Chapter Two
The next day, Amelia helped with various tasks in preparation for the upcoming planet crack. It really was a group effort. Even if she was not involved with the mining aspect directly, her help was needed, nevertheless.
"So, this reading doesn't look too off the norm to you?" a female miner asked her. Amelia looked and shook her head gently, her short ponytail swaying.
"No, and each planet is unique. I think we're fine, and we don't seem to see many fissures in the area," Amelia said as she looked at the map and readings. The miner nodded her agreement.
"Just wanting to make double-sure. Last thing we need is a surprise," said the miner.
"Speaking of surprises, the supply ships finally arrived!" called a man from the door. Amelia sighed with relief and rolled her eyes.
"About time," she mused as she headed for the Colony Operations area.
XXX
Operations was a large, spacious area with lots of monitors and consoles, wide open windows showing the whole colony in a vast panorama. People chattered, as did radios and channels. Sammers was at the main console, grinning.
"About time you guys showed up," said Sammers.
"Sorry, bad traffic," replied the voice of the male pilot, making a few of them grin. "We got two loads for you guys, and one for the ship," crackled the radio, the image of the pilot breaking in and out of static.
"All right, we'll meet you on the landing deck," said Sammers as he clicked off and turned to grin at Amelia.
"Well, seems the squeaky wheel really does get the grease, eh?" he said and she chuckled.
"I don't know what you said, but thank you," she returned, and he grinned.
"Well, let's go see what we got," he said as he stood up and headed to get his suit on.
XXX
They dome covering the landing pad opened as the ship shuttle came down and dropped the large shipping container and set it down gently. A second shuttle came in after that and set a second one down, just as huge. The ships stayed briefly to tip their wings to acknowledge the colonists before departing. The dome then closed and the landing pad lowered while the pressure and atmosphere equalized. Amelia, Sammers and two teams came in to see what they had been brought.
The two massive containers were blue, with the Weyland-Yutani logo on the sides. A bright yellow W with part of a white Y behind it, and the slogan "Building better worlds". Even Amelia was impressed with how big the containers were, a good three stories, even laying on their sides. Some colonies turned them into modules once they were emptied, as had been standard practice in the early days of space colonization. Someone whistled.
"Lotsa goodies," said a man, making Sammers chuckle.
"Well, let's crack 'em open and see what we got," he said as the teams fired up forklifts and loaders. Sammers opened up the doors of one of the massive containers, and inside, packed from floor to ceiling, was crates of all sorts, labels forward and clear what was inside and how much. Everyone broke into huge grins.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" cheered a miner. Even Amelia couldn't hide her smile at the stacks and rows of medical and scientific supplies, safe, secure and ready to be unpacked and used. She gave a sigh of relief at the sight. There were no less than three tanks of Somatic Gel as tall as she was. Enough to last them a couple years.
"Yeehaw! Ma baby!" cheered someone from outside. She came to look, and in the other container was a huge machine the size of a very, very large bulldozer. It was an F-91 drilling rig. One of the miners was hugging the huge machines treads lovingly. She chuckled, the man looking like a little boy who just got his favorite toy for Christmas.
"Well, looks like you guys hit another mother lode," said a voice. Amelia turned to see it was West, head of Security. He was a surprisingly short man with a calm demeanor, who wore his hair short and dyed it green, for some personal reason. The P-Sec officer looked at the containers and nodded. "Good we finally got a resupply, though wish it was from someone else," he mused as he looked at the Weyland-Yutani logo with distaste.
"Ah, c'mon, man. Don't look a gift, um, what's that animal again?" a miner began.
"Horse," Amelia answered.
"Yeah, don't look a gift horse in the mouth," said the miner. West snorted as he looked at the goods.
"Don't be surprised if it all falls apart in a few months," he said as he turned and left.
"Who's up his ass?" asked a female miner.
"I heard he lost some buddies in a war to faulty gear. That's what I heard, anyway," said another miner. Sammers tried to not be bothered by this.
"Well, this stuff won't sort and put itself away, so let's get to it!" said Sammers. The gathered people cheered and nodded as they went to do just that.
XXX
Amelia smiled as Josh helped her wheel in a cart full of medical supplies.
