“Alright, tell me there’s some good news” The CO sighs at the collected leadership, plus me.

“The atmosphere is breathable with some moderate respiratory and mucus membrane irritation. Machines should do alright short term, but prolonged exposure to the acid rain will severely degrade the metal. We should be able to separate it out for replenishment of our environment systems.” Francesca says, “and if we are to be here for a few months, I should be able to get a crop harvested from the surface.”

“Initial surveys suggest that we can recuperate some metal stores as well.” Niederman chimes in.

“Now I just need one of you Geniuses to tell me you can get us to the planet.” The CO says.

“I can get us to the planet.” I answer his call with a beaming smile. “I’ve made small scale thrusters that can get us to and from the planet, I just need to get requirements from the separate teams so I can design the fuselage. After that, electronics help out of the wazoo.”

“Mercer,” the CO growls, “now is not the time for humor.”

“Senior Baiul and I can confirm that she’s been doing thruster testing,” Commander Nugent adds.

“And she is a Doctor in Aero and Astronautic Engineering.” Francesca says, surprisingly helpful.

Captain Morris sighs again. “Alright, Mercer, get with the scientists and design your transport. Engineering, we need a damage report and an estimated material bill for repairs.” We both nod.

I’m surprised at how smoothly that went. He must have come to terms with not having enough materials left to make the repairs we need. It sucks to be in this situation again, but at least we have more hope of surviving than just hoping.

We go back to the Science suites on the HAB for a more in-depth meeting. “Oof, I hate to ask, but do you have shirt and shorts I can change into Fracesca?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess, let me get them.” She does, and I am thankful to change out of my soaking wet clothing. I draw a quick drying rune on my wet shirt and leave it in the crotch of my suit, hoping it dries the whole thing out.

They’re not as snug as I thought they would be, guess I have lost weight.

“Thank you so much. Now, who else besides geology and botany need to be in on this shuttle needs confab?”

“Supply, so Katie, if you don’t mind.” I appreciate the consideration, but I’m fine to work with my ex and I tell the Botanist so.

“We should talk with the fab-lab to see what their load and unload capabilities.” Rock man advises. Heavy load considerations I imagine.

“Great, I’ll ping Senior and see if we can get some Sea Bee advice.”

A half hour later we’ve talked about some load expectations verses thrust limits when our help arrives.

“Lets start with 6 tons as an idea? Net of course.” The geologist sighs in relief.

“I was talking with LS1 about supply transport,” CM1 Callahan starts

“Oh, congrats on the promotion Katie.” I beam.

“Thanks, but Callahan was saying that it would be best if we could load and detach cargo from the shuttle and leave ‘containers on the ship’, say one for loading on surface, one for unloading shipboard and one in transit.”

“That gives us a starting size of an airlock interface. Larger than I was planning, but it makes sense.”

Callahan nods “we can use ISS resupply pods as our transport module base and shape a skin to match hull design once it’s finished.”

“Damn, you’re quick. I like you. Would it make sense to add some fluid ports if we need to transport liquids or loose solids?”

“Hmm, I’ll look into it. If it’s not as easy as re-sizing existing piping, it’ll be easier to stack tanks.” Campbell advises.

“Copy that. What else?”

“At least one pod should have atmosphere control so I can ship live plants to the ship if necessary.” Callahan and I nod.

“I assume that you three,” I point at Niederman, Summers and O’Connell, “are on the salvage list with priorities for the surface.”

“I have initial estimates, but it won’t be exact until Engineering finishes their inspections.” Katie says quietly.

“Any questions for me?”

The botanist asks, “How far are you from a magic fabricator?”

Ooh, solid question. “I need help with a modeling system that can tell my magic what to do. Until I get a techie to help with that and to bridge a magi-tech interface, I’m stalled on that project.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Summers nods at that and takes a few glances at Katie in the meantime.

“Great, so tell me if you see fab-lab priority different from: Supply pods, fuselage, Internal mechanics with Electronics and wiring, skin and thrusters?”

“You should have Nav and the electricians design the wiring scheme after you finish your design. We have most of the wiring, harnesses and standard connections in stock.” Katie adds.

I nod at that and chat with FC1 for team recommendations.

“That should be it I think. Keep an open link and I’ll add you all to a command chat group shortly.”

The guys pick up and mutter to themselves as they leave. I go to fetch my things, when Dr. Summers grabs my arm. “You don’t have to leave Penny. Stay, and the three of us can make a night of it.”

I raise an eyebrow in suspicion, “This isn’t another ply to seduce me is it?”

“Is it?” Katie asks.

“Not at the moment? It’s just that we’re going to be working closely for the next few months and . . .”

