“The short answer is credits,” Snikers said.

“And the long answer?” Kaz asked.

Agozi’s whiskers jerked in irritation.

Was it really necessary to ask?

“The arduous development of this superlative technology necessitated the combined artistry of the most brilliant minds in the galaxy, toiling for countless billions of hours, and fueled by a staggering investment of trillions of credits - a truly unprecedented feat…”

Agozi couldn't put her claw on what that pause meant, but it gave her the creeps.

“However, one must concede that such a substantial enterprise could only be rendered possible through the prudent procurement of suitable aid from third parties…”

Agozi’s whiskers jerked.

“What third parties?”

“The Miodani Corporation,” Snikers replied.

The Miodani were a mega umbrella-corp, holding the reins of some of the Union's most powerful businesses. They had their fingers in pretty much every pie, and you'd be hard-pressed to find something they didn't have a hand in.

“The work we are conducting here has been met with fervent enthusiasm, but they require, understandably, a commensurate return on their sizable investment.”

With every new nugget of info, Agozi liked what she was hearing less and less.

“The Council, in its wisdom, has seen fit to negotiate a clandestine arrangement with them, whereby they shall receive exclusive dominion over crucial aerospace industries in exchange for providing the necessary funding for this ambitious project, as well as being granted sole proprietorship over the production of the revolutionary warpdrive technology, once the project comes to fruition.”

“Can’t beat cronyism,” Agozi said sarcastically.

Snikers seemed to take the comment to heart, his snout twitching with a hint of revulsion.

“Let us not mistake pragmatism for impropriety,” Snikers shot back with a touch of defensiveness, which actually got a chuckle out of Agozi. “They provided us with a commodity of paramount necessity, and in turn, it was only reasonable to offer them a commensurate return on their investment.”

“Sure it was,” Agozi said, whiskers flickering and eyes rolling.

“Unfortunately, the exorbitant cost of the investment has precipitated an unfortunate predicament,” Snikers added following a brief pause.

Well, no surprise there, Agozi mused.

“Should this information leak, the potential for a significant backlash is a very real concern.”

Agozi adjusted her stance, displaying both amusement and dismay.

“Oh, how very unexpected,” she said mockingly. “I mean, who doesn't just love secret trillion-credit deals made by their oh-so-transparent government?” She had a bad feeling about where this was going and wanted to put as much distance between her and it as possible. “Let me guess, you want us to be the ones to safeguard your shady business investment?” The frost in her voice was hard to miss. “That’s the reason you’re here, isn’t it?”

Snikers’s nose jerked slightly.

“Rest assured, my dear child, there is nothing of questionable nature transpiring at this juncture.”

I highly doubt that, Agozi thought irately.

“Please, do attempt to view this matter from our elevated perspective,” Snikers said. “If you had invested a staggering trillion credits and half a lifetime into something, would you not demand the utmost protection for your investment?”

Agozi conceded the point but couldn't see why they had to be involved.

“Last I checked, we're explorers, not your personal security team,” she said. “This isn’t in our job description.”

“Your job description is not limited to your expectations, my dear. It expands to encompass any task required of you.”

“Says you.”

“Says the council.”

Kaz looked like he wanted to say something, but he stayed quiet. It was pretty obvious, however, that Agozi's tone wasn't sitting well with him.

“If your pet project is so important, why not simply get your own ship and crew?”

“We most certainly possess the financial means,” Snikers replied. “And believe me, we would, had it been deemed permittable.”

“So why wasn’t it?”

Snikers's tone took on a more serious note.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“The Miodani have numerous competitors, and we are aware that they are listening attentively,” Snikers replied. “Given the high profile of this event, it would be utterly impossible to maintain confidentiality under ordinary circumstances.”

Agozi understood now.

“You want us to make your trial run look like just another boring reconnaissance mission to avoid the press?”

Snikers’s lips curled smugly.

“Your level of comprehension seems to have improved slightly since the beginning of our conversation,” he replied with a tone of condescension. “I suppose it's a small comfort.”

Agozi itched to knock the pompous skunk down a peg or two, but she bit her tongue. Irritation still bubbled under her skin.

Snikers took the silence that followed as Agozi giving in.

“Ah, much better,” he said pretentiously. “Your etiquette is starting to approach an acceptable level.”

By now, Agozi was about ready to blow her top.

But just as she was gearing up to let Snikers have it, Kaz jumped in with a question.

“Where are you planning on taking us?” he asked. “We’re currently several sectors away from the nearest uncharted regions, and even with our recent resupply, our resources would be depleted long before we reach such a destination.”

Agozi’s whiskers jerked in anger.

“Or maybe politics is more your forte than logistics, and you simply didn't bother to consider that?”

Snikers's snout twisted into a sneering expression of amusement.

“That, my dear Captain, is actually not entirely accurate.”

Kaz and Agozi's whiskers twitched in unison, revealing their mutual surprise.

“I don’t follow,” Kaz said eventually.

“Same,” Agozi seconded.

“The Unstable Regions.”

“What about the Unstable Regions?” Kaz asked.

The appropriately named Unstable Regions were a volatile and tumultuous expanse of space located to the south of the Galactic Center. Despite the technological advances, traversing the area remained impossible.

“It is precisely where we shall be going, my esteemed colleague,” Snikers replied. “Or more precisely, through them.”