"Okay, this is good," she said as they stopped in the middle of the Medical ward, and began to open the sealed crates. Amelia had the pharmacists take the drugs and medicines to the Pharmacy, and one of the smaller packs of Somatic Gel. They would need a larger dolly or Kinesis module to move the large Somatic Gel tanks in, so were doing the smaller things first. Medical tools were unpacked, checked and put where they were supposed to go. Amelia was especially happy about the latest plasma scalpels they had been sent. These were top-of-the-line, and very welcome. There were also a plethora of other things that were more than welcome. The Aerodyne colony was smaller than others, and as such, their supplies and gear was often reduced to reflect this. So, this made the wonderful trove even more pleasing.
"Wow, look at all these health packs!" said Judy, a Nurse Tech as she hefted up a large-size Med Pack. Amelia was beaming, so glad to see them gleaming cyan packs and cannisters. Amelia opened another sealed box, and grinned at the synthetic blood plasma inside. This would go a long way and save lives.
"I tell you what, I'm thinking I might just change and work for Wey-Yu after this," joked Russel, a tall male Nurse with a dark complexion.
"Don't say that too loud, or they might just fire you," returned Jessica, a small woman with long red hair.
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't be so quick to work for them," said Ethan, a Tech who was unpacking some gear and setting it on a desk. They looked at him as he focused on unpacking a microscope. "I heard they have a clause in their employment contract that's nasty. Lets 'em use you like a lab rat if they want," he intoned. Jessica snorted and shook her head.
"That's an urban legend, and you know it," she sniped back, clearly not believing him.
"Yeah, well, even so, they're not very nice to believers, trust me. My brother got fired when they found out he was a Unitologist," said another tech. Russel grinned at this.
"Yeah, calling your boss a heretic will do that," Russel tossed back. Before an argument could break out, Amelia stamped on it.
"All right, enough. Let's focus on the task and get this done," she said, trying to keep the peace.
"Yes, Ma'am!" they chorused and got back to the task. Amelia closed her eyes and softly sighed as she unpacked tools and gear or set boxes aside for when they would be needed.
XXX
Sammers stood in front of his assembled miners as he read over a holopad.
"Okay, people. This is the big moment. One last check before we pop the cork. I want this smooth and by the numbers, all right? Last thing we need is to end a lucky streak too soon." He glanced up. "I'm lookin' at you, Jenkins," he warned lightly. The miner feigned hurt as he grabbed his chest.
"Boss, I'm hurt!" he joked. Sammers rolled his eyes and muttered.
"Exactly what we don't want. So, no stupidity, from any of you. Don't take risks, be extra careful, keep all guards on and up, keep your RIGs synced, and just don't be idiots. Ya got it?"
"Yes, sir!" they whooped. He grinned and nodded.
"All right, let's get to it, then! Get crackin'!" he joked, and they laughed and nodded.
Warton climbed up into the driver's seat of the F-91 and started up the huge machine with a roar.
"Let's clear the road!" cheered Warton, Jenkins whooping from where he rode on the side along with the others as the machine rumbled into the tunnels.
XXX
Amelia hummed as she tapped the holopad. Craig, Mike, Tom and Eric were all using Kinesis modules to help bring in parts of a new X-ray machine. The machine was so huge, they needed to bring it into the lab in pieces to fit through the door. The two Engineers and miners brought in the pieces and set them down. Amelia glanced at the huge machine, the base of which was as tall as her waist. The sections were huge.
"Okay, set it down right here," she directed, indicating the area where they were to set it, where the old one had stood. Amelia had to say she was surprised in the best ways they had included such great new equipment. Their older X-ray had just about given up the ghost, so it came just in time. They set the pieces down and slid them together with a click. Amelia smiled as they assembled the machine. In a few short minutes, it was assembled and ready for use.
"Wonderful. I can't thank you enough," she said to the four men. The younger of them looked abashed, while the older ones just grinned.
"Well, that's what we're here for," said Tom, an older miner whose hair was turning white. Amelia smiled at him. "After all you do for us, and how well you take care of us, it's the least we could do," he said, and it widened her smile.
Tom had stayed with Warton when he was injured, and was there to make sure nobody else got hurt. He was a good miner, and a good man.
"I could say the same of you, Tom," she replied with a soft smile. Tom chuckled and waved his hand as he hefted up the helmet of his suit, the coppery color glinting in the lights of the lab.
"Well, I gotta get back to the mines, but you need any help, let me know." She nodded, and Tom slapped Mike on the shoulder and they headed back to where they were needed. Craig and Eric waved and went to their next job as the colony Engineers. With that, Amelia turned to file the needed data and reports, as well as read over the manual of the new machine.
