Pathways
13 Jul 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Third planet, Dryooe Flyou KN-A d14-57 System
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Commander Rex noted that Xochitl appeared distracted since her return from the meeting with the engineer. While Avery reported all had gone well, she had not said a word after returning to the ship. Throughout the buildup to the jump into this system, she had remained quiet and distracted. Remaining silent, she paused from her internal processes long enough to enjoy the hyperspace transition.
The surrounding distortion of space-time, and lightning flashes of energy, produced a tingling sensation throughout Xochitl’s cybernetics. Through her cybernetic eye, she could see details that were beyond the physical abilities of her human eye. The nanorobotics in her system appeared to enjoy the vibrating resonance that traveling through hyperspace produced. Like a craftsman enjoying the fruits of their labor, Xochitl and her systems enjoyed the reward of traveling through the ripple of space-time.
The arrival of the carrier in orbit above was visible to the clan members on the ground. From their vantage point, the black cloud of space-time that the carrier emerged from appeared as a swirling darkening of the blue shade of the sky above. To a primitive species, it would be an omen for either good or ill. To the clan below, it was home.
Motioning for Rex to follow, Xochitl retired to her office wing on the starboard side of the bridge. Once inside, she looked at her tablet. Xochitl read the reports from her people below. All had gone well, with a firm base camp established. Both the hunters and fishermen had already claimed several species, each undergoing checks by the medical personnel to establish their safety for consumption. The botanist among their ranks was studying the varied species of plant life and their place within the planetary ecosystem.
Tapping the tablet a couple of times, she handed it to Rex. ‘Avery was not wrong; the meeting did go well. The part that concerns me is how much did this cost?’
‘That he has first rites to tinker with a Beluga vanity purchase that he swears I will buy.’
Rex chuckled. ‘You’ve had that in mind since before leaving the bubble. He must think you have more credits than sense, buying it out here where it is at a considerably marked-up price.’
‘As he is the only engineer in the universe who can do grade 4 shield cell upgrades. I did purchase one of those for him to tinker with. Chief Bowen said he would have it installed on the Cutter tomorrow.’
‘Figured the Cutter was on your mind. While you were at your meeting, a delivery ship dropped off a class three limpet controller and a huge class seven universal limpet controller.’
‘The carrier doesn’t fuel itself. That bubble to Colonia list of Tritium-rich rings that Mel provided gave me an idea that I wanted to pass by you. I thought of mapping a separate trail from Colonia to other destinations.’
Rex studied the tablet for a moment. ‘No one here is under any illusions. We are nomadic, after all.’
Xochitl turned to look out her office window at the earth-like world below.
Medical Bay
Utley Hub, Kokoller System
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Inspector Gladsen's mind swirled in a sea of disjointed and glowing passages, like fragmented pieces of a puzzle refusing to fit together. He felt an unsettling detachment from his own body, a sense of disorientation that should have been frustrating but instead only bred confusion. He grappled with the paradox of feeling like he was dreaming yet possessing the lucidity to question the nature of his state of consciousness.
Amidst the jumble of sensations, faint murmurs permeated the ethereal space, whispering their way into his perception. The voices, though untraceable in origin, clashed with the surreal imagery that flickered through his mind. Ships materialized and dissolved in a rapid dance; their purpose and occupants were elusive. Amidst the visual chaos, fragments of conversation reached his ears, discussing strange glitches in medical equipment. It was as if disparate threads of reality were converging, weaving a tapestry of inexplicable occurrences.
One memory emerged, capturing his attention with vivid clarity. It showcased a meeting with a human female cyborg, the significance of which remained elusive. The scene shifted abruptly, thrusting him into the midst of an orbital station's internal office, where battle androids broke formation. Destruction and chaos unfolded in the aftermath, and a figure, unmistakably cyberpunk in appearance, exited. The meaning behind these disjointed scenes eluded him, teasing him with fragments of a greater narrative.
Amidst the cacophony of impressions, one word resonated in the background, echoing through the depths of his mind like a distant mantra—to become.