Bill Wagner had seen enough. He stormed out of the meeting room, his walk and demeanor that of an angry bull.
“Mr. Wagner, it is important that you not do this!”, an executive yells from the meeting room, his head poking out of the doorway.
“You… and most of the rest of you in there are the reason for this! You never log flying hours, I even wonder if your license is still valid, and you come to the meetings mostly for the free Sunbucks and coffee! No, I am through hauling your share, and your share…I am done! I submit my resignation!” Mr. Wagner screams, his face red, his arm veiny as he points with his long finger to each of the guilty executives.
He storms down the corridor again, his flight boots smashing against the floor like a horse’s hooves. He nears the hangar bay doors of Trenton Outpost to board his private shuttle when, as he rounds the corner, a familiar face nearly smashes into his.
“Heardy! Sorry thar, bosso! Erm, I mean Mr. Wagner, sir. Hey er… you aint look’n too gud,” Hank Rover quips, his hand scratching the back of his head.
“I am through with this place, Mr. Rover. Adjustments are needed to keep up with the changes in Sirius. I realized today that there is no getting through to them,” Mr. Wagner replies, his voice mellowing some. He walks by Hank.
“Well, er. I’ll miss yer,” Hank replies sadly.
Bill freezes in his place. He looks back at Hank. Despite his annoyances, mistakes needing corrected, paperwork filed on his behalf… Bill’s heart sank. He stares at Hank, the anger in his face retreating to sadness.
Then suddenly, he smiles. “Hey bud. How about you come with me,” Bill grins.
“Uh, okay boss! Heardy, you’re dang near mah only friend in this place, heardy!” Hank cheerfully replies.
As Bill and Hank turn to walk to the hangar bay, the clomps of dress shoes is heard behind them. They sound heavy as if the person is moving in a brisk speed. Bill, distracted by this, turns and sees Amy Raybern walking swiftly toward them.
Bill, eager to leave the station for the last time, waits impatiently for Amy to arrive.
“If it was anybody else, I would tell you to not bother. What is it, Miss. Raybern?” Bill asks, his tone that of impatience but of interest.
“Bill… Bill!” Amy exclaims, her breath heavy from walking so briskly over the distance of the station.
“Bill… look, you’re right. About everything! The recruitment process, the lack of depth in our executive team, let alone the laziness of those who call themselves leaders. I’m… I’m done too!” Amy scoffs. She looks down the corridor and then back at Bill.
Bill shrugs. “Want to come with us?” Bill asks.
“Well, sure. I don’t work here anymore. Where are you two headed to?” Amy inquires.
“I Don’t know. Maybe to Fort Bush first for some Sunbucks. Figure it out as we go,” Bill nods.
“Could use a coffee. Okay, lets go,” Amy smiles.
The group boards the private shuttle of Bill Wagner. The door hatches shut and the pilot punches in coordinates for flight.
“So, Mr. Wagner. No more an executive of USI? Sad day for them,” he mutters.
“Very sad. I miss it already. But, changes needed to be made that they did not want to make. Now it’s… hey, Hank! Do NOT touch anything!” Bill yells as he points sternly to Hank as if he’s a child.
Hank, who is always curious and getting into things, has logged on to the Bill’s terminal. He notices that Bill has a new message. He opens it.
“Hey er… bosso? Them thar peeps o’er in Bretoniars dun sented you someth’n” he points.
“Damnit Hank, I told you not to touch ANYTHING!” Bill yells as he practically lifts Hank out of his chair. He glances at the monitor to close the message when something catches his eye.
Greetings Vice President Wagner,
We have opened our new bar and lounge here at Nebula Express! Because of our partnership and friendship, I welcome you to be one of our honorary first patrons. We look forward to hearing from you!
-Hina Nakamura
Bill reads it out loud. Amy and Hank lean toward Bill as they follow along.
“Well, what do you think Amy? I say we venture to Cambridge and see what this is about. Maybe we can pick up some contacts to figure out what to do next,” Bill offers.
