A little A lot
14 Jun 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
A little A lot
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Rex's smile grew wider as I ordered the carrier to jump 150 light-years beyond the edge of human-inhabited space. He confessed to Yatziri that he had been wondering how long it would take my curiosity to lead me to the location where the interdictions had occurred.
The entire clan embraced the new adventure. This area was a bustling route for long-range exploration ships and prospecting miners. It also attracted various miscreants, including pirates from factions like the Para Gold Dragons and Pirates of Windjeri.
Our clan relished the hunt, and we successfully took down over 130 pirate ships, destroying each one. Of those destroyed, 61 used their escape pods, which we recovered and brought on board the carrier for medical treatment and interrogation. Being close enough to inhabited space, our plan was to accumulate a full complement of prisoners before turning them in.
Morale on the carrier was at an all-time high as our personnel competed for spots in the circular hunting parties. They relished the excitement of interdicting pirates throughout the system, hunting them on the planet's surface, and mining the mineral-rich rings orbiting it.
As I studied the star charts, my mind started to wander. In the past, I had embarked on extended ventures to far-off nebulae like the Veil, Flame, Seagull, and Rosetta. Each held its own unique allure. The Seagull and Rosetta nebulae were particularly intriguing since they were home to singular stations. These stations could serve as anchor points for our journey. The question remained: how efficient could we be?
To embark on such an adventure, we would need a significant amount of fuel for the carrier. Fuel that had to be mined. While finding mineral-rich rings was relatively straightforward, my mining skills had grown rusty over time. I was willing to admit that it was a trade I had once mastered enough to navigate without bumping into rocks, but I had allowed those skills to atrophy.
However, there was an upside to all of this. The credit payout for the destroyed pirate ships was substantial. It seemed as if fate, divine intervention, or some higher power was at play. The exact amount of credits covered the cost of opening, equipping, and hiring a genomics specialist. Moreover, the remaining amount precisely matched the carrier's weekly expenses, even with the addition of the new module. It was a remarkable coincidence that couldn't be ignored.
Taking this as a sign, I immediately sent a message to the carrier administration, outlining our future courses of action. Soon after, I received a reply. With a clear path ahead, I ordered an immediate jump to the carrier berths in the Djinba system, surprising Rex, my bridge officer. Although he followed my orders, I acknowledged my mistake in not informing him beforehand about my purchase of the genomics module, which the carrier administration would install upon our arrival.
While Rex plotted the course and initiated the jump sequence, I explained that if we were venturing into the far reaches of space, I needed to ensure certain necessities were taken care of while we were still in human-inhabited space. At the top of the list was a proper laboratory and the selection of a skilled xenobiological geneticist. I had provided Avery, the AI, with the names and qualifications of potential candidates, so that the best fit for our clan structure and future extended-duration needs could be chosen.
An hour later, we had successfully docked and connected the gantry, allowing clan members the opportunity to explore the various storefronts within the orbital station. Though the prices were inflated as expected, I assured the lower-ranked members that I would cover any reasonable expenses from the ship's account, which was backed by my personal funds.
While the division chiefs and I discussed the next set of tasks after the new module was fitted and tested, Avery made an appearance, introducing our newest officer, Doctor Eunice Faulkner. She was a highly trained and experienced medical doctor with an MD, specializing in xenobiological genetics. Additionally, she held a doctorate in philosophy and a Ph.D. Despite her impressive qualifications, she didn't appear older than her early thirties, at most.
I watched as the usual introductions were made, thinking that it was good to have another seasoned medical professional on board, with the future I had in mind. The side look from Rex told me that he had the same thoughts. With the pleasantries completed, I outlined the immediate future.
I would be performing the regular business passenger missions, just long enough to build up additional funding that would be used to purchase additional fuel, as a safeguard in case we needed to push out to further locations or make any return trips back to human-inhabited space. Aside from that, all other fuel would be obtained through the mining of resources that were discovered, several thousand light-years, beyond the rim. In short, the clan was going to learn how to be deep space explorers, raiders, scavengers, and rescuers.