“Are you sure you want to order the three OmniTech logic cores? Saagar asked Mckenzie. “The cores will add an additional three million to your debt.”

  “His repair bots are just giant paperweights without the cores,” the Chief interjected.

  “Too bad I can’t buy empty cores and program them myself,” Mac muttered. And what’s a paperweight? His implant’s assistant treated that thought as a query and supplied an answer. Oh, that’s what a paperweight is.

  “You can,” the Chief replied, pulling Mac’s attention back to the topic at hand. “It would also save you at least a third of the credits, depending on logic core prices. OmniTech rarely offers discounts or does sales.”

  “I’m not that good with programming,” Mac said.

  “Pity,” Saagar replied. “I’ll have Victoria order the full cores from OmniTech for you.”

  Wait a minute. I do have a researcher’s implant with access to a lot of academic databases. Surely someone put some repair bot code out there at some point in time, Mac thought. “Hang on Saagar. Let me check a few databases and see if I can find some public domain code.”

  “Ah. You are thinking of using your implant’s access,” the adviser AI concluded. “Good thinking.”

  “Thanks,” Mac replied as he sent a query through several academic databases. “Geez, there’s a ton of updated, personalized, and modified code for Decs out there.”

  “Share that with us,” the Chief said.

  “You two don’t have access to all the academic databases?” Mac asked.

  “We do, but don’t know which ones you’re in,” Saagar answered.

  “Oh. Yeah, that makes sense,” Mac replied, sending the AI and droid his query and results. He started browsing the modules that caught his eye.

  “Your Net access is much better than I thought it would be,” Saagar commented. “I may have to start recommending this 4dFX Scholar implant to future students over the standard TC model.”

  “I doubt Titan Custer would approve of that,” Mac pointed out while still checking out logic modules. The thought of the corporation’s AI denying them profit still made him smile.

  “Probably not,” the Chief agreed.

  “True,” Saagar replied. “Still, perhaps the higher ups would be agreeable to a deal to rebrand the implant and sell it for a higher profit to students… but that’s getting off track.”

  “Indeed,” the Chief replied. “Mckenzie, I’ve highlighted three logic modules I think would do what you want and then some.”

  Mac checked out what she sent him. “I like this one by the former OmniTech programmer turned professor. The notes say he submitted this to the company, but they turned it down. I wonder why.”

  “Because OmniTech did not want to pay the professor royalties,” Saagar answered.

  “And they most likely reverse engineered his code and made just enough changes to make it their own legally,” Chief Alexandra added.

  And it’s not like there’s any higher powers to appeal to over the executives except for in a few systems that have stuck with the older nation state system, Mac thought. Oh, that’s nice. This code will work on any core, not just LogicTech branded logic cores. Ha! The notes even state the professor made the code change so the module would work on any logic core after the corporation turned down his submission.

  “Chief, can you recommend a generic logic core that will work with Decs?” Mac asked. “I’ve never had to replace logic cores before unless it was with another OmniTech core.”

  “MMI Technology makes a good logic core that is used by many robotic and droid manufacturers, including OmniTech,” she answered. She sent him a link. “This model is only a half million credits and works well with Decs. If I gambled, I would bet this core is the same one OmniTech sells except its missing the corporate code and branding.”

  “Saagar, can you…”

  “Done,” the AI replied, cutting Mac off. “Victoria states the logic cores will arrive sometime solmorrow or the sol after.”

  “Thanks,” Mac replied.

  “Don’t forget that your merlin is due to arrive solmorrow as well,” Chief Alexandra reminded Mckenzie.

  “I haven’t forgotten. I’m too excited to forget,” Mac replied. “But thanks for the reminder. I’m going to go get something to eat and then some sleep.”

  “Go and lock up your Decs before you do,” the Chief instructed. “Some students are fond of pulling not so funny pranks that set others back.”

  “Right. Thanks again,” Mac replied. Somehow, I’m not surprised. He did as she suggested and locked the three repair bots in the storage compartment he had been issued before heading back to the dorms.

  *

  The cores arrived while Mac was exercising early the next morning. That was fast. I should take a few minutes and examine them. Then, I can start downloading the logic module to them. Then, do some target practice.

  Mac nodded to himself and finished up his exercise routine. After a quick sonic shower, he headed toward the repair facility.

  *

  I’m not surprised the Chief is here. Seems she oversees more than just ship services, unless TC considers all repairs and bots part of ship services. Perhaps I should find out.

