"Now Logan's going to use the port side thrusters to adjust our approach, while you watch the proximity of the external monitors for any anomalies."
Nodding, I kept my focus on the monitors, intently watching the ship drift slowly to the station.
"Once we are in close enough range, the ship AI will take over and engage with the station AI to clamp the ship into place," Lt Brookes said.
"Sir, why do pilots fly, why not just have the AI fly the ship?" I asked, having always been curious why there was still a pilot. Even with autopilot, there was still always a trained pilot at the helm.
"Because Kelras, AI are computers. They can malfunction. Machines can’t be running perfectly forever. And there’s always the chance an enemy may hack the AI and corrupt it. It is the same reason no one downloads AI directly to their implants anymore. It’s too dangerous. AI also lack the ability for flexibility in their actions, they are machines of precision. They have their place in our society, but we must not rely on them. Some people disagree with this view, and you will learn more about it in the Academy's philosophy classes," he explained, and I nodded thoughtfully.
I understood what he was saying, and I agreed to a point. AI could be corrupted, just as my implant had been.
"Alright Kelras, we are locked in and thrusters are disengaged. Now to do a final systems’ check." Lt Cmdr Logan said, and I touched the screen before me, scanning through the various icons and checking that all the indicators were green.
"Great job. Now press this button here, so you can inform the captain the docking is complete."
I did as instructed, while doing my best to sound serious as I told Captain Mua the docking was completed. I was pretty sure I failed from the amused grins on the pilots' faces, but I didn’t care in the slightest. My excitement was overwhelming any potential embarrassment. I couldn't wait to tell my father I had kind of flown the FSS Scorpia. Getting up from the copilot seat, I beamed at the two men.
"Thank you so much, I hope one day I will be able to fly the Scorpia for real," I told them, saluting each in turn.
"I'm sure you will, Kelras. You are smart, and you've got a real feel for the controls," Lt Cmdr Logan said.
"He's right. You're a natural pilot and are going to be a right little terror in the academy war games. You almost had me more times than I'd like to admit in the simulator," Lt Brookes said, looking a little put out as he mentioned his few near losses in the flight simulator.
Lt Brookes had given me access to the fleet’s pilot simulation, in order to help me learn the controls of different ships used by the fleet. Pilots within the fleet could access the simulator and enter into battles against each other in order to practice flight tactics. It was a pretty competitive simulation, and the pilots took their fights very seriously.
The pilot at the top of the simulation leaderboard was commander Hau from the FSS Joanna. I wasn't technically meant to have access as a cadet who wasn't even enrolled yet, but I had sent my mother a message asking if I could keep my access. Her response simply said not to brag about my privileges to other cadets, which I took to mean that I could keep it so long as no one complained about it.
Leaving the bridge with a determined stride and chin held high, I vowed to myself silently that one day it would be my name at the top of that leaderboard. I made my way quickly through the corridors of the FSS Scorpia, heading for my temporary quarters. I already packed all my things earlier and was wearing my new Cloud Conquer bodysuit. I had also gotten rid of two of the cases, only keeping the ones for my hoverboard and drone. I slung my backpack on and grabbed a case in each hand before heading out the door, finding Jenna waiting for me with a bright smile.
"Hey Aristeia, ready to go?" she asked.
I nodded in response, grinning at her as she took the hoverboard case from me. "Thanks, Jenna," I said as we started walking down the hall.
"No problems. Lt Julian is waiting for you station side. Have you thought about what I said for your hair?" she asked and in response to her query, I raised my free hand and ran it over my ponytail.
Jenna had suggested I cut my hair shorter, as having long hair could become bothersome to maintain during academy training. I had noticed most of the women on the FSS Scorpia all had their hair cut to just below their chins or even shorter. I was reluctant to cut mine, however. I loved my hair. I knew I couldn't keep wearing it in a ponytail, but I could wear it in a bun or even a tight braid.
"I think I'll keep it long for now. If it becomes an issue, I'll cut it later," I said, glancing at Jenna's chin-length hair. The style was pretty, but my face was a little more angular, and I was concerned the shorter hairstyle wouldn't look as good on me.
Arriving at the access door, I was met by the captain who gave me a friendly smile.
"Well, Miss Kelras, this is where we leave you. It has been a pleasure having you onboard the FSS Scorpia, perhaps one day, you will join her as a full member of the fleet," he said, and I shook his offered hand.
"Thank you, sir. I greatly appreciate your bringing me here," I said and saluted him, grateful that Jenna had taught me how to perform the standard salute properly.
Taking my hoverboard case from Jenna, I disembarked from the FSS Scorpia. As I reached the end of the access tunnel, I nodded to the two crewmen on the other side and looked around for the lieutenant who was meant to be meeting me. A stern-faced man who looked to be in his late thirties walked towards me, and I put down the hoverboard case and saluted him. He arched an eyebrow in surprise and gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Well, you certainly look like you're her kid. Come on, we are due on the next shuttle down," he said before turning on his heel and striding away.
