Fool's Gold: Carson Lyle's War - Part One by Thomas J. Rock Page A
Authors: Thomas J. Rock
Tags: Military science fiction
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Driver."
The Colonel's smile was almost devilish. " That is outstanding. When was the last time you slept?"
"You mean by choice? I don't even know."
Out of the corner of his eye, Lyle saw a Corporal step inside the door and whisper something to Kagan, who acknowledged with a curt nod. He stepped toward the Colonel.
"Rumlow's waiting in your office with the latest update."
"Got it. Meet me there." Colonel Mann turned back to Lyle. "Corporal, outside, will take you to your quarters. Get some rack time and come see me at my office section D-23."
Lyle sighed. "Fine, thanks."
He watched Kagan and Colonel exit the room and turn left. Dex and Varga went right. He took a minute to replay the last few minutes in his mind and something got his attention. This was a military base, with military regs, and Colonel Mann seemed to be as much 'by the book' as any officer he could remember. Yet the three mountains didn't salute him. Didn't even call him 'Sir'. Not once. It was very strange that Kagan was the point of contact between that Corporal and the Colonel, as well. If they aren't military, then what are they? What were they before the war?
Chapter 20
After being taken to his quarters, which would not be described as 'spacious', Lyle found he wasn't able to follow Colonel Mann's advice and get some rest. He'd pay for it later, he knew, but he had to see his ship. He had to see how bad the damage actually was.
To his surprise, he was able to leave his quarters without an escort. While he did have a visitor's badge clipped to his jacket, that didn't dissuade the questioning looks from those he passed as he went. He was extremely rough, in appearance, compared to everyone else and looked as far out of place as one could. Unshaven, clothes haggard, and walking with a limp, he imagined he looked the stereotypical part most had in their minds about a hauler. Looking like this, he wasn't going change anyone's opinion. But then again, he wasn't there to be an ambassador for his profession either.
That's not to say they didn't take any precautions. While he was out cold, after his fight with Kagan, just about everything useful had been taken from him. His sidearm, his backup, his knife, even his chop, had all been taken. The chop bothered him most of all. It's what kept him legal as a hauler, not that his legal status was what it had been just a few days ago. But he'd make that the first thing that he asked to get back.
From memory, he made his way to the main cargo bay. He hoped he hadn't been too obvious about knowing where to go. He'd even asked for directions twice, for appearance, and got insight as to how haulers were thought of, in the Outer Rim, when those people purposely gave him the wrong directions.
The Majestic , with the cargo containers, was too large for the internal docking bay. So it had to be moored outside the base in the vacuum. There was a multitude of activity throughout the bay. Forklifts and other power equipment were moving about swiftly and efficiently. The sounds of machinery and hard work echoed throughout the bay. He saw he was getting glances from the dock jockeys that were tending to their duties. He made his way across the bay toward the airlock at the far wall.
There was a large group working with heavy power equipment unloading one of the cargo containers from his ship. He stopped for just a minute, hoping to satisfy his curiosity over what he was actually carrying.
A forklift drove into the container. There were some banging and creaking sounds. He could hear the forklift's engine rev up, then it emerged from the container with a covered pallet on the forks. Lyle could tell it was extremely heavy and possibly very important by the way the driver was taking his time with it. A power core, maybe? That didn't make him feel any better. If a core's containment even cracked during all of the bumping and banging the ship
The Colonel's smile was almost devilish. " That is outstanding. When was the last time you slept?"
"You mean by choice? I don't even know."
Out of the corner of his eye, Lyle saw a Corporal step inside the door and whisper something to Kagan, who acknowledged with a curt nod. He stepped toward the Colonel.
"Rumlow's waiting in your office with the latest update."
"Got it. Meet me there." Colonel Mann turned back to Lyle. "Corporal, outside, will take you to your quarters. Get some rack time and come see me at my office section D-23."
Lyle sighed. "Fine, thanks."
He watched Kagan and Colonel exit the room and turn left. Dex and Varga went right. He took a minute to replay the last few minutes in his mind and something got his attention. This was a military base, with military regs, and Colonel Mann seemed to be as much 'by the book' as any officer he could remember. Yet the three mountains didn't salute him. Didn't even call him 'Sir'. Not once. It was very strange that Kagan was the point of contact between that Corporal and the Colonel, as well. If they aren't military, then what are they? What were they before the war?
Chapter 20
After being taken to his quarters, which would not be described as 'spacious', Lyle found he wasn't able to follow Colonel Mann's advice and get some rest. He'd pay for it later, he knew, but he had to see his ship. He had to see how bad the damage actually was.
To his surprise, he was able to leave his quarters without an escort. While he did have a visitor's badge clipped to his jacket, that didn't dissuade the questioning looks from those he passed as he went. He was extremely rough, in appearance, compared to everyone else and looked as far out of place as one could. Unshaven, clothes haggard, and walking with a limp, he imagined he looked the stereotypical part most had in their minds about a hauler. Looking like this, he wasn't going change anyone's opinion. But then again, he wasn't there to be an ambassador for his profession either.
That's not to say they didn't take any precautions. While he was out cold, after his fight with Kagan, just about everything useful had been taken from him. His sidearm, his backup, his knife, even his chop, had all been taken. The chop bothered him most of all. It's what kept him legal as a hauler, not that his legal status was what it had been just a few days ago. But he'd make that the first thing that he asked to get back.
From memory, he made his way to the main cargo bay. He hoped he hadn't been too obvious about knowing where to go. He'd even asked for directions twice, for appearance, and got insight as to how haulers were thought of, in the Outer Rim, when those people purposely gave him the wrong directions.
The Majestic , with the cargo containers, was too large for the internal docking bay. So it had to be moored outside the base in the vacuum. There was a multitude of activity throughout the bay. Forklifts and other power equipment were moving about swiftly and efficiently. The sounds of machinery and hard work echoed throughout the bay. He saw he was getting glances from the dock jockeys that were tending to their duties. He made his way across the bay toward the airlock at the far wall.
There was a large group working with heavy power equipment unloading one of the cargo containers from his ship. He stopped for just a minute, hoping to satisfy his curiosity over what he was actually carrying.
A forklift drove into the container. There were some banging and creaking sounds. He could hear the forklift's engine rev up, then it emerged from the container with a covered pallet on the forks. Lyle could tell it was extremely heavy and possibly very important by the way the driver was taking his time with it. A power core, maybe? That didn't make him feel any better. If a core's containment even cracked during all of the bumping and banging the ship