  Mckenzie shook off those thoughts and picked up his cores. He examined them for physical flaws and ran a couple of quick tests to test the circuits.

  Green across the board. Mac installed the cores in his Decs and then plugged in data cables to each bot.

  Despite all the technical advances humanity has made over the centuries, fiber optic cables are still the superior way to transmit large amounts of data unless you have military grade laser comms, Mac thought with a grin. Now for the fun part. Sending my credentials to the database over the academy’s connection. Approved and my download has started.

  Mac watched the downloads for a couple of minutes. This won’t take long at all thanks to TCA’s fat data pipe. That reminds me that I’ll most likely have to upgrade the antennas on the Lady Hawk. Even if I don’t have to, I’ll most likely want to, unless the sensor package comes with a good communication antenna.

  My implant’s connection isn’t bad, but it’s not as good as a ship’s. He did a quick check. Thank you, Marconi! That saves me from having to spend more credits.

  “Mckenzie, the Durand’s Shipping tug has arrived and is bringing your caravel down now,” Saagar announced. “If you’d like to watch their approach, the tug is coming down on the south side of the repair facility. Your ship will then be moved into one of the repair hangers.”

  “Thanks Saagar. I’d like to watch,” Mac replied. He left the download going and headed out to watch his merlin arrive.

  22

  Maybe Europa will be like Mars eventually and have a fully breathable atmosphere, Mac mused as he secured his rebreather mask. TC claims they’re still working on terraforming the moon and Europa will be a fully livable world eventually. It might even be true.

  He zipped up his coat and put on his gloves. Europa was a cold moon. And while the Europa’s surface was survivable when properly equipped, the cold was still far below what most of humanity favored and the air itself still had more than a trace of ammonia in it. Which is why people wear rebreathers when on the surface.

  Mckenzie then pulled up his hood and keyed the airlock open. He felt the pressure in the airlock start to change.

  I’m sure people will be happy about not having to use airlocks and live in domes one sol, but until then, they’ll happily live in their domes. I know I won’t miss this place when I graduate, Mac thought as he waited for the pressure to equalize. He grinned. And I get the irony of living in domes when I want to live in a can that travels through space.

  Mac stepped through the outer door when it opened. He stopped. I hate walking out here. This lighter gravity makes me feel like I’m floating even if I’ve never seen, read about, or heard of anyone just floating away from the surface. But you sure can jump far if you want to.

  Mckenzie blinked and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim bluish white light that was the result of the partial terraforming that had been done to Europa. He walked some distance from the airlock, looked up, and glanced around.

  Ah! There’s the tug.

  Mac heard steps and looked to his left. Chris Tabors and Deigo Alberto joined him. Mac nodded to them, and they returned the gesture.

  Unlike Chris and Mckenzie, Deigo had grown up on a small freight hauling schooner, though his family was still poor. Deigo’s and his parents’ hope had been that he attending TCA would allow them to acquire another relatively cheap ship for their independent company.

  “What brings you guys out here?” Mac asked the pair. “From what you’ve said, you two dislike Europa’s surface even more than I do.”

  “That’s because we grew up on stations or on ships like civilized people, instead of down in the dirt like you red dirt loving Martian barbarians,” Deigo quipped. Chris and Mac laughed.

  “Saagar told us that the incoming tug was bringing something we should see,” Chris said, answering Mckenzie’s question. “Is that why you’re out here?”

  “Sort of,” Mac replied. “That tug is bringing my ship down.”

  “Your ship?” Chris asked. Mac nodded.

  “You bought a used ship instead of agreeing to take one of the Yellowjackets?” Deigo asked. “Why in the deep dark would you do that?”

  “Because the Lady Hawk will be a better ship once completely refurbished than the Yellowjackets are,” Mckenzie answered. His two companions shared a look. “I’m not wild about her name either and haven’t thought of anything else to name her yet.”

  “Ah,” Deigo replied. “What class of ship is this Lady Hawk?”

  “A caravel,” Mac replied.

  “Really?” Chris asked. “Sloops replaced the caravel class years ago.”

  “I know, but I’m not interested in privateering or working as a scout or hauler,” Mac replied.

  “Then, what are you interested in doing?” Deigo asked.

  As the tug came closer to the surface, Mac spotted the birdlike shape of his merlin attached to the tug’s rear. He felt a flutter of excitement hit him and smiled behind his mask. “Maybe exploring, which caravels were built for.”

