Space Cowboys

Floyd’s spaceship was delayed. He had around four weeks to wait until the next connection to Mars. That was a long time to wait. But maybe it was meant to be.

He didn’t want to stick around the spaceport. After checking into his hotel room, he decided to explore the town and maybe find a place to grab a drink.

It was daytime and the sun shone through the transparent domed ceiling of the settlement far overhead. It was diffused by the glass but it still felt bright.

There was not a lot to explore. It was just a small town with one main road and some shops lining the sides, plus the space port and the railroad station.

Most of the buildings had been fabricated out of metal taking the forms of domes and hangers. There were a few multi-story buildings made from moonrock, such as the hotel he was staying at — the only one in town. A few holographic signs advertised places of business.

He rubbed his fingers through his kinky afro meeting his own hazel eyes briefly in the reflection of a store window. His skin was equal amounts of white and black in an even shade of brown that was a combination of every race and ethnicity on Earth.

Down the street there was a saloon with a holographic sign that read Moon Saloon. Other holographs in the window advertised liquor, games and girls. It seemed as good a place as any to drink. He decided to check it out.

The bar was busy but not packed. Electronic music was playing on the sound system. He loved the oldies.

He slid into an available spot on a stool at the bar and made eyes at the bartender. Luckily she was a pro and noticed him right away. She maneuvered to his section of the bar and asked him if he needed assistance.

She was dirty blonde with brown eyes.

“What can I get you?” she reproached him with a soft gaze.

“Can I get a beer and a whiskey?” Floyd replied.

“Of course, hon,” she made quick work of the order.

“You new in town?” she asked after she deposited the mug and the shot glass, “I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m Floyd,” he introduced himself.

“Estrella,” she reached out across the bar to shake his hand briefly.

“What do you do, Floyd?” she asked conversationally.

“Oh, this and that,” Floyd dodged the question, “I do contract work for the government mostly.”

“What type of work?” inquired Estrella.

“Cartography and mineral exploration, for example,” he elaborated.

“What’s that?” asked Estrella clearing of some empty bottles on the bar top nearby.

“Cartography? It’s map making. A lot of these places have not been touched by men for billions of years. We don’t even know what’s out there,” explained Floyd. He was starting to feel the alcohol warming his system.

“You go out there in a Bronco by yourself?” asked Estrella.

“Where is out there?” Floyd asked in an amused tone.

She gestured with a bar rag in her hand, “You know, outside of the bubbles or the caves. On the open range where there are no people and no oxygen.”

He nodded in affirmation, “Yeah, I have a license and everything.”

“That’s frigid!” she complimented him.

“Thanks,” Floyd said modestly.

“Sometimes one of those mining or railroad companies will lose something important out there, and the robots can’t find it. But they don’t want to risk their engineers. So they need someone to go out there,” he continued.

“Wow, you’re so brave!” Estrella applauded him.

“Thank you,” he wondered if he was going to get lucky on his first night on the moon.

“I was on my way to Mars to find a job. But my flight has been delayed.”

“Oh no!” she didn’t really sound surprised.

What’s there to do around here?” he asked her.

“Is this your first time on the moon?”

“No, I’ve been to Luna and thereabouts, but this is my first time out here,” he told her.

“The big city –” Estrella was interrupted by two new patrons approaching the bar. They had to break off the conversation.

Floyd called up the telescreen, which appeared out of nowhere in front of him. He paid his bill, leaving a tip for Estrella. Then he stood up from the barstool and went to the bathroom before stepping out of the establishment.

Feeling tired from the long flight he decided to return to his room for the evening. He grabbed a few more beers from the vending machine and took the stairs up to his room bounding lightly with each step. There was artificial gravity in town but it was still less heavy than on Earth.

The computer program came on automatically as he entered the room clutching three cans of beer in his hands.

As he entered the room a hologram appeared in the form of a very attractive woman, “Welcome to Tortilla Flats, home of the Nansen-Apollo Space Port,” she said.

Placing two of the tall cans in the minifridge, he cracked the third one open and sat down on the sofa to watch the program.

“Tortilla Flats is a transportation hub for the Earth’s space industry. The settlement is best known as a connecting point for spaceships going to Mars and points beyond.”

“The small frontier town has a population of 842 people, many of whom are employed by Apollo Corporation,” continued the holographic tour guide.

A map appeared on the telescreen. Each section of the map glowed as the narrator spoke about it.

“You probably just came from the spaceport, where the launchpad and railroad station are located.”

The center of the town is Main Street where the Hotel Bronte is situated. Be sure to visit beautiful Camelot Park in the northeast section,” the hologram continued her spiel.

“What is there to do?” he interrupted her.

The program froze at the sound of his voice, processing the request.