I grabbed my case and jogged a little to catch up to him. I did my best to match his pace but found I still had to jog slightly to keep up with his long strides.
“Lieutenant Julian, sir, may I ask where I will be staying once we reach Velante?” I asked, twisting my neck to peer up at the man.
"Depends on you. Your mother has booked you a hotel, but your grandparents have also offered for you to stay with them," he said, sounding gruff, and turned to look at me as I stumbled to a halt.
Frowning, I replayed the man’s words over in my head. My grandparents? I knew he couldn’t be speaking about my father’s parents, as they had both died long before I was born. Did that mean he was talking about my mother’s parents?
“My grandparents?” I murmured softly to myself, racking my brains to remember if either my mother or father had ever mentioned anything about my mother’s parents.
“Sol didn’t tell you?” the lieutenant asked, looking down at me with a fierce scowl which might have been scary, if not for my being familiar with my mother’s much more intimidating one.
"No sir, just that a Lt Julian would meet me on station and escort me to Velante and the academy," I told him, a little confused.
"Figures. She's never been one to share information. We never even knew about you until the issue with the flight module," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm your uncle, your mother is my older sister. Shocked us all to find out she had a kid and never told us."
"I'm sorry, sir, but she didn't tell me about you either, so I guess that makes us even," I snapped, unable to help but feel a little hurt and defensive.
"Guess it does," he said, staring down at me for a long moment before he turned and started walking away. This time he slowed his pace, and I was able to keep up with him comfortably.
We walked for twenty minutes before we arrived at a shuttle bay. Boarding the shuttle, Lt Julian helped me load my things into the upper compartment and sat beside me as I strapped myself in. I grabbed a small foil bag and held it tight. He raised a brow at my actions but said nothing as we waited for the shuttle to depart.
Chapter 11
Fortunately, I made it the entire four-hour trip without vomiting, though I did stagger a little as I left the shuttle. We had spent the entire trip in silence. N
ot that I minded, as it gave me time to come to grips with what I had learnt. We left the shuttle port, which was located on one of the fleet’s planet-side bases, or so I assumed from the uniformed appearance of those we passed.
Lt Julian held my arm to help steady me as I did my best to adjust to being planet side after weeks in space. Thankfully, Lt Julian carried both my cases, leaving me only my backpack as he led me to a personal transport and placed my luggage inside. Hesitating for a moment, I slid into the seat at the back while the lieutenant sat in the front, taking manual control of the vehicle as it lifted off the ground.
"Aristeia, your mother wanted me to take you to a hotel, but your grandparents would like to meet you. If you wish, I will take you to the hotel. The choice is yours," he said, and I contemplated his words for several moments before nodding.
"I want to meet them," I mumbled, turning to stare out the window, amazed by the sight of so much green. It was everywhere.
From the research I had done, I knew Velante had a tropical environment, though I was unsure exactly what that entailed. The planet had five main land masses and a population of just over two billion people. Velante, while also being home to fleet command, had many factories and research facilities, which oversaw the fabrication of materials and parts used in the manufacture of the fleet’s spacecraft. Many of those who did not serve in the system-bound branches of the fleet had family living on Velante, as it was where they were officially stationed. Each planetary system had its own regiment and bases, who served solely within their own system. The Astrum branch of the fleet, which I intended to serve in, operated across the entirety of the systems governed by the United Astrum Federation.
After a few moments, I spoke up again. "Lieutenant? Why is your last name Julian? My mother’s is Harra. Does that mean you have different fathers?" I glanced at the man in front of me, waiting for an answer.
"No, we have the same father. I am Julian Harra. I go by Lt Julian to avoid confusion. My mother is also a lieutenant and goes by Lt Harra. My father, who also serves, is Commandant Harra, and he oversees the Academy," he said, glancing over his shoulder at me.
"Really? You are all in the fleet? Do you and Lt Harra work at the academy as well?"
"Mother works in the Academy medical clinic, and I am currently on base while the FSS Roan undergoes much-needed maintenance. We estimate they will redeploy us in another month."
"What do you do on the FSS Roan? Are you a medical officer like your mother?" I looked up at him in interest. He snorted, shaking his head in amusement.
"Pilot, kid, I'm the lead pilot for the Roan, a Strider-class patrol cruiser," he said, pride clear in his voice, and I perked up hearing what his words.
"Really? I want to join the pilot training program as well," I told him excitedly. Maybe he could give me some pointers.
"Solaria said as much, and from your scores on the Beltran flight simulator, you have the makings of a good one. The reason they noticed the connection was because you outscored every other first-year cadet on the simulator. When they realized you weren't even an enrolled cadet and were using a decommissioned module, it was even more shocking. They were able to trace your connection and got your identification from your implant. When the investigation showed you to be Sol's kid, they first thought she had given you the simulator module," he said, pausing to change lanes in the busy street.
"She denied it, and with further checking, we found the simulator helmet's processor you were using was also from the same lot of decommissioned equipment, but was being used in a basic simulation helmet. We were able to find further connections from the same module going back two years, which was the same amount of time since it was sent for disposal and resold. A PO had been selling decommissioned equipment for some extra credits."
