Some Good News, Some Bad News, Something Illegal
12 May 2022Fallharbor
Location: On board La Jornada in Deep Space
Date: Unknown
Jump. Scan. Fuel.
Jump. Scan. Boost.
Jump. Scan. Boost.
Jump. Scan. Fuel.
Jump...Jump....Jump...Jump...
"Vidal...you need some rest." Keep said through the ship's speakers. There was no sign of Martin since the jump away from The Abyss. I wasn't sure they were ever here...but I know what I saw out there.
"I'll...I'll be fine. It's just a few more jumps to the carrier." I managed to say. Keep wasn't wrong. I did need rest but Jenn and Aurelia are probably raising hell trying to find out where I am.
"Vidal, at the very least allow me to turn on the ship's tracking frequency and long range comms. Maybe someone or the carrier itself can meet us half way." Keep pleaded.
In my exhaustion I had forgotten why I had even turned off those things. I can barely remember the journey to The Abyss. All the jumping was a blur in my memory and I felt like I never left Witch-space at all. "D-do it, Keep" I grumbled. The messages immediately began pouring in. Beep after beep notifying me of a new message. I could barely make out the words but they were definitely from Aurelia and Jenn. Various curses and pleas to return home. "Keep, send a message to them. Tell them I'll meet them at whatever their next check point is but to not stray too far from the Solaris."
"Will do, Vidal."
"I'm...I'm gonna go take a nap." I parked the ship close enough to a star to refuel but not overheat and made my way to the cabin. I took a peak into the guest quarters and nothing nor anyone was in there. How did I feel or talk to Martin before? I was too exhausted to think anymore of it and laid in bed. I blinked and found myself floating through Witch-space. It's colors and stars mesmerized as I felt a pull towards something in the distance. The same thing I saw in the void of space. It beckoned. Pleaded. Commanded.
Location: Deriso: Hecate's Rest
Date: 09 MAY 3308
Jenn walked into the ready room followed shortly by Aurelia. Sitting on the couch, Jenn wrapped an arm around Aurelia who buried her face in her hands. Jenn kissed Aurelia's head and rubbed her back. Aurelia took a deep breathe and sat up, "People are starting to ask why we haven't left with the Solaris. If we don't leave today..."
"Then we leave today, Auri. Vidal found the carrier once before and at least this time it'll be easier if we stick with TCON's itinerary."
"I don't want to get stuck out here again. Having to captain a desperate ship alone again. I just...I can't" Aurelia buried her face in her knees.
"You're not alone. You have me and I carried Vidal through most of our battles. And if we stick with TCON we'll be-" A beep on both their PDAs interupted her.
Jennifer & Aurelia,
I'm headed back to Hecate's Rest. Should be there soon. Don't stray too far from the Solaris.
Send me coordinates and I'll update my route. Sorry for any worry.
Vidal
"That blasted asshole!" Jenn exclaimed as she got up and walked over to the window.
Aurelia let out a deep sigh. Whether it was relief or annoyance was anyone's guess but one may bet it was both. She got up and hugged Jenn from behind and then started towards the Command Deck. "I'll leave the reply to you darling! I'm prepping us for a jump!"
Jenn stared out the window as Freyja walked over and rubbed against her ankles with a mew. She picked up the cat and whispered to her "Why are they like this..." Freyja mewed with a tilted head and wrapped her two tails around Jenn's forearm.
Location: Deep Space on board La Jornada
Date: Unknown
I woke up but felt no more rested than before. I hoped my body felt differently than my mind. I took some time to do the usual, shower, change clothes, things I haven't done in a while in hope it would help. It didn't but at least I didn't smell anymore. Keep greeted me as I sat at the chair and informed me of a new message. I must have missed the notification in my sleep.
Asshole,
How dare you do this to Aurelia and the crew after everything they've been through.
How dare you leave me here like that! And don't even get me started on Freyja.
She's going to tear you a new one when you get back. We're going to start making our way to Sag A*.
Meet us at checkpoint 1: Kyloarph PT-M c22-781.
Jennifer
It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I considered responding but I'm sure they'd rather I just get there. In between jumps however I started a new message...
Martin,
I'm not sure what you did to me or sent me out here to do
but we're going to have some words when I get back.
Fallharbor
The message went out and the reply was almost immediate give or take a jump.
Vidal
Mije, its wonderful to hear from you. I'm not sure what you mean.
I went to the hangar y ya no estabas. You had left without me.
That signal had disappeared as well and you never came back.
Everyone's been worried. Apúrate a casa.
Espero que tenemos mucho de que hablar.
