Kaxyl sat on the balcony of his little house. It was one of a number of row houses built along the Ulu river. He took in the view of all the other houses along the opposite bank. Each painted or remodeled slightly so as to be different from all the others. A few of those houses belonged to relations. A sister in the red bricked one" a cousin in the dark blue one with the yellow trim. Not to mention his parents" house which sat almost directly across from his.
Looking at it, Kaxyl began to think how the house looked so much smaller. When he was not much but a babe surrounded by thirty-one of his ninety-nine siblings it seemed so much larger" roomier. Now it seemed small and insignificant to him, though it had more room inside than ever before. Only a handful of his siblings still lived in the house as most of them had grown and started their own lives elsewhere.
He had finished his last grueling term of technical repair training only a year before. It had been tough for him. His parents had never told him, but he was one of the few children in the family not to be gifted with a talent for the technical or medical fields. They had thought of sending him away to be trained in another field, but with so many of their children needing education at the same time, they simply could not afford it.
When they attended his graduation from the Technical Repair Academy, they were honestly impressed and relieved that he had struggled through the program and graduated. It didn't bother them one bit that his marks were far below the average Lupinulu. He had beaten a few humans, after all.
Since then Kaxyl had made several voyages on space freighters who could not afford to hire better technicians. He had visited several planets over the last year and earned enough to move into his own little house on the river. Deep down inside, the vastness of space and the adventure it held for him was calling. That was why the house across the river seemed so small to him now.
He turned his gaze to the night time sky and looked at the half moon hovering above. Memories of his father telling them as children the story of how the moon was broken in half as a token for the Lupinulu and their fate as a genetically cultured species filled his mind. Things had changed recently. The Lupinulu had been recognized as an Independent Intelligent Species by the Interplanetary Council and no longer had to work for the humans. They could now do everything that the humans could do. Smiling, Kaxyl wondered if the moon would now heal itself somehow.
Change on Bhym Tal would be slow, of course. It always is. His father could think of no better purpose than to do the work his human employer gave him to do. He was paid a fine wage after all and he was certainly better off fixing small things around his employer's home than to open a business for himself and become penniless. Who would trust a Lupinulu as a business man' No, they were far better off as laborers and not managers, captains, or owners.
Kaxyl looked at the nearby planets of Bhym Fut and Otu Tal. Their small lights hovering in the sky where the missing half of the moon should have been. He thought of his sister who had flown off to Bhym Fut as an in-flight doctor only to return to Bhym Tal as the first ever Lupinulu candidate for political office. She had been nominated by the crew of the vessel on which she served for the office of Vice Council to Bhym Fut. Not the grandest of titles, but one which stirred up controversy for the Lupinulu and Kaxyl's family all the same.
Kaxyl himself was proud of her. She certainly must have impressed the humans on her crew to earn the nomination. He also knew that she was one of the children in the family who had struggled with medical training. Probably not as much as he had with his technical repair training, but she certainly didn't have it easy like some of the others in the family. He only hoped that she would be happy doing it and had tried to explain to their father that in a way, she would still be serving the humans. He always had believed that politicians and public figures should serve the best interest of the people" including the Lupinulu.
Having no existing contract with any of the human fleets on Bhym Tal made it easier for Kaxyl to seek work on his own as well. However, most crews would not hire him because of it. Why hire an outsider when you have enforceable contracts with others" He knew that the humans had been up to something when they started mandating contracts during the I.C. hearings regarding the Lupinulu. Several of his siblings had been duped and were now stuck in contracts lasting decades with companies that would surely work them like slaves.
The other problem Kaxyl had with finding employment was his lack of ability and his academy marks. Only the most desperate of employers would hire him. Often this meant those without the funds to hire someone else, but sometimes it meant those involved in shady dealings. Kaxyl never told his father or mother about those types of employers. He was sure they would disapprove.
It was with such an employer that Kaxyl had arranged to make a trip to the planet of Rhy' Din. He had been there a few times before on quick layovers, but this would be the first time he flew there directly. The ship was making a delivery of goods to the planet and had need of a technician in the crew to make repairs along the way. Kaxyl knew better than to ask what the cargo was, especially considering the destination. He was rather taken aback by the condition of the ship though.
The Ottopilot was a small freighter which seemed to be made up of more patches than original work. It had certainly seen its fair share of damage, and Kaxyl knew by some of the markings what had caused them. Heavy blaster fire was the only thing to leave marks like those. He felt uneasy about the job when he first saw the ship, but needed the money.
It was actually worse inside the ship. The last tech they had, apparently a human, had left the ship in tatters and barely hanging on. Wires were exposed and crossed passageways as well as main holds. They could easily have been severed by someone walking by or cargo shifting. Most of the nonessential systems aboard the vessel had been removed or spliced together into other more essential ones. He nearly fainted when he saw that the life support system had been patched together using pieces of a holodisc and food replicator.
He knew the job would be tough and he had actually been requested to work on the jump speed engine before their departure date. He did what he could with the parts and equipment the captain provided. He was certain if they left with the ship "as is" they would need to stop and repair the engine again before long, but the captain only replied that they were on a tight schedule.
Kaxyl looked over his shoulder and saw the small bag he had packed for the journey behind him. Mostly tools inside, as he didn't need much more to keep him happy. There were a few broken holodiscs which he intended to repair and perhaps sell if he could, a small medical machine on loan from one of his brothers, and a medstim in case he needed it. Other than that, there were some small parts to other machines and gadgets which he might find a use for along the way. If the current condition of the ship was any sign, he would.
