Chapter 3: Settling down on board

After we boarded the Mars transport, we were escorted through a cargo hatch. Then through a maze of corridors to a large cargo bay. It was filled with bunks stacked four high. The room was about half-filled with men and women.

Coming through the hatch, we were directed to a service window. A clerk was there, dressed in the standard ships uniform of shorts and a pullover shirt. We gave our names, and the clerk checked our names off the roster. He then handed us a blanket, web belt, and canteen. The web belt had three pouches attached to it. The pouches were about three by four by two. Inside there was a colored package. Inside that was a cake-type bar. From its weight, the canteen was full.

There were large video screens next to the service window and at other locations around the room.

“Attention in the bay, Welcome aboard the Phobos Mining Company transport ship “Conestoga.” For the next 70 days, this will be your home, workplace, and school. Yes, school. We will be providing you the opportunity to learn the skills that you will need to perform the variety of tasks needed on Phobos and Deimos.”

“But you will be required to learn several basic safety tasks. These are not optional. They will cover what you need to do in various emergencies. Everything from fire to oxygen loss.”

I didn’t notice it at the time, but first aid wasn’t on the list.

“All training is online. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of training stations available, and appointments must be made to schedule computer time. There will be a five-minute deadline for anyone late for their appointed time. At the end of the training, you will test the task. If you pass that test with a high enough score, you will be credited with the base rate for that training.”

“During your in processing, you were provided with the basic rations that you will need to survive. This includes three meal ration bars and a liter of water. This is what has been determined to be sufficient for human survival for 24 hours. Tomorrow, you will be issued replacement rations. But if additional items are needed, they will be available at the company store during normal business hours. Other special and luxury items are also available.”

This was repeated for several hours.

As the new arrivals started to bunch up at the screen next to the service window, the clerk lost his temper. He started yelling to the crowd to get out of the way and find a bunk. But, unfortunately, Peter had been right behind me. Before I could say anything, He started dragging me off to the side of the room. “C’mon, kid. We ain’t got much time.” He pulled me to one of the far corners. Looking around, I could see that we were a fair distance from both the nearest video and, from the smell, the obvious recycling center. Looking at the bunks, He could see that 2 of the upper bunks on the right were already occupied. There were two guys about my age. They looked to be twins. The one in the top bunk had his feet dangling over the edge. The other had propped himself up. Both were watching us with slight grins on their faces.

Peter looked at the bunks on the left, then at the twins. “Hey brothers, would you be a knowing if that top bunk is taken?”

“Yup.” said the guy in the top bunk on the other side.

“OK, not long on conversation, are ya? Would the owner be close by? I’d like to have a conversation with him.”

“Yup.” Lower bunk said.

“Soooo, Is the owner here? Can I talk to him?”

A voice from the upper bunk spoke up. “So, talk, dude, what’s bothering you?”

Peter started climbing up to that bunk. As his head cleared the edge, a knife appeared and was placed on the side of his neck. “Did I invite you into my house? You drop your butt back to the deck. I’d hate to get blood on my clean sheets.”

Peter started climbing back down. “Whoa there, Lassie, I just wanted to talk, not start a war. If I knew that a bonnie lass such as yourself was the landlord, I’d have been a bit more respectful.”

As Peter was talking, a face appeared on the top bunk. She was young, the same age as myself. Blond and, in my opinion, quite pretty. “So, talk, trespasser. What do you want to say?”

Peter sat down on the number 3 bunk across from her. “Well, what I was going to talk about was forming an alliance. You see, pretty soon, this space is going to fill up. From what I see, there’ll be a hundred bodies in here. I can guarantee that some of them are going to look at this prime piece of real estate you have claimed. They’ll be seriously tempted to take it from you. OR they may decide to keep both the bunk and you.”

“Now, I’m convinced that you are able to take care of yourself. But I also know that you can’t stay on that bunk forever. Sooner or later, you’ll need to get your rations and use the recycler. That is when the squatters will move in.”

“What I’m proposing to you, and you guys too.” Peter had looked up and indicated the twins. Who had their heads over the edge, watching.

“What I’m proposing is a mutual defense pact. We will be able to take care of business outside our little space here. And be assured that it’ll still be here when we get back. Well, know that our personal gear will be safe too. Plus, when we do leave, we’ll have back up with us and be better able to defend each other.”

“And what do you get out of this deal? Or are you doing this out of the kindness of your heart?”

“Lord no, Lassie, I watch your back. You watch mine, as I said. But we’ll be here for a while now. If you look at those monitors, you’ll see a countdown timer. We are going to be here for at least 70 days. The company will expect us to learn all that we can from those monitors during that time. It’ll be information we’ll need when we finally go to work.”

“But I’m not going to rely on the company for my daily bread. I’ll be checking the situation and doing what I can to make my life easier. You can join me, help me, in that effort. I’m not greedy. I’m more than willing to share my good fortune.”

Peter had been sitting on the third bunk down, and I was standing in the pathway When a voice behind me spoke up.

“Problem, Miss Martha?”

I turned, three people were standing behind me.

The first was a big guy. Easily 2 meters tall. He was blond, and his frame matched his height. I could see that he was a fighter. The broken nose, scars over his eyes, and cauliflower ears were dead giveaways.

Next to him was the exact opposite. A meter and half, slight build, and jet-black hair. He was also the spokesman.

The third person of the trio was a young girl. Asian features, slight and thin, almost emaciated. She stood there, trembling. She looked to be barely restraining herself from running.