The young woman decided at that she no longer cared for the Empire. She had never received help. She felt no sense of community with other Narjians. She hadn't felt so much as an itch of the bond since primary school, while half of her peers already had bond partners.
Rana no longer cared for the Empire. She would continue her work, as the Empire was the one signing her paychecks. But everything she did going forward would be for her own benefit. Everyone else be damned.
Rana met with her father one last time before leaving for Sigmorta-5 again. It went about as well as she expected. They could no longer maintain a civil discussion. Rana didn't really care enough to try, and her father seemed to be "too disappointed" to maintain his normal composure. The young woman decided he was no longer worth her time. Let the man remain disappointed. She knew who she was.
Returning to Sigmorta-5 wasn't nearly as bad as the first time she landed on the icy world. Rana reasoned that she had finally acclimated to the weather. There was something oddly comforting about the chilly wind against her skin. Here she had purpose and power. Rana doubted it would remain her home for long, but it held a familiarity to it.
When she returned to the Volcanium plant, the staff welcomed her back with excitement. When she hung up the small banner with her new crest over her desk, most of the line workers laughed and few even cheered. They were not surprised, given how independent Rana considered herself. Zak went so far as to give her a high five.
The other engineers were not as impressed by the banner. Most of them were down right bewildered by the design, given its potential cultural meaning. A few called her obscene and Loreta had to convince one of them to stay on the project.
"Rana, please," the Foreman practically begged. "I get that you like to see yourself as an outlier, a title you have proudly earned I might add. But could you tone it down just a bit. We need all the engineers to stay if you are to complete the project on time.
Rana let out a huff before waving off Loreta. "Fine, I'll take down the stupid banner. It will look better over my bed, anyways."
For the next year, my entire job focused on the new automation process. The other engineers liked me a lot less after the banner stunt, but we managed to work together despite that. We had all the robots and machines built on schedule. We started to pull the line workers back and teach them how to run the new set-up. Things were going surprisingly smooth. I was able to train a few new maintenance staff for the robots. I even got to learn about the drilling process and started to research ways to make that safer and more efficient as well.
But… there was still something missing. Everything felt so… hollow. So boring. I needed something more visceral to break up the day-to-day grind. I was craving a fight. I wanted to test my combat skills against an actual opponent, not just some dummy or sparring partner. I found temporary relief when I took a holiday to Sigmorta Prime.
Rana kept her hood up and her head down as she went to the address she hacked. Whoever these gambling ring guys were, they desperately needed better cybersecurity. She found a dark corner and watched the building. After half an hour, she started to notice an unusual mix of species heading to the side door. Rana strolled up to the metal door and knocked. An eye slit opened, revealing a single, purple eye.
"Password," a deep voice demanded.
"I don't have a password," Rana deadpanned. "But I did hack your systems. Your boss's name is Crox. He is a Sculquin running an illegal gambling ring for the Onyx Void, biggest mafia clan this half of the Empire. On top of running all the underground casinos on Sigmorta Prime, Crox also likes to host street races and fighting tournaments."
The eye continued to stare down at her, seemingly growing furious as she talked.
"I'm not here to tattle," Rana continued. "I just want in."
"Wait here," the voice commanded. The eye slit closed, and stomping steps could be heard leaving the other side of the door. A minute later, the steps returned. The door swung open to reveal buff, squid-faced man with a single, purple eye and a short, lizard man in a suit.
"You must be Crox," Rana smirked.
"Get in here, girly," Crox demanded, stepping aside.
Rana did as she was told and didn't so much as flinch when the door slammed shut behind her.
"How in Oedon's name did you learn so much about us?" Crox asked. "And you better tell the truth." He pulled out a blaster and pointed it right between Rana's eyes.
"I hacked your computers," Rana grinned. "It wasn't too hard. You're trying to protect yourself from the Empire's older systems. I'm more advanced than that. I built a simple AI to slip past your security. Then I traced the data signature back to this place. Oh, and I pulled your finances to talk my way in."
"How impressive," Crox spat. "You must think you're sooo smart. Give me one good reason I shouldn't blast you right now. If you got my name, then you should know Onyx Void don't take kindly to Narjians."
"I'm not like other Narjians. I don't care about the Empire. I'm just looking out for number one."
"Doesn't explain why you decided to come here."
"I've been itching for a good fight," Rana swayed her head. "And according to your files, you're hosting a tournament tonight."
"Hu… Girly, you must be crazy," Crox shook his head. He lowered his blaster, no longer seeing her as a threat to his operation. "Most of my clientele don't care for you fascist green beans neither. Once the fight starts, it's no holds barge. If you go down, there's nothing stopping the other fighter from beating you into a pulp."
"It's one-on-one, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'll be fine."
"Your funeral," Crox shrugged. "Follow me to the prep room. We need to make sure you don't try to sneak no weapons into the ring. Oh, and I'll need a name. Not your real name. I need a flashy title for when the announcer calls you out."
"I have a few ideas," Rana smiled.