  “You’re nuts,” Chris replied. “Still, there’s money in it if you’re lucky enough. I’m going the privateer route myself.”

  “I’m just going to haul freight for my family,” Deigo said. “Maybe, I’ll hire you two as escorts from time to time.”

  “Only if you pay top credit so I can afford my future harem,” Chris joked. Mac and Deigo laughed. Chris looked back up. “Is that…”

  “Si,” Deigo replied. “Mckenzie’s ship is bird shaped.”

  “You bought a merlin instead of a Nina or Zheng He?” Chris asked.

  “And this ship is named Lady Hawk?” Deigo added.

  “Yes,” Mac answered. The other two young men started laughing. “The original owner thought the name was ironic or at least humorous given the historical context of the term merlin. And at least the ship class wasn’t named after the mythical wizard.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Oh, my stars!” Chris said, laughing even harder. “That’s not something I had even thought about.”

  “Sorry Mckenzie, but it’s too funny,” Deigo said, fighting his laughter. “For an emblem, you need to paint a bird wearing a wizard’s hat on the side of your ship.”

  “Yuck it up, you two,” Mac said. “We’ll see who’s laughing when I’m done overhauling her.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Deigo said, clapping Mac on the back. “I’ve seen enough and am going back inside.”

  “Me too,” Chris said, shrugging his shoulders. “Best of luck with your bird Mckenzie.”

  The two walked back toward the repair facility, leaving Mac alone. He shook his head. They’ll see how wrong they are when I get done with her.

  23

  What the heck? Mac thought as he watched the tug and Lady Hawk land. That support between the bridge ports wasn’t broken like that and the ports hadn’t been busted out either!

  He started walking towards the ships. Mac heard the lock open behind him as the tug’s clamps disengaged from the merlin and retracted into the tug. The tug then moved away from the caravel and landed on a closer pad.

  “Mckenzie, stop,” Chief Alexandra said. “Do not approach the Lady Hawk. With the ports busted out like that, the ship will be filled with radiation.”

  “But the damage…”

  “I know. It wasn’t there when we examined the ship,” the Chief replied. “Alain Durand will need to adjust the price accordingly.”

  Guess it’s a good thing we didn’t pay in full ahead of time, Mac thought. “Alright.”

  A short, masked heavy worlder walked down the tug’s now open ramp. The man glanced at the Chief and then Mac. He then approached them. “You, Mckenzie Edwards?”

  “Yes,” Mac answered.

  “I’m Ryan Purdy,” the man said. “And I’m a tug captain for Durand’s Shipping. I need you to sign for this junker and finish paying so I can get off this sissy gravity filled moon.”

  “Charming,” the Chief murmured. Mac stifled a laugh as the tug captain pulled a tablet from his pocket and started flicking through screens.

  “Who broke my ship?” Mac asked. “I’m not signing or authorizing payment for anything until I get some answers and a refund for the damage.”

  “Beats me kid. The ship was like that when we picked her up,” Captain Purdy replied. “Maybe Mr Durand knows.”

  “It’s not like I can just call him,” Mac retorted. The tug captain shrugged his massive shoulders. “Quantum communication works great for in system, but humanity still hasn’t cracked the code to allow intersystem communication.”

  “Yeah, yeah. That’s why GalNet is on duplicate servers in every system and updates are carried on ship networks that are then uploaded and downloaded at each place a ship docks. Don’t tell me what I already know,” Purdy said. “But the damage was brought up to the boss and he said he’d take half off the shipping charge.”

  “That will barely pay for decontamination,” the Chief pointed out.

  “Not my problem,” Purdy said with a shrug.

  Mac glanced up at the broken ports and support beam as the Chief got into a slight argument with the tug captain. I could just cut out the support and go with a single larger port. Maybe even move the pilot’s console so it’s centered and then leave the copilot console in storage. That would improve visibility…

  Yes, that’ll work, Mac thought, coming to a decision. “I’ll take the discount.”

  “Works for me,” Purdy said. He sent Mckenzie the contract.

  “Seems Mr Durand already updated his copy of the contract with the damage and discount,” Mac said after examining the contract. He sent it to Saagar and Victoria for the AIs to examine as well. Contract law was an upper classman course and not something he understood except for not authorizing anything you haven’t read.

