#3 by Kaal

Freeport 1, Bearing System

The public access terminals always smelled funny, more so here than elsewhere it. Zack turned to the terminal screen, he knew he was going to miss birthdays but not like this.
"But Zack you promised. You said you were gonna come by for my birthday! And what about my present, you said you were gonna get me that Rheinmetall Blaster so we can go huntin for wild scruffs," whined Zack's little brother, Mitch.
Sincere sadness went over Zack's face, he missed one to many birthdays, family reunions and holidays as a Navy pilot, even when he swore he was going to be his own man and dictate his own plans, the fates seem to think otherwise.
"Mitch, look I can't come home because I'm in lotsa trouble right now. But I'll to be there Christmas and I'll wrap up a nice Detroit Regulator for you and Chris, and we'll all go shootin for big bears," promised Zack.
"No you won't, you never come by. You never keep your promises. You never...," Mitch was holding back tears, even Zack couldn't help his eyes from watering. Before Mitch could finish he quickly left the vid screen, as he heard his mother try to plead with him in the background,
"Mitch don't leave you're brother like that. He's only trying to do his best ya know that. Come back and talk to him"
He heard his brother yell clearly over the vid comm, "I don't wanna, he's a liar! He promises to come but he don't ever come by, not even on my birthday. Not on Chris's birthday, not even for Christmas!"
Too many birthdays missed, too many broken promises, thought Zack.
Zack's mother came up on the vid screen, visibly shaken, "I'm sorry Zack yer brother he..."
"Yea ma, I heard," Zack said.
There was a moment of silent as Zack looked at the vid screen, overtaken by the deep thought of guilt.
"Zack are you okay," his mother asked. Zack snapped to, "Naw ma, I'm not. Mitch is right, I am a liar. I said I was gonna come back home for Chris's birthday and I didn't. I promised I was gonna come by for Mitch's birthday, I didn't. I lied to them, I always say I will but I never do nuthing."
Zack's mother wasen't having any of it, "Yea, but you can't help any of it - you were stationed everywhere but Texas when you were with the Navy and you can't come home now because of what's happenin n' all. It ain't your fault," she said.
"Yea, sure doesn't feel like it," Zack added.
"So how's pop? How's he takin' it," he asked.
"Oh, you know your dad. He's takin' it like nothing's happening. He's in town right now comin' home for cake and all later in the evening. As long as you don't get your face on the news net it'll be fine."
Zack's dad never took a liking to Zack leaving the family buisness to find a life among the stars. To his dad, Zack was a grown man who made his choice, and living with the consequences was all part of life as far as he was concerned.
A green-lighted bleep came across Zack's GMS-linked comm unit. Business was calling him back, family would have to wait if he ever planned to see home again in the future.
"Alright ma, I have to go. I guess Commander Andrews is ready to give me a word on what's gonna happen."
Zack's mom straightened up on the vid-screen, "you take care of yourself, ya hear?"
Putting on a serious face becoming of a Grayson Contractor, Zack responded, "Yea mom, I love you. Tell the boys and pop that I love them too and that I'm sorry."
Zack's mom smiled over screen, "don't you worry 'bout nothing here, just fix up what you need to and get back home. I love you too Zachery, take care."
With that the vid-comm clicked out. Zack turned out of the booth into the promenade, running into a Junker waiting in line for the now unoccupied public terminal.
With a cheeky grin the Junker smiled, "who was that pretty lady there, you gonna give me her comm number?"
In one fluid motion Zack brought his elbow into the Junker's face, connecting with a fully weighted knee-strike to the man's solar plexus. If the Junker was smiling, that smile was lost as he collapsed to the floor.
Looking at the staring eyes of the passing pedestrians and those pausing their conversations over the neighboring terminals, Zack joked, "he stank up the booth."
Heading towards the docking bay ignoring the laughs and glares by others, Zack popped out his GMS-comms unit and gave his response, "I'm heading toward my fighter, tell the Commander I'll contact him there. Falken out."