Chapter Text
Rhys stared at the letter in his hand. It was a formality, letters. No one sent letters nowadays, but for something like this they had decided to go all out. Fancy font, big letterheads, and gold trimming. The whole shabang.
Dear Mr. Strongfork,
We are pleased to inform you that due to your exceptional grades and accomplishments this year, you have been selected for the young engineers award program.
Rhys read and reread that sentence over and over. He actually got in. When he applied to this program, it was on a whim. At the time, he was applying to multiple scholarships hoping to get an inkling of money to start on his loans. The application for this specific program was just something to break his routine of essays on why he deserved a scholarship. Actually being selected for this program was not what he was expecting. He wasn't even majoring in engineering, he was a programmer. Or at least going to be.
He skimmed through the rest of the letter and found a paragraph that noted all the majors eligible for the award trip. Programming was one of them. Rhys raised a brow and shrugged. Well, That made a lot more sense.
“You gonna go?” Vaughn suddenly asked over his shoulder.
Rhys flinched, not expecting the sudden intrusion. Vaughn was munching on yesterday’s pizza takeout and looking at him expectantly. Rhys sighed, dropping the letter on the couch next to him which Vaughn quickly snatched up.
“I dunno… I mean, this is so sudden. Leave next month? That’s during midterm week!” Rhys groaned, tilting his head and staring up at the ceiling.
Vaughn vaulted over the back of the couch to sit next to Rhys. He was reading through the letter in one hand and finishing off the pizza with the other.
“Says right here you’ll be exempt from any schoolwork including tests that will either be rescheduled or taken online.” Vaughn spoke, mouth full of pizza.
Rhys scrunched up his nose at Vaughn’s lack of table manners, but leaned in to see the paragraph Vaughn was referring to. Two weeks off from the high stress stakes of university life may just do him some good. Not to mention this opportunity is no doubt a leg in with his post grad company of choice. Rhys had laid them all out, listed the pros and cons of each when he was fourteen. He’s known what he’s wanted to do almost all his life and that was to integrate into the business world.
In the end, it was a tie between Hyperion, Atlas, and Maliwan. They were all big name companies, but Rhys had to strike Atlas out in recent years considering it went under. Rhys shook his head. What a shame. Atlas was a powerful company and his number one choice, but it went to show that even the powerhouses could break.
Hyperion was his second choice, now bumped up to first. He had read over their Pandora project and was quite frankly enthralled at their proposal to fix the planet. Rhys has never been and has no intention of ever going. He’s heard stories and they were more frightening than any horror movie in existence. Machete wielding psychos, trigger happy bandits, cannibals . And those were considered some of the tamer population of Pandora. There was also the horrific wildlife. Rhys shuddered. He’d rather his butt stay on Eden-4, nice and safe. Yeah, Hyperion was doing the universe a huge favor with that proposal.
Rhys looked back down to the letter in Vaughn’s hand. His eyes were glued to the words “currently in construction satellite over Pandora, Helios”. That’s where this program was sending the winners. That’s where he would be going. Rhys felt a wave of anxiety hit him. He didn't know if he was scared, excited or both. He’s never been out of the planet before. Born and raised on Eden-4.
He had almost gone to university on Promethea, but chickened out at the last minute opting for his safety net school. Still highly prestigious in its own right, if Rhys may add. But something inside him has always craved some kind of adventure. And nothing could get more adventurous than this. Rhys nodded to himself, assured of what he was about to do next in life.
‘Well then,” He spoke up, getting Vaughn’s attention. “Guess I should start packing huh?”
____________________________________________________________________________
Rhys sat at the shuttle terminal, bouncing his leg incessantly. Aside from him, six other students had won the trip to Helios. They were all currently sprawled around the empty terminal, waiting for their flight to board. Their guide, Mrs. Virginia Tulabutton, was sat all poised and proper by the reception desk, face conveying that she was not to be disturbed, ever.
Rhys’ frayed nerves were all over the place, not helped by the occasional loud sounds of a shuttle taking off. Not to mention the closer flights shook the building a bit and Rhys couldn't help but flinch each time it did. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he startled violently at that. Feeling pathetic and hoping no one saw his act of dramatics, he slipped the device out.