  Saagar and Victoria quickly approved of the updated contract and Victoria sent payment pending Mac’s authorization of the contract. Mac had his assistant help him go over the contract one last time and authorized it. He sent the contract back to Purdy.

  “Thanks. Here’s the Hawk’s title and master’s key,” the tug captain said sending Mckenzie a file and handing him a data crystal. “Welcome to the rat race kid and good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  *

  Mac and the Chief watched as his Decs and some of the academy’s repair bots decontaminated the Lady Hawk. He explained to her his idea for the bridge.

  “That’s not a bad idea but removing a console will leave the bridge with even more empty space,” she said.

  “Maybe I could put in a cooler, entertainment screen, and microwave or something,” Mac replied.

  “You could, but that would defeat the purpose of the habitat module,” the Chief countered. “And you should probably speak with the Highpoint rep once they arrive to take measurements this week.”

  “Good point,” Mac conceded. Though I’m still going do the single large port instead of separate eye ports, he thought. “And I’ll have plenty to do in the meantime working on the hull.”

  “True. You’ll be able to start solmorrow,” the Chief replied. “Victoria says your reactor will be here in three sols, so we’ll be able to install that soon as well. Before you ask, after testing, we’ll leave the reactor on standby and use academy power for lights and fuel. It won’t cost you as much as you think.”

  “Crap! I forgot to order replacement fixtures and bulbs,” Mac said. The Chief smiled.

  “Welcome to ship ownership,” Saagar said as Mckenzie pulled up the ship specs and found the types of light fixtures and bulbs the merlin class needed.

  “Funny Saagar. Very funny,” Mac replied. “How about sending this request over to Victoria for me?”

  “I know you’re in a rush to get things in motion, but don’t order new fixtures and bulbs yet,” the Chief advised. “Highpoint might use something different these sols than they did over a century ago.”

  “Alright. Thanks for the advice, Chief,” Mac replied.

  “You’re welcome. Now, scoot. Go relax while you have a chance,” the Chief said. “You’ll be more than busy starting tomorrow.”

  24

  “Cluck, cluck,” one of the students said.

  “Quack, quack,” another added. A third started whistling.

  “Cheep, cheep,” Chris and Deigo chimed in.

  “Caw, caw,” a girl named Cristina called from behind Mac as she joined them in the lounge.

  I can always remember the girls’ names, Mac thought. I bet I’m not alone in that.

  “You guys are hilarious,” Mac said, flipping them off, and flopping into one of the empty lounge chairs. The others laughed. Lamont Hall, the one that had clucked, flapped his arms and clucked again. Mac laughed along with the others.

  “Better get used to it, man,” Deigo said. “I think you’ll be hearing bird sounds a lot over the next few years.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Mac replied. “I’m aware it’ll get worse when the rest of the students return. But hopefully, everyone will show their maturity and get over it in time.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” Cristina said. “It’s not like young men are known for their maturity.”

  Chris stuck his tongue out at her. She tossed popcorn back at him. Laughter followed their antics.

  “Have all of you seen my ship?” Mac asked.

  “Yep,” Paula, one of the other two girls that had stayed answered. “What made you buy a caravel?”

  “And more importantly, why a merlin class?” Tiffany, the other young woman, asked.

  “Well, caravels have a few advantages over sloops when starting out such as their long legs, fuel scoop, and the hab module,” Mac replied, answering Paula’s question. He tossed the merlin class specs up on the lounge’s large view screen. “And Tiffany, I like the design. It’s different.”

  “Wait, this thing has a fuel scoop?” Cristina asked.

  “Yep,” Mac answered. “Caravels were built for exploration and if you’re in an undocumented system, it’s not like there are stations to stop at for fuel.”

  “True,” Cristina conceded with a laugh.

  “Even upgraded, your merlin will be slower than a Yellowjacket,” Deigo pointed out.

  “And will have less firepower,” Chris added.

  “Like I said before, the Hawk was made for exploration instead of fighting. We’ll be fine,” Mac replied. “Besides, I’ve found a few surprises that’ll help with that if push comes to shove.”

  “Forget that crap!” Paula exclaimed. “Look at the hab specs. Even at level 1 these things came with their own galley, captain’s cabin, and bathtub!”

  She then pushed the specs to the side and used the large screen to display pictures of the original Merlin habitat module.

  Some of these guys look jealous all a sudden, especially the girls. But I did tell them there were advantages.

