Little Bear, as everyone called him, looked almost straight down at Jade from his height of over six and a half feet. He gave her a big tight lipped grin as his hands, each almost as big as her head, closed around her hips and picked her up with no effort.
A thrilled squeal escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms around his head and squeezed both out of excitement to see him and to keep him from hefting her higher in the air.
A laugh like a cave-in came out of lil Bear. Jade relaxed her grip and Lil Bear easily tossed her over his shoulder like a sack , "I was sent to bring you out to the 'fresh cut' little miss." He said turning and walking off away from the school and on a path that led out of town.
"Lil Bear, I can walk." Jade giggled kicking while also trying to find a way to hold on as she began bouncing on his shoulder from the gallop of a run that he had taken up down one of the tunnels.
Towns folks and miners moving about their lives quickly stepped aside, many pressing themselves hard against walls and safety barriers as Lil Bear called ahead to them with shouts of " 'xcuse meh! Coming through" and ""Clear a path. Fresh cut on hold.". This last one got the attention of most to move. If miners were not digging out at the 'fresh cut' line then no one was making money.
Jade continued to plead through bouts of giggles for him to put her down.
"Sorry Lil Miss, but I was told to fetch you as fast as I could by your Pa, my Pa, and the 57's foreman." He apologized running down two flights of stairs and a cross a catwalk that crossed over a crevice that disappeared into darkness below.
Jades upper body bobbed out over the railing but she wasn't afraid. She felt safe with him.
Lil Bear half ran, half slid down around the next tunnel twists and turns. Jade's shrieks and giggles echoing up through the chambers with an almost indecent pleasure sound to them..
"Lil Bear you put that young one down!" A voice like sandpaper roar.
"Big Bear!" Jade exclaimed recognizing the voice, as Lil Bear came to a stop, slid her off his shoulder and carefully set her down. She immediately turned and hugged Big Bear.
He stepped back, looking her eye to eye at his height "Has it been that long that your as tall as me now?" He asked, honestly shocked, as he looking her over.
Jade blushed and looked down away.
"She's taller then you Big Bear." Someone called from out of Jades view..
"Who isn't taller then him?" Another voice asked.
Jade spun, "Shep! Roach!" She screamed as she ran forward and hugged the two who came walking down another passage carrying two large boxes between them.
"My Lord, You are turning into a real young lady." Shepard Grave's, Shep to his friends, said " Have you been saying your prayers?"
Jade nodded proudly.
"Let us hear one." The other guy asked looking at her through magnified goggles.
Jade straightened and clasped her hands together in front of her. "Hail Mary, full of grace. We don't wanna die in space. If reavers should ever cross our path. Let them be slow and we be fast. Amen"
Shep stood silent a moment then gave a smile, "True enough words and very well spoken. When we have time I will have to teach you a different one."
"Def'nit'ly later shep. We need to get back out to fresh cut with our cargo." Big bear interrupted. "Jade you ride up front with me. Rest you get those bits in and strapped down." He ordered flipping up the safety bars on seat next to the pilots seat.
Jade knew better then to argue with Big Bear and hopped right in and pulled the bars down over her shoulders till she heard the click of the lock. She shook the bars and kicked them as hard as she could to make sure they were secure.
Behind her she could hear the others doing the same after securing the cargo. Stories were passed around like recycled air about miners being thrown from Haulers and never being seen again in one piece from not checking their lock downs.
"Got room for four more from the 83rd?" An out of breath voice called out to them as four men cleared the curve of a side tunnel and came into view.
Big Bear took his hand off the emergency break and turned "Sure if the '18 kilometer' to A44 cross cut out to fresh cut past Silver drop is goin your way?"
"We can make it work." One of them said tossing a backpack and a tool kit into one of the side cages "Stow it guys." He ordered to his guys as he moved for the front of the Hauler. "Ghost, in back" he said to Jade grabbing the release for her lock down.
Big Bears arm came across her 'lock downs' with a crack and a click, "Jade rides up here with me. You or one of your men can strap down in the cargo bed or ride a cage." His voice was angry and Jade tried to shrink out of sight. Big Bears hand grabbed the bars and shook them harder then she ever could.
"No way one of mine is riding no cage while this 'Ghost'-"
Everyone heard the CLICK-POP of Little Bears 'lock-downs' followed by the ring of a pair of Steel toed miners boots kicking the same 'lock-downs' back into place.
Jade twisted back and forth as best as she could to see as Shep's feet held little bears bars down "Mister, don't know you from Adam but I know that less you wish to be spending a good portion of the next year mending your bones. I would say I was sorry to our friend Jade here for calling her what you did or at least get out of sight in the back. Cause we all have a soft spot for that lil one, Little bear here more then the rest. And he hasn't quit learned to turn the other cheek yet when it comes to those insulting her."
Jade could hear the strain in shep's voice and finally could see why as she twisted enough to see both Shep and Roach struggling to keep the bars down and locked into place over little bear.
He might have gotten a good look at little bear. He might have recognized the name. Or he might have seen the other three of his guys shaking their heads side to side vigorously. What ever it was the guy turned and walked back "Seagon, out of that seat."
"Screw you, your mouth, your cage." Seagon snapped back pointing back to the cargo cages as he watched Little bear shake his head No and give the bars one good snap to check then.
The other shook their heads no also as the guy looked to them. Finally he moved back.
Big Bear watched the display as a red light went on as a cage door opened then went green again. "OK, let's get going." He said and pulled the emergency break and pushed the throttle forward.
The Hauler moved forward on the rails slowly picking up speed. They rounded a bend an Jade counted six green lights, signal showing that the track was clear for three kilometers in both directions. Big Bear grinned and sent the signal and the track switch closed and transferred them onto 18 kilometer run. As soon as the Hauler settled in and the sway from switching tracks slowed he pressed the lever farther forward and the Hauler throttled up
Jade became aware of a conversation behind her and turned to look at Little Bear who seemed to blush and look away as he saw her look at him. This wasn't the first time he had gotten like this towards people who called her a 'ghost'.
"I understand how you feel, but you can't go trying to fight everyone who insults Jade like that." Shep said trying to calm little bear down.
"Sure he can." Big Bear responded proudly as he increased the speed of the Hauler again down the tracks, "Look at the size of him."
"Not all of them." Shep said again.
"Maybe not all, but definate five or six at a time" Roach pipped in.
Everyone but the guy in the cage and Jade laughed.
He was to busy cussing and trying to hold onto something.
Jade was to busy trying to figure out why the 57's treated her like they did. Especially Little Bear.
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