Cargo
Chapter 10
Epilogue
"Goodbye, ship. I'll miss you." Kate stroked its side in a final farewell. Sighing, she stepped through the airlock and into the shuttle. Together with Rick, they went down to the planet. Sadly, the shuttle didn't even have windows so that they could look out and see the ship one last time.
They had sold it for scrap. They didn't get nearly as much as it took to purchase it, but at least it was something. They had already taken the pod containing jewelry and gold coins down to the planet and sold all of it. It meant they were rich. Yet it seemed to them like they were poor for some reason.
It was because they didn't have a ship any longer. They were marooned here.
~oo0oo~
They checked into an extended-stay hotel while they debated what to do about it. "Now what?" Rick felt lost without a ship.
She pulled herself together. "We'll buy another ship. What else? We did it before, and we can do it again."
"Have you even looked, Kate? There aren't many ships available, and none are cargo ships. Not even Mars has one."
"Well, shoot." Kate was at a loss as to what to do. Then she had an idea. "We could have one built for us."
Rick shook his head. "We're rich, but we're nowhere near that rich. That would take millions. Millions more than we have."
"Well, shoot," Kate said again. "We can ask around. Maybe someone is willing to part with a cargo ship."
"Maybe. Just don't get your hopes up. We could be stuck here for a while."
"Well, shoot." She knew she sounded like a broken record but couldn't help it.
"We got lucky last time just finding that ship," Rick reminded her.
"Yeah, we did, didn't we? Those were the days." Kate looked back on those fondly. "So, we ask around. Maybe someone somewhere is willing to part with a cargo ship."
"In the meantime," Rick put his arms around her and could feel her breasts pressing against him. "We could keep ourselves busy with other activities."
Kate put her arms around his neck. "I like the way you think, future husband."
~oo0oo~
It was three weeks later.
They had made love again and again the last three weeks. A whole lot, like twice a day kind of lot. Not that either of them was complaining, far from it, really.
Rick had given Kate her very first breast orgasm. All he did was pay attention to her breasts. She would have thought it was impossible, but he did it.
In addition to that, he fucked her pussy, her ass, and her mouth. Not necessarily in that order, but it was, more often than not. Kate was learning to like him fucking her mouth after being in her ass.
Then, one day, Rick came bursting into the hotel room. "I found us a ship."
Kate was sitting up against the headboard of the bed, watching TV. "You did? That's great!" She turned off the TV and gave him her undivided attention. "What kind of ship, and where is it?"
Rick sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's an old Tiger class ship, converted to carry cargo."
"Tiger Class, tiger class." Kate wracked her brain to remember. "Wait, isn't that ship armed?" That took her aback, to say the least.
"Yes, and she still is. There are two massive double-barreled cannons on either side of the ship," Rick confirmed. "But she has a working FTL and sublight engines."
"I don't know, Rick. I mean, it's armed and isn't huge. The one I'm thinking of carried its own fighter."
"It still does, but there's space for cargo since it no longer has decks and crew quarters. Granted, it doesn't have a kitchen either. We would need to add that. But it does come with a laundry room."
"I just don't know, Rick. Isn't it all internal cargo, like a hold? And it comes with a fighter, and we can afford this...thing?"
"That's true, but with some modifications, it can work. We can afford it. Barely."
She narrowed her eyes. "Define barely."
Rick made a Please don't hit me face."Together with adding a kitchen and picking up cargo, which doesn't come cheap, mind you, it'll almost tap us out completely."
"Great, that's just great. We don't even know what those people are willing to pay for the materials at the Dyson Sphere, and if it's not enough, we won't be able to buy more." Shaking her head, Kate moaned and leaned back against the headboard.
"True, but I found us a ship."
"We'll keep it on the list for now. There has to be something better," Kate insisted.
"The only others I've found are meant for going from Earth to Mars and back again. It doesn't have FTL, nor does it have a kitchen. It barely even has sleeping space. But there is one other ship out there that's for sale." And Rick was loathe to tell her about it.
