by AZ Kelvin
“Because, we went in and kicked it.” CJ closed his eyes and rubbed his face with both hands. “That’s just great.”
“Perhaps, harder than you know, Captain,” Tad told him.
“What? What don’t I know?” CJ looked from Tad to Nelson and back again. “Come on, you guys, spill it. If I’m going to step into a world of shit, I’d like a chance to put my boots on first.”
Tad looked at Nelson, who nodded, so Tad began to tell them of a down-on-his-luck smuggler, just shy of a hundred years ago or so, who was given the opportunity to abscond with an item of great value from a group of thugs and brigands. They came after him with the full force of a sizeable armada. The smuggler managed to escape at the last minute, and he was never heard from again. The group of thugs and brigands, however, vowed never to forget the one who had burned them. The smuggler was Fulson Stile, and the group of thugs and brigands were, and remained today, the Blood Stars.
“And, it was probably no accident that Leland Stile ended up on a Blood Star-controlled station,” Tad concluded. “I imagine they’ve been watching him all this time, hoping for some chance to track down Fulson.”
“What happened to Leland?” Pene asked, her face creased in worry.
“We have friends who stay there,” Tad told her. “From what they hear, Leland has disappeared from Skriti Station, and McCarthy is none too happy about it.”
“McCarthy knew that we found Fulson’s body,” CJ reasoned out loud. “Why didn’t he take us while he had the drop on us in The Cold Shoulder?”
“Agh, the Blood Stars are deceitful to a fault,” Nelson said with disgust. “He, no doubt, did not want to tip his hand in front of Leland. I believe that you got out of there one step ahead of danger, my friends.”
“I think that we got out of there in step with danger,” Gina said in reference to the firefight it took to get away. “As usual, it seems.”
That’s more like Gina, CJ thought with a slight nod of his head. “They have to know it was us, I’m sure. We didn’t hide who we are, and there’s one Blood Star commander who I’m sure already holds a grudge against us.”
“Kendra Varrin,” Boss added.
“But, didn’t she help us against the Kang?” Katy asked.
“Only because it was to her benefit, I imagine,” Boss said. “I’ll bet that our clash at Arzia Octonus still sticks in her craw a bit.”
“So it was the Blood Stars who were after the treasure, or whatever it is, in the first place, before Fulson?” Cat asked to be clear on the timeline.
“Yes, they were onto it somehow and were trying to track down the coordinates,” Tad confirmed. “But, Fulson found the chart first and managed to make good his escape. And now we know why he was never heard from after that.”
“Now, Leland Stile has dropped out of sight,” Cal said, “and the Blood Stars are up in arms about it.”
“Yes, but only we know the location of Stile’s Hideaway, and Leland,” CJ said.
“And Tuffy Polenz,” Gina added, “as well as anyone he’s blabbed to about it.”
“Kendra Varrin would eat him alive,” Cal said emphatically.
“Eh, Tuffy doesn’t even know what we found there and doesn’t have any connection to Fulson Stile,” CJ reminded him. “He still thinks it’s a piece of rumored nonsense that he can turn a coin on. He’s probably forgotten all about it since he managed to dump it on us.”
“Do you think the Blood Stars will come after us?” Katy asked the group.
A silence sat over them before Boss spoke up. “I can imagine that Kendra Varrin would love to rain on our parade, in one way or another.”
“The Blood Stars can bring some pretty hellacious rain, honey,” Gina pointed out.
“Yes, yes, indeed, Gina my dear. They are not to be underestimated, but perhaps we can help level the playing field.” Nelson gave them a sly grin. “Tad, if you will, please?”
“Yes, of course.” Tad’s fingers danced over the control panel. A cutaway side view of a hull plate section appeared over the table and slowly rotated. A layer of material sparkled just under the thick attenuating outer skin of the hull plating. The crystalline under layer weaved its way down into the framing bulkheads.
“What is that?” Katy asked with a gleam in her eye, as she sat up and studied the image closely.