  “Can we go take a look at the inside?” Cristina asked.

  “Sure, after she’s finished being decontaminated,” Mac answered. He explained about the busted ports. “Though, I’m afraid there’s nothing much to look at.”

  “What do you mean?” Tiffany asked.

  “The Hawk was stripped to the bones,” Mckenzie answered.

  “That really sucks,” Deigo said.

  “So, you just really bought a hull?” Conrad, one of the other guys asked. Mac nodded. “That’s going to be expensive to refurbish and upgrade. You would have been better off with a Yellowjacket.”

  “Not necessarily,” Lamont countered before Mac could say anything. “To start with, this means Mckenzie can put in whatever he wants. Some of the modules out there are cheap and nearly worthless while others are nice for their price and might even last him years.”

  Mac smiled and nodded. Lamont shared some information on the screen.

  He’s even spotted some of what I picked out, Mac thought.

  “Alright, I can see that,” Conrad replied. “But that’s not the case if Mckenzie was trying to cheap out.”

  The others looked at Mac.

  “That had been my original plan,” Mckenzie admitted. “But Lamont hit the nail on the head. After seeing the costs, I decided to put more into her. Some of the modules I’ve ordered should last until the Lady Hawk hits levels 6-10. So, my upfront costs will be more than a Yellowjacket…”

  “But cheaper in the long run,” Chris concluded. Mac grinned and nodded. “Nice plan if it works out. But I’m still not sold on a caravel standing up to modern ships though.”

  “Mckenzie has mentioned exploration twice, so I don’t think competing against us is in his plans,” Deigo said.

  “What about the habitat module though?” Paula asked. “Are you getting one that has a tub?”

  “Yeah,” Mckenzie replied. “Highpoint Manufacturing is still in business and even still makes the merlin modules.”

  “That’ll work out nicely for you, Mckenzie,” Lamont said. “You’ll be able to move aboard your ship starting our second year if your refurb is done by then.”

  “Huh?” Tiffany replied.

  “What are you talking about?” Deigo asked. “I mean, I know the rules say we can move into off academy housing if we can find something cheaper or if we can afford something better, but I wasn’t aware that included ships.”

  The others, including Mac, voiced variations of the same or nodded their heads.

  “Well, it does,” Lamont said, tossing up the academy student rules on the screen. “Any of us can move aboard our ships if we want to save some credits. Of course, it’s only about half of our housing fees due to TCA charging docking and power fees, but every little bit helps.”

  “Mckenzie, some of these floorplans show two cabins,” Deigo said. “Need a roommate?”

  “Nah, I ordered the Highpoint New River single cabin module,” Mac replied.

  “Want a bunkie?” Paula asked.

  “What? But we…” Conrad muttered.

  Paula looked at Conrad and shrugged. “We’re talking about a private bathtub and galley here. And it’s not like Mckenzie is hard on the eyes either.”

  Paula winked at Mac. The other girls laughed while Conrad scowled at him.

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” Mac said. I don’t want to be part of any drama either.

  Most of the others laughed. Conrad continued to scowl.

  “Smart man,” Lamont said. “Avoid the drama while you can.”

  Mac tipped an imaginary hat to the other man, which caused more laughter.

  25

  “What the heck?” Mckenzie exclaimed the next sol when he saw what was scrawled on the Lady Hawk’s hull. “B-b-b bird, bird, bird, b-bird’s the word? What does that even mean and why would someone paint that?”

  “That is a line from a 1960s American rock song titled Surfin’ Bird,” Saagar answered. “Would you like to listen to the song?”

  “Uh… wait. You have music from the 1960s here?” Mac replied.

  “Earth’s entire musical catalog can be found on the GalNet. The same is true for every other human settlement if the local government or corporation has not banned it,” Saagar explained.

  “I see. I suppose since you have access to the song then Titan Custer hasn’t banned Earth music,” Mac said, doing a search for Surfin’ Bird.

  “Indeed,” Saagar replied. “Old Earth classical is quite popular amongst the executives.”

  “Oh, you man like Swift?”

  “No. I mean Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and the like. True classical music, not pop garbage.”

  “Oh. I’ve never heard of those guys,” Mac said. Seems Saagar is a bit of an elitist.

  “That is not surprising,” Saagar replied dryly. Mac smiled and let the comment slide. “Should I play the song for you?”

  “No thanks. I found it,” Mac answered, playing the song. He burst out laughing within a minute. “This is terrible!”

