Marco's Rock

Eight years on a mining planet was a long time. But the dreamed about day had finally arrived. Now it was Last Party night. Soon the miners would be off the rock for good, back inside Mother, drinking and eating and adding up their share of the profits. For every miner down on the rock, the good life was about to begin. Which couldn't come soon enough for Commander Marco of mining Pod 5 because he was quite tired of being in charge of these people. and very tired of everyone dumping their complaints and grievances on him. He was so close to being finished with it all. Only, he had one last complaint to listen to, and he'd only agreed to listen because it came from his best friend, Flanders. Later he would wonder how reality might have been different if he'd just tuned the old man out.