Craggy 2: Another Last Flight for Craggy by Gary Weston Page B
Authors: Gary Weston
Tags: Science-Fiction, Space Opera, Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Space ships, mars, Space Fleet, alien encounters, alien planets
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wrote a story at school today, Uncle Craggy.'
'You did?'
'Yes. Can I read it to you, Uncle Craggy?'
Cragg said, 'I tell you what. As soon as we've eaten, you can tell us your story.'
'Ok.'
Shyne told them of her busy day at school and how a boy in her class pulled her hair and how she had told him off.
'Good for you,' said Misty. 'We girls have to show the boys who the boss is.'
'No comment,' said Cragg.
Armed with a full belly and another beer, Cragg sat on his old chair, Shyne on the floor in front of him.
'I'll clean up,' said Misty. 'I've heard it three times already.'
Cragg saw something hidden in the way his wife spoke. Something in her eyes. Misty gathered up the plates and took them away to clean them.
'Right, Shyne,' said Cragg. 'Away you go.'
The little girl took a deep breath. 'Did I tell you about the time...'
'Sounds familiar.'
'Shush. Did I tell you about the time I was very sad. And my Mommy and my Daddy was very very busy and I wasn't seeing my Mommy and my Daddy was too busy to play and Mommy didn't come home and then she didn't come home again and I never got a night night kiss from her and my Daddy had to tell me my story. And my Daddy said my Mommy wasn't coming home again tonight and that made me very very sad and I want my Mommy to kiss me night night and tell me a story. The end.'
Shyne stared at her Uncle Craggy, her big saucer eyes on the verge of tears.
'That was such a good story,' said Cragg. 'Much better than my old stories. Shyne, Are you staying here tonight with Uncle Craggy and Aunty Misty?'
'I think so.'
Misty came in and sat down. 'Yes. Don't mind do you?'
'Of course not. Say. I gotta pop out for half an hour. Won't be too long.'
Chapter 28
I t had been another long night, followed by another early start.
'Now?' said Breeze.
Commander Forbes had called Wendy Breeze on her radio. 'I want you four in Base Three immediately.'
'But Sir, we're right in the middle of...'
'Now, Breezy. That's an order.'
'On our way, Sir.' Breeze quickly tightened up the fittings on the main flange of the injector inlet port and put the tools down. 'You heard the commander. Let's go.'
Wondering what it was all about, the four downed tools and drove off at speed to Base Three. They parked their buggy outside the main airlock and entered the Base. The scent of the flowers and the birdsong hit them immediately. Commander Forbes was there to greet them and the look on his face was serious.
'Sir? Are we in trouble?'
'You could say that, Breezy. Follow me.'
They followed the Mars Commander along what was left of the path that ran through the middle of the Base. He said nothing as he strode purposefully to the small dining area. It was Fawn Dillow that gasped.
'Joel? Shyne?'
The little girl ran to her mother who picked her up for hugs and kisses. 'Mommy.'
Fawn noticed the table was overflowing with food and various cold juice drinks. She looked at Forbes. 'I don't understand?'
'You have all been found guilty of working too hard. Your punishment is to have exactly two hours off, have a good feed and soak in the pool. Spend a minute less in here, you'll be docked a month's pay. We don't need exhausted people working on critical projects. Right. I have to go.'
'Come on, Mommy. It's a picnic.'
Breeze fixed Forbes with a look. 'Ok. Whose idea was this?'
Forbes laughed. 'Who the heck do you think?'
Breeze laughed. 'Craggy.'
'Naturally,' said Forbes, as he walked away.
Chapter 29
I t had only been two hours, but the foursome returned to their mission in a far better frame of mind. They finished the assembly and went through the check-lists three times, leaving nothing to chance. On specially adapted seating, made to be both buckled safely into whilst allowing easy access to the controls, the four of them sat strapped in, ready for a test firing up of the rebuilt plasma engine. The tank was filled with helium-3, power was flowing as it should, Stella had decided within a reasonable degree of
'You did?'
'Yes. Can I read it to you, Uncle Craggy?'
Cragg said, 'I tell you what. As soon as we've eaten, you can tell us your story.'
'Ok.'
Shyne told them of her busy day at school and how a boy in her class pulled her hair and how she had told him off.
'Good for you,' said Misty. 'We girls have to show the boys who the boss is.'
'No comment,' said Cragg.
Armed with a full belly and another beer, Cragg sat on his old chair, Shyne on the floor in front of him.
'I'll clean up,' said Misty. 'I've heard it three times already.'
Cragg saw something hidden in the way his wife spoke. Something in her eyes. Misty gathered up the plates and took them away to clean them.
'Right, Shyne,' said Cragg. 'Away you go.'
The little girl took a deep breath. 'Did I tell you about the time...'
'Sounds familiar.'
'Shush. Did I tell you about the time I was very sad. And my Mommy and my Daddy was very very busy and I wasn't seeing my Mommy and my Daddy was too busy to play and Mommy didn't come home and then she didn't come home again and I never got a night night kiss from her and my Daddy had to tell me my story. And my Daddy said my Mommy wasn't coming home again tonight and that made me very very sad and I want my Mommy to kiss me night night and tell me a story. The end.'
Shyne stared at her Uncle Craggy, her big saucer eyes on the verge of tears.
'That was such a good story,' said Cragg. 'Much better than my old stories. Shyne, Are you staying here tonight with Uncle Craggy and Aunty Misty?'
'I think so.'
Misty came in and sat down. 'Yes. Don't mind do you?'
'Of course not. Say. I gotta pop out for half an hour. Won't be too long.'
Chapter 28
I t had been another long night, followed by another early start.
'Now?' said Breeze.
Commander Forbes had called Wendy Breeze on her radio. 'I want you four in Base Three immediately.'
'But Sir, we're right in the middle of...'
'Now, Breezy. That's an order.'
'On our way, Sir.' Breeze quickly tightened up the fittings on the main flange of the injector inlet port and put the tools down. 'You heard the commander. Let's go.'
Wondering what it was all about, the four downed tools and drove off at speed to Base Three. They parked their buggy outside the main airlock and entered the Base. The scent of the flowers and the birdsong hit them immediately. Commander Forbes was there to greet them and the look on his face was serious.
'Sir? Are we in trouble?'
'You could say that, Breezy. Follow me.'
They followed the Mars Commander along what was left of the path that ran through the middle of the Base. He said nothing as he strode purposefully to the small dining area. It was Fawn Dillow that gasped.
'Joel? Shyne?'
The little girl ran to her mother who picked her up for hugs and kisses. 'Mommy.'
Fawn noticed the table was overflowing with food and various cold juice drinks. She looked at Forbes. 'I don't understand?'
'You have all been found guilty of working too hard. Your punishment is to have exactly two hours off, have a good feed and soak in the pool. Spend a minute less in here, you'll be docked a month's pay. We don't need exhausted people working on critical projects. Right. I have to go.'
'Come on, Mommy. It's a picnic.'
Breeze fixed Forbes with a look. 'Ok. Whose idea was this?'
Forbes laughed. 'Who the heck do you think?'
Breeze laughed. 'Craggy.'
'Naturally,' said Forbes, as he walked away.
Chapter 29
I t had only been two hours, but the foursome returned to their mission in a far better frame of mind. They finished the assembly and went through the check-lists three times, leaving nothing to chance. On specially adapted seating, made to be both buckled safely into whilst allowing easy access to the controls, the four of them sat strapped in, ready for a test firing up of the rebuilt plasma engine. The tank was filled with helium-3, power was flowing as it should, Stella had decided within a reasonable degree of
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