“There is a ton of fun stuff to do in Tortilla Flats! The following activities are available to visitors,” the telescreen illuminated with a list of choices.

Visit Camelot Park

Gastronomic Tour

Tour Emery Ranch

Take a Railroad Trip

Rent a Bronco

“Rent a Bronco,” he repeated back to the computer, which selected the option.

“Renting a Bronco is available to licensed drivers only –” began the computer.

“No! I don’t care about that! Stop!” Floyd snapped rudely back at the hologram. It was only a recording, she didn’t have any feelings.

The hologram stopped talking.

“Can you have the hotel send up two cheeseburgers and some fries?” he requested.

“Your order is ready for checkout,” she responded. An invoice appeared in front of Floyd. He waved his keycard at it.

“Payment confirmed. Delivery in approximately 15 minutes,” stated the computer.

“So do you want to hang out?” joked Floyd. She was already in his hotel room after all.

“Interested in ordering an adult feature? It will be discreetly charged to the bill at the end of your stay!” she opened a window of available titles.

“No, that’s okay. End program,” Floyd ordered the computer.

“We’re always working to make your stay better. Do you have time for a brief survey?” she responded.

“No! End program!” he snapped.

“Are you sure you want to end the program?” she asked him.

“Yes!” he shouted.

The hologram flickered and then turned off.

#

In the morning he decided to walk to Camelot Park to check it out.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay for 30 days in Tortilla Flats and was thinking about taking a the bullet train to another part of the moon. He had enough time to go almost anywhere on the railway line and return. It would take a day of travel at the most. But he wanted to at least see the park. How often does one get to see a park on the moon? He was optimistic like that.

It did not take long to walk from the hotel to the park. It was easy to spot the football field sized creeping thyme lawn amid the monotone greyness of the moonscape.

A holographic tour guide flashed on to welcome him as he stepped through the gated archway.

“Would you like a self-tour?” she asked him. She was dressed like a flight attendant in a very smart skirt and jacket combination. “It’s free of charge,” she reassured him.

“Sure,” he agreed.

“Welcome to Camelot Park, also known as the Apollo 17 Landing Site,” she began. A map of the park appeared on the telescreen.

“The park is named after the adjacent Camelot Crater. At 610 meters wide it can be seen from Earth by using a telescope!”

“To see the view for yourself head over to the rocky outcrop in the boulder garden where there are telescopes for your enjoyment,” she suggested.

“The thyme field is used for sporting events from time to time by the local population,” the field was highlighted on the screen.

“Do you like gardening? The community garden is on the east side of the park.”

Floyd noticed a white mouse scurrying across the way. “Is that a mouse?” he asked.

“You noticed the mice! As you probably know the environment of the moon cannot support life. These mice are the descendants of laboratory specimens brought here by the pioneers,” she informed him.

“You might ask why we don’t exterminate them? The residents liked having them around, because it reminded them of home. And eventually they became a town mascot!”

“End program,” said Floyd. He had spotted Estrella sauntering along the sidewalk through the park.

“Are you sure –” she began.

“Yes!” he interrupted.

“Floyd! How are you?” Estrella exclaimed when she saw him.

“Estrella, I’m good. I was just taking the self-tour,” he responded.

“Oh, that’s tourist stuff,” she laughed at him.

“I am a tourist,” he reminded her.

“So where should I go then? Emery Ranch?” he poked her.

“Uh,” she laughed again, “If you want to see where they grow food then you should. It’s a hydroponic farm managed by the government. I went on so many field trips there growing up. I probably have the tour memorized.”

“Are you from the moon?” he asked her.

“Yeah, I’m a military kid. I grew up here,” she nodded.

“Then where are the best places to go?” he repeated the question.

“Nowhere here!” she replied, “This is a public compound. There are too many rules and security cameras. If you want to see the real Tortilla Flats you need to visit the private compounds.”

She stopped to think.

“Actually, I was going to a ranch today. I was going to charter a stagecoach. But if you’re licensed to drive a Bronco, then maybe you could drive me? I’ll pay the rental fee,” she inquired of him.

“What kind of ranch?” he asked.

“It’s sort of like a moon commune. They live together and grow crops, and make jewelry and soap,” she described it, “It’s called Amity Ranch.”

Floyd definitely wanted to go to Amity Ranch.

“How big is it?” he asked.

“It’s big for a ranch. There’s maybe a dozen adults and their kids,” she told him.

“I like that idea,” said Floyd, “It gives me a chance to get out there in a Bronco. I’ve never ridden this part of the moon.”

Estrella smiled widely, “Perfect!”

#

“So where are you from Floyd?” Estrella asked him after they had rented to the Bronco and drove through the exit of the domed compound to the moon outside. As they zoomed past giant boulders the mechanical tread of the Bronco kicked up dust behind them. The giant curvature of the Earth hung in the sky above them.

