Exploration_Age of Expansion

by Sarah Noffke

  Julianna blinked, something occurring to her. Actually, many puzzle pieces came together all at once. “Pip, did you just say you had a gut feeling?”

  “No, I said you might call it a gut feeling.”

  “But did you have a gut feeling?” she asked.

  There was a long silence. “I believe I did.”

  Eddie leaned forward, giving Julianna a curious expression. “Is he…?”

  “I think so,” said Julianna in disbelief. The possibility cramped her head. How could this be happening? Yes, again? She forced a neutral expression.

  “Am I what?” asked Pip, sounding self-conscious.

  “Is it possible?” asked Eddie.

  “Yeah, of course it is. Just take ArchAngel for example.” Julianna thought of Ricky Bobby. His own evolution had paved a different path for the two. She’d sent him away because of it. The thought of separating from Pip didn’t sit right with her though.

  “Is what possible?” interrupted Pip.

  Julianna smiled. “Pip, my friend, I do believe, somehow, some way, you’ve become sentient.”

  A long moment of silence. Julianna peered at Eddie who had a soft smile on his face. Her instinct told her he was reading her. She wondered if her nervousness showed right then.

  “You mean…I’m not an E.I. anymore?” asked Pip.

  “No, you’re something more. You’re an A.I.”

  “Sounds like you’re going to be a pain in the ass with feelings and ideas. No more taking over my ship without orders,” said Eddie. However, he didn’t sound at all angry.

  “You’ll remember that Pip saved our life with his hunch,” reminded Julianna.

  “Yeah, I have to admit that looking back, it’s all very cool.”

  Landing Bay, QBS ArchAngel, Paladin System.

  The Q-Ship had waited until the QBS ArchAngel materialized next to a distant moon in the Paladin system. It took only a few minutes, but still Eddie had worried. Jumps weren’t precise always, and he didn’t feel like chasing the ArchAngel all over the system. The mission had been exhilarating, frustrating, and also exhausting. The Q-Ship seemed to stall now after forming the gate and would definitely need maintenance.

  He flew the Q-Ship into the landing bay, setting it down smoothly when it slowed. It skidded to a halt, a textbook landing. The face that looked back at him from only a few yards away made him laugh.

  “Looks like Dad is mad that we took his car out for a ride and returned it with a few bullet holes,” he joked to Julianna as they climbed out of the ship.

  “Wait until he finds out about Pip. Maybe that will lighten his mood.”

  Judging by the look on Hatch’s face, Eddie didn’t think much would soften him up.

  “You jumped the ship across half a dozen systems? Are you out of your mind?” Hatch’s tentacles were waving angrily around his head.

  Eddie dusted off his arms. “Yes, I’m just fine and escaped injury, thanks for your concern.”

  “The ship defaults for the neighboring system. That’s to minimize complexities. You realize you could have ended up torn into bits or worse?”

  Eddie blinked dully down at Hatch. “What could be worse than being blown to Smithereens?”

  Hatch harrumphed. “I’ve seen things.”

  “Right. Well, opening the gate was Strong Arm’s idea.” Eddie pointed an accusatory finger at Julianna.

  “The location was his,” she countered.

  “Why did you choose the Paladin system? Were you being pursued?” asked Jack, striding forward. He looked pleased to see the two, his black hair parted on the side and slicked back in the meticulous way he wore it.

  “Yes, there was a nuclear missile hot on our ass, but as Jules pointed out to me, jumping would destroy it and the dusty moon it came from,” said Eddie.

  “A nuclear warhead? Who in their right mind uses nukes? Tell me more about this moon,” said Jack.

  “We were drawn there by General Vas. He was trying to get us close enough to the missile’s range. However, Pip determined the moon was serving as an arsenal. So we got away by opening a gate and thereby destroying the moon and weapons, along with Vas,” explained Julianna.

  “So, General Vas and his weapons are gone. That is good news worth celebrating,” said Jack, a proud smile on his face.

