Day 34 (Comms Series #2)
15 Feb 2018Viridian
Viridian's inbox had been filled with more boring messages. Most of them were from contacts with other job offers that she ignored half the time, or template messages about her increase in status at Wafer Station.She tapped her index finger on the comm panel again. Nothing from Raven. She tapped her screen and spoke into her panel, "Send a message."
"Alright, commander," the digital female voice responded, "To whom do you wish to send a message?"
"Commander Raven, 8723-05."
There was a slight pause. "I'm sorry, Commander. I cannot find a contact with that ID number."
Viridian leaned forward. "What? What do you mean? Use the same contact information from the message on January 12, 3304."
The computer paused again. "I'm sorry, Commander. I cannot find a contact with that name."
Viridian's breath caught in her chest, imprisoned in her ribs. She tapped the screen to look at the message she had sent Raven weeks ago. "Search contacts. That user ID existed."
Her ship echoed stoically. "According to the contacts data, that ID number has been decommissioned."
"Decommissioned?" Viridian asked, leaning forward, "How can an ID number be decommissioned?"
"In the event of a commander's death, imprisonment, or loss of privilege, an ID number will be decommissioned and reassigned to the next available pilot."
Viridian's hands went numb. She leaned back in her chair and gently clenched her fingers. She looked down at the dark, emerald gloves. "Under which of those circumstances was 8723-05 decommissioned?"
"I do not have that data available, commander."
"Somebody does," Viridian said. Her eyes narrowed. "Send a message to Violetta Pace, 6541-08."
"Alright, commander," the voice echoed, "Contact found. What do you wish to say to Violetta Pace?"
"I'm coming for drinks. Take out the Pearl Whiskey."
Viridian tapped on her navigation panel and scrolled down the list until she found 40 Ceti. She tapped the site contact and pushed the throttle forward. Pivoting her stick, she engaged Larkspur's jump drive. "She'll know what that means."