“I’m American, but I travel around a lot,” explained Floyd. “I’ve been doing jobs near the south pole. But I mostly stayed in Luna. That’s where I did my training.”

“It’s really different down there,” said Estrella conversationally.

“I know! There’s so many people! I don’t like that though. I like the wide open spaces. That’s why I drive a Bronco,” he added.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, “There are less restrictions here. It’s harder for the government to enforce the law out in international territory, especially in the private compounds.”

“Oh, I got ya. It’s like a frontier town in the Old West,” he said.

She seemed pleased with the comparison. “Exactly!” she said.

#

From the outside the ranch resembled a massive, upside down glass bowel, half buried in sand. Estrella texted to tell them they had arrived. Floyd pulled the Bronco into the extraction chamber and they waited for the doors to close from behind and then open in front of them.

The ranch was composed of many geodesic buildings made from metal, interspersed with giant Burning Man style sculptures. Some of the buildings had murals painted on them. There were a few teepees and an ornamental garden. But instead of fields the produce was grown hydroponically. The pods where the crops were grown were arranged in rows that had a similar appearance to traditional farm fields.

After they jumped out of the Bronco, Estrella greeted a woman with a hug.

“This is my friend, Starchild,” Estrella introduced him to a bohemian looking woman with narrow eyes that were red from excessive marijuana consumption. She grinned and shook his hand.

“Floyd! I love that name. It reminds me of Pink Floyd!” she was grinning from ear to ear.

“Welcome to Amity Ranch!” she gave him a hug and he accepted. She smelled strongly of sage, incense and body odor.

They were approached by a man with long brown hair and a thick beard to match. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Sure!” said Starchild. “Estrella, Floyd, this is my husband, Maurice. He’s our head engineer. We couldn’t do any of this without him,” she introduced them. They shook hands.

“Are you here to re-up?” Starchild directed the question at Estrella.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m here for,” admitted Estrella.

“Re-up?” Floyd repeated the word.

“We grow cannabis here and dispense it,” said Starchild.

“We also have a laboratory if you are interested in some Lysergic acid diethylamide,” Maurice offered.

Floyd was shocked, “That’s legal here?”

Starchild laughed, “Well, it’s not, not legal.”

“Why do you think we moved here?” she continued, “To escape from the toxic lifestyle and harsh restrictions of Babylon. To start a new society with a new way of life free from pre-conditioned notions of wrong and right.” She sounded really faded.

“That’s far out there,” replied Floyd.

“There are no rules on the moon. There is no racism on the moon. There are no gender boundaries on the moon. You don’t have to be cool on the moon,” she continued.

“Hey, do you want a quick tour of the ranch?” she asked him.

“Sure!” agreed Floyd, “This is much better than the park!”

#

Later that day Floyd, Estrella and Starchild were sitting in one of the teepees passing a hookah pipe around. The piece was a large configuration of blown glass and metal tubing that sat in the middle of the circular room. They were seated on colorful floor cushions that were scattered around the floor over a thick, ornamental rug. The space was lit with thousands of tiny lights that swirled around the walls in kaleidoscopic patterns.

“So you are all married to each other?” Floyd asked Starchild passing her the hookah pipe.

“Yes, all of the adults are married at Amity Ranch,” Starchild confirmed.

“And how does that work out with the children?” he continued.

“Well, it just sort of happens organically. You know? All of us participate in co-parenting the youngsters,” she explained.

“Of course we have a school for them. And we also take turns helping out with the farm and the in the workshop,” she elaborated.

Floyd was about ask another question on when there was a hubbub and a commotion outside.

Starchild exited the teepee. Floyd and Estrella followed to see what was going on.

An alarm was going off.

“What is it?” Starchild asked Maurice.

“A Bronco is approaching the compound. The name of the owner is blocked,” he answered her.

A few of the other men and women gathered around in case they were needed. They children were sent to hide indoors.

Maurice initiated the communications system, “Hello, this is Maurice, Head Engineer at Amity Ranch. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking? Over.”

“Affirmative. I am a representative of the Orion Mining Corporation. Could you spare a few moments of your time to talk?”

“Not these guys again,” said Maurice in irritation.

He returned to the call, “I thought I told you we weren’t interested the last time you stopped by?”

“Mister, uh, Marshall, is it? I strongly urge you to reconsider. We’re talking about a lot of money here,” responded the man on the telescreen.

“We’ve travelled a very long way to speak with you, Maurice,” added the man.

“The answer is no. Now get off my land!” bellowed Maurice.

The man snorted, “Maurice, you need to think about what’s best for your children. This is our final offer. Next time we might not be so generous.”

“Please, leave,” Maurice spoke firmly.

“This won’t be the last time you’ll be hearing from us!” the man ended the call.