XXX
Warton and Jenkins were all grins as the F-91 drilling rig made carving tunnels trivial. They were in love.
"Please tell me this isn't a loan!" said Jenkins as they tore through the rock without any trouble at all. Soon enough, they reached the area indicated on the holographic map, and stopped the machine. The two then climbed down the ladders to the ground. Warton brought out his plasma cutter, and Jenkins had a line gun. Others soon arrived with a small truck to transport the ores. Jenkins checked his line gun, opened it and aimed it at some loose rocks. He braced his feet and fired. The rocks shattered and fell, where Reeves used Kinesis to load the rocks into the truck or one of the carts beside it. Warton also worked, the plasma cutter blasting away at the rocks. He picked on up and looked at it.
"Looks like some quartz. Might luck out and find some gold in the area," he mused. He brought up the map and tapped the area to note it down for Sammers and others. The other miners were doing similar things. Taro loaded up a Javelin Gun and fired a spike into the ground, then activated it to check the ground. He watched his RIG readout, and smiled when the ground-penetrating radar came back safe. Just as Sammers had warned, the miners were very careful, keeping well away from where they aimed their tools and using extra caution. Slowly but surely, the carts and back of the truck filled up with ore.
All at once, a loud buzzer sounded, indicating that it was break time. The miners stopped, but away tools and looked at their haul.
"Looks pretty good," said Jenkins as he eyed a large green rock. Warton nodded.
"Yeah. Let's take it back to Processing and get some chow," said Warton, everyone else agreeing.
"About time! I'm starved!" said Sarah. Carl chuckled and shook his head.
"I have no idea how you can eat so much and still be as tiny as you are," the big Norseman joked, Sarah punching him in the side playfully.
"Asshole," she snarked back, but playfully. With that, the miners headed back the way they came, leaving the F-91 where it was for now. They were not yet done at the site.
XXX
Amelia stood in line in the Mess Hall as everyone had lunch. Most of the chatter was about the recent shipment.
"Yeah, I think the Wey-Yu cutter is better than the Schofield," said a male miner as he talked with a female Engineer.
"Well, I haven't had a Weyland tool long enough to say, but looks promising," she replied. Amelia listened and thought.
For a while, Weyland-Yutani tools and gear had a reputation of poor quality and workmanship. That had changed over the recent decades, it seemed. Weyland-Yutani was once pretty much the sole maker of everything from aspirin to spacecraft, back in the 22nd Century. Then others like Seegson, CEC, Schofield, Timson, United Dynamics and others had come along to challenge them. And of course, the huge upheaval of the Resource and Secession Wars affected their fortunes as well. Now, though, it seemed they were pulling themselves up and regaining some of their former glory from the days of the Three World Empire.
Amelia ordered her food and headed to find a table to sit down at.
"Amelia! Over here!" called Jessica, waving her hand. Amelia smiled and went to sit with the others from Medical. Jessica smiled as Amelia sat down.
"Those new tools are amazing!" said Jessica as she took a forkful of noodles and salad greens.
"Yeah, color me impressed. No idea what tricks who turned to get us that stuff, but hope they keep it up!" said Russel around a mouthful of food.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. You'll choke," Amelia chided, somewhat amused. A couple of them chuckled, Russel swallowing and taking a swig of Sun cola.
"Anyway, glad the stuff came through. Should make planet crack a whole lot smoother," said Russel, finishing with a belch. The men laughed while Jessica turned her head with a disgusted chuckle. Judy, who had been silent, grinned at Russel.
"Not bad for a little boy," she said before taking a swig of soda and gave a belch that made Russel's sound like a mouse's growl. Amelia was unaffected, thinking on things they still needed to do. She was definitely glad to have more supplies, as planet crack was always dangerous. If anything was going to happen, it would be then. She tried not to be a pessimist and hope for the best, but Amelia was nothing if not a realist. She knew it was better to hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.
Well, the worst, in this case, would be several trillon tons of rock crashing down on them or a gravity tether failing, either of which would kill them all instantly. No way to prepare for that. She put the thought aside and at her food.
"So, Amelia?" Jessica began, getting her attention.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I heard your husband's being transferred here," said Jessica with a grin. Amelia chuckled, not surprised such a thing would get around.
