Some part of me expected there to be some type of drama when Viper and his crew showed up. Beecham assured me there wouldn't be any, but I had my doubts—especially since he has plans to kill me when we get back to Earth.
When I asked Mel if she was interested in scanning the boys before loading them on our shared shuttle, she jumped at the chance. The overarching tone of their thoughts were that they couldn’t wait to get back to Earth and that I’m a bitch for treating everyone like slaves. Mel confirms that Viper was indeed planting his venomous thoughts in their minds and that he intended to let some time blow by before he came back to find me. He probably picked up some good killing skills too, the snake. Heh.
The first warp went without a hitch, we checked in on the Supiter moons and stayed in orbit for two days while I recovered.
The second warp was an odd one. A Mars-sized planet was orbiting a brown dwarf at a near perpendicular angle to the main sequence star it orbits. The brown dwarf had a massive debris field inside, outside and around the dwarf and a distant gas giant orbiting the pair of stars. The tidal forces of the dwarf were the likely cause of the vulcanism and atmosphere that the planet sported. The old survey data had additional planets, but that data was millions of years old. This would primarily be a mining system. We named it Lemnos, planted our ansible flag and stayed only as long as necessary on that lava-rich world.
The third system was hard to find. We spent two weeks making small warps to the systems flagged by Atropos and Ophelia, and after the 4th warp of our effort, we found another system with a super-jovian with habitable moons. Plural habitable moons this time. One was almost entirely a garden and water world, which Mel named Elysium, and another with a full climate range named Asphodel. Quite amusingly she named the system Hades. It would keep absolutely no one away as other Supercluster Communities would have no idea what any of it means. After a brief discussion on how likely super-predators were on each of the enticing worlds, we set up an ansible and a small residence on Asphodel. Me and the other Symbiote users were in need of some soak time, so we went to Elysium where aether was found in abundance. This place would give normal humans aether sickness in less than a day. My body is drinking it from the air.
I would definitely be back to this system. Seems to be an ideal Symbiote and Tech system for families and groups that don’t want to be one thing. Astoria could be that place too, but this is approximately 1500 ly closer to earth. We don’t get any Supercluster interest this far out. It’s weird to me that there isn’t anyone in the Matrix in this arm of the Galaxy, but why would you come out here if you didn’t have a reason to?
The next stop we had little to no information on and after five short jumps to find a better system, we just park an ansible on a moon around another gas giant and call it a day. I called the system Earth waypoint 2.
The last stop, and the last of our money (again)-- because I had forgotten to account for this Ansible in our costs—is one of the super-Earths that the Kepler project found about 300ly away from Earth. I name it Kepler Proximus and the planets surrounding the main sequence star after Mars rovers. The super-Earth ends up being named Curiosity, which had me laughing for a solid 5 minutes. Despite protests, I insist on staying an extra week after I buy a survey drone to bury Katie in data about the planet that we can trade to Earth Governments if need be. I build another house with personal funds and call it Penny’s Promontory.
Four systems for the Empire, one extra waypoint and seven extra stops of survey data. Not a bad haul for Astoria.
“Tessa, Ophie, Atropos, we have tons of extra warp data, lets put it to the test this time. I want to appear within 100k kilometers of Titan.”
“Why not warp in closer?” Beecham asks.
“Two reasons: Though it’s been nearly 3 years since we left, I bet they’re still watching. I also don’t want to be within planetary defense range horrendously low on aether. They may have put guns on the remaining Copernicus Class ships.”
“So would you like us to be where the Copernicus disappeared? Or near the current position of Titan?” Tessa asks via intercom.
“What’s the likelihood that Earthers would postulate a temporal anomaly?” Katie asks.
“Its certainly a question I could see the Government asking my old research partner. He would give them a fluff answer to obfuscate his uncertainty. So time fuckery sounds like something he might say. Guess that answers that. To the disappearance location please.”
With a few warnings and a final pop, star chart data matches our being within Sol’s system.
We’re back.
***
“How long does a radio signal take out here, it’s been hours!”
“The round trip for data from where we were to where we will be is roughly 2.5 hours.” Katie warns, “if you ask me again before that time lapses you can wait until we are on the ISS to be involved again.”
Each person put a small packet of info and a photo for the message we sent the ISS Control channel. Eyes still remembered all the frequencies—the madman. We started the trip on a 3g acceleration burn for about 10 minutes before people started getting sick. I dial it back to Astoria gravity for the rest of the trip. We’ll flip and decel around the asteroid belt if we don’t get comms reply. If we get a reply, I’ll confirm for a closer warp and decel into Earth Orbit.