Amy nods. “I was just thinking the same. Agreed. Let’s head straight to Cambridge,” Amy nods.
“I dun agreed too. I need ‘er drank, heardy!” Hank interjects.
Bill and Amy chuckle softly.
The pilot, hearing the trio talk, leans back to look at them.
“Still to Sunbucks?” he asks.
“Nope! It looks like we are going straight to Cambridge!” Bill says with a grin.
“Bosso…” Hank says as he looks over his shoulder at Bill. Mr. Wagner glances at his loyal friend.
“I er… I aint know’n how long we done gon’ be outta Liberty. Can we er get some donerts ‘den go o’er yonder?” Hank asks, his temperament that of a child asking for pizza rather than a grown man wanting donuts and coffee.
Bill is about to say no when he glances at Amy. Her face expresses that of agreement with Mr. Rover.
Bill sighs. “Alright. Sunbucks first! And then to Cambridge,” Bill trumpets.
The group lands on Fort Bush and eagerly make their way to the famed “Sunbucks” shop. The place is magnificent with the bustling of people from all over Sirius, primarily Liberty Navy and Police though.
The trio eagerly wait in line until it is their turn to order. Bill and Amy order a donut each with their coffee. Meanwhile, Hank is in a fury.
“I want one of dem chocolate ones with dem sprankles on top. And den a jelly filled with dem sugars on top. And den dem chocolate tops wit them crusade fill’ns inside,” Hank beams.
“Custard filling, Hank. Custard…” Amy chuckles. Bill just shakes his head.
Bill and Amy receive their donut and coffee. Hank receives his bag and ‘gulp cup’ of coffee. The three then make their way back to the ship so that they can continue their journey with their sugary treats.
They decide it is best to split the trip in half. The pilot does need rest and the crew could use a place to have a good rest so that they can meet on NSE with a clear head.
They decide to stop at Canterbury Station in New London for an “overnight” stay. From there it will be a quick trek into Cambridge and then over to NSE.
Hank is out cold due to his Sunbucks coma. Bill and Amy make their way to the bar. There, they discuss the recent events and potential ideas moving forward.
Bill notices a woman glancing at them from time to time. She is alone and sips on her drink. She appears deep in thought but otherwise in no sense of urgency. Bill leans back as if to gesture that he is available to talk. The woman grabs her drink and makes her way to Bill and Amy.
“Guten tag. Hello. My name is Rachel Snyder. I was to be a secretary for a prominent Rheinland transport company, but the company did not form. I heard your discussion and would like to offer my services,” Rachel says with a no-nonsense attitude.
Bill stares at the woman for a moment. “You are bold. Bold is what we might need. Tell me of your credentials,” Bill says as he points to the chair opposite him with his hand.
Rachel tells Bill and Amy of her work with interplanetary transport companies and mail courier services. She has increased efficiency in every company she has been employed in. She speaks about her ambition to find employment with a company that travels through space.
She is surprised to hear that Bill was the Vice President of Universal Shipping Incorporated and Amy was the former officer of logistics. High positions to be left vacant suddenly.
Rachel impresses Bill. Her knowledge of administration and speaking with people is impressive. They will need her help when building or establishing anything that they plan.
“Would you mind coming with us to Nebula Shipping Express? I would like to involve you in any planning that might take place there,” Bill offers.
“I’d love to. I have my own room here. We’ll meet in the docking bay in the morning,” Rachel nods.
After a shake of hands, they depart to their quarters for the evening. They plan to leave the station promptly after a night of rest.
The next morning, after dumping ice cold water on Hank to wake him, the trio prepare for their meeting on NSE. They gather their belongings, meet with their new friend, Rachel, and make their way to the executive shuttle.
The pilot has already performed pre-flight checks and is ready for takeoff. Rachel, not ever having been in an executive shuttle such as this, is quickly impressed. The comfortable chairs, carpeting, and interior décor shows prominence and luxury. And this is Bill’s personal vessel too!
