Captain Will Ashe Bodkin sat aboard his Gyrosphere staring into the dirty grey cityscape below lost in thought. He could see the opulent houses surrounded by lavish gardens protected by thick walls. Outside the grand estates the rest of the population lived in near poverty next to factory's building robots and animatronics to be shipped out to far off places. The gas and steam produced by the factories created a continuous thick dirty smog round the city
"Shall I bring her down cap?" Petty Officer Cole Raley McConnaghty asked
"Not yet, let's sit and wait for Intel first, I'm not sure what we have been called back for yet" He muttered angrily clenching his fist. His ship had been circling a moon off Purcari, awaiting a shipment of High-density Nonite when they had received an argent telegram to return to Aesullo immediately.
Once they had arrived and seen that only their Gyrosphere had been called the 3 week journey back ahead of schedule the crew had started to feel anxious. Ashe was starting to get a bad feeling. A buzzing sound came over the speaker the automated voice system announced "Captain Will Ashe Bodkin, is requested in the board room numbered 3 as soon as the Orical docks into bay 17"
"Hell, Cap what have you done now" Gunner Freddie Donnegan Riely stepped on to the flight deck. Ashe winced
"Dammed if I know Freddie, we haven't got into that many scrapes this quarter have we?" Freddie slumped on to the empty chair next to him "not that many, we've been keeping our noses clean since that unfortunate incident last month" He cast an angry glance at Cole who didn't even have the decency to look guilty and only shrugged
"how was I supposed to know she was a barons daughter."
"Just thank your lucky stars Freddie was around to sort the mess out " Ashe muttered pulling out his pocket watch " bring her in smoothly "16 degrees north west"
"It can't be anything to do with that" Freddie pulled a face " they would have just court marshalled him when we got back" He half joked.
"Well, suppose it must be serious look boss man is waiting at the dock for you" Cole nodded through the viewing glass at the round bald man fidgeting at the docking station they were supposed to be landing in.
"He looks nervous" he added seeing the look of distress on the man's face.
"You best meet me later" Ashe ordered as he rose from his navigation chair "For god's sake keep out of trouble until I get back"
"Worried you'll miss all the fun?" Freddie crowed as he left the flight deck
Ashe opened the ships docking doors into the busy mining port Gyrosphere's landed intermittently delivering important minerals and rocks from all over the galaxy. The automated crawling mechanisms hummed and whirred as they unloaded the Gyrosphere's filling the area with steam and smoke getting the cargo ready to take to the robotic factory's. Once on terra firma he made his way to Commander Sam Houston who was red and sweating profusely "Oh god I've got a bad feeling about this" Ashe grumbled to himself as he left his ship behind "this has my family written all over it" Only his mother could make a grown man sweat like that.
"Thank the lord you're back" Sam puffed "I've been working with you for 5 years Ashe why the hell didn't you mention you where THE Will Ashe Bodkin!" he stammered as soon as Ashe was within hearing distance
"Cos its none of your bloody business " he growled "What's going on Boss man"
"Your uncle is waiting for you in board room 3 and your mother has been on the com's every hour for 3 days " the stressed man sighed "No offence Ashe but I'm glad she's not related to me"
