It's been 2 years since I returned to Earth. I've been trapped at my job ever since. Comically menaced by the insurmountable bills that surround me. With only the rest of the human race, and a bitchin' soundtrack, to keep me company. As we orbit the Sun paying our mortgages...
...principaaaal and intereeeeeest...
---
Maybe the pod isn't so bad. I was awake, face still buried in the sheets. Re-reviewing my options for the hundredth time before finally accepting the truth. I had already made my choice. Extricating myself from the sheets I rolled over and opened my eyes. The virtual display clicked back on. Reminding me I had just woken up from a space-nap.
"Aquilon, are you awake?" I asked.
"Of course captain. I do not require sleep." The soothing monotone filled the room.
"I want to take a shower, but I don't have any stuff. How do I..." My voice trailed off as an icon, [>>>>>], appeared in front of me. As I turned my head in the indicated direction, the icon changed. Highlighting a desk attached to the wall, identifying the device as a [Synthesizer].
"In addition to food and drink, the synthesizer can produce everyday items." As I moved to the desk, a [Menu] icon appeared hovering over the surface. "The system supports both manual and voice input."
"Clothes." The instant I voiced my request, dozens of tiny clothing items arrayed themselves in front of me. Coalescing into a nondescript virtual shopping interface, it even had a shopping cart icon. I poked one of the images and it expanded to provide detailed information.
The details included a price list with two line items. A copper hexagon and a silver circle. Both were followed by a very small number and a very large number.
"What are these costs?" I asked pointing at the virtual display.
"The material and energy requirement for synthesizing the specified item. The values are expressed in their respective currency standards. The number on the right shows available reserves."
The computer further explained that the copper hexagon and silver circle, or Mass and En, were the standard monetary trade units for matter and energy. En was the primary currency, and Mass was accepted where it was needed. The average person used virtual currency exclusively. However, trade was still done in physical units. Mostly in remote locations and outside the Commonwealth.
While Aquilon tutored me in space-economics, I finished selecting clothes and toiletries. Everything was of Earth design. When I questioned this the computer said I was restricted from synthesizing foreign items during quarantine. I ordered up some breakfast while we continued the lesson. Asking questions about the economy and the logistics of supporting myself and this ship. Since the ship was largely self sufficient, I didn't really have to do anything. I could literally find some quiet corner of the galaxy in which to park myself. Throw on a few solar panels, harvest the occasional space rock for matter, and live the space-van-life. 100% off the grid. Being a space-hermit does have a certain appeal, but I want to see...whatever I can find.
I finished my breakfast. Recycled the dishes. Gabbed my new bag of necessities and walked into the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I started my morning routine. The rote ministrations evoking a sense of normalcy, but something was missing. Lost in thought, I stripped down and stepped into the shower. Alone in a closed bathroom I heard a voice from behind.
"Captain."
"A-AH!!" I squeaked and whipped around. Hiding my modesty behind the shower door, before realizing. "Aquilon, crap, that startled me. What's wrong?"
"We are about to initiate a warp jump."
"Okay." I braced myself and waited...and waited...and finally! Nothing happened. "When?" I asked.
"The jump was completed 9 seconds ago." That was anticlimactic. I went on with my shower.
A few minutes later the computer provided an update.
"We have arrived at Duliv Station Alpha. We are being transferred into the custody of the local Civil Security office for the duration of your quarantine."
"I guess it's still just you and me then?" I asked over the noise of the shower.
"In addition to the feline." Feline... Standing under the hot water I mulled over the word. ...isn't that a c...
"LUNA!" I jerked my head out of the water. "Is she alright!?"
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
"Affirmative, she is currently sedated in the bio pod."
"So, no issues from her spacewalk?"
"Affirmative, she is in perfect health." I ducked back under the water and let out a long sigh. I finished my shower imagining Luna's transgalactic journey in the mobius pod while humming the stupid theme song.
...Spaaaaace...MacGuffiiiiiiiiin...
When I turned the water off, Aquilon informed me there was a message from Lieutenant Vika.
"What is it?" I asked as I slid the shower door open. Vika was standing in the bathroom. I gave another sharp exclamation and yanked the door closed. I could still see and hear the Lieutenant reciting the contents of her message. But I completely missed whatever she said.
Lt. Vika's message was about the investigation. The Vigilance had departed already, expecting to return within 3 days. She would contact me then to finalize my quarantine. I sent a reply thanking her for the update and informing her of my decision. I also had Aquilon transmit my signed citizenship documents to the Commonwealth Immigration people. I received an almost immediate reply confirming my new status as a citizen.
I emerged from the bedroom looking like a vacationing beach bum. Flip flops, shorts, and a T-shirt. I setup everything Luna needed before going to the Med Bay to retrieve her. She didn't so much as twitch while I carried her back to the room. Nothing about my abduction to the space-future has been quite as unsettling.