“Standard SlyCore hull plating, modified with crystalline sheathing, the Keect’na call ‘Lenntau Zeen,’ which is harder than the diamonds that tore through your ship,” Tad told them. “And, not only can it take a punch, but when the shields are activated, the crystals project a polarized field that diffuses energy and redirects it back into the shield matrix. So, when fired upon by an energy weapon, such as…” Tad waited for someone to catch on.
“Red plasma,” CJ and Katy both said, at exactly the same time.
“Yes,” Tad finished up. “It absorbs over eighty percent of the energy from the blast to replenish the shield power. The storage capacity of a crystalline shield matrix the size of the Altered Moon is enormous and it can absorb a tremendous amount of energy. It’s the same with hydrogen particle cannons, as well, but, it’s by no means indestructible. Missiles will still do plenty of damage, of course, and too many successive hits could potentially overload the matrix power grid. The hull plating is completed with a SlyCore stealth finish, and is fully dark matter compatible.”
“Armor rating?” Katy asked.
“Fifty-eight percent increase over your current plating,” he answered.
“Cons?” CJ asked.
“While they are incredibly durable, when damage does occur, they hull panels are very difficult and time-consuming to replace,” Tad replied. “You should always carry a few replacement sections on board. You’re not going to find these lovelies at any repair depot.”
“Katy?” CJ asked, but didn’t need to finish for her to ask a question.
“What about the added weight of the Lenntau Zeen, is it?” she asked Tad.
“Yes, and the amount of internal framing necessary will be reduced by the bonding process of the Lenntau Zeen. So the Altered Moon dressed out would be just under ninety-five thousand metric tons.”
“That’s only a couple of tons heavier than we are now,” Katy said. “Sounds like a sweet deal to me, Captain.”
“Gina, anything from flight on the added weight?” CJ asked his pilot.
“A couple extra tons? Not that much of a concern, a little more fuel usage to maneuver,” Gina answered. “Response time might be a fraction of a second longer, especially if we go atmospheric. Other than that, we’ll have to find out during the test flights.”
“Boss?” CJ looked to his science officer.
“I say go,” he replied in favor of the upgrade.
“How long to refit the ship with the new plating?” CJ asked.
“Twenty-two days,” Tad dropped the bad news. “Give or take.”
“Uggggh.” CJ’s groan was echoed by everyone else.
“The good news is,” Tad continued, “that the rest of the refit will be complete within that time frame, as well.”
“What other refits did you have in mind?” CJ inquired.
“Adding a cryscomm to the bridge, for one,” Tad answered, which everybody agreed was a good idea.
“I think there’s room for that at the command station,” CJ said, which drew a challenge from Boss for the science station as the best place for it.
“We have enhanced emitters for the particle cannons that will provide increased power with adjustable output levels and shorten recharge time,” Tad said with a small amount of pride, “as well as a design for two additional particle cannons; and we can relocate all the cannons to mid-ship positions with two on the dorsal hull and two on the ventral. It will provide better firing patterns and take the focus of return fire away from the bridge of the ship.”
Cal and Cat ooh’d and ahh’d over the last item, as they were both trained to man the tactical station. CJ even growled with satisfac
tion.
“We have improved the static channel lining for the Dark Matter Thruster System, as well as adapted Keect’na power crystals to replace the battery banks. We’d like to line the fusion chamber with Lenntau Zeen to enhance the hydrogen production of the fuel plates.”
“I’d like to oversee that.” Katy left no room for doubt.
“I would like to have a part in it, as well,” CJ said, as the engineer in him was intrigued with engine refits.
“Of course,” Tad assured them, “whatever you would like.”
Gina looked at Tad. “So, you’re just going to turn our home into an assault vessel?”
“No, certainly not, Ms. Riley,” he said. “We don’t want it to seem like we’re taking over. All of these upgrades are choices, of course. We highly recommend the engine and hull upgrades. And I must point out, the Altered Moon is now over twelve years old. Her power conduits and circuitry really should be updated or even replaced completely.”
