Read Star Risk - 01 Star Risk, Ltd for Free Online Page B

behind three computer screens, a fourth coming to life.
    "I hope," Baldur said sedately, "something that will finally justify our faiths in ourselves."
    "Maybe," Jasmine said.
    "When you're out almost half a million credits."
    Grok growled, "even 'maybe' sounds pretty good. Give, woman."
    "Perhaps none of you have heard of Transkootenay Mining?" Jasmine said. "A second-tier mineral exploitation company, stocks closely held. It's not as big as, say Tray em Mining, but it's hardly in danger of going bankrupt.
    "Transkootenay is known as a company that moves very fast. It also hires ambitious young women and men, pays them very well, and promotes them quickly. The other side is that they are very reluctant to forgive a mistake, and so their various departments at times resemble warring kingdoms.
    "Transkootenay specializes in being first to open a previously unworked area, which it's been quite successful at.
    "Recently� about three E-years ago� it began exploration in the Foley System."
    "Which is where?" M'chel asked. Jasmine spun a screen around. Riss studied it.
    "I think I know where it might be. Nowhere close to us."
    "Nowhere close," Jasmine agreed. "There are six worlds, three habitable. One, Welf, is barely habitable, close to the sun. The second, Glace, fairly earthlike, has the most people, only about a hundred million. The next world out, fairly desertlike Mfir, is where Transkootenay has its headquarters, in the charmingly named city of Sheol.
    "The problem the system has is being fairly rich in resources, but without the capital to exploit them, and without a serious population base for miners and support personnel.
    "One of these resources is two exploded planets, forming an extensive asteroid belt.
    "Which is where Transkootenay came in, licensing the rights to exploit the asteroids from the System Government.
    "Transkootenay was doing fine until about a year ago."
    "Go back one," Grok said. "Two exploded planets? That's unusual."
    "Theories vary as to what happened," Jasmine said. "From encounters with a massive meteor shower to unknown causes to the Ancients."
    "Pfoh," Baldur sneered. "There are� were� no Ancients."
    "My system's legends say otherwise," Grok said calmly. "Far before Man expanded into the universe, far before even we were capable of interplanetary travel. Some suggest the old tale of the Firebringers is actually a First Encounter by these beings.
    "Besides, how do you account for so many cultures having tales of these Ancients?"
    "With never a description," Baldur said. "A lot of worlds also think there's a god, so what of that?"
    "This isn't getting us anywhere," M'chel said. Jasmine nodded her thanks.
    "As I was saying," King said, "Transkootenay has pulled gold, platinum, and fissionable ores out. These ores are the first and biggest profit maker. Recently, diamonds have been discovered, which sparked a secondary minor rush into the system.
    "Transkootenay works the system in the usual fashion�they hire contract miners, provide bases with suitably priced supplies and recreational facilities, and processing facilities, and pay royalties four times a year to Foley's SysGov.
    "About an Earth-year past, they started having trouble with robberies. Mining ships were seized, looted, and about twenty miners, who evidently objected to the process, were murdered.
    "The situation escalated recently. One of their robot processing plants was blown up, and three of their security ships have been ambushed. No survivors."
    "Py-rates," Friedrich said sarcastically. "With wooden legs, parrots, and big, sharp prybars, which they wield as they sing pirate songs."
    "Pirates cannot exist in today's economic conditions," Grok said.
    "We could debate that," Baldur said. "Go on, Jasmine. Who's doing the dirty work?"
    "That's the unusual thing," King said. "No clues, no drunken boasting, none of the reported items have shown up anywhere.
    "And none of the various attempts by Transkootenay Security have found