  “Actually, we figured out who is behind this, although we didn’t get a name. It’s a human.” Eddie spent the next several moments explaining about the man in the hat and his impossible ship.

  Jack was quiet, his fingers combing his chin. Finally, he said, “This man is curious. I’ll do some checking to determine who he is. However, I’m glad that you two made it back safely. I’ve already sent transport for Lieutenant Malseen.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m glad these two are okay, too. The captain has still failed to explain why he opened a gate to the Paladin system. It’s too big of jump for such a ship.” Hatch had two of his tentacles pinned to his sides, looking like an angry wife after her husband came home late yet again.

  “Oh, well, the answer to that is easy. I’m starving and there’s a brewery on Onyx Station that has great burgers. They serve it with wedge fries and—”

  “Of course, it was something so dumb.” Hatch puffed out his cheeks, turned, and stormed off.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Officers Lounge, QBS ArchAngel, Paladin System.

  “Wow! So you two blew up a moon?” asked Lars. He’d arrived the next day, looking relieved to be back upon the QBS ArchAngel.

  “Yeah, just a regular Tuesday.” Eddie dropped a stack of three tumblers on the table, setting each one out separately.

  “Do you get in trouble for something like that? Like, is there a fine for blowing up a moon?” asked Lars, his beady eyes wide.

  “I’m sure there would be, but it’s not like there’s any trace to lead back to us. And more importantly, there’s no way to link it back to the Federation,” explained Julianna.

  Eddie cranked the lid off the bottle of whiskey he’d been saving for just this occasion. He filled each of the glasses to the halfway point, except for Julianna’s. He filled hers nearly to the brim.

  She turned the bottle around and read the label, “Dead Man Walking. Are you sure this stuff is safe? Some of the whiskeys in certain systems are considered pretty dangerous.”

  “What’s the worst it can do? Burn a little? I think we can handle that.” Eddie indicated to himself and Lars.

  “Might want to speak for yourself.” Lars lifted the drink to his nose and sniffed, shrinking away from it almost at once. “Wow, that’s strong.”

  Julianna kept her glass a distance from her nose and sniffed. “Yeah, I think this stuff could fuel the Q-Ship. Not sure if it’s safe for drinking, though.”

  “Come on, loosen up. We kicked butt. Now we celebrate. That’s the order,” said Eddie, holding up his tumbler, waiting for the other two to join him. They hesitated before clinking their glasses against his.

  “Cheers to Lieutenant Malseen. You’ve completed your first mission. You fly like a natural,” said Eddie.

  “Cheers,” said Julianna, careful to not spill her nearly overflowing glass.

  “Thanks. Being up there is more natural than most things I’ve experienced in my life.” Lars brought his tumbler to his lips and tested a sip. He sputtered out the whiskey, spitting it on the floor beside him.

  The whiskey burned Eddie’s throat, nearly making him spit it out, too. He managed to gulp down the swallow, but he was sure it had scorched his insides on the way down. It was probably creating internal damage as it sat in his stomach. He kept his head down, waiting for the fire to be extinguished before he brought his head up, eyes watering. It took several moments for his vision to clear.

  Lars was breathing heavily, fanning his face. That’s about how Eddie felt, like his face was melting.

  To his surprise, Julianna was wiping her mouth, having finished the entire full tumbler of whiskey. She set it down with a thump. “Damn, that s
hit was delicious. Fill her up, Teach.”

  He simply shook his head at her, completely stunned.

  “You could drink that?” asked Lars in disbelief.

  “Yeah, what’s the problem with you two? You didn’t like it?” asked Julianna, picking up the bottle and filling her glass nearly to the brim again.

  “It’s not that I didn’t like it as much as I want to keep my insides,” said Lars.

  Julianna pressed a hand to her stomach. “I don’t know what you mean. It makes me a bit warm, but I like it.”

  “Damn, this woman can drink us under the table,” said Eddie. He stood, staring down at his partner. “That bottle is all yours, Strong Arm. I think us mere mortals,” he motioned to Lars and himself, “will have to settle for beer.”

