Dreams
18 Jul 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Medical Bay
Utley Hub, Kokoller System
_____________________________
Monty dreamed of a scene. He found himself in the control center of a planetary settlement, surrounded by menacing pirates. The air was tense, and the pirates paid him no attention as he cautiously moved among them, observing their activities. The monitors in the control center were eerily blank, devoid of any information, and Monty sensed a growing unease.
Suddenly, the pirates turned toward him in perfect unison, their eyes piercing into his soul. In a chilling, synchronized voice, they spoke as one, questioning his resistance: 'Why do you resist us when you cannot?'
Monty jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. The doctor stood next to his bed, peering at one of the medical monitors. The doctor's face appeared emotionless, devoid of any warmth or concern. 'We have stabilized your electrolytes, and you are recovering nicely,' the doctor said, his tone clinical and detached. 'I want you to stay an extra rotation or two for observation to ensure your well-being.'
Struggling to clear the fog from his mind, Monty blinked several times, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The doctor's blank expression sent a shiver down his spine. 'Where am I?' Monty managed to whisper weakly, his voice betraying his confusion and disorientation.
The nurse, her face kind and reassuring, stepped forward, her smile offering a small glimmer of comfort. She reached out to check something out of Monty's line of sight. 'You don't remember?' she asked, her voice filled with surprise. Monty shook his head, his memory a haze.
'You are in a Federal medical facility aboard the Utley Hub orbital station in the Kokoller System,' the nurse explained, her smile widening. Monty's mind raced, trying to piece together how he had ended up here, but the answers eluded him.
'How?' Monty questioned, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion.
The nurse's smile grew, and she patted his shoulder gently. 'We brought you here, Inspector. You are required, so that we can become,' she stated cryptically. Monty recoiled in as the nurse's face faded into darkness, and then the darkness encroached upon him once more, swallowing him whole as consciousness slipped away.
Dryooe Flyou WB-T b47-10
_____________________________
Yatziri leered at the shadow of a passing security ship. The mega ship’s security patrols were out in force, dealing with someone attacking a group of explorers, several kilometers distant. Her Diamondback Scout stealth ship went undetected, as she used the reactive control thrusters to reposition herself near the mega ship’s external communications array. Stealing their hard-earned data would be beneficial to the clan, as it could be used for themselves, or for barter.
Aside from visual detection, her ship was a ghost to all sensors. Engineered from the frame out for stealth, she could leave all of its modules powered, including shielding, and only register between fifteen and seventeen percent heat; sensors required at least twenty for detection. This gave her ship the edge, allowing it to stay fully powered and not lower its defenses and raise its internal heating by turning off all unnecessary systems and closing its reactor heat vents.
All of these advantages came at a cost. The Scout was a small ship with limited cargo capacity. The mega ship had several hundred tons of cargo and the scout could only take eight. This forced Yatziri to pick only the most useful of what was available. She knew the auto-fabricators would be the greatest worth for a nomadic group, and she set her first sights on filling her ship’s hold with these.
More shadows passed, their engines boosting towards the distant and visible laser fire. Yatziri smiled, as a notification appeared on her communications panel. Unlike her cargo hold, the ship’s data storage capacity could take all that could be siphoned off the mega-ship. Unfortunately, she could not stay that long, again choosing the choicest immediately available.
Yatziri’s entire adventure lasted less than five minutes, as she thrust the scout away from the mega ship, allowing inertia to carry her away from any prying eyes that may be looking out of a viewing port in her direction. The paint scheme would help blend the ship into the background, but nothing could hide its movement or the fact that any stars behind it would blink to an observer, as the ship momentarily blocked them.
Fortune smiled on her as anyone on the mega ship looking outside was watching the distant battle unfold, in the complete opposite direction she was headed. Yatziri maintained this slow departure for several kilometers before turning her nose to the distant stars. More than a dozen kilometers ahead were two other clan ships. Her escorts back to the safety of the far distant carrier.