Mars Rising- Part Two

Jun 06, 2008 - 00:48 AM PST

Part One- The Message

Just Another Day

The noise from the loading dock at the foot of Olympus Mons could be heard from miles away, which was fortunate for Oran seeing how he did not have a working alarm clock. The transports coming in for the 10 o’clock shipment to be sent out to the colonies was Oran’s way to know he had to be at work in twenty minutes. Throwing his sheets on the floor he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to wash up. That is when his secondary alarm clock went off, Selena his sister, screaming for him to get out of the bathroom because she too had to get to work. So he opened the door and there she was in her robe with a nasty scowl on her face which quickly turned to a cringe and another scream when she saw that Oran was standing in the door way wearing nothing but a sadistic smile.
“All yours’ little sis’.” He said as he walked past her doing his best strut.
“I am not your little sister, I was born first.” She screamed as she slammed the door.
“Okay Mom was medicated during labor she forgot who was first, Dad once told me that I was the first to make it out, and you followed close behind. Just like you have ever since.” He retorted loud enough so that she could hear him throw the quarter inch thick steel door. He walked back to his room and found his work clothes lying on the floor where he had thrown them the night before. Reaching for his re-breather he headed for the door.
“Where the hell do you think you are going?” Selena said following him out the door.
“Work.”
“Without me? God how is it that genetically you are the closest person to me?” As she followed him out the door. The dust was extremely heavy that morning blowing in from the south. Visibility was only about fifteen feet, but that didn’t stop this pair from making it to work on time. They knew every in and out of the Olympus Mons outpost. They got to the foremen just as the whistle was blown.
“Selena you are needed in control, someone has royal fucked landing assignments. Fix it before lunch and tonight I’ll buy your first drink.” Bellowed Demetrius, their burly foremen, then looking at Oran, “You’re loadin’ on dock 518. I need that grain on its way to New Xanadu within the hour.” Without hesitation Oran took off to 518. He was in a special hurry because he knew the pilot that flew that route, Helena. Well named, for Oran would have gladly gone to war with an entire city for her. This was one of the few women that made a re-breather look good. Getting there he found that Greg and Saul were already half loading and half ogling Helena as she checked her manifest.
“Come on guys, she looks just as good as she did yesterday and the day before that, so can we get loading.” Oran said as he began to load a crate of grain. Turning around he found Helena was standing right behind and was taken aback by her staring right at her.
“Looks as good as yesterday?” she said with her trademark goofy frown, “And I thought my new hair style made me look better. I guess if I can’t even impress the great and mighty Oran I shouldn’t even try.”
“Helena you impress me everyday.” He quickly shoot back, with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. “I just didn’t want these two to go slow and make you late for your delivery.”
“Always thinking of others aren’t you?”
“Always.” He flirtingly retorted. “Also I wanted to make sure you would be back for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” She teased, “Other than being a Tuesday?”
“Mine and Selena’s twenty-first birthday party. We are all getting together at Pub Phobos. It would mean a lot to Selena if you came.”
“Yo, Romero lets get this shipment loaded.” Saul grunted as he carried another crate into the haul.
“It’s Romeo you dumbfuck, Romero was the zombie guy.” Oran snapped as he lifted the next crate. After they had finished and double checked the manifest Helena took off for New Xanadu, she promised she would be there tonight. That high Oran felt helped him get through his day of loading grain shipments for the different colonies. At the end of the day Selena found Oran laying on top of a stack crates looking up at the stars.
“Hey little brother, you coming we got to get ready for our night out.”
“I’m not your little brother, dad always said I was the first one out.”
“Dad was a drunk, he couldn’t remember where we lived half the time. So how could believe him?”
“Whatever, I’m still bigger than you.” He said jumping off the crates. “Come on I need a shower, I smell worse than one of uncle Sam’s farts.”
“You always had to pull his damn finger, you knew that man was a walking bio-hazard, and you still did it.” Selena joked as she put her arm around her twin brother. “Come on I fixed that landing mess up and Demetrius owes me a drink.”

© 2008 Aaron Kuhns