Chapter 1: First Steps
The Bank was an imposing sight, two stories of brick and plaster, a rarity in New Boston. Stepping inside I was hit by the familiar haze of tobacco smoke ubiquitous to the planet's public buildings, even more so in Mon, the spaceport city. Grungy and damp it was unexpectedly familiar, as if I had entered my grandfather's home with its billowing cigarette smoke and oddly comfortable warmth from the New Boston winter that left frost across the windows.
A series of clocks displaying the times of major planets across the Galaxy stood startlingly imposing, looming over the room from above the tellers. Earth, New China, Zug, Miguard and a dozen others. The great planets of the Republic seemed so tantalisingly close.
The Teller looked bored, too little custom in winter this far from the spaceport. Stepping up to the counter I made my introductions and passed him both my shiny new pilot's license and loan application.
"Are you sure about this bro?" he asked, the teller's face twisting in concern.
"Eh, maybe man"
The chill vibe that the building brought me was harshed majorly, it was never good to be reminded of the fate of early pilots when taking to the stars. 60 percent of sparrow pilots die within a month with a high but much less impressive 10 and 20 percent for shuttle and star barge pilots respectively. The cheapest starships on the market were quick prey for pirates or good ol' bad luck.
The rest of the process was quick from there, the manager approved the application and I found myself in possession of over 400,000 credits. More money than I had ever held in my life and with a sharp 21% p.a interest rate attached was a more than slightly brutal and sobering moment. My hands shook from the sudden onset of anxiety as I struggled to light a cigarette, the thin paper tube rattling between my fingers.
Taking the battered City light rail to the Spaceport I laid my head on the window, stress slowly dissipating as the smoke wafted from the cig. This is it, my last day in New Boston, the textile mills and green hills passing by, an odd melancholy seemed to grip at my heart, it was too late to turn back now.
"Next stop, Mon Spaceport" the static voice of the driver grated my ears and jerked me back to reality.
The train came to a crawl before the marvel of New Boston's most expensive and controversial project. The memories of the protests and riots of 09' were still fresh in my mind even as I stared at the 4 storey colossus that towered over the sprawl of the city. Docking bays and landing platforms for ships of all sizes lay there, by god there was even a Falcon on the capital ship bays.
Taking the stairs I ascended the building, the elevator being unreasonably expensive to the vibrant ship and outfit market in the spaceports centre. Under the dull glow of lanterns and the occasional lightbulb the market was a swathe of hastily constructed stalls and tarp covering goods and outfits. The perennial haze cast the room in second hand smoke, the atmosphere dredging up old memories of the market when he came to drop off goods or see the ships with family as they traded. A tap on the shoulder brought me from my reverie, something that happened today more often than I would've expected.
"Well if it ain't Assan, what's up broski?"
Well if it wasn't Pete, I hadn't seen the lean bugger since I quit the textile factory last month.
"Pete! What's up man, haven't seen you in a while!"
"Groovy dude, got a sick gig with one of the ship vendors!"
We shouted, struggling to hear each other over the raucous chatter and haggling of the market.
"Man awesome! I'm after a ship myself!"
"Aww bro sick, you finally going to space eh! I'll introduce you to the guy bro!"
"Do I get a discount?!"
Laughing Pete led me to one of the stalls by the docking bays, where ship merchants and vendors sold what little could be found on New Boston. Most ships on the planet are second hand merchant ships or scrapyard monstrosities held together by duct tape and prayers.
A rather rotund man with a large smile stood before several battered looking ships and a few new looking ones as well. Tarp was erected over the tight landing bay, below it a series of old and New Shuttles, Sparrows, Star barges and even a Fury. My gaze couldn't help but notice the hulls of some, pockmarked by blaster fire, riddled with bullet holes and precise scorch marks from laser fire.
"Peter! Good lad, you finally brought a customer!"
"Ah yeah Assan this is mr Petlowski, Petlowski my bro Assan, oh and I'm ready for my raise now"
"No, get back to work. So anyway Assan, welcome!"
He rushed over to me, arms outstretched and led me on to his ships, taking no time to send Pete back to work. Luckily for him I was.
"Ah yeah, just got my license and loan man, looking for a groovy ship!"
His mouth widened into an even larger smile, which was frankly slightly unnerving.
"My my, do i have just the ships for you, brand new from the Syndicates shipyards"
He gestured wildly in the direction of a shiny looking Star Barge, The size of a bus it was an impressive sight even among the grand ships that now came to the spaceport of Mon. Few ships larger than the Star Barge would be found on the minor markets of New Boston especially at the edges of the Dirt belt, and to I, who had only stood before low orbit training ships and decomissioned ships it was a sight to behold.
"A fine ship! 50 tons of cargo capacity and detachable cargo bays for easy trade, comes with the rugged Lovelace anti-missile system! Only 440,000 credits, a real steal o' a new ship, this one!"