"Let's hear it. It can't be worse than an old Tiger class." She didn't like the look on his face. "…Can it?"
"It's an old cargo container ship. It can hold 66 cargo containers, but it does have a kitchen and FTL drive. Moving the containers would require a different kind of tug."
Kate deflated. "Some choice. An old converted tiger class and an old cargo container class. It's enough to make me wish we had fixed our ship. I liked our ship."
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Even the crawl space?"
"Well, maybe not that. I'll think about it. Would you please continue to look?" Kate begged him.
"I'll keep looking. Come on, get up, it's time for dinner." Rick reached out to take her hands in his and pull her up.
"I don't know. I've kinda lost my appetite."
"We can have steaks," Rick wheedled.
"I think I just found my appetite. Let's go! I love a good steak." Kate went with him willingly.
~oo0oo~
It was now two weeks later, and they both were starting to lose their minds. Living in a hotel room was beginning to get to them.
Kate was sitting there watching TV when Rick came back. "I found another ship."
She turned off the TV. "Oh? What is it this time?"
"You're never going to believe me, not in a million years. But it has an FTL drive, sleeping quarters, and a kitchen. I think we can add a laundry room to it," Rick told her. "And it has sleeping quarters. We'd be back to sleeping in bunks again."
Kate eyed him warily. "I'm listening."
"It's an egg."
She wasn't sure she heard him right. "An egg?"
"That's what it looks like. It has four booster engines on the side in addition to the center engine. It's primarily hollow inside, meaning it's another cargo ship. And it's intended for handling cargo interiorly, not exteriorly like our old ship.
"It has one massive door on the side of the ship and two airlocks on the side as well. The bridge and living quarters are at the very top of the egg, which takes up two decks."
"But an egg. Really?"
"That's what it looks like, I swear, Kate. I wouldn't make this up. Plus, we can afford it. The engines may need an overhaul, which will cost money, but less than our old ship would have cost us."
"What's the catch, Rick?"
"That it's on Mars, and it's been sitting there for a while. Nobody wants it."
"Meaning we can get a good deal on it?" Kate waited impatiently for his answer.
"More than likely, a terrific deal."
"All right, I'm interested. When can we go see it?" Kate wasn't willing to buy it sight unseen. She trusted Rick, but did she trust him that much?
"There's a shuttle early tomorrow morning. I already have a temporary arrangement with the guy selling it," Rick announced.
"Then I guess we have a flight to catch." Kate leaned out to kiss him. "Maybe we can get married on Mars. I think I know just the place for it. I was born there, after all."
~oo0oo~
They went straight there with their bags.
Clad in a space suit since the ship was sitting outside, Kate was standing there looking at it. Rick stepped back so she could run with it. She stated the obvious. "It's an egg. How do we get inside it?"
The man selling it responded with, "We go up the scaffolding to reach one of the two airlocks."
So up they went and entered through the airlock. The problem was that the interior didn't have an atmosphere. Since it had been sitting unused for a while, they had to walk around in their suits.
"This is the cargo hold. As you can see, it takes up two large decks. The main door down there," the man pointed at it, "is meant to access the lower deck. There is a lift that leads to the upper deck. This way to the bridge." He led them to a ladder that went up.
"We're on the main deck. There are sleeping quarters, a kitchen, and even a game room. It can accommodate up to four people. The head is there, complete with a shower. The tank holds 500 gallons, and the waste tank holds 700 gallons. This way to the bridge." They followed him up the stairs.
"Up here is the bridge. There's room for two people. Everything here is necessary: navigation, pilot, engineering, and communications. There's no fuel, meaning there's no power, but I can assure you everything works. Even the backup battery power is dead. You may need to replace them."
"Engines?" Kate queried.
"We have to go back down for that." He started the long trip down.
"Sublight and FTL. They both need an overhaul, but they worked last time I checked."
Kate looked them over, and they certainly looked worse for wear.
"Something about four exterior engines?" she asked him.