Almost exactly on-time, “MM2 Hunsaker, this is ISS Control. We have received your transmission. Wait.”
Yikes. Have to confab with planetside. No one on the shuttle likes the waiting. An hour later we get another reply. “International leaders have agreed to having you warp closer to Earth. No closer than Lunar Orbit.”
“How far away are we now?”
“Just outside an hour signal wise.”
“Excellent. Tell them to expect to see us warp in just after they receive this message.” Melissa nods and sends the message, telling them we’ll see them soon.
“Alright, everyone. Enable compression for prolonged g-maneuver. We’re going to hit 6g for 3 seconds, then 3g for about 5 minutes. Hit panic button if anything feels different from last time. We’re decelerating for 55 minutes total, flip 5 minute reset, low-power warp. Profit.”
We’ll have more slowing to do when we get to Luna’s orbit, but it won’t be anything AIS Indulgence can’t handle. In an emergency maneuver, I would break the crew before the ship.
Now is not the time for those ideas, Penny.
Tessa! I would never . . . risk hurting Katie for vengeance. Melissa has some body mods, she’s good for an extra g or two.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
She is surprisingly robust for a Psionic.
Not that I plan to test it, but can you double check the temperatures with relation to my aether reserves if I have to pilot my EVA to ground? She pings affirmative. The fact that she doesn’t respond right away is telling.
Ophie and Mel count down to warp and skip us through space. We are less than 5k km from one of the ISS Cruisers, so I emergency maneuver toward Luna and perform an extra warp through her. 50k kilometers is set as minimum warp so I’m sure we’re clear as I hear most of the crew throw up. Hopefully from disorientation instead of warp sickness.
Melissa may suffer some aether sickness, but the rest of the crew should be fine.
“Ophie, Atropos, please check immediate 10k for contacts and hail the ISS please. I want to run a brief diagnostic on the arrays.” I get chirps from the girls. As Tessa chirps my intentions. Truth be told I’m shaken from dodging a space ship and warping through a moon. The Moon. I’m sure we’ve warped through a star or a nebula or something, but I’ve never warped through a stellar body on purpose before.
/Hunsaker, this is ISS Control, Galileo reported a near collision, with a fast-moving object, please relay logs post warp./
/Copy ISS, sending as requested./ Melissa does not look like she feels well, but she’s keeping up with communications.
[You are now broadcasting as AIS Indulgence]
/ISS Control, DE Indulgence, request permission to dock for Video Conference and Data Dump./
/Indulgence, International regulation prefers one of the three remaining starships meet and debrief with foreign visitors./
/Copy ISS Control, have the relevant authority send us a rally point on .8ghz/
It’s a non-standard frequency so I’ll know that someone changed their radio on purpose. Galileo responds that they are the on-duty ship and that we have permission to dock with Aft Machinery.
After back tracking under thruster power for two hours, Atropos eagerly docks with the ISS Galileo. I’m the first one in the airlock, full helmet and a dour look. They’re greeting us with an armed team of sailors. I ensure I am the only one in the docked cargo module when they open those doors.
“MM1 Mercer, where is the rest of your crew?” I stare at the Lieutenant JG leading the security team.
I depressurize my helmet and hang it on my belt. “When I saw the weapons, Lieutenant, I told them to stay on the ship until I talked to you. What’s the meaning of this?”
“After Copernicus disappeared with all hands, protocol was established, should any return, that they be questioned as aliens.”
“A reasonable procedure, but if you continue to point loaded weapons at me, I won’t bring the rest of the crew aboard.”
He stares at me, trying to be intimidating. I’m a fucking Empress. Cower at my feet Lieutenant JG Woods.
“Lower you weapons, keep them at the ready.” He says, barely a quiver in his voice.
I whistle mentally at his fortitude. “Thank you.” I make a point to tap a section of my suit to disguise that I don’t need to.
Katie and Mel get the message and load everyone in the cargo pod. Katie and Melissa are wearing Lieutenant insignia for the AIN, and Beecham a Chief’s insignia. He asked to be a chief, didn’t want the responsibility. They are wearing the now Astoria Imperial Navy standard environment suit. He crossed over when I told him that citizens are entitled to return trips. He was just feeling us out anyway, we had a long talk with my girls present and he laid out his ideas. Guy wants to run my shipyard and maybe be warped into an occasional boarding action to practice. Hell yah Chief, get some.
“You have non-standard uniforms,” the Lt. JG says.
“A lot has happened in the last three years, Lieutenant.”
