Stranded After DW2..epilogue- Part 3: Galaxy-Edge-Exile on Krissys world…
05 Aug 2019Count Iblis
Reece found a planet that was habitable to human life, or ‘earth like’ at the Straae Eohn OD-Z D1-1 system to call home for a while. It was about 70,000 light years from the bubble and nearish Beagle Point. The Imperial Cutter “Indefatigable” had myriad cascade system failures throughout, so this would be home for the foreseeable future. Initially he thought it was a inplamted virus by the inbreds from the ‘lost colony’ he managed to escape from but the biggest problem to tackle was damage taken from the huge battle between him and their army (in obsolete dilapidated vessels). It took its toll on the hull and various systems of the Indefatigable. Reece worked long and hard in tandem with the limpets and the Auto Field Maintenance Units to trouble shoot and repair. The most difficult part was not knowing when it would be up and running again. One system would be ready to go and another failed system would rear its ugly head.Hydrogen ion ram or more precisely deuterium (a heavy isotope of Hydrogen) was the fuel/energy source of the Indefatigable. He didn’t know how long he’d be here, so Reece had to make sure he used energy sparingly. He used the inverter to syphon off more solar power to help with this. The days here burning- hitting 40-45 degs C, but it was a dry heat, and plenty could be tapped off for Solar but the nights cooled off significantly. Reece set up camp directly outside his craft and would sometimes choose to sleep outside.
Reeces initial surveys indicated that this planet had indigninous life. After a while Reece found small sea faring shelled crustacean like creatures. He ended up using them as a source of food, to conserve the Indefatigable food reserves. They tasted like a cross between lobster and oyster, so quite delicious! He later found out that their sodium content was rather high so could extract the proteinous body part and juices only. He called this ‘blood protein’ rations! In anycase, it was way more preferable to the ultra bland LoRHN , or Long-Range-Human-Nourishment ration (in powdered form) that Reece was sick of having to consume on this trip!
Although Reece was now officially a part of the 12th Squadron (a fleet he didn’t particularly want to join) when the chips were down, and Reece needed their help, they were no where to be found. He sent messages , SOSs, emergency beacons, and galactic flares and they fell upon deaf ears. He verified that the signals were received. At one point they even acknowledged his signal and said they would be there. The true measure of virtue and integrity was during times of need, with people, societies and groups. It was easy enough to party and socialize during the best of times, but it was those who stuck by you through your worst, who really counted. As suspected, this squadron hadn’t pulled through. Similarly, the Lost colony that Reece had just encountered, somewhere in the Ceeckia sector, skirmish and all, had shown their true colours. Throughout Reeces life, he had come across so many of these disappointments. The sad thing was that they were no longer disappointments. It was like the ultimate test and the unpalatable taste that arose from misplaced inflated expectation was something he had become all too accustomed to as he no longer had high expectations. It had led him to become something of a misanthrope, being comfortable with yourself is a boon when you spend time alone. The only thing mainstream people can consistently be relied upon, is to be scum, to be the sum of the behaviour of the lowest common denominator of human nature. Jealousy, lack of empathy, self righteous preaching with simultaneous hypocrisy (like the lost colony stealing his supplies). The difference, when you get older and self sufficient, is, you no longer care, and you devise strategies to protect yourself- you want to basically be left alone. Ironically, now, here, Reece had enough solitude and longed for some decent intelligent company and diversion. The galaxy was a strange place, especially how humanity had evolved within the bubble. It was strangely stratified: Over time, it became apparent that those who were the risk takers and achievers literally strived towards the stars and had their lives change in infinite ways, wealth, well being, spiritual piece of mind, life span etc. These were the folks who became traders, like the old world merchants and bounty hunters- like an unenlisted police force. Even the professionals who were entrepreneurs who couldn’t devote time to a solely space faring life, HAD to embrace the galactic market and travel for their ventures to achieve true superiority and galactic dominance. Then there were those who stayed planet bound, had no interest in the stars, exploration, growth, seeing new places and pushing the boundaries and their comfort zones. And yet these were the folks that almost invariably complained the most and formed the strong vein of malcontents in society. They typically protested, sanctioned and lobbied governments and bodies to add bureaucracy and rules to make life difficult for people like Reece. It was pretty much jealousy and a lack of belief that they could attain such a great life. Or laziness. They could never understand the true liberation and enlightenment that reaching for the stars can get you. Unfortunately these were the folks that would produce the most offspring who would get indoctrinated by their ‘ideals’. Reece was just extremely grateful that he had managed to make it to this incredible space faring life.
