Skip to content

Share

D.M. Pruden

Amazing journeys begin here...

  • Home
  • Books
  • Blog
  • About
  • Bonus
  • Contact
Menu
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blog
  • About
  • Bonus
  • Contact

Throwing Stones Part 3

  • May 6, 2021
  • 2 Comments
  • Uncategorized

As Ben did up the last buckle of the restraint the AI added, “You realize we cannot choose our landing location?”

“Yeah, I know. Pray it’s a good one.”

“I am an artificial life form, Ben. To whom do you suggest I pray?”

He sighed and prepared himself for a rough landing. He took the time to puzzle over the mined asteroid. Did someone set up some old surplus mines to protect their claim? It was certainly worth the effort given its potential value. Maybe it collided with another body and got bumped out of their boundary. Too bad for whoever went to all the trouble. If he could repair his ship and stop it within his own stake, someone else’s misfortune might be his fortune.

With nothing to do but wait, Ben’s thoughts wandered back to the events around Gina’s death. They were memories he regularly tortured himself with whenever he found himself in a dark mood.

“Computer, how does this body compare to the last transient to pass through here, twenty years ago?”

“There is no complete log of the event, Ben. I am locked out of those files. Why do you ask?”

“This one just seems familiar,” he replied, wistfully. A moment of silence passed.

“I accessed all published records for the year in question. There is only a brief reference to a body of similar mass and trajectory in the transcript of your hearing before the Asteroid Mining Commission.”

The tribunal determined he had been negligent in the death of his wife.

“Do you know what happened that day?” He sounded angrier than he was.

“As I said, Ben, I cannot access those old records. You can give me the codes, unless you would rather talk about it?”

He let the question roll around in his head. Maybe he did want to talk about it. The damned rock that had just wrecked his ship had brought back the old painful memories; ones he had never shared.

“We had just returned to our claim after a year planet-side with Natalie,” he started.

“You and Gina?”

“Yes.” His throat was dry, and he tried to swallow.

“You know, I never admitted this to anyone, but she played a major part in her own death. She was the one who wanted us to nab the transient that entered our boundaries.” The admission hurt. He felt like he was betraying her twenty years after the fact.

“According to the record of the hearing, you took full responsibility for her death. You sent her after the transient asteroid.”

“I admitted to that because I was afraid the insurance wouldn’t pay out if there was even a hint to suggest she acted on her own. The claim would have been challenged as a suicide. As it was, I knew they intended to use me as a warning. They had been trying to legislate for tighter rules for years. I was the poster boy for poor mining safety standards. Hell, there weren’t any standards then. By finding against me, the insurance would pay out and Natalie would receive enough to be raised on Terra.”

“But the finding against you meant you could never return to Terra.”

“The commission planned to make sure of that anyway. I just wanted to ensure Natalie had a shot at a decent life; at getting her citizenship someday. She couldn’t do that if she was exiled with me out here. She was better off planet-side, even if she was a ward of the state. At least, my lawyer convinced me of as much.”

“So, what happened, Ben?”

“We’d just returned; hadn’t even had any time to run full maintenance on either of our ships. We spotted a few strays drifting out of our claim, so we split up and started to catch and herd them back inside. I was working on fixing up a wonky trucking motor on one when she radioed me, all excited. She had spotted a transient. It was out of my sensor range, but the way she described things, it was a huge M-class asteroid. She wanted to chase after it.”

“What did you do?”

“I actually told her not to.” He smiled, “I hardly ever could say no to Gina. But that day, I did. She went ape shit on me, telling me I didn’t trust her; that she knew what she was doing, and I was holding her back. Something like that, I don’t recall. I do remember we argued about it for ten minutes over the radio. It was weird, because we never fought. She thought getting that rock corralled would set us up for retirement. We could move to Terra, buy citizenship and raise Natalie like normal parents. In the end, to my regret, I gave in.”

He sat silent for a long period, the AI waiting patiently. He licked his dry lips and continued.