“Why don’t you call me sir?”
“I’m not an Earth Citizen anymore. Take me to your relevant authority, Lieutenant.” I don’t want to treat this poor junior officer like this, but if I treated everything as Navy as usual, no one would respect my new position.
He leads us to the aft Wardroom for a teleconference. I’d hoped for more, but did not expect to be led directly to the Captain. She is waiting for us though, looks European.
“New uniforms, fancy shuttle, it appears you’ve changed allegiances, Mercer.”
“So I have Captain. I have been told that to gain the conferences I desire, I must deal with you. I also have four former crewmembers of the Copernicus that are to be remanded into your care.”
“We have no accommodation for prisoners.”
“I know for a fact that you have a brig. Two, they are recovered Sailors of the ISS Copernicus.” Her façade does not waver.
“And the remaining four?”
“They are my crew Captain, I intend to make arrangements to release them from their prior enlistments.”
“But they are not yet released.”
“And yet the crew and I are considered lost and presumed dead.” I had Tessa check.
“Enough of this. Multiple countries are adamant that you give a full account of the Copernicus before your admittance to Earth. Let us begin with that.”
I gave a verbal account, by nature not being a full account but a truncated endeavor for conversational purposes. Her face cycled through emotions that I didn’t care to keep track of. I just want to sleep and move on with my year. “I’ll be happy to hand over our Navigation logs to get here, but I require a video meeting with the CNO and Naval Reactors.”
“You’re not that important Mercer.”
“I came back with a better Annihilation Drive than I left with.” I look to Mel and Katie. Melissa looks so proud of me, Katie looks bored but gives me a thumbs up in support.
“You may have to wait a long time.” She counters without tapping on a single screen.
“I will wait three days. If I wait longer than that for a ten-minute meeting, I’ll make other arrangements.
“You presume to dictate to me?”
“Yes Captain, I do. I am being courteous, but I came here in a superior vessel, fit to dock with Earth technology. I stand in your Wardroom in a space suit that would likely survive the ship exploding. You are treating me like an alien, so I suggest that, perhaps you treat me like an alien that you don’t want to anger. I just want to turn over some people, make some deals, and return to my Imperium. Beside explaining what happened to us, y’all need to know that regardless.”
They have me sit there for hours. I pull juice and food from my purse of magic tricks that I got back from Meeker. I start snacking on Murder Bacon.
/Katie, Mel, I’m having trouble thinking ahead right now. Can you two negotiate for us?/
/Melissa, I believe that this is a hard-exchange negotiation. I will take point./ She pings, continuing to read minds as heavily as possible.
So Katie explained what we went through while I sipped on Aether replacement drinks. When the story arrives at Captain Morris’ betrayal, the offices grow silent. No one wants to admit that they’d turn on the crew, but with the Alien tech and personal advancement, even the CO of Galileo admits she’d be tempted.
They make me wait every minute of those three days. Then, a familiar Admiral from Reactor control, and a New Political figure at the CNO’s office give me a call.
“Gentlemen, good to see you.”
“Cut the crap Mercer, I was extended to twelve years of service in this job just in case your ship came back.”
“Fine, I want Hunsaker, O’Connell, and Beecham released from their contracts in exchange for fixing your warp technology. “
“Your contracts are worth more than that,” the CNO attempted.
Katie responds. “Admiral, our contracts are worth MAYBE a few million. Penny Astoria’s offer is to refit three of your capital space ships. That estimate is worth approximately 150 million dollars. Of course, if we were contracting from Earth, that would be at least a half a billion.”
“Contract release and 10 million in spending money.” Kay tries not to smirk, but we need the funds hard, and she convinces me to tie myself to 30 mil in debt and maintenance.
“You would debase yourself to doing contract work for money?”
“How much do you think they would dock me for spacing you?”
“You dare?”
“Come at me Skipper.” The Wardroom is speechless. Skipper is reserved for ship commanders that have not been promoted to captain.
I get a lot of attention from the goat locker. They ask so many questions about Ivanka and Volkov. The G-D Russians have this ship’s enlisted as well, and Ivanka had gossiped about me. I miss that bitch. And Volkov was good people, I want her on my staff. I ask Tesssa to spitball what a recovery mission would entail.
In the end, US admirals agree to my conditions, and the others in the international community get log readings of the warp tech since we left.
/Mercer, the Chiefs of Staff want to talk with you./
/Copy Admiral. Unless they have an island in the South Pacific I can borrow for a few months, I need some time to settle in/
/We’ll talk about it when you get down here./