“Can you believe that guy? Telling me how to raise my kids?” Maurice was disgusted.

“Who was that? What was that about?” asked Floyd.
“That was Orion Mining Company. They did a study round these parts a few months ago. Turns out there’s precious metals in the valley around here. They offered to buy the land.”

“What did you say?” Estrella questioned him.

“I turned them down. We already spent so long engineering this ranch, and forming a new way of life. And we were here first,” Maurice explained.

“We’re a part of the local culture in an area starved for entertainment,” Starchild spoke. “At night we have meteor shower watching parties and people come from all over.”

“She’s telling the truth. I’ve been and they’re amazing,” Estrella told him.

“We’re also the main producer of cannabis. If we shut down there would be a devastating shortage,” continued Starchild.

“How can we help?” Floyd asked them.

“I don’t reckon there is much you can do,” Maurice seemed depressed. “Orion Mining Company has most of Tortilla Flats in their pocket.”

“We’re going back to town. Maybe I know someone working for Orion. We can go check it out for you,” offered Estrella.

#

The next day Estrella was bartending at Moon Saloon.

She was serving two men deep in a conversation when she heard them say the name Amity Ranch.

“Amity Ranch? You know what goes on at that place don’t you?” said the first man.

“No, what?” answered his companion.

“They have these drug parties with huge orgies!” he claimed, “In front of their children and everything.”

“That’s disgusting!” cried the second man.

This was not true. Estrella knew all the children at Amity Ranch and they were healthy, hyper and happy.

Estrella interrupted them, “Are you two doing okay? Can I get you anything?”

They looked up. “No, I’m fine,” said the first.

“You two are new in town. Where are you from?” asked Estrella.

He looked at her figure up then down then up again. “We’re here for business,” he replied.

“Oh, who do you work for, Apollo Corporation?” inquired Estrella.

“Orion Mining Company,” said the second man.

“Hi, I’m Vernon and this is my subordinate,” said the first man offering her his hand and raising his eyebrows suggestively.

#

Huckleberry and Tripp were driving out on the open range. They were on their way to collect fragments of volcanic glass that would be fashioned into beads back at Amity Ranch.

“We’re approaching the collection site. Prepare to disembark,” said Huckleberry who was driving.

“Copy that,” Tripp answered him out of habit.

They were outside combing through the moondust for volcanic glass when they noticed another Bronco approaching from a distance. It was very obvious out there on the horizon moving amid the silent landscape.

“Do you know who that is?” asked Tripp.

Huckleberry lowered his face and looked at his phone. “It’s a blocked vehicle,” he reported.

“Shit!” said Tripp, “They’re getting closer.”

The Bronco was approaching at rapid speed. As it got closer and closer it became apparent that the driver was not slowing down.

“Whoa! Don’t you see us? Slow down!” said Tripp waving his arms at the Bronco.

It just kept driving towards them at the same speed.

Huckleberry attempted to communicate with the vehicle on his phone. “This is the Love Bus calling unknown vehicle. We are in your immediate trajectory and advise you to slow down as soon as possible. Do you copy? Over.”

There was a sound of static crackling from the other end. A audio call came through. “Get out of Amity Ranch,” said a male voice.

“Who is it?” asked Tripp.

“They aren’t allowing a video signal,” said Huckleberry crinkling his nose.

He pressed back down on the receiver, “Negative. I didn’t copy. What do you mean?”

“Uh, Huck?” said Tripp

The Bronco was about to collide with the two men. They jumped to opposite sides propelling themselves over ten feet across the ground and landing softly as they could before tumbling and rolling into the dust. But the Bronco missed them by a wide berth.

They laid there gasping air for a moment.

The driver of the Bronco hit the brakes, made a U-turn and stopped.

A voice rang out, “We don’t like your kind around here. Get out of town you stupid hippies.”

“That is an offensive term!” shouted Huckleberry.

A gun unfolded from the top part of the Bronco.

“Look out!” screamed Tripp.

Both men went to take cover.

The Bronco fired a laser beam in their direction. It struck a boulder pulverizing it into dust.

“This is your final warning. Next time I shoot to kill. Get out of town!” said the male voice.

The Bronco spun back around and zoomed off over the horizon.

#

Estrella was taking a break from work in the alley behind the bar. Her phone buzzed and it was Starchild.

Starchild was upset, “Huckleberry and Tripp took the Bronco out this morning to look for volcanic glass.”

“Okay. What happened?” asked Estrella.

“They were attacked while they were collecting rocks!” said Starchild.

“By who?” asked Estrella.

“Two men in an unmarked Bronco. They couldn’t see who it was.”

“Are they okay?” Estrella asked.

“Yes and no. We think it was a distraction because someone sabotaged the Bronco. It’s broken down and they need a tow. They are running out of fuel and you can’t make oxygen without fuel!”

