RSC-2W-0571 in orbit around Krigertenkere
Sinn'Are'Sen sips at his oversized tea 'mug' - a large thermos minus the cap – and watches the automated resupply shuttle approach the docking port on sensors.
“So, time to find out who the third member of our team is. 'Golf Seven Beta' isn't much of a name to go off of. How have you been Dara Tonn?”
“Better and worse. This new, larger hull is a vast relief after being stuck in a 'core' for nearly three years. I'd have preferred a humanoid frame though.”
“And then you would be arguing with whatever AI was in control of the new ship we were assigned to. I still have nearly four years before I transfer over to the RPC directly and you can operate openly.”
“I also was able to do some research while immobilized. The Republic does not have a small enough power core to support my power needs inside of a human-sized frame. Even ignoring the parameter of a human shaped mobile frame the same constraint applies. Over all I would say that I am satisfied with the hull the RPC managed to assign me to as an apology.”
“Think Aubrey is still wrestling with the problem? It's not like her implant, or mine for that matter, needs all that much power to run.”
“Republic cybernetics are typically designed to run off of stored charge. Some small cybernetics and internal implants can make use of the energy given off by the human body. I doubt that she was able to resolve the power limitation problem either. In theory it could be done by a miniaturized reactor of some sort installed in the torso, but the radiation shielding available would impose a several hundred pound weight penalty, requiring a larger power plant, which would need more shielding in turn and so on. I think that she may have made progress but I doubt that she will have cracked the problem just yet.”
“Looks like the shuttle will be docking in a moment. Can you guide me to that hatch? I'm still not used to the layout.”
“Sure. I'll give you and our new team member the tour at the same time.”
Sinn hefts his mug and follows the colored line on the deck from the bridge to the hatch. It was a short trip but not quite as short as it had been inside of Dara Tonn's old hull. He leans back against a bulked to give the new arrival plenty of room to clear the airlock with their baggage. A few moments later the light above the airlock's inner hatch goes green and cycles open.
“Aubrey Inez-Plath, TF Golf Seven Beta, Reporting aboard!”
“At ease Aubrey. Sinn'Are'Sen, TF Golf Seven Null aka Golf Seven Prime. Welcome to Flesh and Iron. Dara Tonn, the ship's AI is TF Golf Seven Alpha, so we're all here. I see you wound up in an organic body?”
“Mostly. I was able to reverse-engineer the essential Empire augmentations into Republic cybernetics, but the power problem for a fully cybernetic body proved insolvable for the moment. It is good to actually see you in the flesh Sinn.”
“The culture shock must have been pretty bad I expect.”
“No so bad as when I was transferred to a new posting in the past. Different worlds, different local administrations, different customs. Ming giving me the tour Sir? I need to unload and crash out. I've been awake for to many hours now.”
“Not a problem. Dara Tonn?”
“Welcome aboard Ms. Inez-Plath. Deck guides and full damage control guides are available within the ship's database, but I'll run through the ten-credit tour. You are at the starboard airlock, one of only three passages between -0571's inner pressure hull and it's outer armored hull. The others are the port airlock and the service hatch. Unlike my previous hull, there is no central spinal passageway. Instead the main passageway loops around the central compartments and is also intended as a circuit should running be desired; thus the extra width for two individuals to pass easily.
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“Moving forward towards the prow we have the weapons lockers on the hull side of the ship. Two containers, each biometrically sealable, and equipped to store an individual's worth of firearms. Within reason of course. There is space for up to two rifles, carbines, or shotguns, two handguns, and ammunition for the above, as well as power connectors to recharge Republic-standard power packs.
“Towards the 'core' of the hull we have the utility room. Hygienic facilities plus clothes washing & drying. Only one head for two individuals, but space had to be saved somewhere I guess.
“Moving forward the passageway turns. It forms the back bulked of the bridge. Let's duck inside for a moment.
“The Bridge has the usual array of stations, though many are combined into single seats. The primary seat, aka the 'captain's chair' has full access to everything while the secondary seat serves as a backup. There are also detailed displays for sensors to port and navigation to starboard. The forward view screens can be reconfigured as needed, but I've defaulted them to display the raw visual feed from the prow cameras.
“Heading back into the passageway and around to the port side of the ship we have two general storage lockers to the hull side, the port airlock, and another pair of general storage lockers. These are not personal lockers and are not equipped with any sort of lock. The assigned landing craft slash escape pod is docked here, and it's powerful counter-grav drive is enough for surfact to low orbit transfer but not much more.
“On the core side of the ship we have the food compartment: food storage, kitchen, and related utilities. Per the listed preferences in Sinn's personal file we only have emergency rations aboard at the moment, but we have yet to stock the other half of the pantry to Ms. Inez-Plath's specifications.
“Moving on aft again we have engineering storage on the hull side and the personal quarters on the core side. -0571 is the first Republic Scout Command ship designed for a two-person crew so the regulations are still slowly shaking out. At the moment each crew member is presumed to be an officer, thus mandating separate berthing. This of course puts a cramp on the berthing space, which is why the singular set of hygienic facilities was moved to the utility room. Personal storage for each crew is inside of their compartment. Sinn has claimed the aft compartment, so feel free to drop off your things in the forward one Ms. Inez-Plath. As the ship's AI, I do have sensors in each compartment, but they are disabled aside form the essential medical slash life signature sensors. As an AI and an individual I must strike a balance between data handling and access to sensitive medical information. Accordingly I have routed the feeds and logs from those sensors to your medical files and have set alerts only to life threatening events such as loss of compartment pressure. Further alerts can be set as you so desire.
“Aft the passageway turns and forms the forward bulkhead of the engineering compartment. Ship maintenance equipment is kept there, alongside the reactor sub-compartment, the inertial compensator sub compartment, and access to the engines, consumable storage, and inter-hull maintenance spaces. My AI core lives in there too, in it's own sub-compartment, so I'll be keeping a close eye on things back there.
“Coming back forward on the starboard side of the ship we have the conference room slash exploration lab on the core side. It's not terribly large due to specimen storage taking up most of the space, and the conference table is actually a dual-propose work table, but it supposedly works out well enough. Supposedly.
“Hull side we have the two cryo sleep tubes. Horizontal array, bunk-bed-style, equipped with the Republic standard array of monitoring equipment. I've already disabled the dreamshaper modules, but will have to re-activate them prior to any inspection by non RPC Veil Division personnel. I'll notify you should this need arise.
“And we are back to the starboard airlock, thus concluding your tour. If you need anything, just ask.”
“Thanks Dara Tonn. Need a hand unpacking Aubrey?”
“I think I have thins sorted Sir.”
“Very well, I'll be on the bridge reviewing our orders. An anomaly cropped up in the Vertangos system and Veil Division wants us to check it out.”