Agozi finally spoke, her voice carrying a tone of disbelief after the prolonged silence.

“You want us to go through them?”

“Indeed.”

“The same regions we can't even get close to with probes?”

“Veraciously indeed.”

“Who have been deemed utterly unsafe for travel ever since being discovered?” Agozi’s tone only grew more bewildered. “You’re talking about those same Unstable Regions?”

“It appears you're struggling to comprehend,” Snikers replied. “Shall I provide further explanation?”

“Elaboration would be nice,” Agozi replied snidely.

Snikers took a brief, contemplative pause.

“We have ascertained, with the utmost certitude, that the Unstable Regions present themselves as the consummate milieu for examining our groundbreaking drive, due in no small part to their notorious inaccessibility,” he said. “Concealing our endeavors, I assure you, shall be rendered an elementary affair, as the absence of any venturesome souls in these treacherous expanses is all but guaranteed.”

Agozi’s whiskers twitched nervously.

“Well, duh,” she replied, whiskers jerking sarcastically. “No one goes there 'cause no one ever makes it back!”

"Fret not, my dear," Snikers said with a dismissive air. "The groundbreaking innovation of our novel drive ensures an unparalleled level of secure passage."

Agozi wasn't buying it. She wasn't some star-chart whiz, but she knew enough to see the madness in diving into the galaxy's danger zone just because some fancy-pants bureaucrat like Snikers said it was all good.

“You can't just cruise through all those hazards like you're on an afternoon drive just 'cause your fancy engine has a bit more range,” she said sternly. “The Unstable Regions are called that for a reason, genius! It ain't exactly a hot vacation spot!” Her mocking tone shifted to one of worry. “No one's ever gone past them and come back to brag about it.”

“Lieutenant Agozi's assertion is accurate,” Kaz said. “Even with a threefold increase in range, the density of cosmic hazards present within the region remains exceedingly prohibitive.”

Agozi’s whiskers jerked nervously.

“Not exactly how I pictured my grand finale,” Agozi said with a hint of fear in her voice.

“Agreed,” Kaz seconded.

A moment stood.

Just as Agozi prepared to speak up, Snikers abruptly shared his next piece of startling news.

“The newly developed drive boasts an effective warp range of fifty sectors.”

The statement left Kaz and Agozi momentarily speechless, their whiskers twitching and eyes widening in disbelief.

“Fifty sectors?!” Agozi blurted out in stunned disbelief.

Most ships could only warp two sectors, hopping over to their nearest neighbors. The fancy drives could make it four sectors, and Minboa's top-of-the-line drive could push five. But if Snikers wasn't blowing smoke, this experimental drive had a range that was off the charts—over ten times that. It was mind-boggling.

Disbelief marked Agozi's snout, showing her struggle to believe.

“No…I’m sorry, but this is just crazy talk,” she said as her whiskers twitched hectically. “Even the top-notch drives can only warp like five sectors, tops. To boost the range that much, you'd need—”

“The collective efforts of the galaxy's most brilliant minds and limitless resources?” Snikers's snout curled into a smug expression. “There is a reason why the Council deems it necessary to safeguard its investment.”

A moment stood.

“Do either of you have any further questions before we proceed?” Snikers asked eventually.

“Like twelve,” Agozi replied. “Scratch that. More like a hundred.”

A trace of amusement, however faint, emerged on Snikers's face.

“I fear time is not on our side to entertain a hundred questions, my dear.”

“Alright then, I have only one question in that case…” Accusation crept into Agozi’s tone. “How the heck do you plan on protecting us from slipspace sickness during such a long journey?!”

The dimension of slipspace still remained a big question mark, even after centuries of poking and prodding. Hang out there too long and you'd get hit with slipspace sickness—everything from headaches and puking to strokes that could kill you. Short hops were safe enough, but long hauls were a no-go, and the dangers of slipspace kept it from getting a closer look.

“Fear not, my naive progeny,” Snikers replied reassuringly. “This novel drive is not merely potent, but remarkably expeditious. Indeed, our estimations suggest that the customary voyage shall consume no more time than it would with a conventional mechanism.”

“Assuming the darn thing actually works and doesn’t kill us.”

Given that the show-off felt gutsy enough to share a ship—and a fate—with them, it seemed unlikely. Still, the thought gave Agozi the heebie-jeebies.

“What if it malfunctions mid-flight?” she asked somewhat anxiously. “Or worse…” Her ears momentarily dropped and the whiskers twitched nervously. “Keeps us stuck inside slipspace!”

Snikers brushed her worries aside.

“Our esteemed simulation facilities have conducted innumerable virtual trials, each culminating in a triumphant result,” he replied smugly. “Your trepidations are baseless.”

Snikers's attempts to smooth things over didn't do much to calm Agozi's nerves.

“Simulations ain't the real deal,” she argued. “There's always some sneaky little thing the computers miss, a hidden variable.” Her whiskers twitched briefly. “Or a thousand of them.”

Snikers paused briefly, seemingly pondering her words.

“Despite your objections, we maintain that any marginal risk remains well within the boundaries of acceptability.”

A wave of anger washed over Agozi. Her whiskers twitched again, but with significantly more intensity this time.

“Acceptable to who, exactly?”