“Do you think Floyd could drive out there? We’ll pay him,” finished Starchild.

“Of course! That’s what he does! I’ll text you his number,” Estrella reassured her.

“Thank you so much,” said Starchild disconnecting the line.

Estrella paused in thought then scrolled through the contacts in her phone until she found who she was looking for. She pressed call and waited for the line to connect.

A woman appeared on the telescreen in front of her. “Alma? It’s Estrella how are you?” she asked.

“What’s up, chica?” said Alma.

“I think I know how we can get more intel on Orion Mining Company. Meet me at the New Frontier Brewing Company tonight at 21:00 hours. We have a double date,” Estrella began.

#

Floyd returned to the rental agency for another Bronco. After signing an inordinate amount of legal disclaimers and liability waivers he was finally able to go to the garage and get inside the vehicle.

He powered on the Bronco. It spoke to him in a warm female voice after he pressed the ignition, “Thank you for choosing Apollo Transit as your travel provider. Please use the utmost caution at all times when driving outside the compound. Remember Apollo Transit is not liable for accidents and incidents that occur outside the Tortilla Flats compound.”

“You are so inspiring,” Floyd responded sarcastically to the disclaimer.

He inputted the coordinates into the Moon Positioning System and took off.

The place where Huckleberry and Tripp were was closer to Tortilla Flats than to Amity Ranch. He was able to get there in under one Earth hour.

Huckleberry and Tripp were waiting around outside when he got there. They attached the broken down vehicle to the back of the Bronco with the equipment made for that purpose. The two men got into the cab with Huckleberry in the front seat and Tripp in the back.

“How long have you been driving a Bronco, Floyd?” Huckleberry struck up a conversation.

“On the moon? About a year. I finished my training last year near Luna,” Floyd told them as he drove.

“You’re a tenderfoot,” Tripp intoned.

“I’m not a fucking tenderfoot!” replied Floyd, “I just saved you didn’t I?”

Huckleberry laughed.

“It’s not easy driving out there alone in a Bronco,” said Tripp. “It’s empty and there’s no sign of life for hundreds of miles. A man’s mind starts to play tricks on him.”

“It’s true,” said Huckleberry. “There was that feller out near Mare Tranquilitatus. Bronco was completely busted. System shorted out. Blood all over the inside.”

“They said he probably got caught in a solar storm after he got lost. But a lot of people around here think someone or something attacked him.”

No one spoke. The sound of the tread turning went on in the background.

Back at the ranch Starchild rushed to greet them. “Thank goodness, I was so worried!” she gave the two men hugs.

“I can’t believe they attacked you like that!” said Maurice.

He went to access the damage to the Bronco. “Oh no, this is not good!” he exclaimed.

Floyd went to join him. “Is it bad?” he asked.

“This is going to take days to fix,” Maurice told him with is face in the engine. “I have to have a new part delivered from town.”

“Why would somebody do this!” Starchild sobbed.

“They told us to get off the ranch and leave town,” Huckleberry told them.

“That’s industrial sabotage! And intimidation!” said Floyd.

Maurice snorted, “There’s nothing we can do legally. The sheriff will just look the other way.”

“What are we going to do? We’re pacifists! We don’t have any weapons,” moaned Starchild.

“I am not leaving my land! I’ll tell you that much right now,” said Maurice.

“I was thinking about that,” said Floyd. “What are these precious metals they are so interested in?” he asked.

“You know the precious metals that are super rare on Earth. Titanium. Meteorites.” responded Maurice.

“I know that, man! I mean the metals they want to mine in particular,” said Floyd.

“Oh, a seleno-geologist they hired thinks there may be stores of precious metals in the hills near here,” explained Maurice.

“Did you stake a claim?” asked Floyd?

“What do you mean?” asked Maurice.

“I mean possession is nine-tenths of the law. If you find those precious metals and mine them first, then you are legally entitled to them. It’s called mineral rights,” said Floyd.

“Then we could use them to make jewelry!” exclaimed Starchild.

“And better equipment!” said Maurice.

“Oh wait, we can just sell the titanium for money,” he realized out loud.

“You know the land better than I do. Have you ever seen any ilmenite around here?” Floyd asked him.

Maurice looked at him blankly, “I’m an engineer, not a geologist.”

“It’s the mineral that titanium is found in. It looks like a shiny, black rock. Sometimes it looks like black sand,” responded Floyd.

“Ask Mack,” said Huckleberry, “She’s always out there collecting rocks. She’ll know.”

Maurice spoke into his phone, “Mack, can you come out here a minute?”

Mack appeared from one of the domes. She was a masculine woman in a jumpsuit. “What is it?” she asked. Her voice was low.

They caught her up with the situation.

