D-94 

Jell got on the elevator at residence level eight and said, “38 please” A female voice responded, “38 laboratory”. Jell didn’t notice how fast the elevator was going, since he had been on it so often for so long. All the incredible technology that allowed mining on K5, “the rock”, had lost its luster. When the junior engineer arrived, he was awestruck by it. Now it was just another day in the office.

Jell’s life became limited to for different levels after Astra passed away – his sleeping cube and the lounge on level eight, the cafeteria on level six, the gym on level four, and work on level 38.

Jell had only been to level one twice. Once when he first arrived, as part of a grand orientation tour and then on a date with Astra. The observation port viewed the planet’s barren surface—no life, no movement, just sand rocks and some debris from the first probe’s landing decades ago.

Jell thought that my mining career is nearly over with just three months left. My departure will be in 94 days (D-94). Twenty-six of us began this five-year “shift”; there are now 17 of us left. During Jell’s four years, the attrition rate had improved across the fifteen shifts. Then he felt the familiar pain. Jell heaved a sigh, and said out loud, Ah Astra, if only you had made it. He stopped before his mind went down that rabbit hole; 18 months of grief was enough. Miners like Astra flocked to take the risk of mining because they could earn enough for a very comfortable lifetime in a single five-year shift.

Although Jell called himself a miner, he never operated a mining trolley for any significant length of time; his job was to devise better, safer ways to mine. Over the years, he had successfully proven himself to be a gifted engineer and problem solver. Jell introduced many improvements that tripled productivity and safety. The mineral had flowed; the firm had been generous, and the credits in his account made Jell beyond being a wealthy man. He knew the company valued him, but he would soon learn just how much. Still, no matter how clever Jell was, mining in a hostile environment with powerful machinery was inherently dangerous.

The mineral was why they were here; precious beyond belief, and it seemed only found in God-forsaken places like the rock. Jell no longer blamed himself; it was just bad luck, and Astra would not have wanted that. She knew the risks.  Still, Jell had a hole in his heart and the ache of loss visited him often.

When a mining trolley detects a heavy mineral concentration, the sound it makes changes. Naturally, the miner, who gets paid based on yield, gets excited when the mining trolley starts what the miner call, “screaming”. The day Astra died, she had unearthed one of the largest mineral deposits yet. Her trolley was screaming and that briefly diverting her attention from the unstable ground alert, and that was all it took. She was gone, and Jell was heart was crushed.

Jell arrived on level 38, stepped off the elevator, and walked into his lab. The video of yesterday’s mining activities, along with the day’s production metrics, was already on his computer. Jell began studying them and was lost in thought when the intercom buzzed. He heard his supervisor, George, say, “Did you forget?” Before Jell could say forget what? George added, “There are 27 new miners in suits waiting for you”. Jell answered, “I’ll be right there.’’ He ran to his suit’s charging rack and proceeded to ‘suit up’. It took two minutes to get it on, and here the onboard computer said: “System Normal Jell.” It took another 5 minutes to get to the mining staging area.

Before him stood a group of twenty-seven new miners, ready to form a new shift. Their suits had tinted face masks that made it impossible to see their faces. He knew each had spent hours in the simulators, and safety was drilled into them ad nauseam. So Jell’s safety tour was deliberately different. His method was to take the miners to the spots where each of the nine of his shift had died.  He spoke of each one, a kind of eulogy, then told them how they died and what they did wrong. Finally, when they had returned to the mining airlock, he told them about Astra.  Then he said, “Everyone one of the nine who died here was a friend of mine. Each had a family; each was careless or lost concentration just once. Don’t let it happen to you.”

The newbies entered the airlock in groups, stepped out, and removed their helmets. The newbie next to Jell was struggling with the helmet release. Jell reached over and flicked it with his finger, and it released. She removed the helmet and took off a beanie cap, and that freed a bountiful head of long blonde hair. She took her suit off, and the form-fitting under-suit left nothing to the imagination. Jell thought OMG. There was no doubt she was a stunning beauty. She made eye contact, and Jell reactively smiled back and thought, Sweet Moses D-94, that’s trouble I don’t need. Hell quickly made his way to his office.

D-88

A week had passed. Jell was in the middle of his daily workout when he looked up and there was the Newbie. He had reviewed all the newbie’s stats sheets. Their bio information provided detailed descriptions and included pictures. This shift amazingly included seven really beautiful women, all blondes. Each was as gorgeous as the next. Her name was Hope, and she was a stunner. Born in a small town if Eckley in rural Pennsylvania, a mining county. He couldn’t help but notice her eyes were the bluest of blue. She smiled and asked if he could show her how to use the exercise machine properly. He obliged, and they exchanged some small talk. Then she said, “You know you are pretty famous”. Jell looked at Hope with a dubious expression. “There was a picture of you on the cover of the new life magazine“. Jell had given an interview via space chat and forgotten about it. “Oh that, I had forgotten about that interview”. She added, “You are even better looking in person. When you return to earth, you will be a celebrity”. Jell said, “Enjoy your workout,” and headed to one of the running machines. Jell thought, wow, Hope’s beautiful and a nice person too, 88 days kiddo, keep your head in the game. 