I nodded as I remembered that my mother had said something similar when she had first called me regarding the module. But I hadn't realized she might have gotten the blame for it.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know I wasn't allowed to use the module," I said.
"Yeah, we know. When Solaria contacted you about the module, it was streamed to the academy. The commandant and fleet investigators were watching. They wanted to confirm that you had found the module and not gained it through other means. The fleet investigators had already traced the module to its previous user who claimed to have disposed of the module due to its damaged helmet and glitched last unit."
"How would you know? I could have lied to her about where I got the module."
"We had an AI program and very skilled investigators monitoring your responses. We already believed you had found it by chance but needed you to confirm it. We knew Sol hadn't given it to you as she provided all records of her contact with you," he said, jaw clenched, and I could hear the anger in his voice as he said the last part. "Kid, just so that you know, we wouldn't have left you out on some waste planet if we knew about you."
"N2390 isn’t a waste planet, and I had my dad," I said, scowling.
"He could have come to Velante with you, and we would have found him a job here. If Sol had told any of us about you, we would have taken care of you both," he said. I nodded and decided not to say anything further.
As my father often said, the past was in the past. There was no point mulling over things that were already done. A short while later, we pulled up at a large gate that opened after a few moments. My eyes widened as I looked around. This was the Academy, and even though it was nearing dusk, I could easily recognize the buildings I had seen images of in the cadets’ handbook.
"Why are we at the academy?" I asked as I sat up in my seat, trying to get a better view out the window.
"The commandant lives on base—or campus, as you will call it. They have private housing for the officers who train the cadets. The academy is situated alongside the fleet's main planetary base, where we landed. It’s also my current posting," he told me before bringing the vehicle to a stop in a large open area, alongside several other vehicles.
As the transport lowered to the ground, I slid out and walked around to join my uncle as he grabbed my two cases. I slung my bag on my back and followed him down a paved path. We walked silently, with my uncle receiving salutes from a few cadets and officers as we walked along a short pathway, before turning off onto another path with less occupants.
The buildings all looked similar to ones I had seen in images from old earth, I'd never seen buildings with so much glass before. On N2390, the structures were all metal and didn't have windows. The buildings here in the academy had beautiful, arching curves and large windows. Lush garden beds edged the paths, and there was real green grass. I wanted to run over and touch it, but I restrained myself. I did, however, pluck a large green leaf off a tree, staring at the little veins making patterns across its surface. I had never seen real leaves or any kind of plants before arriving on Velante. I had seen them in my simulator and had eaten a fresh salad on the Scorpia, but this was different. I lifted the leaf to my nose and sniffed it. The scent was strange but enjoyable.
"Aristeia, have you not seen plants before?" my uncle asked, looking at me with an unreadable expression. I shook my head, feeling my cheeks flush.
"Not real ones, just simulated. N2390 is a desert planet. This is the only other planet I've been on, and it is also the first time I've ever left the Winaru system," I told him as I held the leaf close to my chest in a tight grip.
"It's okay, you’re not the only one. Some space-born kids are the same when they first go planet side," he said.
We entered a building and made our way down a long hall, passing a security officer who saluted my uncle and gave me a curious look. We arrived in front of a door, and I took a deep breath, standing slightly behind my uncle as it opened. As we walked in, I clenched my hand tightly around my leaf, crushing it a little.
"Julian, you're back," a woman with hair a grayer version of my own silver said as she walked toward us. She stared at me and moved closer, and I took a step back from her.
"Aurora, leave her be. It is clear she is nervous,” a voice said from deeper in. “Julian messaged me on their way over. Sol didn't tell her anything, the same as us. She didn't have any idea who the boy was when she met him. We have had weeks to adjust, she has had mere hours." The voice belonged to an older man who looked a lot like my uncle and who strode forward and placed his hand on the woman's shoulder, pulling her back slightly. He was in a fleet uniform with the embellishments showing him to be the commandant.
"Aristeia, this is Cyrus and Aurora Harra. Come on, you’re blocking the door from closing." With a slight push to my shoulder, my uncle pressed me to walk further into the room.
It was a large open space with three lounges making a U shape in front of a large vid screen on one side. There was a big area that looked like a kitchen for preparing fresh food. I had seen some in movies, so I was pretty sure that's what the benches and appliances were for. There was a wide eating table just past the lounges, and it sat before a large window that showed a view of a beautiful garden.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry for making you nervous. Please come take a seat," the woman who had been introduced as Aurora said.
My uncle Julian guided me towards one of the lounges, and I hesitated before sitting. I was still wearing my bodysuit and felt a little overdressed. Luckily, I'd left the helmet off. It was able to fit into my bag, so I didn't have to carry it separately. I watched as the couple sat together across from me, with my uncle choosing the empty lounge to the side.
"Aristeia, I received the reports regarding the drone and your implant. Has your new implant settled? Is there any remaining pain at the insertion site?" the commandant asked and gave me a concerned look.
Striving for the stars (The Kelras Chronicles Book 1) Page 8