On the Rim, Ch 57: Sandra Takes Care of Business
Story by comidacomida on SoFurry
Welcome to part 57 of "On the Rim"! This is a short story series based on a computer game I am playing called "Rim World". Rim World is a really cool indie game that accommodates an amazing array of mods that allow me to create a setting very similar to my story world in which several of my stories take place including "Fathom's Phantoms", "The Farlight Initiative", an "Paid in Kind".
You may note that there has been a long pause since the last post and this one, and it's for good reason: this story originally progressed on a daily basis, but the main goal is to provide a quick-paced tale with the narrative character guided by readers; I use that to gauge interaction, interest, and involvement. The last post had very little of that, thus I moved on to other projects.
This post, depending on involvement from readers, may be the last one for this series. If you're okay with that, do nothing and I'll move on to the epilogue. Technically we're only about 60% of the way through the story though, and there's lots more to be told. Interested in hearing it? The fav, comment, and definitely vote!
Here are the voting options for the next post, which will take place several days later:
A) Claw provides a review of the prior days, then moves into position as the base is put in jeopardy by a grave threat.
B) Kurta wiles away the next few days dealing with mundane tasks around the base, but joins in on its defense when it contends with a fierce attack.
C) Jackal spends a few days intensely frustrated, but gets a chance to let loose when the base gets attacked.
D) Ben is slowly settling back into the swing of things as he catches up on what he misses, and then is forced to get to cover when the base is assaulted.
E) Captain considers what his past three days were like on the road, but gets no time to rest as he's called to defend the base, which is in extreme danger.
F) Nah-- we're good here. Fast forward to the epilogue.
Voting won't be available long and no, the decision won't change the events of the story, just how they're presented along with who we get to learn more about via their point of view.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy "On the Rim"!
On the Rim, Ch 57: Sandra Takes Care of Business
2020 copyright comidacomida
The party Leo had hosted for the base was really the first time the group had found the opportunity to blow off some steam in a long time and they did just that. Aside from just simply still being alive, they'd had numerous things to celebrate, not the least of which being Ben returning to them. It was a lively gathering and, insofar as Sandra could tell, it lifted everyone's moods. Her mood wasn't quite so great the following morning however when she awoke with a pounding headache.
Groaning, she turned to see that the bed beside her was already empty; Sandra and Chris had been sleeping together for awhile and, usually, they both woke up at the same time. Glancing to the clock she paused, realizing that she'd overslept by nearly two hours. Letting out a mild curse in surprise, she followed it up with a silent curse as her voice made her headache even worse. It had been years since she'd last been hung-over and the experienced helped her remember why she wasn't usually a drinker.
She spent a few extra minutes putting on her clothes and then adjusted her hair after splashing some water on her face. Sandra also noticed that a note was left for her next to the water basin from Chris, along with two pain pills. Reminding herself to thank her boyfriend, the Overseer took the available medicine and headed out to start her day. Fortunately, as she stepped into the main room, she saw that the majority of the group was just getting up so she didn't feel so far behind.
Breakfast consisted of a simple affair, but Myra had made it with all the greasy goodness that a good hangover cure required. By the time the meal was complete the pain meds had kicked in and Sandra began to feel more like herself. At that point, it turned out to be a good thing because the comm console sounded off, identifying that there was an incoming call on the base's channel. Refusing to delay, she went to answer it immediately.
The talk, as usual, was all business, which suited her just fine. Free Market LLC was contacting them with a request for supplies; apparently their hunting squads were coming up empty and they needed to replenish their meat stores. She spent the next hour working out a decent trade deal, upping the cost since the trip was a day and a half each way; Sandra wanted to make sure that the man hours invested in it would be worth it. Upon the completion of the call, she considered how best to proceed and just who it was she'd plan on sending.
The next step of the plan was to prepare the group. Cap'n, Grizz, and Missy all showed up promptly, but Sandra noticed that Ben did as well, hanging off of Captain Archibald as if the two were joined at the hip. She quickly corrected her mental dialogue to herself, having chosen what was probably an inappropriate comparison. Before everyone went to bed the prior night, Captain announced that Ben would be staying with him.
The obvious closeness between the two aside, Sandra still had to make sure the job got done. "Captain, Corporal... I'll be sending you to a Free Market LLC outpost with some supplies to trade."
Missy smirked in her self-assured, knowing way. "I guess I'm playing guide?"
The Lynx was not a Relegra employee so the Overseer knew she had no right to give her orders. She used a different tactic. "I can't think of anyone else better for the job... if you don't mind helping."