“He’s not wrong about that,” Katy said.
Gina gave a snort of derision at her statement.
“We’re not arming her to the teeth, Ms. Riley, just trying to give her, and her crew, a fighting chance against what’s out there. And let’s not forget that you folks do have a knack for picking some sizeable opponents: MT&T Security, the Blood Stars, the Kang—and now you’re going right off the deep end, as far as I am concerned, by going purposefully into Kang-held territory. And, for what? For more loot? To rob another tomb?”
“Hey, back that shit up, Mister,” CJ cautioned Tad. “We know who we are, and we choose to do what we do. And, you will address your concerns about our affairs to me, not to my crew. Is that understood?”
“Yes, I apologize, Captain, and to you, Ms. Riley,” Tad said sincerely. “I just don’t understand. The beryllium ore alone you brought in if you sold it on the open market, would make you and your crew some of the richest people in the quadrant. Why risk confrontations with the Kang to go after this—this—nobody even knows what it is. It’s a mystery.”
“But that is exactly why I built the Altered Moon to begin with, Tad,” Nelson calmly rebuked him. “The Sword of the Stars, to part the veil of the unknown. The Sherlock of the Cosmos, to investigate the mysteries of the universe. She is a special ship destined for special things; and she needs a special crew—a crew of the unordinary.” Nelson turned to the crew. “Thaddeus is a beloved and trusted advisor. He seeks only to protect that which we have built and the people who call it home, and rightly so. The Kang are vicious and violent creatures and their vengeance is not to be taken lightly. I do not need to tell you that your incursion into their territory should be considered with great care.”
Boss reached over to pat Gina’s hand, gave it a squeeze and smiled. He moved closer to CJ and spoke quietly in his ear for a moment before CJ looked at Boss and said something back and they both nodded.
“The refit is a go, all of it,” CJ said. He turned to Tad with a sincere smile. “And my thanks to you specifically, Tad, for everything. Please know that all of you here are counted among the few friends and allies that we do have.”
“Thank you, Captain and to you, Ms. Riley,” Tad replied. “And I do apologize again; I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
CJ glanced quickly at Gina out the corner of his eye, as he was about to speak.
“I should be the one to apologize, Tad,” Gina spoke up. “I’m just tired and I’m sorry I took it out on you—you too, Katy.”
“Most understandable,” Tad said back to her.
Katy just waved it away like it was nothing.
“Yes, yes, perhaps it is a good time for a short break, eh?” Nelson said to everyone. “Let’s say twenty minutes, yes?”
The group broke to take care of personal business while the nurses checked Nelson. Tad spoke with a steward to have fruits, vegetables, and cheeses brought in. Twenty minutes passed so quickly it seemed like it was two. After Boss had dropped some major hurt on the cheese tray, the group gathered again around the table, refreshed and resettled.
“Tad, you mentioned earlier, something about us going into Kang territory,” CJ started out. “Are you certain it’s held by the Kang?”
“The coordinates you mentioned,” Tad said to CJ, “that’s not a peaceful area of space right now. A combined Keect’na and Human offensive is currently engaging Kang forces in an attempt to push the Kang back from the border systems.”
“Human and Keect’na forces fight together against the Kang?” Cal asked. The former Arzian Star Guardsman part of him was drawn to the idea of fighting the warmongering beasts.
“Yes, Marlacuer Imperial forces and Arzian Star Guard have both joined with the Keect’na to battle against the Kang,” Tad continued. “Those coordinates aren’t inside the battle zone, but they are far behind the Kang front lines and will be heavily patrolled.”
CJ sat back to digest the disappointing news and caught unhappy looks from both Katy and Gina. Uggggh he thought to himself. Boss goin’ on sick leave. Gina will probably want to go with him. Katy doesn’t want to go into Kang space at all. Can I blame her? But, the chaos of a war zone would be great cover to hide our being there. Jump in, make the score, and jump out before anybody is the wiser. Boss and Nelson said something about GABI braking CJ from his troublesome thoughts.