Rhys smiled at the screen when he saw his best friend had messaged him. Despite the fact that he would only be gone for two weeks, he was still going to miss Vaughn. They had been inseparable since they were paired up as roomies and the change in pace would no doubt affect them both.
>Hey bro! Just wanted to let you know to have a safe flight! Let me know when you land (-8
Rhys smiled fondly at the message, Vaughn was such a sap. He wrote a quick message back thanking him and assuring that he would let him know the instant he got to Helios.
“Texting your girlfriend?” A sudden voice piped up in front of him.
Rhys looked up to the young woman sitting across from him. She was smirking at him and had an inquisitive look on her face. Like all of them, she was sharply dressed. A pencil skirt hugging her curves, a pink button up shirt, sheer tights and, Rhys noted as he looked down, heels. That was a bold move. All the other ladies, save for Mrs. Tulabutton, opted for the safer choice of flats.
The woman was still staring at him, lifting a brow at his continued silence. Rhys cleared his throat. “Uh, no..” He was kind of annoyed at the implication and meddling from a stranger.
“Mhmm sure.” She responded as she stood up and walked forward, taking the seat right next to him. “Names Yvette and you are…?” She held out a hand for him to shake.
Rhys looked down at her hand, at her immaculately painted nails that she most likely got done for the purpose of this trip. He slipped his cybernetic hand in hers and shook. “Rhys.”
“Nice to meet you Rhys and nice prosthetic, if I may add. This new?” She said, gesturing with her chin.
“Thanks and uh not really. Got it a couple years back actually.” Rhys didn't like thinking back to the accident that took his arm. He had to learn to do everything one handed and with his non dominant hand. When he turned thirteen, his mom got a better job with an even better insurance plan, so he was finally able to get a cybernetic.
“Hmm thats nice.” Yvette hummed, sounding a bit distracted. “Say Rhys? You gonna eat those chips?”
Rhys blinked. What? He supposed his face conveyed his confusion as Yvette added, “The chips in your bag.” While pointing to said bag laying in the seat adjacent to him.
“H-How’d you know I have chips?” Rhys asked, even more confused now. “Your glasses got some sort of x-ray vision?”
Yvette laughed, shaking her head. “Nah. I just saw them when you opened your bag to grab your phone charger.”
That little sneak , Rhys thought. Highly observant. Guess that's going to help her in the long run if she was going to work for a cutthroat company like Hyperion. Nonetheless, he opened his bag to retrieve the chips for her. Her face brightened, like a kid on christmas morning. Jeez it was like Rhys was handing her 10 million dollars.
“Thanks Rhys!” Yvette spoke her gratitude, quickly opening the bag and diving right in. “Want some?” She offered, pointing the bag towards him as if they were always hers to begin with.
Rhys shook his head with a smile. “No thanks, I’m fine.”
Yvette shrugged while continuing on with the bag. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only noise in the terminal the sounds of her chewing and the various flights departing and arriving. Rhys noticed that he hadn't been startled by the noises since meeting Yvette. He supposed he could afford a friend on this trip.
“Hey so, what's your major?” Yvette asked as she took a break from munching.
“Programming.” Rhys responded, looking at her. “Yours?”
“Network and systems.” She rummaged through the quickly depleting contents in the bag. “I’m going to work in security and propaganda at Hyperion.”
Rhys whipped around to face her more fully. “Hold up, how do you know that for sure? Do you have contacts on the inside?’
Yvette looked at him like he was stupid, which made him shrink in on himself a bit. “No… but hello? This program is already a guaranteed ticket in. Why else would they waste their time and money shipping a bunch of college kids to their fancy new satellite.”
“Uh, for the educational benefits for students?” Rhys said, a little speculatively.
Yvette snorted in response. “Yeah. Right.”
In that moment the PA system chimed a little tune before the automated voice spoke, letting them know their shuttle was now boarding. Mrs. Tulabutton stood up, straightening out her jacket before she clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
“Alright scholars, that is our call!” She spoke loudly in an authoritarian voice. “I would hope that considering you are all grown adults attending a nice university that you will all be on your best behaviors in the shuttle and on Helios. Remember, Hyperion has a zero tolerance policy. Any small misdemeanor means an automatic cut from this program and potential expulsion. Am I clear?”
