The construct Part 3
02 Dec 2021Rain Ocampo
HIP 17519 - Pirate's Lament - 02.12.33075 more days until my beloved 'Eva N. Gelium' is spaceworthy again.
HIP 17519 is a relatively famous system due to 'Salome's Requiem', but that doesn't make it any easier to get spare parts. The head of the maintenance crew just shrugged his shoulders. "What are you doing flying around out here with an exotic like that, too?"
The first days I felt very uncomfortable in this asteroid. After all, I was no longer part of Sharon's group. But I was warmly received everywhere, and the crew of the station, who had been described to me by my friends as 'upside down,' behaved toward me as courteously as ever. It was as if I had never been away.
Since I'm stuck here, I might as well try to find out a little more about Commander Dlljs mysterious disappearance. It's pretty impractical to visit all the stations with APEX service or my protector's Cobra MK IV, but I don't have a ship, at least not a usable one.
Dlljs had traveled here on her own last week. Hadn't listened to our warnings or waited for us.
Last contact was that she had reached the system and was beginning scans.
None of us know if Sharon was still in the system at the time, or if Dlljs even made it aboard the 'Resurrection' carrier. If that happened, according to my friends, there is serious danger. Then it would be very likely that she was captured and also put into this infernal device. In that case, she would also be lost to us.
One more friend I am worried about...
Another part of my time is spent trying to hack the memory chip that fell into our hands while trying to follow Sharon's steps.
Since I am not convinced of my aunt's evilness, I see it as my duty to find out the truth. How did that ancient Terran saying go? "Innocent until proven guilty."
Then during one of those 'sessions' aboard my 'crippled' Crusader, I intercepted another encrypted transmission to someone or something labeled 'SIGMA 19'.
A few of the brightest minds in our group are already cracking the message and the contents of the memory chip.
...
Just then Yshara comes in, following me everywhere like a shadow. She takes her role as my protector very seriously. Her goddess would have ordained it so and she would have to follow this path that was shown.
It is nice to be able to explain the aberrations of the universe so simply. My gods do not speak with me. Only this other 'eight' from the Sim archives now and then in my dreams ...