“You don’t want it to be awkward? Yeah, I get it. I’ll admit that it chaffed discovering you two, but, that had more to do with the timing than the actual thing. And you, I was slightly angry at your subterfuge, but I understand your motivations.” I shrug. I’m about to bring up my involvement with Melissa, and then it hits me, what if. “Doc, did you share your swarm with Katie?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know . . . Katie? Seriously?”

“I think this secrecy about the alien tech is stupid. I think it has the ability to help the whole crew and I agree with Penny on this. I just want to know why no one else has magic like she does.”

“It has to do with my being exposed to warp energy years before the rest of you. But not currently relevant because I can’t currently change it. And yes, I’ve checked. I would have given Melissa magic if I could have.” Katie seems to accept that.

“So, in the interest of you staying while your clothes dry, do you want to try out our 3-D modeler?”

“Oh, yes please!”

>P] Meli, any interest in spending time with Katie and the Botanist while I model a new ship design?[<

>M] Katie your ex? No thanks. Were you going to ask me to join your team? Or did you get distracted by pretty girls?[<

>P] Yes, they are pretty, no I’m not interested. I was going to tell you tomorrow, because as great as you are, I don’t think you can work off a design I haven’t created yet. [<

I spend the rest of my first night in orbit around a new planet, eating cheese and drinking wine with my ex and her girlfriend while designing an air-spacecraft hybrid. Then needled ruthelessly by my girlfriend as we sleep into a new day.

***

“Hunsaker, tell your electrician’s mate to stop pinging me on thruster control and breakers, ffs. Just give me a 5-amp circuit for the 6 banks of thrusters and leave it. We need linked airlock control that allows us to connect to the ship via supply module, and then so that the shuttle can disconnect separately from the module.”

“Penny! Engineering want’s thruster control first. Don’t take it out on EM2.”

I growl, “Senior, this is Mercer, make it known that I am having trouble interfacing regular tech with my magic thrusters. I have a way to control the thrusters separately, but I need the wiring available for when I or another swarm user can figure out how to integrate the two.”

“That is information we could have used earlier in the week, MM2.”

“MM1 Campbell, can you take over? I really need to get this engraving done.”

“So, we’re wiring the inside and skinning modules while you re-inforce the hull and install thrusters?”

“Correct.”

“I relieve you.”

“Thank the Universe, I stand relieved.”

I’m installing take-off thrusters between the landing skids when I get a tap on my shoulder.

“Uh, hi Penny.” Katie’s small voice and crouching figure inquires.

“Katie! What brings the Countess down to the bowels of engineering?”

“I uh, may be able to help with your problem.” She licks her lip and worries it with her sexy canines. Snap out of it Penny. “I bought a module after I found that you had magic, in hopes that you learn enchanting.”

“I have learned enchanting, what are you trying to build?”

“I have been told that I shouldn’t share information, but why? So, I’ve chosen to keep trusting you. I want to build an ansible.” Katie starts worrying my pant leg like she used to, it’s kind of cute, kind of worrying. “We got disconnected from the Andromeda Matrix when we warped here, and that an Ansible was the only way to get it back.”

Uh, Tessa?

Yes, it seems that we are out of range of the most distant survey probe. There is some good news, however. With your Aether Walking skill, you can connect to the Matrix at will for a data transfer such as a module or even a reward.

Any chance I can co-opt that skill?

You are not able to do so without considerable modification. Melissa and Ophelia could help mod us in that direction, but you’ve expressed resistance to cyborg-type modifications.

Ugh, no thanks.

“Tessa, my AI concurs, an ansible is a sensible goal. What assurances do you want to share your module?” I ask somehow knowing Katie isn’t going to take advantage of me.

“Your next private project is aimed at my components.”

“Pending survival necessity.”

“Ugh, fine. But Frannie and I need the Ansible to advance and so do you.”

“I’m not pushing back, hon. We’ll build your ansible, but I need a little flexibility.”

Luckily she nods in acceptance.

“I need to give you some of my swarm to make the transfer?”

Or you could use magic.

>M] USE MAGIC [<

Fuck, okay Mel, jesus.

“I have a runeshape for something similar.” I draw on her skin with Aether.

She looks disappointed? Does Katie still have feelings for me? That way lies madness Penny, download modules, then . . . you know, maybe never drama.

I enact the rune and the module punches me in the brain.

The flood of data is well within the buffers that Tessa installed and well within the planned expansion to some scapula structures.

“Hmm, I would have never guessed something so simple would have worked with my thrusters. But your ansible needs some specific enchanted items.” I pause for a breath, trying to ignore how Katie was holding me. Leaning to support myself, I continue. “Mel, sending connections for thrusters, to conventional electronics.”

I thank Katie and begin engraving a lightning trigger into my thrust control runes.