“We agreed she would chase after the rock and I would follow as soon as I finished my repairs. We stayed in contact. We apologized to each other for the fight, laughed at each other’s jokes and dreamed about how our lives would be changed. That part I remember very clearly. It was just before the radio went dead.” He fought to keep the tears under control, but his voice broke.

“I hurried back to the cockpit and brought on the scanners. I couldn’t find her anywhere, and I couldn’t raise her on any channels. I think I pushed 80G’s to reach her projected position. She wasn’t there.” The now freely flowing tears detached from his eyelids and floated as droplets inside of his helmet.

Ben sniffed hard and wished he could wipe his eyes. “I spent twenty days searching. I didn’t find anything of her ship; no debris; nothing. I only quit looking when my AI convinced me I would die and leave Natalie an orphan if I didn’t stop.”

“Ben, we are on final approach to the asteroid. We need to make our braking burn in two minutes.”

“At first I tried to speak with Natalie every week. Then, it turned to every month as she grew older and became less interested in regular visits from a man she had never met. When she was old enough, she learned of what had happened, and stopped taking my calls entirely. I still kept tabs on her. Old friends sent me news whenever they could…” his voice trailed off. Ben’s sadness over Gina was magnified when he thought about how Natalie’s life might be if he had only done the right thing on that day.

“Twenty-seconds to deceleration burn…”

The announcement snapped Ben back into the present. “Ready with the clamps? We only get one shot at this!”

Unless they could activate the grappling actuators and secure themselves to the surface of the asteroid, they would bounce off it and be targeted by the mines.

“I am aware of that,” the computer responded, imitating Gina’s tone. He marveled for the thousandth time at how precise the simulation was.

Twenty-seconds later the retro burn vibrated the ship, followed by a very anxious ten-seconds of nothing.

”

D.M.(Doug) Pruden worked for 35 years in the petroleum industry as a geophysicist. For most of his life he has been plagued with stories banging around inside his head that demanded to be let out into the world. He currently spends his time as an empty nester in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his long suffering wife of many years. When he isn’t writing science fiction stories, he likes to spend his time playing with his grandchildren and working on improving his golf handicap.

D.M. Pruden

Get a free copy of the science fiction novella, Requiem, only available here.

Subscribe to D.M.Pruden’s Newsletter and receive special offers, new release details, and a Welcome Gift copy of Requiem delivered  to your email inbox. 

You can unsubscribe at any time, and your email address will never be shared with anyone, because that is just wrong.

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
PrevPreviousThrowing Stones Part 2
NextThrowing Stones Part 4Next

2 Responses

  1. Judy Ann says:
    May 31, 2021 at 12:29 am

    Dear Mr. Pruden. Wow! I rarely write to strangers (even authors), but since I am crying over the ending of Throwing Stones, why not? Who cries over hard sci-fi? I am getting old, that must be the reason. Thank you for your short story. It was very well written. Okay, it was great! Well done sir.

    Reply
    1. Doug Pruden says:
      May 31, 2021 at 10:44 am

      Thanks, I’m gratified that you enjoyed it.

      D.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Where to buy my books:
Payhip
Rakuten Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Requiem

Download a free ebook and join the 2039 Brigade.

D.M. Pruden’s stories will take you across space and time into a future that will amaze and confound you. Battle space pirates in the asteroid belt, join the last defenders of a dying empire, or roll with the antics of a space faring conman. These sci-fi adventures and more await you.

Download it now
Follow me:
Goodreads-g
Facebook-f
Envelope
Rss

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This site includes Amazon and other affiliate links.  If you buy a book through these links, I’ll earn a small commission. This does not affect your purchase price. Manage cookies.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy
© 2023  
Science Fiction & More
Website by GoCreate.me
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We dot NOT sell your information. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage cookies.

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement."
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Our site uses a Facebook Pixel so our advertising cookies would be used if we advertise on Facebook.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Requiem

Download a free ebook and join the 2039 Brigade.

D.M. Pruden’s stories will take you across space and time into a future that will amaze and confound you. Battle space pirates in the asteroid belt, join the last defenders of a dying empire, or roll with the antics of a space faring conman. These sci-fi adventures and more await you.

Download it now