First Herald of the 105th Chapter
That made no sense. They were here on the way to The Abyss. They were there when I looked into The Void. But they weren't here anymore. So maybe they weren't lying. Either way, Martin and his people must have done something to me to see them...
"Keep...I have a request that is...well it's highly illegal and-"
"Vidal, my existence is illegal."
"Yes. True. But this may be not even be possible."
"Vidal, what do you require."
"Is there anyway you can interface with my cybernetics. It's just the eye but it's definitely connected to my brain and hopefully you can tell me if something's up with it."
There was a moment of silence as the ship flew in deep space. It was probably too much of me to ask.
"It is possible Vidal but it is not reversible. A copy of me would live in that cybernetic."
"I mean it'd just make us closer right?" I chuckled.
"You will need to remove the eye and place it in the diagnostic computer in the med-bay." Keep responded seemingly ignoring my comment. I nodded, not that she could see me, or could she? Either way, I walked over to the med-bay and placed the eye in the computer. There were some beeps and blops and then a ding. I don't remember the computer ever making those noises.
"It's ready." Keep said over the speakers. I took the eye and popped it back in. There was a stinging sensation in my head followed by a slight ring in my ear before the eye flickered on with a HUD similar to what I see when wearing a helmet. "Welcome! Or...should I say thank you for having me!" I heard Keep in my head.
"Oh...that's new."
"Well, what better way to communicate than through your head. We won't need the helmet anymore nor would I need to disguise as COVAS. I'm all yours" she said with...a giggle?
"Right. Perfect. So can you find anything out?"
"I'll start some diagnostics. Feel free to keep flying."
I nodded and walked back to the pilot's seat, set a new jump, and made a cup of coffee. "Keep, I know you're busy but are there any updates from Martin's scientist doing their research? Or are we too far for that connection?"
"Nothing is ever too far, Vidal. I will begin the download." Keep said through the speakers. I raised the mug to her in thanks and drank a sip while we jumped. Keep's voice came through the speakers once more, "The 105th Chapter scientists have not made any new breakthroughs. They appear to just be reading over your father's information. The signal they had received bared no results as well. Their excursion teams appear to be bringing back the usual data that other teams find. I am happy to report that morale is a little higher amounst the all residents of the carrier. That is all."
"Thank you, Keep"
"Your very welcome!" she said in my head. I finished the coffee and continued on our way back. "Vidal, I finished the diagnostic. Sorry for the wait but I had to map out your brain and compare everything to previous health records found on the ship. There appears to be a trace of a short term program that deleted itself the moment we jumped out of Oevasy SG-Y d0. There are also traces of what appears to be onionhead or something similar. It is in the coffee. Or rather it was. I am happy to report the drug is no longer in your system and everything is in working order physically. However, you do appear to be under mental stress but I can't quite grasp what the source is..."
I was healthy but I didn't feel like it. "Is there anything you can tell me about what I experience in Oevasy?"
"I can only report that your brain had unusually high activity in the areas where DMT, dopamine and serotonin are dispersed. It wouldn't surprise me if you weren't just hallucinating from the onionhead."
"Hm..." I didn't know what think. I would believe it was a hallucination if I wasn't still seeing it when I sleep. If I wasn't still feeling it. "Thank you, Keep. Let's keep heading home."
"Copy that, Vidal" she said through the ship's speakers as I charged the Frame Shift Drive for the next jump.
Location: Kyloarph PT-M c22-781: Hecate's Rest
Date: 11 MAY 3308
Aurelia walked down the corridor into the carrier's lounge. She ordered two drinks from Kiera, moved passed some patrons over to the couches by the windows and sat next to Jenn. She slid the drink over to her and smiled. Jenn took the glass and tapped it against Aurelia's before taking a sip. "Ah, vodka straight. My favorite."
"I know" Aurelia said with a smile before taking a sip of hers.
"Well, all there is to do now is wait. The last message Vidal sent says they were still pretty far out." Jenn said placing the glass down and looking out the massive windows.
"It'll give us time to refuel. The Monty is nearby and the Solaris isn't leaving Sag A* till Saturday. The crew and everyone on the carrier is just happy we're moving again." Aurelia sat back into the couch and looked around. "It looks like everyone on the carrier is starting to get a long a little better" she said pointing out the The Far God Refugees mingling with some of the crew and residents.
"Or at least tolerating each other. Martin brought some more of their younger ones wanting to learn how to fly so they could escort more scientist. I told them sure but they would also need to be ready to fight for the carrier in exchange. Martin replied with their usual-"
"Por supuesto, mija" they said in unison and chuckled.
"I guess Vidal could have some good ideas" Aurelia said sipping on her drink.
"Don't let it get to his head" Jenn retorted before finishing her vodka.