"That's right. Four pods house the thrusters and are needed to get off a planet with gravity like Earth. Here on Mars, you likely won't need them. The main engine will do."
She made him a lowball offer, which he countered. She countered his counter, and they settled in the middle. As far as Kate was concerned, they got a good deal – provided it didn't cost them an arm and a leg to overhaul the engines and install the laundry room.
~oo0oo~
They accepted his offer to overhaul the engines, replace the batteries, and install the laundry room. Rick and Kate were helping them with the engines.
It was going to take time, but it was possible. At first, there wasn't an atmosphere, so everyone worked in space suits, which slowed everything down. But eventually, they added fuel and fired up the environmentals so that they could work in clothes.
It turned out that the lift, used to reach from the ground to the airlock, required additional work, which was an added expense. It was an elevator that didn't work.
Rick and Kate were in their hotel room after working on the ship. "I think it's going pretty well," he mentioned.
"So far, at least." Kate shook her head. "I still can't believe we bought an egg."
"It is unique, I'll give it that," Rick said. "We have about a month left to go before we can do testing. After that, we can purchase our cargo and take off."
"We're already two months behind schedule, Rick. We told them two months to get here, one month to purchase cargo, and two months to return. We've already used up two months and have one more month to go."
"True," he agreed, "but this FTL is faster. We should be able to do it in one month, which will only make us two months late. They'll live."
"We still don't know what they will offer us for the cargo," Kate fretted.
"One thing at a time, Kate. The first step is getting the engines to work and be counted on so they do not fail us. Then, after we get there, we can ask them."
She sighed. "You're right. Let's go get dinner, I'm starving."
"Say that again. The part about me being right," Rick teased her.
"Don't let it go to your head. You'll be wrong eventually," Kate told him. Then she smiled at him and kissed him. "I love you."
"I love you too, Kate, so very much."
~oo0oo~
They got married in a small church. There were no witnesses, but none were truly needed. Kate didn't even buy a white dress; she wore what she had, as did Rick. Still, it was heartfelt, and they meant it when they said their I Dos.
They exchanged rings, keeping a part of an old ceremony. Kate was lying there after making love to him, looking at her ring. It wasn't a large ring, but it wasn't a small one either. He spent money on it much like she had spent on his ring. She didn't want a plain band for him. She had splurged, and his ring had a diamond in it.
~oo0oo~
Finally, the ship was ready for a test flight. The contractor went with them for this test and was on the bridge with them.
"Here goes nothing. Firing main engine and not the pods," Rick told them as he lit them up, and they took off. He didn't see any red lights, and everything worked. He was far enough out and had clearance to enter FTL, so he did so.
"I've got a warning," Rick called out, which caused the contractor to examine the light.
"Damn it. I just finished putting this baby in one piece. Take us out of FTL; I'm on it." He hurried down to the engines.
Rick took them out of FTL. "That was a quick trip."
"I guess we should've expected it." Kate shrugged. "At least the sublight engines work."
"There is that," Rick agreed.
~oo0oo~
Rick used the intercom to talk to the contractor. "How's it coming?"
"Not good, I need a part. Take us back and land. This test fight has come to an end."
"Great, just great." Kate was so disappointed. "Another delay. We're already late and haven't even bought cargo yet."
Rick returned them and landed while the contractor got the part he needed. So they sat there and waited for him.
~oo0oo~
"Let's try it again," the contractor ordered as he stood there.
"Powering up engines. No red lights so far." Rick took off. He got clearance for FTL, and he entered FTL. "Still no red lights."
"Hold it together, baby, hold it together," the contractor muttered.
Rick took them out a ways and dropped out of FTL. Then he turned around and re-entered FTL. "So far, so good." He took them back and landed using the pods for a change.
"The controls take some getting used to, but I think it worked," Rick told them.
"As if you had any doubts," the contractor snorted. Shaking his head and grumbling, he left them after being paid.
"Now we need to get some cargo, which might mean returning to Earth," Kate suggested.
"What are you thinking?"
