Ep.#12 - A Price Too High (The Frontiers Saga - Part 2: Rogue Castes)
Page 33
“Yet, you make weapons of war,” Nathan pointed out. “Quite formidable ones, at that.”
“We understand the nature of humanity. We are a violent species. Without the threat of great suffering, there is no incentive to avoid it. This is both the curse and the blessing of humanity. The curse is our ability to wage war, and the blessing is having people, such as yourself, who understand this duality, accept it, and try to use it for the good of all.”
“One man is not enough,” Nathan told her.
“But one man is a start,” she replied. “Safe travels, Captain Scott. If there is anything I can ever do for you, you but need ask.”
Nathan nodded, then turned to continue to his shuttle, but stopped and turned back around. “There is one thing,” Nathan said. “I meant to ask this before, but forgot. I know that Lieutenant Commander Nash shared the same simulation with me, but were we the only two people in that simulation?”
“If you are asking about Dylan, then the answer is yes, he was a real person, and he took part in the simulation with you. It was necessary to maintain the level of realism.”
“I see,” Nathan nodded. “Is he really a wannabe hacker?”
Miss Bindi smiled. “He is my son, and, yes, he is.”
Nathan smiled, nodding again. “I’d like to meet him someday…for real.”
“I’m sure he’d like that.”
Nathan spoke nothing further as he walked across the bay to his shuttle and climbed aboard.
“What did she want?” Jessica asked as Nathan climbed into the pilot’s seat next to her.
“Just to wish us a safe flight,” Nathan said, taking his seat. “You were right, by the way,” he added as he set the auto-flight for remote operation.
“About what?” Jessica wondered.
“Dylan is a real person, and he was in the sim with us.”
“I told you.”
“Bayside Departure, Karuzari Shuttle, ready for departure,” he called over comms.
“Karuzari Shuttle, Bayside. Auto-flight link confirmed. We’ll take you out to your departure jump point and then hand control back to you, Captain.”
“Understood,” Nathan replied.
The shuttle rose gently off the deck, rotated ninety degrees to starboard, and then began to climb as the roof slid open.
“It counted,” Nathan said as their shuttle pitched up and accelerated toward the sky.
“No, it didn’t,” Jessica argued.
“We were both in the sim together.”
“There was no actual physical contact, so the sex did not happen.”
“Oh, it happened,” Nathan insisted, smiling.
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COMING SOON
Episode 13
of
The Frontiers Saga:
Rogue Castes
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