  “I would say it is an acquired taste, but not for everyone, just like your ship,” Saagar said.

  “That’s a dig, Saagar,” Mac replied.

  “True. I apologize.”

  “Accepted, but you didn’t have to apologize. I don’t mind jokes at my expense,” Mac said. “The graffiti is a different story though. I suppose you know who is responsible.”

  “I do. A mark has been put in their record,” Saagar replied as Mac ran his hand over the graffiti covered hull plate. “And I will advise them not to do so again.”

  Too many repairs have been made here over the years. I bet the metal is weak, Mac thought. He summoned his Decs and had one of them run a test on the plate in question. Yep. It’s too weak. Good thing I was already thinking about replacing the plate.

  “I guess it’s a good thing I plan on replacing that hull plate,” Mac said. He sent the Decs to test the rest of the hull. Which is something I should have done before accepting the ship. He sighed. Live and learn. But I also didn’t have working Decs then, so whatever.

  “Good morning, Mckenzie,” Chief Alexandra said as she joined him at the Lady Hawk. A man walked behind her.

  Wait, that’s another droid, Mac thought. “Good morning.”

  “Mckenzie, this is Engineer Michelangelo. He will be assisting and overseeing your work on the Lady Hawk,” the Chief said by way of introduction. “He will also be primarily responsible for the Lady Hawk’s upgrade and refurbishment.”

  “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mckenzie, and look forward to working together,” the engineer said. “You may call me Michelangelo, Engineer, or Engineer Michelangelo. In time, I may allow you to use my nickname instead.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Michelangelo,” Mac replied. Michelangelo looks like a tall, male version of the Chief. I bet that was done on purpose since I’ve seen a few other droids about that could pass as their siblings if they were human. I bet someone in power got a deal on the droids or has a type.

  “Has Saagar told you about the graffiti? The Chief asked. Mac nodded. “Well, in that case, I’ll leave you and Michelangelo to it.”

  “I see you have your repair bots scanning the hull,” the engineer said as the Chief left them.

  “Yeah. This hull plate is weak,” Mac said, tapping the graffiti covered plate. “So, I’m going to replace it and thought I’d better check the rest of the hull too.”

  “Good thinking,” Michelangelo replied. “Let’s leave them to it and go get you some tools.”

  “Let me guess. These tools will be added to my debt, and I’ll be responsible for them,’ Mac said. Michelangelo nodded. “And they’ll probably be cheap and something I’ll have to replace in a few years, if not months.”

  “No. The tools are not cheap and yes, you are responsible for them. The Chief does not allow inferior tools in her domain,” Michelangelo explained as he started leading Mac towards the back of the repair facility. “The Triton Toolworks’ Engineering 1 set should last you years to come. Titan Custer has a deal with Triton Toolworks to supply academy students with their tools.”

  I’m surprised at that. TC must have gotten a very good deal with TT. That or some nepotism is involved somehow. Still, a good general tool set made by one of the galaxy’s premier tool manufacturers isn’t something to sneeze at.

  *

  “Michelangelo, why am I being assigned a tool set?” Mac asked as the engineer double checked the toolbox’s contents a lot quicker than any human could.

  “All students are assigned a set during the second part of the basic repair course,” the droid answered. “But since you are one of the few that tested out of the course, you and those others are being assigned your tools when you get your ships.”

  “That makes sense. So, no more using school property,” Mac said.

  “Indeed. Everything is here,” Michelangelo said as he placed the last wrench back in the toolbox. “While the Engineering 1 set doesn’t have every tool you’ll ever need, it does contain the most common small ship tools including a welder, safety gear, and the specialized reactor tools you’ll need for any small ship reactor. The chest itself has repulson lifts and a simple AI that can follow you around or be programmed to return to a certain location, such as your lockup space. The chest even has a biometric lock in addition to security key encryption. I advise you to set both locks. I am sending you your tool purchase agreement and authorization.”

  “Sweet,” Mac replied. Here goes another quarter million credits that weren’t mentioned. But, as he said, the tools should last years.

  Mckenzie read the agreement and authorized it. He then sent a copy back to Michelangelo. Mac then followed the engineer’s instructions and set up both locks. The chest beeped and rose up into the air. It only hovered a few centimeters over the floor. Mac led the tool chest and Michelangelo back to the Lady Hawk so they could start work on the hull.