About thirty planetary days after our stop to mine from the space slugs we were docked near a space station. This one run by Centaurians, I receive a video message labeled that both me and Canis should view it. I invite him to my quarters after the evening meal and I play the message, I see Raska's head in the center of the video. "Well boys I am sending you this video taken a couple days ago when Matron Sheila received your gift. Lets just say she enjoyed the day immensely."
The video then cuts to Raska's bar that had a sign on the front stating that it was closed to a private party. You could tell from those inside that the locals were in attendance and a group of children walk in tugging at the hands of a blindfolded Matron Sheila and the other Matron's were following slowly behind. The children remove the blindfold and Matron Sheila looks around the bar seeing a sign saying. "Thank You Matron Sheila for being there". I could see a group of people who were not regulars from the bar come out from behind some of the greenery in the bar shouting thanks to Matron Sheila and she is crying from joy. These were some of the other children she raised now grown up and we watch the cut up video of the party. After what according tot he counter on the video three hours had passed another group of young people walk in and I recognize the Surisian who works for the Greenhouse company.
He after hugging Matron Sheila and making an obvious comment about how his backside appreciates not being swatted anymore. He waves at the video screen and says, "Now we tossed this little party together for a reason Matron. Also with help from a group who could not be here themselves, to give you this gift in appreciation of all you have done in this last half century." He nods to Raska and the screen turns on showing the orphanage and a large newly built greenhouse that resembled a large tent like structure. You could also see it was fully furnished and some plants had been added already.
You could see Matron Sheila crying again on the video when the builder speaks again. "Your human ward and his friend as well as a few others on the mining ship came up with the idea for this and Johnathan himself funded 90% of the cost of this himself. He hand cut every crystal that this was made from, they were part of his share of their mining of the crystals. The others added in enough to have us add furniture that came from your home world and well as shipping in with permits some plants from there. We were required to pre-plant the larger ones to get the permission to claim it safe."
Raska steps forward and gives Matron Sheila a hug, "half of my employees are from your orphanage. You raise good people and you deserve this as a gift that you can use how you wish. I am recording this for the boys to see when they reach port again. I will have you notified a few hours after they start watching it as I know you'll want to say something to them." Matron Sheila nods her head crying still.
I turn the video off and I look over to Canis smiling, "well we made her cry in a good way so I guess that, means we succeeded?" Canis chuckles right as Tersan says, "call for both you and Canis John." I nod my head, "I was expecting it go ahead and put her through." Then we see Matron Sheila sitting inside her new greenhouse a large smile on her face with a hint of a tear in her eyes. She waves a finger at us before she can collect herself to say something.
"You boys, you shouldn't have spent so much on this. Thank you it is beautiful, but really this must have cost a great deal." I chuckle and shake my head, and Canis responds. "No Ma'am. With John here we made so much on the mining of the slug that those green crystals were John's bonus for adding to the ship's wealth. The rest of the men here who added in when we discovered the actual cost quickly chose to pay for the furnishings and extra plants."
Matron Sheila waves behind her, "some of these I have not seen since I left home so long ago. While I love the work I do I was missing home a great deal, this helps boys. Seeing as how I was raised on the plains I have a closer attachment to my home world than others of my species. Someone even found my favorite tree and had a sapling flown in." Canis smiles, "yeah I had to do some digging for that information Ma'am."
She looks to me, "so did you spend anything on yourself? The point to having money is to spend some of it on yourself you know." I chuckle, and I nod my head. "I posted a bounty, and insect retrieval bounty." Matron Sheila's head shoots up, "so you know it all?" I nod my head, "I read the reports. I have requested someone locate the hall of records from that world, the bugs shouldn't have damaged those any." I look over at the quilt. "I also asked for them to keep an eye out for an assortment of the sheep my mother had used I already have found someone who can temporarily care for them until I can furnish lodgings for them." Matron Sheila nods her head, "from what I know of your mother that would have made her happy."
I nod my head, "I want what my people did you be remembered. They were good for humans, someday I would like to settle someplace where I can have that quiet life they had." Matron Sheila nods her head again, "that's not a bad thing. If there were more humans like your people were they wouldn't be treated so badly." I nod my head in agreement, hoping what I wanted could change people views on humans.
Matron Sheila smiles again, "well I have more to thank. You boys be good."
YOU ARE READING
Sirius Mining Company
Science FictionA couple thousand years after humans have fled earth and her system a young man joins a mining company. He had never lived with humans himself having been raised in an orphanage. He has to learn to deal with the universe's opinion of humans as he...
