Laura rubbed her shoulders. She was little more than skin and bone. “I'm sorry, I know you loved him. ”
“I can't forget him Laura. So much of this work wouldn't have happened if it weren't for him, even Minuteman, if it weren't for him releasing Alice and us capturing a part of her predatory code inside the quantum core by mistake, none of that would have existed. A molecular quantum core so small and powerful it can even keep me alive a little longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“I installed a more advanced framework system and some nanobots into my body. Now Minuteman is controlling how they heal me, which fires to put out, which organs to save and how.”
Laura could only stare at her friend, imagining the constant pain she must be going through as she walked through the habitation cabin with its small table, two built in chairs and four bunks.
“I'm so tired of sitting around, pretending like every day might not be my last, feeling sorry for myself and wondering if Jonas will ever know where he comes from.”
“He wouldn't want you to do this, not for him,” Laura pleaded quietly as she followed Ayan.
“That makes him worth it,” she sat down in the pilot's seat and started warming up the ship. “I still love him. I tried seeing other people when I was still in shape, you were there. I kept measuring them against Jonas. Now we know where he is, or where he will be. I'm going. You'll have to drag me off this ship to stop me Laura.”
She hadn't seen such determination in her friend in years. Part of her was back, the part that mattered. “We love you Ayan. We don't want to see you end up all alone in space or killed in some accident.”
“No. You, Jason and Oz love me, I know. That's where it ends. My own mother won't take time out from building her precious colony to spend a few more days with me before I'm gone. In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been feeling very well lately, without Minuteman and all this technology I've got three days left at best. Nothing can save me, but maybe I can save Jonas. If he knows where he comes from, that someone is willing to cross the galaxy to tell him, then maybe that shadow of him I see on the Newsnets could find its way. Maybe he could have a better life.”
Laura let a few tears fall as she looked into her friend's eyes. “All you've built here, the team, it'll suffer.”
“The politics of Fleet Command are doing what they think is right with our work, but there's no focus, no purpose to any of it. It's not really improving anything for anyone just trying to live a normal life on Freeground. They're using it for military and leaking other technology out slowly, so the privileged get first crack at the benefits. What's any of it worth if it can't make us happier, healthier?” she closed her eyes for a moment and let out a shuddering sigh. “Please, I need to see him.” Ayan whispered. Her chin was quivering, tears streamed down her face. “One last time.”
Laura gently took Ayan into her arms. “Alright, but you're not going alone.”
“Oh thank God, I was afraid you wouldn't get here in time and I'd have to stay awake for the next week,” Ayan sighed with a little chuckle.
“You know I love you Ayan.”
“I know. Love you too Laura,” Ayan whispered. “Can I lower my nerve sensitivity now?”
“Yup, I'll take us out.” Laura replied, knowing that Ayan must have been in constant pain. It was the trade off for mobility and mental acuity.
Alarms sounded across the Freeground Home Fleet as one of the most advanced ships ever built carrying the most sophisticated combat and logistics computer known in that part of the galaxy launched from a small bay and entered its own wormhole. The Silkstream IV, as intelligence would report to Fleet Command later on, was equipped with the first effective combination faster than light drive. Once it entered a wormhole it would generate a hyperspace field around itself, altering its mass and how it interacts with the universe so it could travel many times the speed of light.
Combining wormhole technology and hyperdrive technology had been done successfully on three ships. The first and fastest of which was the Silkstream IV, a small prototype, and nothing in the known universe could catch it. At its top speed it was fast enough to cross the milky way in under two months. It would be able to reach Jonas Valent in the Enreega system within days while only expending a small portion of its fuel.
For all intents and purposes, Ayan Rice and Laura Everin were permanently out of reach. Considering they were trying to make contact with the one man they had been forbidden to reach by threat of war, Freeground Intelligence put efforts in place to cover up the incident and disavow ownership of the Silkstream IV. All but one restricted copy of its schematics were deleted the next day.
New Arrivals
The bridge of the Triton was alive with activity. Liam was showing the crew members at each post how to access the documentation and training materials for their stations. It looked like he had already educated half the bridge staff already, and had just finished working with Frost when Stephanie walked in. He looked up at her only briefly, too distracted by the massive database associated with the tactical stations. Most of the crew knew the basics of operating their stations but the particulars, the fine tuning and more detailed instrumentation was difficult to access and seemed unwieldy at first. Sol Defence ships were developed in ways that were foreign to most of the galaxy and even though operating them seemed simple and user friendly on the surface, finer details were difficult to grasp without specific training.
Unknown to Jacob Valance, anyone on board, and even Lucius Wheeler, there was a database of tutorials and operation manuals buried in the core software. Knowing where they were, being able to reference them at a moment's notice was making a difference already. The tutorials would help later, when there was more time for the crew to learn independently.
