Post by jakfrost on May 8, 2010 0:42:41 GMT -5
The engine and safety protocols were finally up to code, if only just. The necessary fuels cells were fully charged with the drained spares stacked up and strapped down in an out of the way corner of the maintenance room. The galley was stocked with an unimaginative collection of cheap non-perishables. And his personal bank account was only about three credits in the black.
But honestly, he didn't much care about that, because no matter what, even if he didn't find any last minute passengers who wanted to hop a cheap ride from L3 to the L5 colony cluster nor anyone qualified to act as co-pilot or secondary mechanic or just plain grunt worker and alarm clock, Rhodin Booker knew that as soon as he touched down and got his cargo off-ship, he would have enough cash to keep his "Endless" flying for a good long time. Well... for another run at least. And maybe one with better food. Oh, and maybe a full fuel cell for the Emergency shuttle. There was always a good business for ships willing to transport goods without asking too many questions.
Rhodin scratched at the stubble on his jaw as he watched the clock on the control panel blink with each passing second. In less than three hours he'd be starting the pre-flight check and positioning his baby to take off from the docking bay. Not much time for anyone to answer his passenger ad or the job offer but he's seen closer calls. Hell, he'd been one on his first trip out.
Unfortunately, with the war on, Control didn't much like extremely last minute additions to the flight plan nor any deviations to departure time. So racing across the bay as the ship started it's preflight and filling out the necessary paperwork during the actual take-off wouldn't fly as well as it did nearly twenty years earlier. As long as there's enough time to register before preflight, I don't much care either way.
But honestly, he didn't much care about that, because no matter what, even if he didn't find any last minute passengers who wanted to hop a cheap ride from L3 to the L5 colony cluster nor anyone qualified to act as co-pilot or secondary mechanic or just plain grunt worker and alarm clock, Rhodin Booker knew that as soon as he touched down and got his cargo off-ship, he would have enough cash to keep his "Endless" flying for a good long time. Well... for another run at least. And maybe one with better food. Oh, and maybe a full fuel cell for the Emergency shuttle. There was always a good business for ships willing to transport goods without asking too many questions.
Rhodin scratched at the stubble on his jaw as he watched the clock on the control panel blink with each passing second. In less than three hours he'd be starting the pre-flight check and positioning his baby to take off from the docking bay. Not much time for anyone to answer his passenger ad or the job offer but he's seen closer calls. Hell, he'd been one on his first trip out.
Unfortunately, with the war on, Control didn't much like extremely last minute additions to the flight plan nor any deviations to departure time. So racing across the bay as the ship started it's preflight and filling out the necessary paperwork during the actual take-off wouldn't fly as well as it did nearly twenty years earlier. As long as there's enough time to register before preflight, I don't much care either way.