Mining For Information

Posted on 15 Jan 2025 @ 10:28pm by Story Teller & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Crewman Nicholas Foy

2,504 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Bait and Switch
Location: Mellon Quarry
Timeline: July 2, 2390 || 1200 hours

Camila aka Francisca stook next to Foy as Sunni and Ronin headed out in another direction. She looked back to Emily and smiled. "So, how stretched are things around here?" She asked.

Emily led them to a nearby antigrav transport. Both of her parents had already departed to handle the business they needed to tend to. "Stretched is an understatement. Ever since we were dropped off here two years ago and a modest amount of supplies, it has taken us quite a bit to get all of this set up and operating. We're thankful that it's just a small group of us, even in our rebuilding state."

"I hope the supplies I dropped off can help," Camila said. "How long have you been trading the ore with your new benefactors?" It was amazing the the small colony of former Golden Stars was still thriving, but she needed to know who their benefactor was and how they got in touch with them beyond transporting things.

The blonde woman chuckled as she positioned herself in the drivers seat. As soon as both of the visitors were secure and comfortable, she activated the transport and took off for the mines. "We don't have a benefactor," Emily replied. "Up until a couple of years ago, the Golden Stars was the champion of trade in this area of the quadrant. Like everyone, our trade was subject to Dominion oversight, and since we provided a benefit to the quadrant, the Dominion left us largely alone. Then there was the mess with the Syndicate, and Starfleet got involved... It all damned near destroyed us."

"Pardon me," Camila said. "It gets confusing out here day to day with ever changing alliances. I meant the group you're trading the birythium with."

"We actually have a few takers," Emily remarked. "Birythium is a bit of a rarity out here. Because of that, it hasn't had too many applications. We've been experimenting with it on our own, but there's a few groups out there looking at construction applications. I think I heard something about terraforming as well. Even the Teplan thought it might help them bring electronics back into their society. But until there's a value placed on it, it's just another mineral or metal. Right now, we're trying to convince my father that we need to beef up security."

"How is it used in construction?" Camila asked as she studied the terrain around her and repeated what she had been told in her head.

"Birythium can be refined into a rigid structural core, much like steel or tritanium," Emily answered, slowing down to make a turn towards a quarry. "The energy needed to do so is tremendous, and much of it is consumed. Even with modern mass production, it would take a week to process more than a tonne of the ore. We've had better luck blending it with other metals to produce an alloy. It's the strongest thing I've ever seen, and there's some interesting properties with it as well."

Foy overheard the part of blending of the Birythium with other stuff and it peaked his curiosity a little bit. Once Emily stopped talking, he chimed in and asked, "What's the process like to blend Birythium with other materials? Especially since it seems like quite the laborious process to get it out and mine the ore."

"Is it high demand?" Camila asked.

Emily chuckled, pointing to the quarry they were quickly approaching. "You all ask a lot of questions. I respect that, wanting to know what you're getting into." Glancing back to Foy in the rearview mirror, she answered his questions first. "Blending is more laborious than mining. The mining process is no simpler than mining dueterium or tritanium or kemocite. It's not volatile, but almost as hard as diamond. We were able to adapt those processes to extract the unrefined. As for converting to an alloy, well, that takes a lot of heat and energy. We've been able to produce small forms, but short of having cold fusion, there's not much we can do for it."

Then to Francisca, Emily answered, "Is it in high demand? Not exactly. Because it's rare to begin with, and the energy it takes to produce the alloy, it would take someone with an already established fabrication system to actually make it viable. We're contracting with a few organizations to see what they can do with it, and their demand for the raw materials is certainly rising."

"Someone must be paying a pretty penny for the stuff you get for them. Francisca and our crew have worked hard to get where we've gotten, but like she said, I'm tired of hauling around little bits of stuff for people and eating the junk we eat when the replicators go down on a weekly basis. If you ever need someone to haul long term, we can definitely help out," Foy replied with look over at Camila, trying to help to sell the story of wanting to help haul the stuff for Emily if she wanted.

"I'm just trying to get consistent work," Camila said. "Having three crew gets labor intensive, especially when they're demanding pay. I need something long term and this ore sounds like it could turn a profit for hauling."

Emily brought the speeder to a stop outside the quarry's office. "Can't say I blame a Captain for that. I've watched my parents thrive, and then lose everything and have to rebuild. The quadrant's been a rough place for us all in the last couple of years. We're hoping that our new efforts here will cast us back to where we used to be."

She exited the speeder and gestured to the quarry. "Now, there's only so far I can take you, not because I don't want to show you, but for safety reasons. One of the things we do lack is a proper medical facility. The X'annon should be back soon with some new medical supplies that we can use to rebuild ours."

Camila got out behind her and gave a nod. "I understand safety measures. I take that very seriously when I'm hauling cargo. I even got a backup generator for my transporter."

Foy got out right behind Camila and said, "Yeah, tweaked it up before we landed to make sure that it was working order, Francisca."

"Backup generators?" Emily asked, guiding them to the edge of the cliff where a mobile platform had been parked. "I haven't met too many haulers that have additional systems. At least, none who aren't in leagues with groups like the Syndicate or Kelinor Voseh."

"Well, one man's junk is another man's treasure. You'd be surprised what people are willing to trade for or what you can find out in those junkyards," Foy added, hopefully hearing some interest in Emily's voice.

"I couldn't agree more," Emily replied to Nicholas with a gentle smile. "This elevator here," she said as she stepped onto it, "is something salvaged from what was formerly known as Deep Space 11. Thankfully, this was something we obtained, legally, from a surplus dealer. But we've been getting a small influx of newer Starfleet supplies and odds and ends. Not sure where exactly they're coming from, but I have a feeling it's not directly from them."

