Morning all. I hope your week is going well. Mine is chugging along nicely actually. Getting lots done and feeling pretty good about it. So let’s kick off today with the morning writing prompt. timers set for fifteen minutes and off we go.
It took me a while to see where this is going. I think I know now, but I may have to come back to this one.
Wednesday, July 2nd: It was like holding a handful of stardust.
It was like holding a handful of stardust. Sean let the tiny crystals slip through his gloved fingers and fall back into the bucket. It slipped like glitter, but had a weight to it making it feel more solid. It glittered threw back sprays of rainbow light.
“What is it,” he asked. He carefully shook his gloved hand over the bucket making certain ever little bit fell back with its brethren. He didn’t have to see a sign to know that whatever this was, it was pricy.
“We know it is some sort of stone,” Lucas replied as he stepped away. As per protocol, the containment shields were lowered around the bucket and Sean peeled off his gloves, dropping them into the container provided. He knew they would be sterilized and then reused. Resources were scarce here and nearly everything was used and reused until it could no longer be used for its intended purpose. Then a new purpose was found for it. Nothing went to waste on the Gamma-327 Station. Their outpost was important enough to maintain basic functions, but not important enough for the Empire to spend anything more than needed to maintain the basics.
‘This might change that,’ he thought. Sean backed away and shed his protective coat, hanging it up. It would be collected with the others later, but for now, it was fine on the hook. Lucas did the same with his coat and the two left the containment room.
‘Stone,” Sean said as they settled.
Lucas nodded. “It’s crystalline structure mimics that of diamonds but it does not grow any larger. The size is consistent there are none larger and few smaller.”
“Tiny diamonds,” Sean said. He knew a sample would need to be sent and labs closer to the Empire’s hub would need to confirm the find. While their scientists were highly rated, those at the core of the empire tended to believe anyone outside of the home world was incompetent. ‘And even then the only competent ones are within a certain radius of the capitol.’
He shook the thought off. His people had been insulted before as people double checked things and no doubt they would be again more times than he could count.
“This is going to change things,” he said. The potential changes more than the insult to his people a concern. The Empire was always eager for anything of monetary or scientific value. Gamma was just an outpost, like a sign saying the area still belonged to the Empire. Sean often thought of Gamma 327 as a large and sophisticated keep off the grass sign. ‘But if we produce something of value.’
He shook his head. It was something he would have to think about. “Run as many tests as you can think of,” he told Lucas. “I want as much known as possible before I send in a report.”
It would delay some of the changes, but not for long.
Ten til Midnight 