My Blood froze, only 440,000 he says! Utter madness these starships, second hand it is. I shook my head and gestured towards the battered ships near the back of the bay the lower quality ships sequestered away in the back.
"Oh pooh, a cheapskate, I take back my compliment Peter"
"Hey man Assan's cool, not everyone buys brand new!" Pete came to my defence, what a bro.
Led towards the back I came before the classic three. A Bullet ridden shuttle, a slightly molten sparrow and a grimy looking star barge. The sparrow I quickly dismissed, even if cheaper and loaded with a respectable armament of meteor missile launchers, the ol' 60 percent statistic nipped any dream of starfighting in the bud. The Shuttle, now that was more appealing, the bullet holes may have seemed a no deal but repairs for those shouldn't be more difficult than a little welding although the likely damage to the internals would be a big deal. And last but not least was the toasty Star Barge, the poor bugger was riddled with scorch marks and molten metal, its thrusters battered. Cargo capacity wouldn't be an issue with those detachables and the structural integrity was good but getting that bad boy flight capable was a priest's job not a mechanic the price would be outrageous.
The salesman was pulling out all the stops on the pitch.
"Now the engines may be a little bust on the Star Barge, but I assure you all it needs is a lil' bit o' spit and polish and it'll be all gangbusters from there!"
Yeah a 'lil' bit' he says
"Uh I'm sure, Mr Petlowski but those lasers cut pretty deep"
"Ah but I assure you no serious internal damage, I patched her up myself, might be a bit slow even for a Star Barge but it'll hold up to a good bit o' roughhousing"
Taking a tour within I plyed my somewhat moderately trained eye on its systems. Electrics all wired right, plumbing sturdy, shield matrix undamaged, Fuel cell all normal, hell even its questionably added stereos were fully functioning.
"Huh, well I'll consider it, how much man?"
"Hmmm, for a second hand with slightly damaged thrusters? 290,000 credits I'd say"
Slightly damaged he says, there damn things are more molten metal than a ship's propulsion. I know the guys at the training and licensing office said it would be pricey but far out.
"Uhh, how bout' take a look at the shuttle, yeah?"
The shuttle was a slightly unnerving sight, riddled with bullet holes and blaster marks as it was uncomfortable knowing the last owner probably kicked the bucket. I'm no superstitious man, but those were bad omens if I ever saw them.
"Now the damage might worry you but buffin' out the blaster marks is just a matter of elbow grease and persistence, and the bullet holes a bit o' weldin', with 15 tons o' cargo space and 8 bunks she'll do you right!"
True as that all was it'll be worthless if its internals are scrap, those bullets piercing through coulda easily turned its systems to mincemeat. The tour of its inside was not particularly encouraging and the mincemeat analogy was unpleasantly accurate.
"Fucking hell is that blood on the captains chair!"
"Noooo, that would be my lunch, I uh… spilt it"
"Why does it look like dried blood?"
"Tomato sauce"
"..."
Bad omen, very bad omen.
"Honest! I recovered this one by the captains salvage request, he's fit as a fiddle, just a tad banged up is all"
"Well if you say so" I choose to believe that it was all groovy but man was Petlowski acting shady.
The Systems were screwed, but not as screwed as I thought. Plumbing was in poor shape with piping pierced, its electrical systems cut to the bunks and storage but its fuel cell, engines and shield matrix looked alright. Workable, workable.
"For this one, 210,000 credits, a fine ship this one!"
Cheap though, comparatively, and I'll need all the money I can get to keep that 21% interest rate off my back.
With the sparrow out of the question it came down to the structurally sound and slower than dirt Star Barge or the Bullet riddled cheap and solid Shuttle. On one hand I could put my high school Shop skills to test on the Shuttle to repair the hull, Plumbing would be a tough fix but doable but the electrical stuff was way out of my field. On the other the Star Barge was practically fine besides its doomed engines which'll need replacement if I don't want to be some pirates target practice. New Ion or Plasma engines of that size would go for around 20 grand at second hand prices putting its bill up to 310,000 credits, can I really afford that? But the shuttle has bad omens?
I took a while to ponder it, Petlowski staring intently, smile still unnervingly wide. A choice was to be made and I knew my choice.
"Mr Petlowski, let's talk about this Shuttle…"
Authors Notes
Man, first story I've written in years for this site. Hope it goes well and that you all will take it easy on me, I'm a bit of an amatuer. I know I did change up the games bank intro and ship prices but I wanted to inject a bit more life into the universe, why but a ship full price when a second hand ship is so much more affordable. Similarly I wanted to explore the rural and small town feel of the dirt belt and the general atmosphere of endless skies galaxy, so it is going to be a but AU. Overall it is still the endless sky experience with the Republic, Free worlds and all that but thats going to be way down the line.