Reality Cheques

[Jimothy]

Chapter 3 - Those First Steps

After a few cargo-less flights around the system in his new ship, named after an early 19th century Earth Cambridge graduate and Scholar of Economy, Malthus, Tyler was settled in the pilot’s seat again and ready to start off on his cosmic venture. What with the rising tensions between Bretonia and Kusari causing government military spending to increase, there was less tax money being funnelled into corporate security, and so haulage insurance increased. Instead of footing this cost themselves, the larger companies of Bowex and Gateway had begun to slowly raise their premiums on non-contract shipping to compensate, and Tyler had seen this as his golden opportunity. Offering to move one of his Father’s customers’ stockpiled industrial machinery from Rheinland directly from the depot to his small factory on Planet Leeds as and when he needed secured him his first customer for Skye Shipping.

It didn’t take long before Tyler was called on to haul the load of machinery, and with first-time eagerness, he jumped straight to it. The Cambridge sun was glistening across the fields as the morning broke through the thin shreds of clouds on the horizon, which only amplified Tyler’s mood. Over breakfast he told the family about his first job with a shared enthusiasm. As usual he took the shuttle with Russell to the office, daydreaming as the city rolled by outside. When they arrived he greeted the staff and set about reading out the loading schedule for the day. Thanks to his father’s encouragement, his ship was first on the list and due to the depot’s well practiced loading system, the Malthus was ready to fly within an hour. Saying quick goodbyes to the staff and getting a hug from Russell, Tyler climbed into his cockpit and left for the central launch pad.

Tyler’s route was only five trade lanes across two systems and knowing he’d be back for dinner with the family he was beaming from ear to ear the entire flight. While completely uneventful save a quick cargo scan from the police outside Kensington, Tyler was still thrilled by the experience when he set down on the small landing pad by the factory on Leeds. The robotic loaders set to work emptying the Malthus’ hold while Tyler chatted to the manager, sorting the paperwork and invoices for both himself and his father. Not an hour later, and Tyler was already half way home with his first pay in the bank.

Russell did everything he could for Tyler over the next few months, recommending him to customers for deliveries of stored goods, and business was booming. Tyler had flown just about everything from machinery to pharmaceuticals for various customers all across Bretonia and was starting to make a name for himself. He’d rented himself a small apartment on Planet New London where most of his customers were and was settling into his new life well. His first real contract came from a cargo salesman on Kensington Shipping Platform in shipping H-fuel from the Rheinlanders that would offload on Cambridge. He would leave his apartment first thing in the morning for Cambridge, and have the Malthus loaded and ready to fly while grabbing an early lunch with Russell, or occasionally the whole family, and get to Kensington by late afternoon. Unloaded and back to New London by the evening, he spent the rest of the day working on plans for his business, or enjoying a drink in one of the many bars London has to offer, fitting seamlessly in with the locals.

As far as the flights went, Tyler had never had a problem with pirates or such. Any time a lane went down, an Armed Forces or Police squadron would soon chase off the perpetrators. Needless to say when no patrols were around, Tyler quickly learned a quick transaction in the pirate’s direction and they’d leave him be. He never strayed from the trade lanes, and had a lucrative first year with the contracts he had made.

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I was formerly know as Spiritar.

It's been a while.