“Have you ever seen any deposits of shiny black rocks around here? Possibly near an extinct volcano?” Floyd asked her after the explanation.

“A lot of the moon rocks have titanium in them,” she answered.

“This would be purer. It would come in the form of pure black crystals that are incredibly dense and hard,” said Floyd. “It may be small like sand, or ideally in big chunks of rocks.”

“It’s an igneous rock so it would be near a volcano,” he added.

“I see,” said Mack mulling it over. “There’s a place like that near Bear Mountain. I found it while I was exploring in the Bronco. It’s not easy to get there though.”

“Another thing is the sun is going to set soon,” said Mack, “I don’t think I would be able to find it in the dark. And then we’d have to wait another two weeks for it to rise again.”

“I’m not sure they’re going to wait another two weeks to attack us again,” said Maurice.

“How long do you think we have?” asked Floyd.

“Maybe 48 hours,” said Mack.
#

Estrella, Alma, Vernon and the fourth man, Alonzo, were seated in the dining area of the New Frontier Brewing Company. It was an upscale restaurant with seated booths and dim lighting. A holographic piano player was performing on stage. Conversation buzzed around them.

“Wow, it’s so cool that you work for Orion. That’s like a really big company!” Estrella told the two men playing dumb.

Alma nodded in agreement, grimaced, looked down and sipped her cocktail without saying anything. She lived at Amity Ranch but their dates were not aware of this information.

“It’s been an enormously profitable contract,” said Alonzo moving closer to where Alma was sitting in the booth and resting one hand on her thigh. She edged away.

“I don’t really like all the company policies myself,” Vernon said drunkenly. “If it was me I would just send a drone out there like with any other terrorists.”

“What?” asked Alma.

Alonzo laughed.

“Or maybe send them a rhesus monkey full of viruses,” offered Vernon, “Those hippies would love that!”

Alma’s eyes widened. She was a committed vegan. She looked like she was about to say something.

Estrella noticed and interrupted her before she could ruin the scam. “That would do it!” she smiled egging him on.

“But they want to use the compound as a base of operations,” Vernon was slurring his words.

“That’s so lame. So what are you going to do?” asked Estrella leaning forward and squeezing her breasts together

“What?” asked Vernon eyeing her cleavage.

“I said, how are you going to complete the objective?” she rephrased the question.

He laughed, “The same way I always do, sweetheart. It’s kill or be killed out here. I’m an ice cold outlaw.”

A man built like a grizzly bear was approaching the table.

“Moonshine! What are you doing here?” asked Alma feigning surprise.

“I could ask you the same thing, Alma!” he replied.

“Do you two know each other?” asked Alonzo.

“This is my wife!” shouted Moonshine banging his fists on the table.

“I swear I didn’t know!” said Alonzo raising his hands defensively.

“Are you kidding me?” Vernon turned to Estrella. “You couldn’t tell us? Do you know how much we spent on drinks?”

He addressed Alma, “Is some kind of townie scam for free alcohol?”

Both women looked at him with wide eyes and open mouths dumfounded by how stupid he was being.

“Stand up!” shouted Moonshine raising his fists, “We’re taking this outside.”
“No, I don’t really –” Moonshine interrupted Alonzo with a right hook to the jaw.

“Bar fight!” someone shouted in the background.

Moonshine grabbed the man’s shirt collar and yanked him out of the booth. The two men grappled around on the floor. Moonshine wound up on top and landed a couple punches before they were approached by two security guards who pulled the two men apart.

“Break it up you two, or you’ll both have to sleep it off in jail,” said one.

“I’m going to have to ask your party to leave. You’re disturbing our other patrons,” he told them.

#

Later Floyd and Mack were driving the Bronco to the site in question.

“So how does it work with the marriage thing? Because you know…” Floyd trailed off.

“I identify as a husband. I’m actually one of the more popular ones,” Mack told him.

“Oh, good lord,” said Floyd.

“Grow up, Floyd. It’s 2073. Why are you so obsessed with this?” said Mack.

She paused. “This is it. Pull up over there. We’ll have to go the rest of the way on foot,” she told him.

He parked the vehicle and turned it to idle mode.

They saw another Bronco appear on the horizon.

“Looks like we got company,” said Floyd.

“They must have tracked us!” said Mack turning to look.

“They have a laser cannon attachment,” said Maurice eyeing the other Bronco in the telescreen.

The vehicle prompted him to accept an incoming message, and he did so.

“This is Floyd driving Apollo Bronco, #839027. Do you read me?” he said.

“What are you doing out here?” said the man without introducing himself, which was very unprofessional.

“Who are you?” asked Floyd.

“I’m Vernon and these are my subordinates. There are four of us. We represent Orion Mining Company,” he said.

“We’re under contract to bring in any members of Amity Ranch, no questions asked,” added Vernon.