"I think we get the Trellium-D, Kironide, and Pergium. But we also load up on modular housing. We put the housing on the main deck of the cargo deck while the other stuff goes on the upper deck." Kate waited to hear what he thought.
"I like it. Do we leave now or wait till tomorrow?" Rick asked her.
"Might as well as do it now. It will take time to purchase , so we might as well get started," Kate replied.
~oo0oo~
It took them three weeks for the cargo to be purchased and onboard. It made them more than late, but it was the best they could do.
Rick was at the controls. It was going to be a different takeoff. He had to use the four pods this time, and they had added weight, what with cargo being onboard.
After getting clearance to take off, he lit up the engines. Everything worked perfectly, and he was in orbit. From here, he asked for clearance to exit orbit, and eventually, he got clearance to enter FTL.
Rick looked over at Kate and grinned. "We're on our way."
"It's about time. I'm going to go to bed in my brand new bed with my brand new sheets. I'll relieve you in 12 hours." Kate kissed him and went downstairs.
It would take some time to get used to this new-old ship. She was sure it had its fair share of quirks.
~oo0oo~
Rick relieved her on the bridge. "Your dinner is waiting for you as always."
"Thanks, Babe." Kate kissed him after she got up.
"Babe? You called me Babe."
"Did I? Well, I love you, so it's your new name. You'll adjust to it, …Babe." Kate kissed him and went downstairs to eat her dinner.
"Babe? She better not be thinking of changing it to Baby." He wouldn't stand for that.
~oo0oo~
They arrived at the Dyson Sphere three months late. "We don't have any anchors to hold us in place." Rick was frustrated. "At least I can't find the blasted things."
"We have them. I saw them earlier. Let me do it," Kate asked him. Rick slid out of the seat and watched.
"Oh, that's where they are." Rick saw it now. "Let's get suited up." That was the one thing they did have. They had brand new space suits, which went on differently than the old ones.
They made it out of their airlock and across to the other one. They went through the double airlock and into the bay but saw no one. So they walked to the control center, removed their helmets, and waited for someone to arrive. The control room was manned, but they didn't recognize anyone.
Two men came rushing in with weapons out, and they pointed them at them. Then Cirdan came into the room. "Lower dosst saroless nind abbilen. Dos phuul gajen," he told the guards sharply, who lowered their weapons.
"It's nice to see you too, Cirdan," Kate told him.
Cirdan waited until they were within range of the translator. "You're late."
Kate spoke up immediately. "We're sorry about that. Our ship broke down on us, and since it cost too much to fix, we sold it for parts and bought a new ship. It's…different. You're not going to need a tug for this ship. You'll need a shuttle and men in suits this time."
"So you brought it?" Cirdan asked them.
Rick nodded. "We did. We're wondering about the payment you're offering."
"That's up to the council. Follow me. So what kind of ship is it?" He was curious.
Kate grinned. "It's a cargo ship, but it's egg-shaped."
"I'm sorry." Cirdan stopped walking. "Did you say egg?" He didn't believe he had heard right.
"Yes, it's unique, that's to be sure," Kate said. "It took us a while to find it. Then, it took us a while to get it ready to fly. After that, we had to load up the cargo. All of that took time. We're very sorry."
"At least you're here." He led them into the council room. "If you'll excuse me, I must inform the council you're here." He left through a side door.
Kate looked around. "This seems familiar."
"It does indeed." Rick agreed with that.
~oo0oo~
Eventually, they met with the council, which offered compensation for the cargo. They accepted the offer. They watched as men in space suits entered through the main door, gathered up the cargo, and then left payment as agreed.
Rick told the council that they'd return with more Trilithium, Dilithium, and Latinum.
They left the Dyson Sphere and went to their next stop, where they sold out of their modular housing in under an hour. They were paid for them in cargo and cash, and were asked to bring more.
And so it began. The Castles had a new ship and orders that the Dyson Sphere wanted and what the planet wished, too.
They made a nice living serving both of their clients. The two made love whenever they could, told each other they loved them, and lived their lives.
They would stop someday and have children, but that was far off.