Orion Gambit - Traci Ganner series book 2

Orion Gambit - Ch 1

“Get in my way again, Orion, and it will take more than the voice of this woman to save you.”  Michael was vaguely aware that Kodiac had stalked out of the shed as the woman helped him stand and then pushed him through the crowd of prisoners.  The clan bosses find out about conflicts soon enough and administer their own form of justice.  Michael knew that his failure to avoid Kodiac would earn him yet another punishment.

Michael wiped his brow.  It was hot on Bellerophon.

Closer than Mercury is to Sol, Bellerophon orbits 51 Pegasi, a massive, yellow G4 star in the Pegasus cluster. The planet is always in a hurry, orbiting its star at the fantastic rate of one circuit every four days. Even so, the brutal orbit does not leave any time for a change in seasons. Not that anyone would notice. The surface of Bellerophon is over one thousand degrees—not exactly a vacation spot.

Bellerophon is also several times larger than Mercury, and almost half the size of Jupiter. Thanks to the abnormally metallic star it orbits, Bellerophon is the quadrant’s primary source of rhenium, a metal used in the formation of starship armor. Known for its toughness under stress, rhenium is far more durable than other metals of similar mass. It can also withstand extreme heat—a good thing since Bellerophon is so very hot.

Of course, no one chooses to visit Bellerophon, except to collect ore from the mining operations—or drop off a new prisoner. The process is essentially the same for both tasks. The visiting ship has to approach Bellerophon Refinery, which orbits the planet on its dark side. Remaining within the planet’s shadow accomplishes two important tasks. First, it provides a certain amount of operational security; it is far easier to monitor and inspect ships limited to a single lane of approach. Second, it shields the refinery and any approaching ships from the radiation and heat of 51 Pegasi.

Prisoners dropped off on Bellerophon do not expect parole. They survive by participating in the only occupation on the planet, mining the endless tunnels for ore that may or may not contain rhenium. There are no fences or guard towers; both are superfluous. The mining tunnels are deep within the surface of the planet, under layers of gas and silicates. There is no breathable atmosphere above the mining colonies. Even if a prisoner managed to escape the tunnels, he would have to survive the searing heat. Hot enough to burn a man to his bones in seconds, the entrances to the mining tunnels serve as a stark reminder of the futility of the prisoners’ existence. Some, driven by desperation or madness, try to escape, only to find their bones added to those of previous escapees, piled and bleached upon the endless plains of the planet of death. There is no parole from Bellerophon.

Calendars are not particularly meaningful for the inhabitants of the prison planet. All days are the same, with the exception of Trade Day. Trade Day is the one day every standard month when the ore is collected. A system of barter encourages the prisoners to make their quota of rhenium ore each month. The ore is weighed and loaded aboard cargo vessels. In exchange, a proportionate amount of food and supplies is meted out. When there is a shortage of ore, there is a shortage of food, to encourage prisoners to do better. Prisoners quickly learn that cooperation results in greater food quantities.

How the prisoners govern themselves is of little import, as long as they make their quota. This means that prisoners obey the rules of the jungle. Gang bosses rule the world of Bellerophon, and each boss manages his own gang. Deaths and reprisals are common enough, but even the bosses know that too many deaths would result in missing the quota for the month. And that is not acceptable.

Michael had arrived on Trade Day. Along with the food, tools, and repair supplies came two new prisoners. A second prisoner, named Thaselus, arrived along with Michael. Believing himself to be above the will of the gang bosses, Thaselus was murdered on the second day. No one seemed to care. There wasn’t even a funeral. His body was simply carried to the surface, where it was vaporized and sandblasted, exposing bleached white bones to the harsh world that would soon reclaim even them.