Logbook entry

Episode 111, Just a Tap

High in the rocks of a nearby mountain, Ryuko watched the chaos unfold at the settlement in the valley below. The wreckage of two sentry drones lay scattered across the compound, their pieces strewn haphazardly as security personnel swarmed the grounds, searching every nook and cranny for an intruder who was kilometers away, observing their patterns with cold detachment. Tara flashed a series of hand signals, her movements precise and measured. Ryuko nodded in response, acknowledging her instructions. At this range, the base would detect any transmissions, so neither used their suit communicators. They worked in silence, communicating through gestures alone. Sliding back behind a large boulder, Ryuko opened the carry case he had brought with him. Two of its compartments were already empty, the micro-drones they had contained deployed earlier to disable the sentries below. He prepped the remaining four drones, programming each to strike predetermined targets he had identified from his high vantage point. His goal wasn’t to cause casualties but to create disruption, sow confusion, and force the defenders to waste time. Strategically placed hydrogen fuel containers were scattered throughout the facility and used to refuel the technicians’ ground vehicles. Ryuko had targeted their locations, each one a waiting flashpoint. The resulting detonations would amplify the confusion and threaten nearby storage units holding prepared shipments. Attacking this one facility wouldn’t hurt the faction, but it would force them to divert resources, leaving other areas vulnerable. Nyx, in his stealth Diamondback Scout, was lurking, waiting to identify those areas with the other Coterie hiding in normal space, ready to take advantage. Ryuko finished prepping the drones, a grin spreading beneath his helmet’s mirrored visor as they lifted off, small and silent, heading down into the valley. He closed the case and glanced at Tara, watching as each drone maneuvered toward its distant target. Without an atmosphere to carry the telltale buzz of their flight, they would remain undetected until it was too late. He tracked the drones’ progress as far as he could, then turned his attention back to Tara as she prepared a separate device from her own pack. She set up a small, boxy stand, no larger than her forearm, behind a rock, pointing it skyward. Then she uncoiled a slender fiber-optic cable, attaching it to a palm-sized non-reflective plate that she propped against the rock, aimed directly at the facility below. Four large flashbulb flashes appeared and vanished at the facility below followed by one large bright ball of fire, that rose into the sky. Ryuko’s smile grew larger as he raised his image intensifier to see what kind of damage had been done. One of the containers near one of the hydrogen fuel containers had been compromised, the heat of its detonation igniting the contents of the container, sitting too close, causing it to detonate and sow further confusion. Ryuko leaned back against the rock, turning his head to look at Tara who was looking back at him. Both of their faces were hidden behind their helmet’s mirrored face-plate but neither needed to see the other to know that each wore a large grin. Estrellas de la Mirage, Upper-Deck Officer’s Dining Facility _____________________________ Meredith finished refilling his coffee tumbler when he spotted Tzafrir and Captain Akio sitting at a secluded table in the upper-deck officer’s dining facility. There was no place on the ship where the recent news out of the bubble was not being discussed with widened eyes and shock. Neither Tzafrir nor Captain Akio appeared worried, as they each ate their meals while going over the latest update on the carrier’s logistical requirements and personnel training schedules. Meredith did not want to intrude but his concern over the future of his contract and how he would care for his daughter with such a dark cloud on the horizon. Meredith did not ask for permission to join as he sat down next to them, inspecting his coffee. “I noticed we jumped back into the rim when I woke. I was not expecting all of the excitement.” Captain Akio did not look up from his data tablet as he forked in another bite of food. “It is nothing more than a temporal tap on the shoulder to start the end of the story.” Meredith raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee. Like most other products, its beans were purchased, altered, and then replicated onboard the carrier. “More worried about the future. I have a daughter to care for and need to know if my contract is still good.” Tzafrir cracked a smile, nodding in understanding as he took a bite of his food. “I can guarantee that your daughter’s future is safe and your contract is still in effect.” Meredith inspected his tumbler again. The local coffee connoisseurs were always tinkering with the ingredients of the ship’s blend, each different and tastier than the prior. “I thought he would be doing something simple, like a nice pirate heist, and be gone, not go wild, raiding everything in sight. Washing off a notoriety of 6 out of 10 isn’t going to be easy.” Both Tzafrir and Captain Akio chuckled as Meredith eyed them both while sipping on his tumbler. Captain Akio put another piece of food in his mouth, chewing as he spoke. “It’s only a tap on the shoulder.” Meredith shook his head, cupping his tumbler in both hands. “There are easier ways to make a point in Memorium. Buy a tree and a private spot on a station and plant it there with a plague on it.” “So the first person who disagrees can relieve themselves on it?” Tzafrir stated, picking out which piece of food on his tray he wanted to go after next. “No, this is a memorial to an old pirate from a different time. The best way to brand his memory isn’t with a tree.” Captain Akio leaned forward, picking another morsel of food from his tray. “You have nothing to worry about. This foray won’t last long.” Meredith nodded slowly, as he took another sip, the bitterness of the coffee grounding him. “So, once he’s done with this… tap, he’s going to need a lot of time to reduce his notoriety, and the current bounties on him are growing dramatically.” Tzafrir shrugged as he chewed thoughtfully. “Then he’ll have to die, and in doing so close the book on the dept.” Meredith choked on his coffee, barely managing not to spit it out. “Don’t worry,” Captain Akio said, winking at Tzafrir. “He’ll make it dramatic but just uncertain enough that no one will truly believe it.” Meredith glanced between them, a frown creasing his brow. “So, not literally die then?” Both men paused their meal, exchanging amused glances before bursting into laughter. “No,” Tzafrir replied, shaking his head. “But he’ll leave behind something special, like a pirate’s treasure, hidden away where only those who know the truth will find it.” Meredith rolled his eyes, chuckling as he recalled childhood memories of watching ancient holo-vids about people hunting for buried pirate treasure. Who would have thought that in modern times, it would be literal? “Guess some things never change,” he said, smiling at the absurdity of it all. “No,” Tzafrir agreed, his tone still light but with an edge of seriousness. “It’s all part of the legacy he’s creating. Every story needs a good ending, even if it’s just the start of another adventure.” Captain Akio raised his glass. “To endings and new beginnings.” Meredith lifted his coffee, clinking it against Akio’s glass with a nod, still processing the bizarre reality he’d found himself in. The thought of Ryuko staging his own death to vanish, leaving behind clues like some old-fashioned pirate, seemed both absurd and strangely fitting. “Let’s just hope we’re around to see what happens next,” Meredith said, his voice carrying a note of cautious optimism. Tzafrir’s smile held a trace of mystery. “Oh, I have no doubt we will. Ryuko wouldn’t want to miss the chance to see this story unfold.”