Space Capitalism
Finns’ engineer seat rumbled underneath him as he applied the rail coasters braking mechanism. This was his first deployment as a stick jockey transporting asteroid ore on the far side of the moon, and it needed to go well. His boss Gerald towered behind him in the conductor chair, grease dripping down his chin. As they approached the stop zone alarms rang out and Finns’ face was splashed with intermittent red light. Brake failure.
The last of the receiving station flashed by the window and Finn knew he only had 1,000 meters of run away rail to stop the coaster. He reached for the emergency brake at his feet but it was out of reach. He quickly unbuckled his harness and tried again. As the emergency brake engaged he flung forward, smashing head first into the control board. The coaster slowed but the heavy load of ore continued pushing forward.
He had 500 meters left before they crashed into the stop wall. His head and neck ached as he turned and saw Gerald hunched over. He had never liked that succulent fuck. Finn crawled to the man and removed him from the seat. Dragging him to the side hatch, he pulled the emergency latch, and with one last push sent Gerald onto the rail. The limp body was immediately sucked into the rail conveyor resulting in a satisfying crimson mist as the coaster came to a halt with a centimeter to spare.
Cold air rushed into the rail car and poured over Finn as he lay on the ground. The empty conductor chair loomed above him and he smiled. Space command could care less about a dead body, the ore had been delivered.
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© 2024 Andrew McDonnell