Jallik Watch was anchored in the asteroid field of Jallik, the roids containing the most common of ores like carbonic, ferric and a smattering of Ishik. This was not why the station was placed here. And especially not why the station was a large research station either. The reason for the station was an anomaly some 5600 metres away, the wormhole that lead to Edras.
Jallik Watch was the primary research station for jump technology and regeneration. All ships that passed through the wormhole had their engine's performance logged and so unwittingly supplied an enormous amount of research data. As soon as a new UIT technology was put into the UIT ships, the Itani ship researchers were aware of it.
The reason for regeneration came from what lay on the other side of the wormhole, the lawless systems of grey. Not quite as active as the fighting area in Deneb, the area still saw its share of molested pilots. The medical teams in Jallik Watch had saved most of these, some of whom were not really alive when they arrived to Jallik Watch, The station was also called Miracle Outpost by the Itani pilots.
Azumi was flying her warthog Mk II at a reasonable speed towards the docking bay that is about 190 m/s. She docked and opened the gull wing cockpit that was standard on the ships of that type and jumped out. A super massive black hole tearing through the station at a snails pace could not have done a better job of diverting the attention from the entire work crew. Her pleated tartan skirt that was cut just above her knees was accentuated by the white shirt that was tied below her bosom and only buttoned with one pearl. Around her neck was a black metal lace neckband with a single large red jewel, the colour of her lipstick. The raven black hair was set in a set of buns, one on each side of her head. In her left hand she had a pair of red pumps and in her right she had a lollipop that she promptly put in her mouth. She looked innocently around and started to put one shoe on her bare foot, bending over with her side to the dockhands. Some of them followed her down with their bodies and heads as if they would be able to see better from there and moved up again when she had put her pumps on. She looked over at the dockhands, grabbed her lollipop and popped it out of her mouth.
"Can any of you gentlemen please guide me to the place where one signs up for the test pilot watchamacallit majiggy?"
The dockhands tripped over each other to be the one that escorted her to the test pilot department, and in less than a minute the dock was clear. The cargo doors of the warthog opened and yoda stepped out closely followed by Look... No hands. Yoda turned and grabbed an active cryocontainer that would hold about three litres. They moved into the station via the empty corridor.
###
Hortan was looking forward to the initiation into TGFT. He wondered what the initiation would consist of, maybe all the members wore a secret tattoo or something. He hoped not, he didn't like pain at all. He took his pills as the psychiatrist had prescribed and walked out to look for Plissken. Something led him to the launch bay. It was busy as always; Vardonx with a breathing aid was focused on painting a voluptuous woman in a bathing costume riding a sunflare rocket under the canopy of Fluffy's moth XC, Moda and Zathras were working on John Eldritch's hovercraft with John looking moderately bored, a white drink in his hand. And over in the old bays where the new pilots were placed were Urim and Plissken, both working on painting their Revenants. Hortan walked over and observed them for a bit before calling on Plissken. Hortan saw that his name tag still read Prissken and that his pants were still way too short and very very tight. Hortan grimaced at a particular bad memory he had back when he had been the new member.
"Hi Pilot Hortan, I am just painting my ship in the TGFT approved green as per regulation 212-b3."
Hortan winced, he had never gotten around to do that. He liked his bright neon yellow ships too much. He noted the new propeller on Plissken's cap. It read FNG in black upon yellow letters.
"Who gave you the new propeller?"
"Waldoze did Pilot Hortan. Why, is something wrong?"
Hortan almost blurted out that it had to be because of the initiation, but managed not to spill the secret.
"Nah, if Dozer gave it to you it is okay. So, tomorrow I need you to join me for a proper initiation to TGFT. It will be on the late shift at three strokes. You will need an extra uniform. We shall meet in the communal area and I shall guide you from there."
"I will be ready pilot Hortan. I look forward to become a full TGFT member."
Hortan clapped the young man on the back, shucks he was uptight. He reminded him of something, but Hortan couldn't quite put his finger on it. No matter, he walked over to his own Ole Sloth Moth XXV and admired the painting of The Huntress below the cockpit. Jasmine had outdone herself on this one, and that is to say a lot. He stroked his ship along the ungainly flanks, letting his fingers trace the half metre letters that extended towards the engines. Most would call the moth butt ugly, but to Hortan almost nothing was prettier. He clapped the ship as a farewell salute and walked out of the bay towards Soggy's, time for breakfast.
###
Buzz had the best joke ever. And this time it would not involve breast enlargements, although when he thought of it now it was kinda funny. He had found this latest prop in an add on the BioCom webspace and just knew that he had to try it. And even if it involved nanites, they guaranteed that the anti-nanites would get rid of them very easily. They even sent the anti-nanites in the same box as the growth ones. He swallowed the nanites. He skimmed the instructions and nodded. Now he just needed to digest the half-kilo of chalk that followed. He eyed the large beers that he had bought; he hoped it would be enough. He tossed the instructions into the box again, he could always read how to get rid of them when he arrived at that point.
###
Gramps cursed and looked at Waldoze.
"Tell me again why the hell I should become involved in your personal life Waldoze?"
He somehow managed to make Waldoze sound like Wall Doo's, incidentally making Dozer's eye twitch.
"Because I was framed Gramps, and you are the closest thing we have to a legal genius. Besides, with operation FNG coming up I don't have time for it. You hardly ever do anything, which is understandable with your age and all, so I thought I could give you something to do. I am in a way helping you."
Gramps tossed the rag he had been using to polish his ancient hand cannon over into the bin, put the five large calibre bullets that it could hold into the magazine and placed the cannon in his hip holster.
"You don't have time. You are helping me. Those remarks alone should probably cost you half your shit as it is."
Waldoze flinched, maybe he had trampled on Gramps feelings. And here he had tried to be so diplomatic as he could, to make the old timer feel needed and stuff.
"I'll look into it, because if I say no you'll just run to Ecka and cry and then he'll ask me. And I won't refuse him. But it is going to cost you."
"Sure thing Gramps, just send me a bill, okay?"
Gramps shook his head as Waldoze ran out of the repair shop. And then he smiled. Well, if nothing else, it would be interesting to go up against one of the best lawyer firms in known space. Beat the hell out of making Soduku while mining.