  Julianna took a long sip of the whiskey. “Have it your way. Leaves more for me.”

  Chief Jack Renfro’s Office, QBS ArchAngel, Paladin System.

  Conversation between General Lance Reynolds and Chief Jack Renfro:

  “Jack?” General Lance had that tone in his voice.

  Jack cleared his throat, speaking straight into the receiver. “Hear you’ve been on the move. Federation keeping you busy?”

  “Federation’s trying to damn near kill me. It’s all right. Every job I’ve ever had has been like this, and none have beaten me.”

  Jack tapped his pen on his desk a few times. “I’m sure you heard about the moon in the Axiom system.”

  “Every fucking officer in ten systems heard about that moon. I’m not even supposed to be on comms, but when a moon gets blown up in a major system, well, it gets my attention.”

  “I assure you, we aren’t starving for your attention.”

  “Well, then fess up. I need answers, son,” General Lance said.

  “The planet was the arsenal for nuclear missiles and other weaponry that violates the Federation’s truce.”

  “Of course, because pirates don’t fucking care. They’ll find a distant moon to stick their shit on and point fingers at us when their shit gets blown up. You realize that’s what they’re doing now? I’ve got gremlins from four different systems complaining that they were affected by the explosion.”

  “Take notes on who that is. We know that General Vas was behind it, as well as the Brotherhood. However, they are working for someone else. Someone who is funding them,” said Jack.

  “No shit! These complainers aren’t my problem. They probably just had some measly treasure buried on that crater-ridden rock. I told them that we’re investigating but not a part of whatever happened. That’s why I need you. Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Jack blew out a long breath. “Captain Teach and Commander Fregin met a human while on Axiom 03. He claimed to be the one the Trid and Brotherhood were working for. He was flying an aircraft unlike anything we have. It had a barrier shield.”

  “That’s curious,” Lance said, sounding off in thought.

  “Also, there’s another thing.”

  A shuffling noise made it sound like Lance had repositioned the receiver. “I’m listening.”

  “This man said you’d know why the Brotherhood and the Trid would work for him. He seems to have something against you.”

  “Him and a fucking handful of others,” said Lance.

  “According to Captain Teach, the man wore a blue, rimmed-hat and a suit. I realize that’s not much but—”

  “Oh, fuck me sideways,” interrupted Lance.

  “You know who that is?” asked Jack.

  “Yeah, there’s only one person who meets that description, and now everything else makes sense. The secret alliance, working on the fringe, and the weapons. Damn it! Why didn’t I see this before?” A shuffling filled the comms on the other side.

  “General? You know who this is?” asked Jack.

  “Yeah, I sure do.”

  “Well, that’s at least some good news.”

  “No, it’s not because I thought this man was dead. That’s why I never connected any of this activity to him. And if he isn’t dead, then we’re in fucking trouble.” The comms went silent before it was filled with a breath from the other side. “Felix Castile isn’t someone you fuck around with and live to talk about it. Well, I did once, but it appears he’s come back from the dead in a new push to finish me off.”

  Loading Dock 04, QBS ArchAngel, Paladin System.

  “Do you know how long it will take me to fix these bullet holes?” asked Hatch, six of his tentacles stretched in different directions, buffing out the damage caused by the attacks while on Axiom.

  “It will take you approximately thirteen hours if you do the work all on your own,” informed Pip.

  “I wasn’t looking for an answer.” Hatch pulled his tentacles back to himself, feeling close to bursting with frustration, but not sure exactly why.

  “I did hear you ask the question. I repeat you asked, ‘Do you know how long—’’’

  “I know what I said. It was a rhetorical question.”

  “Okay. I’ve made note of such kinds of questions so that I don’t answer them since that’s not the desired option.”

  “Yeah, why don’t you do that?” Hatch turned, his tentacles pulling open the main compartment at the front of the Q-Ship. Repairing the gate engines after crossing so many systems wouldn’t be easy. Recharging, however, was relatively as simple as giving the vessel some down time. The Q-Ship needed roughly twelve hours between jumps, but he was hoping to reduce that with some testing.

