EllipsusD
Senior Member

Posts: 1129
Registered: 09-00 |
II
"Come in control. This is class B military freighter Odenda requesting docking clearance. I repeat, this is class B military freighter Odenda requesting docking clearance. Over."
"We read you loud and clear Odenda. You are clear to dock at East port oh-seven-five. Over."
"Roger, control. Heading to oh-seven five. Over."
"Not a lot of traffic around here recently Odenda, so the outer landing pad is empty. Unless you prefer to dock inside, you shouldn't need us to signal you through your landing. Over."
"Thank you control, but I've got some fragile cargo on board, the closer I can get to sector E and Dr. … who's this, Dr. Simmons, yeah. Anyway, the closer I can get this load to them, the better. Over."
"Roger that Odenda. Bay doors on oh-seven-five now open. You may proceed. Over"
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"Dr. Simmons, please report to Docking Bay oh-seven-five." The static filled voice of the inter-com echoed throughout the laboratory. Thomas Simmons looked up from his computer, his glassed sliding down his nose as he did so.
"What?"
He slowly stood up, re-adjusting his glasses with his left hand as he did so. He was not an incredibly tall man, standing at around 5 foot 6. At 44 years old he was happy to still have hair on his head as well as the stubble on his chin, though it was beginning to show more and more signs of turning gray recently. Divorced and without children, Thomas had no qualms about moving to the Mars colony when he joined UAC. However, when UAC decided to reorganize their facilities, and he was given the option of moving to Phobos or losing his job, he was a bit less enthusiastic. These days he was all but on the military's payroll. UAC had little use for the scientists they hired back when Thomas was starting out. But the Earth military did, and as long as it profited them, UAC was not going to say no.
"Hey, Tom."
"Yeah?"
Joseph Gordon, Thomas' assistant was standing by a sliding glass leading into the hallway. He had been from purchasing a snack for a vending machine and must have come back when he heard the inter-com, Thomas thought. A gleam of red from a candy bar wrapping peaked from out of Joseph's hand.
"Why do they want you to go down to the Docking Bay area?"
"I'm not sure, but I suppose I should head down there and see what they want."
"Sounds good, I'll keep an eye on things here till you get back."
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