The difference between a dedicated crew member and a jobber will be pretty obvious soon. I'm going to end up taking tutorials and running practice simulations for months but at least I have a place to start. Stephanie thought to herself as she walked to the right hand seat beside the command chair, it adjusted to her height and shape as she sat down. She listened in as she checked the ship status screen.
“Whenever you're looking at a system you enter in the code one, two, three and your name and the training directory will come up. Anyone with command access at their station can bring up the information at any time. Passengers and other non-crew will only be able to access the bare minimum. Like entertainment, materializers and how to operate different fixtures in quarters.” Liam was telling Ashley, Captain Valance and the navigator.
Stephanie saw a red line leading to one of the generators from the upper berth and brought up the explanation pertaining to the marking. After reading through the details of how to interpret what she was seeing her eyes went wide. “Captain, we have a critical power drain from our generators leading to the materializers on deck nineteen, sections G9 to M12. They're using the materializers for a lot more than food.”
Everyone at the helm turned to her. Liam walked across to the diagram she was examining. “Ever take an engineering program?” he asked.
Stephanie shook her head. “Good instructions.”
“You're a quick study. She's right Captain, our power reserves are gone and if they keep it up they'll start burning out power lines.”
“First Officer to deck nineteen security detail.”
“Aye, Leland March here.”
“What's going on down there? It looks like everyone is using the materializers all at once.”
“They are. Materializer usage isn't free where most of these people come from, so they're making everything from jewellery to toys.”
“It's not free here either. We're about to lose power in several sections if you don't stop them.”
“Hey, you try stopping eleven hundred people from scrambling for the materializers. Someone just finished making a quarter ounce of platinum and half the place went nuts.”
“Oh my God, that must have drawn a tenth of o
ur reserve power,” Captain Valance commented as he followed Liam to the engineering station.
“God dammit, if you don't put a stop to it, the whole section will lose power!”
“Then get down here and stop them yourself Steph! I'm not mixing it up with this mob!”
Captain Valance joined the conversation. “Start stunning people if you have to, just break it up.”
Liam tried to cut the power to the materializers. The screen turned red, warning against a security violation. “Captain, I don't have access to your systems yet. You'll have to enter me into your systems as a crew member before I can do anything.”
Captain Valance hurriedly cleared the security violation. He went on to work at the problem and managed to cut all power to the affected sections. “Okay, now I'll enter you into the system so you can make the changes we need. Just cut materializer usage down to low density food and simple liquids.”
“Steph! What the hell did you do up there? All the power's gone and people are going nuts!” shouted Leland.
“Get control! Get their attention and tell them that we'll have the lights back on in a minute. Reassure them, that's all they need.”
“I'm getting the hell out of here. Take care of it yourself,” Leland retorted.
Stephanie looked to Captain Valance, who nodded. “Take care of it, we'll have the lights back on in a couple minutes.”
She started for the main entrance to the bridge and stopped as the massive doors parted. Trade Minister Lorne stood in the center flanked by four soldiers. He was fit, his hair trimmed square and he stood ready with his hand on his sidearm. “When I arranged for you to sign with us I never expected you'd do so well Captain. On behalf of my government and all Aucharians, I thank you. We'll see that you're fairly rewarded, now please transfer command to me.”
Everything on the bridge stopped dead except for Liam, who was quickly working to set up a power up sequence that would limit materializer use as soon as the lights, heat and air circulation came on in the darkened sections of the ship.
“Step away from the terminal sir,” one soldiers ordered, pointing his rifle at the engineer.
“I'm sorry, we have a riot underway and if I don't turn the lights on innocent people will be injured or killed.”
“Fire on him and you will have killed the only man with a solid understanding of these systems,” Captain Valance stated. “And then I'll kill you myself.”
“At ease Sergeant,” Lorne ordered haughtily. “Let the man finish his work.” He turned to Captain Valance. “I'll ask you politely, please surrender command to me.”
“I'm afraid not, and since when did you have a military rank?”
“I served five years when I was younger, as a high ranking member of the cabinet I carry the rank of General in an emergency. Now, if you would Captain?”
Jake ignored him. “Liam, are the lights back on?”
“Just now Captain.”
“Good. Computer; lock down all command functions, release only by senior command codes belonging to Captain Jacob Valance.”
“Please verify lockdown,” The monotone female computer persona replied.
“Don't do it Jake,” Minister Lorne said ominously.
“Lockdown verif-” two of the soldiers opened fire and everyone dove for cover. Captain Valance was shot several times, but there was nothing anyone could do.
Stephanie rolled to her feet and drew her pistol, firing two stun shots at the nearest soldier. They impacted on his armour and had no effect. She flicked the pistol's setting to lethal with her thumb and fired again, catching one soldier in the arm. It burned the surface of his armour, doing heat damage beneath and forcing him to drop his rifle.
The two security officers who were manning the bridge opened fire as well but were gunned down in short order.
