The Ninth by Benjamin Schramm Page B

atmosphere of the planet.  The recruits who hadn’t made it to their chairs struggled ineffectively against their increasing weight.  The drop ship would touch down before they managed to get to their chairs.  It was apparent the thought had dawned on them as the sprawled recruits’ faces twisted with a combination of anxiety and desperation.  At this rate they’d land with a third of the squad unprepared.
    “Aoede is a rim world on the verge of joining the Commonwealth proper.”  Brent shouted the briefing loud enough for the recruits on the floor to hear.  “You are being inserted as an orbital work crew station on the nearly completed trade array in high orbit.  You have been on the trade array for nearly two months now and are being rotated for a fresh crew.  You will spend your leave in the capitol city of the world.  Once the manufacturing and administrative hub for the world, the capital city is slowly becoming a recreation center for orbital crews and visiting members of the Commonwealth.  There is strong local resistance to this change and tensions are high.  Caution is advised.”
    “A walk in the park!  And here I thought it would be something hard,” Owen said jokingly
    “Great, a Podunk rim world,” Erin hissed.  “You should feel right at home, Owen.”
    “Aw, leave him alone.”  Hiroko’s voice was filled with pride.  “If Brent hadn’t spoke up you’d be clueless and get us all caught before ten minutes were up.”
    For some reason, Brent had the feeling Hiroko saw him as a pet of sorts that had just done an impressive trick.
    “Don’t let your temper get us all caught; you have to act the part,” Hiroko added.
    “And what part is that?” Erin snapped angrily.  “Some ignorant rim worlder angry at the Commonwealth for making their world a part of something greater?”
    “With that attitude you’ll be spotted as a core worlder in an instant,” Owen said calmly.
    “What do you plan to do, sir?”  Dante whispered to Brent.
    Dante’s voice surprised Brent.  In all the commotion of the launch, Brent hadn’t noticed Dante had taken the chair next to him.  Dante hadn’t said a single word since they met up with Zimmer back in the auditorium.  Brent became aware that the drop ship was now silent.  Erin and Hiroko had stopped bickering, and all idle chat had ceased.  Apparently, they all wanted to know what he planned to do.
    “Well, I’ve been working for two months without break,” Brent said in character, mimicking Owens’ accent.  “I haven’t been on my native planet in a long while, and I have two months of pay burning a hole in my account.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I plan to enjoy myself.  I’m going to hit an expensive hotel and get cleaned up.  After that I’ll reintroduce myself to the pleasures of my planet I’ve missed so badly.”
    The entire group burst into laughter.
    “If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were neighbors, Brent,” Owen said with a grin.
    “Well, that settles that.  I’ll race you to the nearest shower,” Hiroko added.
    With a loud clang the ship came to an abrupt stop.  The recruits on the floor were once more tossed about.  The ship was still now.  Brent assumed they had landed.  The real test was about to start.  The bulkhead hissed.  Slowly it opened and a burst of fresh air wafted in.
    “Welcome back to Aoede!” a strong sounding voice called from outside the ship.
    One by one the recruits exited the drop ship.  They were on a platform several miles above the ground.  Skyscrapers dotted the landscape, giving the city the look of a giant mouth with teeth rising above the recruits and their ship.  The only way down to the city, besides a suicidal fall, was a single elevator guarded by a pair of muscular men holding imposing looking weapons.  Between them was a burly man with a look of disgust on his face holding a strange device.  Marveling at the height of the towers, Owen took a