"I helped pull supplies from an Akira class a few weeks ago," Camila said. "There was a Federation station on an asteroid that got taken out, too, but I wasn't there for that."

Emily winced. "That's unfortunate," she said as she stepped behind the controls. She activated the power cells and then reached for one of the nearby harnesses. "The elevator's not prone to failure, but you should connect these to your waists as a safety precaution. Can't afford to have anyone slip and fall down the quarry by mistake."

Foy watched as Emily winced at what Camila had told her about Unity Station. He took a few steps forward and asked Emily, "You okay? You looked like you just saw a ghost when she said something about that Federation station. Know anybody from onboard or something?" Foy pointed to Camila, who had mentioned what happened to Federation bases and ships around here.

Camila secured herself to the hardness like Emily had done while she listened. "A number of ships have been taken out. The bridges always seem like a prime target from what I hear."

Emily tightened a strap and tugged on the chain that secured her harness to the elevator. "I've had a few run-ins with the Federation myself. In fact, I was once enlisted into their Starfleet. I know there are many out here who don't harbor love, much less appreciation or tolerance, for the Federation and its Starfleet. And while my own motives weren't pure, I'd be rotting away in some jail cell for mutiny if it wasn't for Harvey."

The blonde woman stepped back up to the controls and began a quick diagnostic. "I'll get this going in just a moment. Need to make sure the port stabilizer's not acting up."

Foy followed both of the women as he listened to Emily's story and locked in himself. He simply nodded his head as he waited for Emily to get the stabilizer online and to the acceptable levels.

"Harvey?" Camila asked, wondering if she was talking about Captain, no Commodore, Geisler and if she was the Yeoman that had betrayed him.

The elevator hummed to life, and Emily commanded it to move down into the quarry, which it slowly began to do. "Yep. Harvey Geisler," she answered, looking back to the female freighter captain. "A few years ago, I was in a tight spot, which forced my enlistment. I didn't enlist to escape the life I've always known, but to find an escape from those who forced me into captivity. I was supposed to find those captors a Starfleet ship so they could use the name of the Federation to sway certain sectors. That ship was almost the Black Hawk. All of us underestimated Commander Geisler. He's a damn fool, and a lucky one too. But the Golden Stars wouldn't exist today without him. So, in a way, all of us on this planet owe him our survival, however hard it's been."

Camila listened and compared it to the information on file. She hadn't had a bad record for being forced into it, all things considered, and the Commodore had given her and her family a berak. "At least you're here now and about to establish yourselves again. The ore is going to put you back on the quadrant map and I'd be happy to be a hauler captain for you for the right talk."

Foy hadn't been onboard the Black Hawk long enough to know what either one of them were talking about, but he was curious and wanted more information as well. So, he asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened? I've heard his name in some hauling circles, as I think he's still in the quadrant. But, that's about it. So, mind if I ask what happened since I'm newer than Francisca is to the quadrant."

Emily shrugged, glancing back to Jack before turning back to the controls. "It's a long story, the history of the Golden Stars, how we wound up out here... our rise to glory, and then our fall at the hands of The Syndicate. My part is only a small piece in that tapestry, or so my father would say. But, um, maybe I can share that more over dinner."

By now, the elevator had descended far enough that the mining operation could be seen. Scaffolds were all about, with several manned by miners using laser drills to cut entire slabs of the ore free from the mountain wall. Nearby, drones remained on standby with cages to collect the slabs and take to a nearby depot.

Emily took the opportunity to change the subject. "As you can see, our operation is still fairly new. We discovered the ore on a survey last year, and it's taken that long to collect enough mining equipment to get things started. So far, there's no side effects from extracting the birythium from the mountain. No harsh gases, no absorbing it into the lungs or body. That's not to say that the ore isn't toxic. There's just not enough knowledge about the element to know for sure. We need a good scientist to run some tests, which a friend of ours should be delivering soon."

"So you're taking blind risks until then?" Camila/Francisca asked. "I understand the risk versus reward, but that seems very dangerous until you know the long term effects." She paused. "Then again, I haul anything for profit, so that doesn't say much for me. I do like to protect my crews, though."

Foy listened to Camila and Emily talk for a moment before saying, "I'm not worried about hauling anything. Francisca, Emily, if you need someone to help out with hauling it. I'm your man."

Emily shrugged, looking at a pair of colonists that were loading a fresh slab onto a drone. "My family was an essential part of the economy out here for nearly two centuries, and we lost practically everything. We've got close to five hundred people here who relied on that, and starting over has been... well, it's been almost more than we can handle. The risk involved with these efforts is far less than just sitting around and trying to wait for an opportunity to reenter. If it's anything I've learned in life, you have to play with the cards you're dealt and control your own destiny."

"Well, I'd love to help in any way that you need and Francisca would let me. Just let me know!" Foy replied with a small smile.

"You're right and it wasn't my place to say," Camila said. "I'm the one offering to haul it without asking a lot of questions."

"Questions are fine," Emily said with a reassuring smile before she instructed the elevator to take them back to the top of the quarry. "Well, depending on the people you ask them too. One can never be too careful in these sectors."

"I like a bit of mystery, but I was also the kid in school that would read the end of the book before beginning it. Didn't like any surprises," Foy said with a small chuckle, smiling back as the elevator went back up to the top of the quarry.

"You have that right. The only mystery I don't like is when I'm eating next," Francisca said with a laugh.

"Then I'm glad that's not a mystery today," said Emily as the elevator neared the top. "I'll take you both over to the homestead and give you some time to rest and clean up before dinner." The blonde woman turned back to the controls and smiled. It was nice being among humans again. Hopefully this would be the start of a fruitful partnership.

RSS Feed