They eventually make their way to Cambridge center. There, they hail NSE traffic control.
“You are clear for landing. We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Wagner and Miss. Raybern,” the controller says.
The pilot carefully guides the ship into the docking bay and gingerly sets the ship down on the docking pad. The hatch opens up and the group step down and out of the craft. There, Hina Nakamura is there to greet them.
“Mr. Wagner, it is again a pleasure to see you,” she smiles. The two shake hands.
“Likewise, Miss. Nakamura. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I find myself unemployed and in need of a place to lay low for a little while. We appreciate your hospitality and you have my word that we will be no burden to you or this magnificent station,” Bill says.
A loud thud, followed by a wobbling sound of a lid wobbling toward the ground is heard. Bill looks to see that Hank has gotten himself into some of the repair equipment. His face is already dirtied. Bill sighs.
Miss. Nakamura leads the group to their quarters. Bill humbly requested a common quarter as to not over burden his friend. However, Hina shows him one of the executive quarters of the station. Though it lacks the plush of an OS&C VIP quarters, it is still far above anything Bill expects. He is in shock.
“You folks are amazing. Thank you, genuinely. Your hospitality is boundless,” Bill says, his breath slightly escaping him.
“You are very welcome. You and your companions are free to stay as long as you need. Wash up and I will meet you in our new lounge!” she smiles.
They settle into their new quarters and wash up only a little bit after their trip. It wasn’t a long trip from Canterbury, after all. But, some minor TLC is required. Especially for the ladies.
They meet with Hina and make their way to the newly built lounge. The place is immaculate with dimmed lighting. Colored lighting lines the outside of the curvy textures of the room. The booths are comfortable to sit in just from eyesight. The bar is fully stocked with alcohols ranging from Liberty Ale to Saki.
It does not take long for the group, primarily Hank, to be enjoying themselves with drink. Bill and Amy are giggling and laughing wildly as Hank makes a fool of himself while trying to talk to the bartender. She’s a cute brunette who is only interested in what alcohol Hank will order next. She plays the game well, however. Only giving him enough to keep the chase.
“He is a unique one…” Rachel smile as she watches Hank with fascination.
“Hank is one of a kind, for sure. He is the most annoying, frustrating little man that I know. He has infuriated me to my limit. But he has a heart of gold, his ability to fly a transport ship is unparalleled, and I could not ask for a better friend. The man speaks his mind,” Bill chuckles.
“Speaking of, we need to talk about what to do next. We can’t just stay here. We need to do something,” Amy mentions before taking a sip of her drink.
“I know. We do, but nobody is really hiring. Although, I know this place is always building things. I’ll be right back…” Bill says. He stands up and makes his way to Hina Nakamura.
The conversation appears brief. Bill smiles and turns away from her to return to his table.
“Well, we have work. That is for sure. I can get a requisition order for some transports. We can fly as freelancers for here, at least to earn our keep. But, I have an idea…” Bill smiles.
He takes a big drink of his glass to empty it before leaning in to Amy.
“You and I… we worked our asses off for the big corporations. So, what if we created an organization of traders that would not be employed by us directly. Sure, they would wear our uniforms and our tags in their callsigns. But, they make what they work. A company of contractors,” Bill says.
“That is a fascinating idea. Surely this idea would not hold to expansion, however,” Rachel replies.
“Of course not. But for now. Our pilots will be held to a standard, of course. But would not be considered full-time employees. Their pay will be competitive with any other trade routes in the economy. This will attract more transport pilots. NSE can be a great partner to start with,” Bill adds, his smile getting larger.
“What would we call this company?” Amy asks.
Bill looks out the window at the stars, his mind in motion to think of a name.
“Heardy, I lahk yer freckles! I dun wan’ connect de dots wit em, heardy!” Hank laughs.
Bill grins. He turns his gaze from the stars and looks Amy in the eyes.