The mechanized arm of the laser began unfolding from the top of the Bronco.

“Wait! Lets talk about this without resorting to violence!” said Floyd, “We can work it out.”

“You’re not in a position to negotiate,” said Vernon.

“I have titanium! Tons of titanium!” Floyd responded.

“Floyd, that’s our titanium!” Mack whispered to him.

He looked at her knowingly then continued.

“We know where there is a huge ilmenite deposit! There are chunks of crystals as big as your head! We’ll take you to it if you let us live,” Floyd told them.

Vernon spoke, “You know where the ilmenite is?”

“Correct. We have to walk there though. It’s not safe to drive,” Floyd responded.

The mercenaries conferred amongst themselves.

“Alright, we’re coming out,” said Vernon.

#

“We have to go on foot from here. The ground won’t support the weight of the Bronco,” Mack told them. “This whole area is perforated with lava tubes so proceed carefully.”

“Do you know where we’re going?” asked Vernon as they were walking.

“More or less. I haven’t been there in a long time,” replied Mack huffing her breath.

“How long is that?” Floyd asked her.

“Years,” Mack replied quietly so their kidnappers would not overhear.

Over an hour later they were still walking around looking for the ilmenite deposit.

Vernon caught up with them, “Are you sure you know where you’re going? We’ve walked past that crater before.”

“All these hills look the same,” said Mack, “I’m a little turned around.”

“Are you just fucking with us?” asked Vernon grabbing the laser gun at his waist.

“No! I really saw the ilmenite, while I was out hunting for meteorites. I didn’t know what it was though. That’s why I left it there,” explained Mack.

One of the men following them yelped loudly. They turned around just in time to see him disappear into a hole in the ground.

“Shit!” cursed Vernon.

They all ran bounded softly over to see if he was okay.

Mack was the most practiced at running in the moon’s low gravity, so she got there first. She leaned over the opening that the minion’s body had made and shined her headlamp inside. Then she gasped.

“What is it?” asked Floyd.

“He’s dead,” said Mack.

Floyd shined a flashlight into the interior of the underground chamber. It looked like they had stumbled upon a cave. In the dark the light reflected off many crystalized faucets. He found the man crumpled in a contorted position under the opening in the ground. There was no way any human could possibly be in that shape and survive.

“Yes, he is definitely dead,” confirmed Floyd.

His mind registered the black crystals in the background. “Wait, what is that? Is that ilmenite?” he asked.

#

Floyd, Mack, Vernon and the two remaining subordinates had lowered themselves down into the cave by means of a metallic cinch and pulley system they kept in the Bronco in case of emergencies. Inside it was a massive hollowed out magma tube lined with the blackened crystals. They sparkled as the prospector’s lights shone upon them. The majority of them were congregated on the bottom of the chamber.

“Damn, he fell over 50 meters onto some of the hardest rocks known to man,” said Floyd examining the dead man’s figure.

“Are we sure this is ilmenite?” asked Vernon.

“I can test it. I have an app on my phone,” said Mack reaching for her belt.

She scanned the substance and waited for it to process. There was a dinging sound.

“This is pure ilmenite with a chemical composition of FeTiO3!” she exclaimed.

“Excellent!” said Vernon unholstering his gun.

“What are you doing?” asked Floyd.

“We have what we came for. It’s easier to kill you now and take credit for the discovery,” replied Vernon.

“You don’t even care that your friend is dead!” Floyd accused him.

“My coworker will be remembered in a company announcement,” replied Vernon. He emphasized the word coworker. “I have an objective to think about.” He pointed the gun at Floyd.

The other two lackeys laughed at this.

Mack felt a burst of rage at the sound of their laughter. She grabbed a shard of ilmenite and lunged at the nearest one slicing at his spacesuit and causing a large tear in the fabric. There was a hissing sound of gas escaping. The man screamed in shock but stopped as his lungs ruptured from the sudden vacuum of the space atmosphere. Blood sprayed onto the interior of his helmet and his body inflated inside the ruptured suit.

In the moment of distraction Vernon missed his shot and the laser beam went wild. Floyd lunged at the man knocking the weapon out of his hands. It landed in a deep crack between crystals where it was impossible to retrieve. They wrestled around on the floor for a moment.

Mack attacked the remaining lackey. She grabbed at the gun in his waistband but it would not come loose.

“Why are you doing this?” Floyd asked Vernon between gritted teeth.

“There’s billions of dollars worth of ilmenite in here!” Vernon told him like he was an idiot.

Mack was taking a beating from her assailant but was not out of the ring yet. She rushed the mercenary banging the back of his head against the cave wall. Stunning him momentarily she grappled for the gun at his waist this time finding purchase.

“Stop or I’ll shoot you!” she yelled raising the weapon at Vernon.

