Six years after the events of “The Nomad”...
Shipyard Amboltavstjerner in orbit around Krigertenkere
Sinn'Are'Sen drums his fingers impatiently along the view port as he waits for the all clear signal. Hull RSC-2W-0571 floated beyond, illuminated by shipyard spotlights as it cycled though pre-startup checks. Sinn tapped into the shipyard control feed for the tests on his communicator to get a feel as to what was going on.
“I minus ten minutes. Circuit self test start.”
“Primary fusion chamber control circuits tests green.”
“Secondary fusion chamber control circuit tests green.”
“Tertiary fusion chamber control circuit tests green.”
“Hydrogen feed circuits Alpha and Bravo test green.”
“I minus nine minutes forty. Sound off on Ignition readiness poll. Safety?”
“Zone is clear bar one outbound shuttle that will clear the zone at I minus seven minutes. Emergency reactor ejection system tests green. Safety is go.”
“Fueling?”
“Lines clear and internal tanks vented. Fueling is go.”
“Cooling?”
“Cooling system at standby. Cooling is go.”
“AI?”
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“AI module on standby under external power. AI is go.”
“Ignition control copies all systems go to proceed. Initiating Ignition start mode. Handing off automated countdown to onboard AI module at I minus nine minutes thirty.”
“Handoff confirmed. AI reports all internal tests show green to proceed.”
“Starting hydrogen fuel load.”
“I minus seven minutes.”
“Zone clear.”
“Internal capacitors at one hundred percent charge. AI switching to internal power.”
“I minus six minutes forty five”
“Reactor vessel cooling system start.”
“I minus six minutes thirty.”
“Internal fuel tanks loading at nominal rate.”
“I minus five minutes thirty.”
“Fuel loading complete.”
“AI running system self-checks.”
“I minus five minutes. Final Ignition readiness poll. Safety?”
“Go.”
“Fueling?”
“Nominal.”
“Cooling?”
“Nominal.”
“AI?”
“All self tests green. Go.”
"Ignition control confirms readiness poll clear to proceed. Ignition automated abort system released to onboard AI control at I minus four minutes thirty. Stand by for ignition sequence start.”
Sinn presses his forehead to the view port as he waits for the critical moment. Everything came down to this moment. His new ship, with his old AI companion Dara Tonn in control, was about to come alive for the first time. It had been three years since Sinn has seen or spoken to Dara Tonn; ever since it's old hull had finally worn out and the Republic Psionics Command's Veil Division had covertly bought it up. The hull itself was so much scrap metal, long sold on for razor blades, but the AI core had been preserved long enough for Dara Tonn to be transferred to a newer model for a new hull.
“I minus twenty seconds. Ignition sequence start.”
It was not quite the tensest twenty seconds of Sinn's life, but it came close. RSC-2W-0571's hull lights dimmed, flared, dimmed, and finally can back to a steady glow.
“Ignition sequence competed nominally. RSC-2W-0571 online and operating under internal power. Ignition control releasing the craft to docking control for transfer to a standard berth. Alert assigned crew...”
Sinn cut the feed and punched the air in celebration. He was back in space, free of his Republic Scout Command desk at last! At least he would be once the official transfer paperwork completed in the next few days. Sinn did have to wonder who else would be assigned to his ship, given that the RSC-2W-0571 class was designed for a crew of two plus an AI.