Everyone muttered their affirmations and Rhys gulped. He was dreading the flight and could feel a thin layer of sweat starting to coat his skin.
“Good. Now let’s go!” Mrs. Tulabutton headed towards the automatic doors taking them to their shuttle.
Yvette stood up, stretching her limbs. Rhys, on the other hand, was glued to his chair, eyes blurring slightly as he stared at the doors everyone was lining up behind. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself from his mounting panic. It was just a short little trip through space. No biggie. He’s been on a plane before and nothing happened. It’s fine, he’s fine!
“You coming?” Yvette asked, looking down at him and offering her hand.
Rhys blinked a couple times, trying to clear the fog that had started to cloud his mind. “Yeah.” He squeaked pathetically.
Yvette’s features softened as she considered him. She reached down and grabbed his arm, pulling him up.
“Come on. You’ll be fine.” She said as she linked their arms together and guided him towards the doors. “Just think about all the fun we’ll have on Helios!”
Rhys nodded mechanically. Somehow he doubted fun was going to take his mind off of the debilitating anxiety that accompanied his aviophobia.
______________________________________________________________________________
Turned out the flight wasn't as bad as Rhys had worried. And he was proud of the fact that he only barfed once. After that, Mrs. Tullabutton had supplied him with sleeping pills. So, technically he was knocked out for the majority of the ride. Yvette also admitted somewhat sheepishly that she had eaten the sandwich he had packed for the trip. Rhys was too excited to care, they were finally there. Rhys had done it.
They touched down in Helios’ shuttle bay right on schedule. The bay was large and alive with activity, various transport shuttles arriving and others leaving. Rhys was even surprised to see actual loaderbots in person. They were big, but not as big as he thought. They seemed a lot taller in all those infomercials he watched.
Despite all this, the place felt kinda empty. Rhys had to remind himself that the space station was still in construction. He saw what it looked like from the shuttle window. Admittedly, looking out made him queasy but he still had managed to sneak a peek. It was large and menacing looking, like something out of those SciFi movies with the space wizards. The lower levels were already done and the eye was getting there. Even with just the skeleton laid out, Rhys could evidently tell Helios was in the shape of an ‘H’. Whether that stood for Helios or Hyperion, he didn't know.
Mrs. Tulabutton led them through the shuttle bay, taking time to chastise them whenever they seemed to linger at the sight of something cool. She mentioned how Hyperion had ‘no tolerance for dillydalliers’. Rhys rolled his eyes at that. Shame on him for expecting a tour of the place, it's not like they had all the time in the world here. Only fourteen days. No doubt the other students were just as curious as he was.
They had made their way out of the shuttle bay and through some metal hallways, ending up in a decently sized conference room with a large table in the middle. Mrs. Tullabutton had made them all take a seat on one side as she prepared an orientation video for them to watch.
The video was clearly all bullshit propaganda, but still Rhys found himself fascinated. If he wasn’t excited about working for Hyperion before, he definitely was now. There was a sudden knock on the door, then it opened. A stream of - what Rhys would assume were the Hyperion engineers assigned to be their mentors - filed in. They all stood bunched up by the front of the room, taking in the fresh meat sitting at the conference table. Rhys made eye contact with a couple of them, but would always avert his gaze quickly, feeling awkward.
“Hey there kiddos!” A booming voice suddenly filled the silence of the room. A tall, broad shouldered man made his way to the front of the group. His very presence commanded obedience. Rhys found himself feeling flustered, this man was good looking. The first thing he noticed was the man’s heterochromatic eyes, one blue and the other green. Then Rhys saw the strong nose and sharp jaw that could probably cut glass. Yes indeed, this man was extremely good looking.
The man looked straight at Rhys, locking those amazingly beautiful eyes with his. Rhys held the man’s gaze for a second before looking away with a blush creeping up his neck. The man smirked then addressed the room.