I left her asleep on the couch in my room. Which, I was informed, is officially designated the Captain's Quarters. It was one of several static areas onboard. Including the Bridge, the Med Bay, the Systems Core, the Technical Deck, and the Concourse. Along with the Captains Quarters these areas comprised the main structure of the ship. The rest of the Crew Deck and the Cargo Deck could be reconfigured and expanded in a variety of ways.
The Med Bay, was next to the Captain's Quarters, both of which were in front of the Systems Core on the upper deck.
The Bridge was above the Systems Core, Med Bay, and Captain's Quarters. But was little more than an observation deck.
The Technical Deck was sandwiched between the Crew and Cargo decks. Gravitational orientation was polarized around the dorsal and ventral planes of the Technical Deck, creating a null gravity zone along its horizontal axis. It was only a meter tall and ran the length and width of the vessel. Containing the Systems Core adjunct and maintenance crawlspaces, it expedited the support drones access to all critical ship systems.
The Concourse connected the aft sections to the rest of the ship and provided primary access between decks.
The upper deck was the Crew Deck. It was configured with 15 rooms meant to be crew quarters and the mess hall. All the rooms were currently empty.
The lower deck was the Cargo Deck. It was inverted compared to the upper deck. A single large open space, it also ran the length and width of the ship. The front 2 sections were double height.
This was the default configuration for the ship. And I was already compiling a list of things I wanted to change. We ended the tour in the forward-most section of the cargo bay. At the foot of Crap Mountain.
Aquilon had collected all the detritus in the cargo bay. With the aid of a few support drones I began sorting through the enormous pile. It was mostly junk, with a few notable exceptions. The first item of interest was a light hazard suit. The nanotech suit was designed to be worn under the clothes and it had an emergency deploy feature. I disrobed right there in the cargo bay and put it on. It self adjusted to fit like a second skin. I got re-dressed and decided to test it.
"Aquilon, can you activate the hazard suit?" The suit began to deploy, covering my arms, legs, and head in a flexible membrane. It took a few seconds to fully seal.
"The suit will auto deploy if you are exposed to an extreme environment." I decided to test that feature...another time.
Sifting through the rubble I exhumed dozens of shattered support drones. Aquilon informed me that [Jator] liked using them for target practice. But they're so cute.
"Don't you need to repair these?" I asked, picking up a mostly complete drone.
"Negative, captain. We currently have a full compliment of support drones.
"Oh." I tossed it back and kept going.
There were an astounding number of bladed weapons. "What's with all the swords?" I picked one up for a closer look.
"Trophies [Jator] has collected from those he has bested in single combat."
"Are they fighting over who gets to be the Pirate King?" I chuckled.
"It is tradition among the pirate clans. Swords and swordsmanship are highly regarded, as is honorable single combat. Swords are treated as heirlooms and passed down to descendants or disciples. It is also common to display the swords, of 'those you have vanquished', as trophies. Often resulting in retaliation by the sword's intended heir. Blood feuds are common among the pirate clans." My half-daydream, about space pirates and their comic book hijinks, was quickly suppressed by the reality of the situation.
"Should I be worried that pirates are going to come looking for these?" I tossed the sword I was holding over with the others I had set aside.
"[Jator] will likely attempt to escape from prison, reclaim this ship, his sword, and your life. However, he is scheduled to be executed at the end of this investigation."
"Not that I don't appreciate it, but isn't the sentence supposed to come after the trial?"
"[Jator] has previously been convicted of multiple capital crimes." My virtual display filled with a list of convictions that scrolled beyond the confines of my field of view. "He escaped from prison before his execution could be carried out."
"That's reassuring."
The last item was a huge wardrobe. Full of space-guns. How fortuitous, to find the space-arsenal I need to deter the space-pirates that are after me. I set up a junk shooting gallery and tested out some space-guns. They all did pretty much the same thing. Although there were 2 main types, lethal and non-lethal.
I set aside a pair of fancy custom pistols. The virtual display identified them as being handmade by a famous craftsman and very expensive. I also took a stun-type pistol that I could keep on my person. I started stuffing the swords and the rest of the guns into the wardrobe.
"Why is this called a 'wardrobe' when it's full of guns and swords?" The virtual display updated: [Wardrobe]>>[Weapon Locker]. "I can rename stuff!?"
"Affirmative, the virtual terminal can be customized to your preference."
"Good to know," I placed the last of the swords in the weapon locker and closed the door. "okay, send it to storage." The locker vanished as Aquilon moved it to the newly designated storage area.
I took my spoils and headed back to my soon-to-be-former quarters.