D-85

Jell was sitting in the dining hall, tucked away in a corner, eating dinner and reading. The company provided an unlimited supply of up-to-date reading material, and Jell loved to read. Contact with the earth was real-time thanks to the amazing properties of the mineral. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. Hope was coming over with a tray of food, said, “Hello, hope I’m not disturbing you?” and sat down. Jell had a choice either tell Hope I’m just finished and leave, or stay and chat. He looked at her, smiled, and said, “Please, welcome”. He thought, there’s no harm in some companionship, right? Jell knew he was kidding himself. She was dangerous for a short-timer. She seemed more than pleased and they spoke for a good 40 minutes when Jell left.

D-80 

They dropped the pretense of randomness for their meetings after a few more ‘unplanned’ encounters, and now they deliberately organized their meetings. They worked out together and ate dinner together. It struck Jell as odd that Hope had a schedule to match him. Newcomers typically had to work long and difficult shifts because of the continuous nature of mining operations. Yet he checked the assignment schedule, and Hope’s shift had the coveted earth hours, the same as the hours Jell worked. Jell was suspicious. He didn’t believe in luck but was thankful and decided not to probe further.

D-78

They were in the lounge, and it was unusually busy. Hope casually said, “Let’s go somewhere we can be alone”. Jell thought she was beautiful. I am crazy about her and I’m leaving in 78 days. What am I doing? Not long after, they were alone in Jell’s sleeping cubicle. The first time it all happened a bit too fast, by the time they fell asleep, all was right, though. Jell’s last thoughts before he dozed off. OMG, what have I done?

D-70

“George, can you provide the home office with an update on our special operation?” they asked.” “Well, they are sleeping together and spending all their free time together. He’s smitten, no doubt about it. How could he not be? The computer matching works 98% of the time. I’ve talked to her. She’s a real doll.” What about her? Is she as into it as him?” “She told her sister: I’ve met someone, and it is very serious.” “Ok George, let’s continue to make it easy for them, and let them cement the bond for a few more weeks.”

D-55

The puppet master at the home office was right, day by day the bond grew stronger. The days flew by.

D-45

It was their day off and they were sleeping in. It was the first time Hope spoke of it. “You’re leaving in 45 days, and I am so in love with you. I don’t know what I will do without you.” She was crying. “I am sorry, Hope. Let’s go get some breakfast. I need time to think.” It was then that Hope’s communication bracelet chimed. She glanced at the small screen and said, “Oh My God, my shift was transferred to the forward sector for the next nine days.””

The forward sector was where exploration for new mineral veins was done.  It was the most dangerous of the mining operations. The shift out there operated independently from a much smaller facility with limited contact. Jell thought, I can’t lose her, and this can’t happen again.

D-33

The nine days passed agonizingly slowly. Jell had learned to appreciate how much she meant to him. Hope walked into Jell’s sleeping cubicle. He saw the rings under her eyes. The tears flowed immediately, “It was horrible, I missed you so much”. They spent the night snuggling. Hope was inconsolable at first. It took several hours, but eventually, she seemed to come around. Joel thought when she was away, my life felt incomplete. When they awoke, both first thoughts of the day were -it is D-32.  

D-32

After breakfast, Jell found his way to his lab, and there was a message from George. “Please come to my office.” It had been a long time since Jell had been to the boss’s office. He arrived and George looked up and said, “Hello Jell, I’ll be direct – your new separation process is excellent, and we’re already seeing a 30% increase in the capture rate. We, I mean the company, would like you to extend your contract for a year. I just sent you the offer, and it is beyond generous. Jell said “I have spent nearly five years on this rock I need out” George said “What about Hope? I understand from my sources that she didn’t like the forward section very much.”

That thinly veiled threat hit Jell like a brick. The blondes, the convenient schedule, the psychological testing a few months back. It was all scripted. Hope was a psychological computer match. Astra gave them his preference for blondes. They knew he would get caught in their web. The revelation must have shown on his face. George said, “Hope didn’t know; there was no need.  It was not my idea, I had no choice”. Jell needed time to calm down. “I will think about it, George,” and he left.

As soon as Jell left the office, George was on the phone with Paul Strickland. “He said he would think about it. Paul, I’m not sure making an enemy of one of the most well-known, brilliant engineers of our time was a wise move.” Paul responded, “George, since Jell joined us, our productivity has risen each month and you and we both have become very wealthy men. Do you think we can just let the golden goose walk away?”