“Alright listen up. Name’s Jack. I’m the head engineer in this floating hunk of metal and I’m here to make sure you kids get the best out of this little trip.”
He looked out to the row of students, who all seemed to be just as intimidated by the man as Rhys was.
“Nod if you understand me.” He said, nodding just for good measure.
It was like everyone snapped out of a daze. Every single head nodding erratically and off beat. Jack smiled. Damn that was a handsome ass smile, Rhys thought.
“Alright great! Ginny here has already shown you that whole orientation video. Now next up on the agenda is getting you all partnered up with your mentor. You’re gonna get a little one on one time to get to know the person you’ll be shadowing for the next thirteen days. Any concerns go straight out the airlock.”
Heavy silence filled the room. That was unexpected. Every single student, including Rhys, was tense with trepidation. He heard about how ruthless working for a weapons manufacturer was, but he never really expected this . Jack looked at them expectantly then barked out a laugh. Soon enough, the other engineers followed suit. Even Mrs. Tullabutton was giggling behind her hand.
“Relax! It was a joke. You shoulda seen your faces!” He said between laughter. He composed himself quickly then added “Nah but seriously, don’t have any concerns.”
“Alright then.” Jack clapped his hands then looked towards Mrs. Tulabutton who had procured a tablet seemingly out of thin air. “Let’s get to it. Ginny will let us know just which one of you kids each of us-” he gestured at himself and the rest of the engineers with his thumb “-are going to be mentoring.”
Tulabutton gave Jack a curt smile then stepped forward. She tapped a couple of things on the tablet then cleared her throat.
“Okay. I will be calling each of your names and when I do, I need you to raise your hands so your mentor can find you and take the proper seat in front of you.” She looked towards them for affirmation, which they all nodded.
Rhys looked out to the small group of engineers all gathered behind Mrs. Tulabutton. In all honesty, they looked bored. Some were leaned against the walls, others were slouched with their hands in their pockets. The only engineer that seemed to be even a little bit interested was Jack. He stood ramrod straight right next to Tulabutton with his arms across his chest as she read off the list. His very aura gave out a sense of a very powerful man.
Rhys flushed at his protruding thoughts and was thankful that reading minds wasn’t a thing people had the power to do. He looked back out at all the engineers and wondered who exactly was going to be his mentor. He didn’t dare hope to get the person who caught his eye since he entered the room. He wasn't sure what he would do if that was the case. Clearly not learn anything considering he’d be too distracted the entire time. No, Rhys was here to learn and network. In just two short years he will graduate and he can’t let anything stand in his way from attaining his goals.
One by one names were called out, hands were raised and people paired up. The process seemed to take on forever for only having seven students in total. Rhys wasn’t really keeping up with the progress, admittedly a little worried at the fact that he was unable to send Vaughn a message letting him know he made it. Unsurprisingly, his phone did not have any service out in space. He should’ve seen this coming, but was too distracted about the upcoming trip and the flight.
He perked up when he heard his name being called out. “Rhys Strongfork?” Tullabutton looked at him and he stared right back. It took an elbowing from Yvette next to him to remind him that he was supposed to raise his hand. He hastily shot his right hand up.
Tulabutton had raised an eyebrow at him but nonetheless moved on. “Rhys Strongfork, your mentor is... no other than our head engineer, lucky you.” Her voice had gained an edge of surprise. It was safe to assume she thought a dork like him was undeserving of such an honor.
Rhys stared wide eyed at the woman. No... this must be a mistake. Him? Rhys?! He was a second away from making a fool of himself by voicing his concerns - of course it wasn’t a mistake. How can they make a mistake when the pairing was randomly selected - when Jack pulled the chair in front of him out from under the table and took a seat.
“Heya kiddo.” He smiled at Rhys and damn if that didn't get him hot under his collar. Rhys bounced his leg nervously, embarrassed at the fact that his face was no doubt as red as a tomato.
“Rhys right?” The man asked and Rhys nodded. He didn’t know if it was paranoia or if everyone in the room really was staring at him.
“Well Rhys,” Jack rumbled in that entrancing voice of his. “Looks like you're stuck with me for the next two weeks.”
Shit.