Vernon sighed in annoyance. The two men stopped fighting and stood up.

“We’re leaving. Stay here until we have been gone for ten minutes,” she told them edging towards the hole where they had entered. She indicated that Floyd should follow. Attaching their spacesuits to the pulley she initiated the system and they began to rise towards the exit.

As they clamored out of the opening in the moon there was a sound from behind like a hot air balloon makes when it burns gas. They watched in stunned silence Vernon and the remaining mercenary rose out of the ground.

“They had fucking jetpacks!” observed Floyd.

The two mercenaries overshot their landing and toppled into the lunar dust. This took place in the slow motion of low gravity.

Floyd laughed. He couldn’t help it.

“We have to get to Tortilla Flats ASAP!” Mack told him.

“Which way is the Bronco?” he asked.

“This way!” she moved in the direction they should go.

#

The engine of the Bronco droned as they drove back towards town as fast as they could without crashing. They had a good head start but it was difficult to lose a pursuer out on the moon.

“There they are in the distance!” shouted Mack.

Floyd looked into the rearview there was a telltale cloud of dust coming up behind them.

An alarm began sounding in warning. “Active weapons system detected,” said the Bronco locking on to the vehicle behind them. “Warning!” she repeated.

“I know! I know!” Floyd told her. He flipped a row of switches and pressed a button. “I’m going to have to do some maneuvering. Hold on!” he told Mack.

Grabbing the steering wheel he made a sharp turn that jerked both passengers around inside. He wheeled around a rock then angled the other way in a zig zagging motion.

“What maneuver is this?” asked Mack holding onto a bar on the passenger side as they swayed from side to side.

“I want to avoid the laser! It shoots in a straight line,” Floyd responded.

At these words a laser cannon flashed by the side of the vehicle missing them by a narrow margin. Both passengers shouted out in fear.

The driver of the other Bronco must have lost their attention. At that moment it collided into a boulder at such an angle as to flip over into a ditch where it became partially buried in the regolith. The tracks spun helplessly where they were up ended.

“Yes! Take that!” Floyd shouted in triumph.

“We should hurry. They can still call for back up,” Mack told him.

Floyd increased the speed, “I’m getting us there as fast as I can!”

#

They pulled into the extraction chamber at Tortilla Flats filled with a sense of enormous relief.

“We have to go to the county office right away,” Mack told him. “The first one to file the mining claim gets the mineral rights for life.”

As soon as they parked the Bronco, she took off running towards town right away. He tossed the keys in the return slot, and followed.

Mack’s moonboots squealed on the tiles as she entered the county office and turned sharply in the direction of the office of the registrar. Several other citizens in the middle of running errands had time to jump out of the way as she past.

“Watch where you’re going!” a male voice shouted.

“Rude!” yelled a woman.

Mack pushed open the doors and approached the clerk’s desk. She removed a black crystal of ilmenite from her messenger bag and slammed it on the counter. The clerk jumped in surprise at the sound.

“I would like to register a mining claim,” said Mack panting with the exertion of the sprint. “I am the first person to mine this ilmenite source and I claim it in the name of Amity Ranch. Here is the proof.”

#

It was evening by the time Floyd and Mack returned to Amity Ranch.

Everyone was gathered around the holographic campfire because it was too dangerous to light a real fire in the compound. They were celebrating the discovery of the titanium mine and the fact that they were rich now. There was a drum circle going with a DJ and people were dancing with lights and hula hoops. They were serving bioengineered barbeque with sides, as well as home fermented beer and wine.

The ceiling of the dome ceiling was at full opacity. Floyd could see the waxing crescent of the Earth in the zenith of the sky, draped in a black robe that twinkled with the stars of the Milky Way. Every once in a while a tiny meteorite flashed by. It was one of the most awe inspiring views he had ever seen. It made his heart ache.

“Maybe you should join us here at Amity Ranch,” suggested Starchild snuggling up close to him while the campfire flames crackled, “We have an opening for another husband.”

“Legally you would be entitled to a portion of the profits from the mine,” she offered.

Floyd laughed at this, “Thank you. I sure appreciate the offer. But group marriage is a little too much commitment for me right now. I’m not sure I could handle it.”

“I see,” said Starchild.

“I’m not here to pass judgement though. You guys go ahead,” Floyd encouraged them. “Seriously girls pretend like I’m not even here,” he added.

“You’re a hero!” said Estrella across from him.

“Then why did you do this Floyd?” Alma asked him on his other side.

“The truth is…” began Floyd.

“Yes?” she encouraged him.

“The truth is I did it for the Gram. I have 14,000 organic followers so far. They love my space cowboy antics. And I can’t disappoint them,” explained Floyd.

“Now everyone get together for a group photo,” he said.

Thank you for reading. If this inspires you, please share the post because as a writer I have like no money.