“What’s going on with GABI?” CJ asked.
“She’s goin’ crystal, Cap.” Cal smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.
“What?” CJ didn’t understand.
“GABI’s neural cortex is being imprinted into a Keect’nian processor crystal with an LCO self-sustaining power cell,” Cal told him.
“GABI’s neural cortex works like a Human brain in the manner of creating new pathways as it learns new things,” Nelson added. “All she is, down to every aspect of her being is stored in her neural cortex, which is susceptible to such things as an electromagnetic pulse, where the imprinted Keect’na crystal is not.”
“And, Cap, she’s designing the pathways of the crystal herself!”
CJ looked at him. “And?”
Cal sometimes forgot the others didn’t share his understanding of, and affection for, the technology behind artificial sentience. “It’s like she gets to build her own house. GABI’s interface with existence isn’t the same as ours. Humans interpret the physical world. This is where we kick back and relax. GABI interprets the quantum world, so she goes into a world of energy and thought to kick back and relax. The processor crystal will be like a whole new world for her to grow into.”
CJ thought about the first time he saw GABI’s physical ‘self’. Her ‘house’ was an orange-and-black, metallic, apple-shaped artificial neural cortex wrapped with a thousand optic fibers pulsing with a deep iridescent blue light. “I still could have been told she was leaving,” he grumbled.
“She didn’t want to disturb anyone and it was urgent she go at that moment,” Nelson explained.
“Why?” CJ pressed on.
“The shuttles to Keect are few and far between with precise scheduling. She really had no choice,” Tad said and CJ finally relented.
The remainder of the meeting dealt with the details involved with the refit of the Altered Moon: setting up repair schedules with CJ and Katy, training sessions on the new weapons systems and the cryscomm for everyone, and Pene’s pilot training duties with Gina. By afternoon, the group had wrapped up business for the day and split off for some personal time before they put their energies into the month-long process of the Altered Moon’s refit.
*~*~*
Chapter Twenty
Every minute over the next three weeks nearly burst under the strain of the massive down-to-the-bare-bones refit of the entire ship and the time required for training on the new systems. Every member of the crew needed to become familiar with Keect’nian technologies that were going to be a permanent part of the Altered Moon’s daily operations. Boss even put off his procedure; he was so caught up with the incredible improvements, he couldn
’t tear himself away. GABI returned as promised after a few days, her own refit having taken only two days, but she had to wait for three more days to catch a return shuttle from Keect.
CJ enjoyed having everyone around like this. On the ship, the different duties and separate shifts kept the crew separated most of the time. This group of people, to CJ Evermore anyway, was more than just another space-faring crew, they were his family, and it wasn’t just any old ship they refitted, they were rebuilding their home. He was pleased, which may have had something to do with the fact he was getting bigger quarters in the deal.
CJ was mildly surprised by Pene’s dedication to any given task and soon his concern for her began to ease as she quickly fell into place with the crew. She pulled her weight when she helped with the refit, even more than expected sometimes, and worked hard at her pilot training. Pene completed the navigation portion of her training and passed her apprentice nav exams after a second try. She was now a couple of days into her flight simulator training and seemed truly happy. Pene didn’t complain—much—she was a teenager, after all.
Nelson left after a few days and returned two weeks later with just one cane and no nurses. Nelson, Boss, and GABI began to formulate the equations necessary to make extra galactic quantum jumps. The galaxy, which was one hundred thousand light years across, had been the limit of quantum equations up to that point in Human history; the equations necessary to project the quantum wave pathways to the closest galaxy were far too complex for even the most powerful super computers to calculate.
GABI’s improved computing power put her at now well over a trillion calculations per second, which was still just barely enough to compute the calculations to reach extra galactic destinations. A paradox existed: there were many variables in the equations necessary to travel there; however, they couldn’t possibly get an accurate calculation before the crew actually arrived there. But, barely enough is enough, as it goes, so the small group ran equation after equation and eventually determined that there was potential for leaving the galaxy.