Now, back to ‘liberation’..Reece looked around his colossal Imperial ship, almost 200 metres long, vast corridors, vaulted ceilings, opulent covings but no company. You could have too much of a good thing! For the most part, life was much the same, he had access to all the same facilities, the Jacuzzi in the sauna room, the variable G gym. He would still pass by the main communal whirlpool style lagoon pool regularly, the flowering argent tree that was now in bloom, and the colourfully lit fountains but instead of these leisure activities being interlaced with spectral frequency scans and detail surface scans, Reece would be using that time to be focused on repairing the ship and re- coding some of the internal systems. In addition, to conserve hydrogen fuel usage he had some of these systems shut down. Once he got the inverter online accessing the ships great solar reactors to take advantage of the light of this world, he was able to relax some of his self imposed power constraints. Of all his activities his favourite was immersing himself deeply into the VR archive section of the library. He spent more and more time here: He didn’t know how long the Indefatgable would stay on this world (could it be years?) and desperately didn’t want to lose touch with who he really was, his personal culture, his values, and degenerate into some kind of a hermit savage. He also focused on improving himself at the gym, swimming pool etc to indulge and grow in the arts too as it was a balance of mental, cognitive and artistic as well as physical aspects he wanted to improve upon. Part of the routeen of experiencing and studying VR archived plays and documentaries was to indulge in externally generated stimuli rather than self made VR- stories and narratives (which was easy enough to create with modern day VR tech). This avoided losing oneself into an ego-fueled fantasy that elevated reinforced undesirable aspects of the psyche.
Reece missed home intensely. But where was home to a nomad like Reece? Nighthawk in the Artemis system or the Blue Fox bar of Tanner City, Paluberion sea on Lave perhaps, the Star Falls of New Richmond, The outpost on Hernovacle and the miners lounge there, most certainly. In short it was a string of places and people that helped Reece feel comfortable and familiar. All back in the Bubble. Reece wondered what had become of the Thargoids back in the Bubble- would there even be a ‘bubble’ left when he got back?
Reece thought of Kristin, from the colony. Why she didn’t come with him to get away. It was obvious she wasn’t happy amongst the other ‘lost colonists’ and their antics. It was most likely fear of the unknown. Reece buried the now deceased Trumble pet he had gotten as a gift from her. They had a notoriously short life span but Reece was hoping she made it back to the bubble with him. He had named her Krissy, after Kristin- and also called this whole world Krissys world. Krissy was the most affectionate, playful and laid back little pet Reece had had and she really made this whole episode so much more tolerable.
Although the Indefatigable sat resplendent and majestic on this distant world her gleam iridescent paint work was well pitted now while weeds and foliage had started to grow around her wings and rear fuselage.
Soon after the death of the Krissy the trumble, Reece configured the ships AI to be totally interactive, adaptive and able to be interacted with from almost anywhere aboard the ship and even far away on expeditions when aboard the SRV. Previously, Reece had avoided having a sophisticated interactive AI system aboard any of his ships: With such large expanses of time spent alone aboard, especially when out here in the remote reaches of the galaxy, the mind can do funny things, trying to convince yourself you were in love.
It must have been 3 months later that Reece managed to get the Indefatigable back to full operational status again mainly by daisy chaining some of the Hanger deck fighter CPUS for minor functions and re-constituting a new ship central controller from an amalgam of Cutter spares and an old eft over Clipper CPU he had (and was soo greatful he brought along!). It took many trial runs but he finally got there. All by his own means too.
Cutter was now poised to leave Krissys world. So look out for Reece making a reappearance in the bubble at a world somewhere near you in his Imperial Cutter Indefatigable hull plating pitted but ready to take on the galaxy!