EVE Fiction

Mark Gorenson entered the lounge and dropped into one of the comfortable chairs in the corner.
“What a day” the Gallante trader said to himself. “I could use a drink.” He thought knowing that he would not get one any time soon.
Mark sat there enjoying the silence for a few moments. The silence was a welcome break from all the tension and chaos going on in the council chambers.
Finally he pulled out a communicator and called his wife.
“Mark, how is it going there” she asked.
“You would not believe this, the arguing and stubbornness of all of them. I just want to get back in our ship and get back to work.”
“Well we got the cargo and will need to get underway ASAP”
“Not soon enough for me. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“OK see you soon.”
“You too, keep the boys out of trouble”
She laughed “easier said then done.”
After disconnecting Mark once again enjoyed the silence until the door opened and the last person he wanted to see walked in the door.

Vance Carroll crossed the room and sat next to Mark.
“Thought I’d find you here” he said as if nothing had happened between them.”
Mark jus glared at the Caldari administrator.
Vance sighed “I have been trying to get hold of you for weeks you know.”
Mark grunted “I know I’ve been avoiding you.”
“You see that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He opened his case and pulled out a bottle. “Here I figured you could use a shot” he poured two glasses and offered one to Mark.
Mark took the drink and said “you know that we are not supposed to drink during the council deliberations don’t you?”
Vance snorted “do you really think that anything you or I say to that group of morons out there is going to make any difference at all?”
Mark grinned as he took a long drink. “You’re probably right.”
He set the now empty glass down and glared at Vance “OK administrator Vance” he said sarcastically. “You want to explain about what happened after I left your facility?”
Vance refilled both glasses “Ex-administrator, they demoted me.”
Mark’s eyebrows went up “oh really, what happened I know that you worked hard to get that position.”
Vance held up his hands “Mark you and I have been friends as well as business acquaintances for a lot of years. But you have to know that I had no idea that they were going to ambush you.”
“Don’t give me that your own assistant is the one that sent us to that asteroid belt.”
“Ok, just let me tell you what happened. If you remember you and I parted on not the best of terms.”
“Yea, I finally confronted you with that lame story you were telling me about that colony being a long term medical care facility.”
“Right, now you have to understand that I was told to cling to that story no matter what. The thing that I didn’t know was that Kyle, my assistant reported our conversation to my superiors and they told him to wait until you left my office and then find a reason to send you to that Asteroid field. “
“Wait a sec “Mark interrupted “he told me that you would meet me there and explain the whole situation to me.”
“Meanwhile my superior in the company called and kept me online with updates and reports for almost an hour. And even then they wanted more information. It took me hours to get it all.”
“And by then the attack against us was over.”
“That’s right. Oh by the way just out of curiosity how did you get out of that? I didn’t think your ship had weapons.”
Mark chuckled “it doesn’t and I don’t mind telling you that my crew and I were plenty worried during the whole thing, but Conner and Cordell had the time of their lives”
“Your sons?”
“Yes and ever since they got those fighters they’ve been itching for a fight.”
“Where were they when you came to the station?”
Mark grunted “hunting, looking for pirates in the area.”
Vance looked at him suspiciously “why did you not mention that when you were in the station?”
“Frankly, because it’s none of your business.”
“Probably a good idea, if it wasn’t for them two that ambush would have succeeded.”
Mark glared at Vance, “are you trying to change the subject?”
“No,” Vance chuckled “sorry too curious for my own good sometimes. Anyway, not much more to tell. I found out that Kyle sent you that message and called him into my office and fired him on the spot.. The smug bastard just laughed at me and said that I can’t fire him. Next thing I know the company CEO is calling me to tell me that I have been transferred to Caldari Prime and Kyle was to replace me.”
Vance sat back and sighed “I have been put on leave while they decide what to do about me.”
“What does that mean?”
“That colony you found out about is a state secret. They are trying to decide if I committed treason by letting you find out about it.”
“That’s crazy how could you have prevented it?”
“Well for one thing I could have not used different traders more often than I did.”
“Man I am so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be ok eventually”
Mark reached into his pocket and pulled out two cigars. “Here, can’t have a drink without a good cigar.”
Vance grinned as he looked at the no smoking sign when he lit up. “ahh, now that is good”
They sat and smoked for a few minutes.
Finally Mark broke the silence “Did you know that Conner is my nephew?”
Vance was surprised “Really? I didn’t know that. If you don’t mind how did he come to be with you?”
“Conner was my sisters’ son. Amy and her family came to visit us and our boys hit it off. Amy and her husband had to make a quick delivery when they were attacked by some pirates. I raised Conner as my own after that.”