"It's not a sure thing, yet. But, it would be nice," she admitted. The others looked at her.
"I heard you were married. Would like to meet the guy," said Russel.
"Really? That's wonderful. Altman be praised," said Ethan, Jessica and Russel rolling their eyes. Amelia tried not to blush at the praise and smiled.
"Thank you," she demurred. Just as they were going back to their food, Ethan spoke up again.
"I hope you have many happy children," he said. At that, Amelia's smile faded. Judy, Russel and Jessica looked horrified.
"You idiot!" Judy hissed as she slapped Ethan on the side of the head.
"Hey! What was that for?!" he protested. Jessica and Russel glared at him
"They can't, you stupid Marker-head," Jessica snarled. Ethan paled as realization hit him.
"Oh. I'm . . . so sorry," he apologized. Amelia shook her head.
"No, no. It's not your fault. Not anybody's fault. Just . . . the way it is," she said. They were silent as they finished their meals, the others glaring at Ethan every chance they got.
XXX
Once lunch was finished, Amelia headed straight for the Science lab. She busied herself in reports and samples to look over, so as to not think about it. Try as she might though, it came back.
She and Terry had been married for over ten years now, and they had tried many times to have a child. The doctors had found Jessica was naturally sterile. It broke her heart. She had even thought about having their marriage annulled, so Terrance could be married to someone who could give him children. He had vehemently disagreed, declaring he would love her even if she was an alien. That made her laugh through her tears, and cemented her love for the wonderful man who told her she could do anything she put her mind to. She smiled sadly as a tear rolled down her cheek. Oh, how she missed that sweet man.
"I'm so sorry for what he said," said Judy. Amelia wiped her tears, but couldn't hide her red eyes. Judy came forward and hugged her, the smaller woman with the short black hair rocking the taller woman. "Want me to bash him for you?" she asked, making Amelia chuckle.
"No, it was an honest mistake," she said. Judy pulled back and smiled at her.
"Well, he still deserves a knuckle sandwich," she said.
"With a side of sack-whack," added Jessica from the door, making Amelia laugh.
"Yeah, oughta even up things," said Judy, Amelia barely controlling a giggle fit.
"You ladies scare me, you know that?" said Russel from where he leaned against the doorway.
"Good!" Judy and Jessica said in unison, making Russel snort and shake his head.
"I agree, though. Ethan could use a punch to the pisser," said Russel, making Amelia lose her battle with giggles.
"Thanks, guys," she said softly. She looked at the holopad and then them. "Well, lunch break is over. We need to get back to it." They nodded and headed to do their tasks.
XXX
Amelia sighed gently as she returned to her apartment, turning on the lights as she slowly removed her white and black uniform and RIG. She stretched and grunted as she removed the last of her uniform and took a shower. After that, she did a little exercise while listening to her favorite band, F33L. It helped her relax and unwind after a long day. Finally, she sat down at her desk, and read over a few last reports and checked things over one last time. She then dialed Terry's number. She was surprised when she was alerted the connection was unable to go through. She frowned softly, and tried again. Same error message. She gave a soft huff. Likely network problems again. It had happened before. She closed the holographic window, and turned the lights out to go to bed. She would have liked to talk to Terry again, but would just have to accept it for now.
XXX
Down in the tunnels, everything was dark and silent. The miners had long since called it a day. The last preparations prior to the planet crack had been done. The only light was from the lines of lighting along the walls, and even that was dim. The F-91 drilling rig stood alone, silent in the tunnel. The Weyland-Yutani logo stood out proudly on the front and sides, still fresh and new.
The still of the tunnels was broken by motion. Not great motion. If anything, it was small, easy to miss. A panel at the back of the huge rig silently slid up, so well concealed, even an Engineer wouldn't have noticed it. A blue glow emanated from inside the mysterious compartment. The silence was broken with a wet sound, as something dropped free from the hidden recess. Something dropped to the ground and rolled a few feet away. The shape was oval, with a leathery texture to it. At the base of the ovoid were roots, not unlike a plant. At the top were four fleshy, flower-like petals. The whole pod was about three feet tall, and pulsed softly with internal life. Almost unnoticeable by the naked eye, but it was there. The panel in the drilling rig closed as silently as it had opened, closing so tight, not a trace could be seen of the seams. As if it was never there in the first place. There in the dark, the ovoid lay, unmoving save for a very soft pulsing, and totally silent.
