"Richard Allen Stotts - Empire 1 - Midshipman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stotts Richard Allen)

plied the deep black were family run enterprises, their crews
were mostly one single family by birth or marriage. The




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ship was their home, they had bases of operations on
various remote planets but their true home was the ship
they earned their living in.


FTV Gryphon was transferring mining equipment
down to New Albion, the was no return cargo as of yet from
the new colony so the trip was a break-even venture. An
agreement had been reached that promised Gryphon future
business moving AlbionтАЩs refined titanium to buyers more
toward the empireтАЩs core. By coincidence there was also
an Imperial fast attack cruiser in orbit around New Albion,
HMS Rapier. The warship was there to show the flag and
to prepare a report to the Empire on the colonyтАЩs progress,
and of course to test whatever local lads who showed up to
take the pre-academy exam.


GryphonтАЩs cargo shuttle number four was piloted by
the youngest of three sons of the cargo vesselтАЩs captain.
Daniel Grayson was qualified for orbit-to-surface-to-orbit
and ship-to-ship cargo transfers and had been doing so for
the last two years. Daniel wasnтАЩt yet rated for passenger
transfers, but then Gryphon rarely carried passengers.
Daniel Grayson was ten years old.




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 There were no age limitations on cargo shuttle pilots
or much of anything else in the empire, if you could pass
the written and practical examination you got your ticket,
Daniel aced them both. Free Trader children went to work
as soon as they could control their bodily functions and
follow simple instructions. Hired labor was an unwanted
expense the traders tried to avoid, family members worked
for profit shares (if any). Each child assumed tasks best
suited to their talents and intellects. Daniel was a prodigy,
born to be a pilot. He could strap on a wooden plank and
fly it through a tornado. The boy was already a small
legend among the Free Traders, the diminutive pilot could
do things with a shuttle that on first examination would