He took another glance over to the houses across the river and whispered, "Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Dad.? He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly had a strange feeling like he might not see them for a long time. His ears drooped and he turned to go back inside and get some sleep before leaving in the morning.
Looking at it, Kaxyl began to think how the house looked so much smaller. When he was not much but a babe surrounded by thirty-one of his ninety-nine siblings it seemed so much larger" roomier. Now it seemed small and insignificant to him, though it had more room inside than ever before. Only a handful of his siblings still lived in the house as most of them had grown and started their own lives elsewhere.
He had finished his last grueling term of technical repair training only a year before. It had been tough for him. His parents had never told him, but he was one of the few children in the family not to be gifted with a talent for the technical or medical fields. They had thought of sending him away to be trained in another field, but with so many of their children needing education at the same time, they simply could not afford it.
When they attended his graduation from the Technical Repair Academy, they were honestly impressed and relieved that he had struggled through the program and graduated. It didn't bother them one bit that his marks were far below the average Lupinulu. He had beaten a few humans, after all.
Since then Kaxyl had made several voyages on space freighters who could not afford to hire better technicians. He had visited several planets over the last year and earned enough to move into his own little house on the river. Deep down inside, the vastness of space and the adventure it held for him was calling. That was why the house across the river seemed so small to him now.
He turned his gaze to the night time sky and looked at the half moon hovering above. Memories of his father telling them as children the story of how the moon was broken in half as a token for the Lupinulu and their fate as a genetically cultured species filled his mind. Things had changed recently. The Lupinulu had been recognized as an Independent Intelligent Species by the Interplanetary Council and no longer had to work for the humans. They could now do everything that the humans could do. Smiling, Kaxyl wondered if the moon would now heal itself somehow.
Change on Bhym Tal would be slow, of course. It always is. His father could think of no better purpose than to do the work his human employer gave him to do. He was paid a fine wage after all and he was certainly better off fixing small things around his employer's home than to open a business for himself and become penniless. Who would trust a Lupinulu as a business man' No, they were far better off as laborers and not managers, captains, or owners.
Kaxyl looked at the nearby planets of Bhym Fut and Otu Tal. Their small lights hovering in the sky where the missing half of the moon should have been. He thought of his sister who had flown off to Bhym Fut as an in-flight doctor only to return to Bhym Tal as the first ever Lupinulu candidate for political office. She had been nominated by the crew of the vessel on which she served for the office of Vice Council to Bhym Fut. Not the grandest of titles, but one which stirred up controversy for the Lupinulu and Kaxyl's family all the same.
Kaxyl himself was proud of her. She certainly must have impressed the humans on her crew to earn the nomination. He also knew that she was one of the children in the family who had struggled with medical training. Probably not as much as he had with his technical repair training, but she certainly didn't have it easy like some of the others in the family. He only hoped that she would be happy doing it and had tried to explain to their father that in a way, she would still be serving the humans. He always had believed that politicians and public figures should serve the best interest of the people" including the Lupinulu.
Having no existing contract with any of the human fleets on Bhym Tal made it easier for Kaxyl to seek work on his own as well. However, most crews would not hire him because of it. Why hire an outsider when you have enforceable contracts with others" He knew that the humans had been up to something when they started mandating contracts during the I.C. hearings regarding the Lupinulu. Several of his siblings had been duped and were now stuck in contracts lasting decades with companies that would surely work them like slaves.
The other problem Kaxyl had with finding employment was his lack of ability and his academy marks. Only the most desperate of employers would hire him. Often this meant those without the funds to hire someone else, but sometimes it meant those involved in shady dealings. Kaxyl never told his father or mother about those types of employers. He was sure they would disapprove.
It was with such an employer that Kaxyl had arranged to make a trip to the planet of Rhy' Din. He had been there a few times before on quick layovers, but this would be the first time he flew there directly. The ship was making a delivery of goods to the planet and had need of a technician in the crew to make repairs along the way. Kaxyl knew better than to ask what the cargo was, especially considering the destination. He was rather taken aback by the condition of the ship though.
The Ottopilot was a small freighter which seemed to be made up of more patches than original work. It had certainly seen its fair share of damage, and Kaxyl knew by some of the markings what had caused them. Heavy blaster fire was the only thing to leave marks like those. He felt uneasy about the job when he first saw the ship, but needed the money.
It was actually worse inside the ship. The last tech they had, apparently a human, had left the ship in tatters and barely hanging on. Wires were exposed and crossed passageways as well as main holds. They could easily have been severed by someone walking by or cargo shifting. Most of the nonessential systems aboard the vessel had been removed or spliced together into other more essential ones. He nearly fainted when he saw that the life support system had been patched together using pieces of a holodisc and food replicator.
He knew the job would be tough and he had actually been requested to work on the jump speed engine before their departure date. He did what he could with the parts and equipment the captain provided. He was certain if they left with the ship "as is" they would need to stop and repair the engine again before long, but the captain only replied that they were on a tight schedule.
Kaxyl looked over his shoulder and saw the small bag he had packed for the journey behind him. Mostly tools inside, as he didn't need much more to keep him happy. There were a few broken holodiscs which he intended to repair and perhaps sell if he could, a small medical machine on loan from one of his brothers, and a medstim in case he needed it. Other than that, there were some small parts to other machines and gadgets which he might find a use for along the way. If the current condition of the ship was any sign, he would.
He took another glance over to the houses across the river and whispered, "Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Dad.? He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly had a strange feeling like he might not see them for a long time. His ears drooped and he turned to go back inside and get some sleep before leaving in the morning.