The soldier to Lorne's left focused on Stephanie after finishing off the guard behind her. She ran for one of the console seats. The first burst of slim, white hot bolts missed her entirely. The second was closer and by the time the soldier opened up for a third round she was behind the nearest console seat.
The fabric on the chair burst open in a dozen places. Stephanie stared at the little smouldering holes for a moment, feeling like she had been run through by burning needles. Her attempts to breathe brought forth thick gurgles. She could taste the blood in the back of her throat and resisted the urge to cough. Looking down Stephanie saw her vacsuit had been punctured in many places, blood was running down from her throat.
Ashley ran to her from behind her console. “Oh God, Steph. Don't do this to us, hang in there!” she took her hand and gripped it tightly.
Stephanie tried to speak, tried to tell Ashley it was all right, not to worry, it didn't hurt much but nothing would come out.
Frost rushed into sight as well and put pressure on her wounds. The pain was beyond anything she'd known. “Hang on lass, there's a medic below who'll take care of you just fine. Just keep those eyes open.” He was so concerned, she had never seen him so desperate about anything.
After a moment she heard Jake's firearm go off several times and then he was grabbing her arm. Punching something into her Command and Control Unit.
“We'll put her in emergency stasis and get her down to a tube. She'll be fine as soon as we can get her to a medical center.”
“You've gotta save her,” Ashley shouted through tears as the world spun and faded away.
One Thing After Another
Captain Valance's wounds finished healing as he walked from where his First Officer was quickly sinking into a deep state of suspended animation up the ramp to Minister Lorne. He was so stunned he didn't bother running for cover.
“You were shot at least five times. How the hell are you even breathing?” his voice were panicked, his eyes were wide.
“Bridge, seal all entrances,” Jacob called out. The heavy paired doors were drawn into place by the motorized arms and they sealed shut. “I don't know why I'm so disappointed. For some reason I never thought the Aucharians would betray me.”
“This is the only combat ready ship in the entire solar system. You don't even have the crew, Jake.”
“What about the destroyer you docked with? I'd say that looked pretty functional.”
“You mean the half that was left undamaged? We managed to get the engines running after the Eden Fleet caught us fleeing the system.”
“So General Lorne runs away instead of remaining to coordinate his forces in their time of need. You serve your people better managing matters of finance.”
“Most of our fleet was out of the system, going after Regional Galactic assets. Our intelligence indicated that there was no threat, their nearest battle group was over a week away. No one saw the Eden Fleet coming, no one could have.”
“So you try to take my ship.”
“This is an Earth ship, how could it be yours?”
“That's not for you to question,” Captain Valance said as he let go of his throat and took the collar of the uniform firmly in hand. He dragged him towards the front of the bridge, yanking him hard whenever he tried to get his balance.
“Now you're taking me captive?”
“Why not? I need options, and if I can take you hostage for a little more leverage, what's the harm?” The door to the forward observation room opened and he pushed him inside. “Seriously, I'd expect a better solution from you. You're known for striking a good bargain. What the hell were you thinking?” he didn't let him answer, but pressed the manual close button and locked the door. “Computer, disable everything but life support in that room.”
“I'm sorry sir, all AI driven automation is inoperable in this section.” the computer replied.
“I've got it sir.” Frost announced as he moved to the security station, right beside tactical. “Won't be able to use the computers, materializers or open doors. Just put a communications block on the room. Even his own comm won't work.”
Captain Valance went back to Stephanie, she had
been shot one in the throat and several times down the torso. The punctures were small, but there was a lot of bleeding before he had managed to put her into emergency stasis. He extended his left hand and took a medical reading. “She won't last more than a couple hours like this. Frost, check those rifles and see what they fire.”
He ran over and picked up one of the fallen soldiers rifles. “Looks like they use a kind of needle ammo.” he checked the clip and opened a small servicing compartment. “The shots are razor thin and low velocity.”
“So the needles are probably twisted up inside,” Jake concluded. “We have to get her down to medical.” He looked to Ashley, who was hanging on his every word while holding Stephanie's hand. “Can you make sure we don't veer off course and check our power levels?”
She just looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears.
He stroked her cheek, wiping some of the wetness away. “Ashley, you need to pilot the ship. We can't help her if we end up smashing into a moon.”
“O-okay.” She nodded as she put Stephanie's hand down carefully at her side. Ashley wiped her tears as she sat down at the helm beside her navigator, who was shaky at best.
“Medical.”
“Yes Captain?” Replied Grace.
“Can you spare a stretcher and two trained people to get Stephanie to the nearest stasis pod?”
“I'll go up now with my best. You're only one express car ride away. What's her condition?”
“She was shot with some kind of needle rounds. There are no exit wounds. I put her in emergency stasis. Sending you the scan results now.”
There was silence for a moment as Grace reviewed the results. “She's full of micro shrapnel. You saved her life Captain. Don't know if I can patch her up but I might be able to put her in deep stasis so she'll keep until we can get real doctors aboard.” He could hear her getting ready in the background.
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