D-28 

Despite being furious, Jell understood that developing the best plan of action required a composed mind. He forced himself to regain control. First, he had a suspicion to check, and he thoroughly went through his office and sleeping quarters, found their listening devices, and disabled them. He then downloaded and copied all the communications between George and the home office. He also copied the last 2 months’ assignment schedule. The security encryption posed no problem, as he was the original developer. Jell listened to every communication. What he heard made him sick to his stomach. He sent the copy via a discrete channel to a good friend on earth with instructions and a synopsis of what happened. He then explained to Hope what he had discovered and asked Hope if was aware of their plan. Her response was shock and outrage. “Of course not, but come to think of it, some of their interview questions seemed too personal.”

When he received confirmation of receipt from his friend, he moved on to composing his response. He addressed it to the interstellar CEO and each of the board of directors.

Sir/Madam

You have repaid my loyalty and over four years of successful, hard work with treachery, psychological manipulation, violating my privacy, and then threatening the woman I love. As such, and under my contract I will leave k5 in 28 days, when the transport departs. My employment with Interstellar will terminate. Hope Stillwell will accompany me.

You will release Ms Stillwell from her contract and pay her earnings to her date of departure.  

You have 24 hours to accept.

I have taken some steps to ensure your complete cooperation.

He included the evidence list of the evidence he had accumulated and a synopsis of what happened. It was all there, the listening devices types and where discovered, transcripts and copies of all the relevant conversations between the home office and George. The evidence was undeniable.

He then pressed the send key. Twenty minutes later, Interstellar Mining’s CEO Wolfgang Specker got a call from board member Vicky Wong. “Wolfgang, have you looked at the Email from Jell Olsen on k5? if you haven’t, I think you better.” Specker said, “Hold on”. She heard some keyboard noises, then a pause that seemed to last forever, and then Wolfgang gasped and said, “Oh My God.” Followed by a string of profanity that only a former miner could put together. Vicky then said “I take it then you did not know of this?” Wolfgang barked back “Absolutely not, but I will find out who does, and when I do there will be hell to pay”. Vicky hung up the phone before the Next stream of profanity, which she knew was coming, erupted. Wolfgang started his career as a miner, as did Mrs. Specker, and they were very protective of their “people’’. One by one, the other board members called and registered their outrage. Throughout the company, Jell’s valuable contributions had earned him widespread recognition and made him well known and liked.

A couple of time zones away, and two hours later, Paul Strictland, Chief of Mining Operations for Interstellar, was enjoying a glass of fine bourbon and feeling pretty smug; I’ve got Jell on the hook for a couple more years. The mineral will flow, and my bonus will continue to be fabulous. Then his communication bracelet chimed. It was Wolfgang, he answered and before he could say a word Wolfgang said, “Get to a screen” Paul walked to his home office, tapped a few keys, and an angry Wolfgang appeared on the large screen before him. “I’ve forwarded an email to you. Please read it.” Paul found the email, opened it, and read it. “Wolfgang, this wasn’t supposed to happen” “Paul, what in God’s name were you thinking? You are terminated immediately. Within 48 hours, you must vacate the company’s apartment, and you also notice that all your user access has been deleted.  You will not contact K5 or seek retribution against Mr. Olsen or Ms. Stillwell, or we will seek to claw back prior bonuses. Do you understand me, Paul?”

In the hour since Wolfgang learned of Paul Strickland’s scheme, he spoke to security, and legal, and instructed technology to kill all of Strickland’s access. He also thoroughly discussed the matter with his now equally outraged wife, Beverly.

Jell’s wristband communicator chimed in a tone he was unfamiliar with. He answered, “Jell, this is Wolfgang Specker. Can you please get to a screen? I like to look a man in the eye when we talk”. Jell did as asked, and with a few keystrokes, Wolfgang appeared on the screen. “Jell, first, I want to assure you no one on the board had any knowledge of what was done. We are as shocked as you. We fired the executive who was responsible. Your requests are, of course, acceptable, but we will not accept your resignation. When you return, I would consider it a personal favor if you and Ms Stillwell would meet with me to discuss your future with Interstellar.” Before Jell could respond, Wolfgang ended the call. Wolfgang thought, there was no point staying on the line for a no.

Departure Day

Hope had insisted on working with her shift until the day before departure. The news of what happened had spread through the rock. George,  Jell’s supervisor was understandably ‘lying low’ and Jell hadn’t spoken to him since the threat. The going-away party for Jell’s shift was the best he could remember. Jell had to laugh every time another hand-picked blonde from Hope’s shift came to Jell to say goodbye -Hope made certain she was close by.  

Finally, the couple had said the last of their goodbyes, and they headed to the transport with a single duffle each. The remaining 16 from Jell’s shift were there, all eager to start the voyage home, most hungover, but ecstatic at the thought of going home.