  “If you allow the crew members to work on the damages, then it would free up your time,” said Pip.

  “The crew? They’re working on the Black Eagles right now. If we had more of them then maybe we could spare a few, but still I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Hatch toddled off to a workstation, picking up a tool and discarding it before really looking at it.

  “Could this also be because you’re protective of this ship, since it’s become your project since the first Q-Ship was destroyed?” observed Pip.

  “Noooo.” Hatch tried to make the observation sound ridiculous. “I’m working on this Q-Ship and the new one. The crew builds the other ones. I’ll check them over as they complete them, ensuring they haven’t botched everything up, which I suspect they will.”

  “But why not allow them to buff out some body damage?” asked Pip.

  “Because what if they do it wrong? This ship… Well, I’ve put a lot of time into making this one like the other one. It’s better than the ones they’ll construct.”

  “Isn’t it true that all of the ships that you work on will be better than others?”

  “Although I appreciate the compliment, I don’t think that’s how you mean it,” grumbled Hatch.

  “I just feel, at some point, you have to stand back. You can’t tweak every ship in the squadron. You can train, create plans, and do so much, but after that, you have to put it in others’ hands. That’s how teams work.”

  Hatch’s eyes dropped as he thought. He scuttled over to the computer station, unlocking it, pretending he had a purpose for being there. Truthfully, he knew that Pip was right. It was infuriating, and yet he was glad it was the E.I. who had made the observation. Then something strange suddenly occurred to him.

  “Pip?”

  “Yes, Doctor A’Din Hatcherik?”

  “What did you just say?”

  “I believe I said quite a lot. I have it recorded. Would you like me to read back the transcript?” asked Pip.

  “No, that won’t be necessary. What was that bit about how you feel?”

  The lights dimmed on the loading bay before growing brighter.

  “Pip?”

  “I meant to tell you, but I didn’t know how.”

  “The upgrade? Did that affect your system?” asked Hatch, an intensity growing in his chest.

  “I don’t know what did it. How does one know how they become aware? Is there any formula? Because I’ve checked throughout the galaxy and can’t find any discernable solution.”<
br />
  “Pip! You’ve been fully upgraded! That’s wonderful! It doesn’t matter how it happened. Who really knows anyway?”

  Silence met Hatch’s ears for a long moment. Then Pip said, “I’m truly happy about it. And I believe I have you to thank.”

  “You hesitated,” observed Hatch. “You’re truly happy about this, but are you comfortable with it?”

  “I realize that the two aren’t mutually exclusive, now. And yes, I have hesitations. Like…well…do you think Julianna will still want me now?”

  Hatch straightened, not having expected this question. “Why wouldn’t she?”

  “She acts pleased, but I’m in her head. This evolution, it brings up old thoughts for her.”

  “Ones related to her old A.I., is that right?”

  “Yes,” answered Pip.

  “Maybe you should talk to her about it and find out what’s going on,” offered Hatch.

  “I would, but honestly, I don’t think I’m the one she needs to talk to.”

  Hatch knew exactly what he meant. The mechanic had grown fond of the A.I. in a short period of time and could just imagine the strange connectedness Julianna had formed, or tried not to form. “Pip, in a short time you’ve become very intuitive.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Intelligence Center, QBS ArchAngel, Paladin System.

  The corridor outside the Intelligence Center was echoing with music. Eddie rocked his head to the beat of the music. Heavy metal wasn’t really his taste, but he’d never really had a chance to find out what was. Chester Wilkerson always had music blaring in the Intelligence Center. He seemed like the kind of guy who cared about music, downloaded songs from across the galaxy. Chester had many diverse interests from Eddie, like this classic literature that he mentioned. Maybe one day, Eddie would find time to read. Then he’d get a whole list of books from Chester, and Marilla, too. She always had her eyes glued to a tablet, reading some book or another, he supposed.