The happy-go-lucky wanderer shrugged casually. "Hasn't bothered me before, and it's usually a lot more interesting out there than staying here."
Ben reached over and rested a paw on the Captain's. "I'll come too."
Unlike Missy, Ben was a Relegra employee so he did fall into Sandra's jurisdiction. Even so, she didn't want to have to force him into line by telling him that a researcher didn't belong in the field, and if he died again there wouldn't be a guarantee that he'd get a third shot. Fortunately, she wasn't required to reign him in since Archibald did it for her. "You need to stay here, Ben."
The Wolf's paw tightened around the Dog's. "But I want to stay with you. It's like you said, Archie-- I've been... I've been GONE for so long... can't we--?"
The Captain gently pulled his paw free and turned more fully to the researcher, going so far as to put his paws on the Wolf's shoulders as he spoke. "Ben... I lost you once, and I don't want to lose you again after having just got you back. You're safer here, and--"
The Wolf didn't relent. "But you're putting yourself in danger every time you go out there, Archie... I don't want to lose you either."
Sandra held her tongue; their little disagreement was wasting time, but she figured it would be time well spent if it could get a suitable resolution. The Captain disengaged, taking one of Ben's paws in his own. "True.... but you don't have weapons training, or combat armor, or experience in the field, or--"
Ben interrupted, "I know, but--!"
Archibald spoke right over him. "Ben. I can do my job better out there knowing that you're safe back here."
The statement finally seemed to break through the Wolf's willful impertinence and he let go of Archie's paw, sitting back in his chair. "Just make sure you come back safe."
The Captain smiled. "I will... and, besides, Claw, Leo, and Jackal will still be here, so you'll have a security detail around just in case."
Ben's next words were filled with defeat. "Yeah... but I'd rather have you."
Once the drama had played out without her interference, Sandra continued the briefing. "I'd like you to take the Gorumn prisoners with you. We'll have them blindfolded so you can release them once you get to the North-South trade road-- the people at Free Market said that's about a half day from their base, so you'll know it when you see it."
Missy piped in "Yeah-- I know where that is."
Considering the briefing complete, the Overseer stood up. "Alright-- I'll arrange to have the work force prepare the goods and in the meantime I leave it to you to fill in the details with your squad, Captain."
The Dog nodded. "Yes, Ma'am'."
She departed, leaving Archibald and Ben to their tearful goodbye; it wasn't that Sandra was heartless, she just had too many things that needed getting done and the drama wasn't going to make that happen. She called Claw and Leo together to make sure the prisoners were ready for transport, then went to collect Coal, Lizzy and Duct-Tape so that they could gather up the items on her list. As it turned out, Lizzy was absent and, while Coal and Duct-Tape hopped to it, the Overseer began looking around for the absent Cytkus. Sandra eventually found her in the medical bay.
The Overseer walked in on Chris tending to the unconscious laborer. She got right down to business. "What happened?"
Chris glanced over his shoulder. "Well... according to my patient here, while everyone else eventually went to sleep, she continued to stay up drinking."
The Overseer stepped up to look over the Cytkus. "I see... and how long was that?"
Dr. Zimmerman sighed. "She was drinking when I got up this morning, then followed me here, talking about how her head was spinning and she thought she was going to be sick. She's fine... just sleeping it off."
Sandra sighed; everything had been going so well that morning. "Alright... keep an eye on her; I'll have Leo find out how far she went over her alcohol provisions and we'll handle things accordingly."
Walking out of the medical bay, she made a stop by the kitchen to have Myra cover for Lizzy (the Rhino didn't much care for it). Although the day had started out well (despite starting late), Sandra was beginning to worry that it was taking a turn for the worse; not much later, however, an alert notice from the comm console changed all that. Sandra saw that it was on an orbital channel. She picked up. "This is Sandra Simpson, formerly of the Relegra Corporate Ship Venture."
The voice that responded was familiar to her at that point. "Hey Ms. Simpson-- this is Xavier Thurstenburger of the ACS Largess. We're passing by on our way to do a slingshot maneuver so I wanted to check in."
Despite her recently soured morning, the Overseer found herself smiling. "That is very kind of you, Captain. If you're not here to trade, do you at least have any word from the core systems?"
The pilot chuckled on the other end. "Oh-- that's the other thing. I finally heard back from command about your situation. We still haven't made contact with Relegra..."
Her mood tanked again. "Oh. Alright. Thank you for your continued atte--"
He spoke right over her. "But, central command gave the go-ahead to take on some passengers next time we come through."
She had him repeat himself again before she celebrated. Her cries of joy attracted the whole base, and they celebrated again together.