Book 1: Chapter 13: Salute

Book 1: Chapter 13: Salute

USD: ~Eight weeks after awakening, one day after Carrier Drone Pod Battle Incident 2

Location: Unknown Yellow Dwarf, L4 Lagrange Point, Nearing Debris Cloud #32

Im going to guess thats the gravitational anomaly and source of the nanite signal you picked up?

Alex looked at the compact version of Engineerings large holotable, which was currently displaying an asteroid. An asteroid with a 7.12km circumference and some god-awful amount of more mass than the Shrike. It was also glowing blue from multiple lines in the surface and the tactical screen was highlighting all sorts of weapon batteries and several obvious missile silos.

They were already in missile range, so the fact that nothing had shot at them yet was encouraging.

[Affirmative: Nanite processing signal detected.]

[Informative: Target has no functional Laser-Antenna, impossible to communicate via secure tight-beam. High-band signal handshake would emit a signal that would ensure detection by any EM sensor in the system. Low-band signal range insufficient for communication.]

So, the only way to talk to it is tell everyone where and who we are, or get closer.

[Affirmative.]

How much closer?

[Informative: Low-band range would require less than 0.5ls, with ideal function at lower ranges.]

Thats well within laser range. We cant do that, that thing is a fortress and if it wanted it could vaporize us.

[Affirmative: Federation Scientists could be experimenting on or torturing Nanite computronics.]

[Recommendation: Avoidance and caution.]

I dont think we can avoid it forever that much firepower and hardware represents a huge opportunity. Maybe we can rig a drone to ferry messages back and forth? I saw that was actually how the mail worked in Federation space. Meanwhile we should also look for parts and salvage on the periphery. Hull plates. We need so many hull plates.

[Notice: Mid-section of derelict Federation Heavy Cruiser detected. Course trajectory change transmitted to your display for approval.]

Yeah, this should do nicely, good job, Nameless.

[Recommendation: Dispatch combat drones for search of derelict hull, before dispatching repair drones.]

I was just going to say the same thing. Dont want any nasty surprises again. Do we have the Cruisers schematics?

[Negative: Detailed ship schematics not found.]

[Informative: A James Fighting Starships entry is available.]

Alex glanced at the specs of the ship. Its got a lot more armaments than the Shrike. We should pull whatever is salvageable and stuff it in our cargo.

[Warning: Large amounts of ammunition stores could threaten ship safety if stowed in unprotected cargo bay.]

Yeah, there is that. Well, we will figure it out when we get there, it might just be scrap.

Alex played at the collar of her new outfit. She had dressed up for the occasion. The Federation navy had a special assortment of uniforms for active duty personnel that regularly used the advanced skinsuits. That included the captain, so she had added the extra elements. But she ran into a problem with the insignia and patches. She was aware that it was a faux pas to wear a uniform that she wasnt really entitled to wear.

So she had spent some time in the machine room doing some design work of her own, creating her own emblem and embellishments. The only Federation markings that she had kept were the red and gold bars that indicated her position on the ship: a single gold bar for captain, a red bar for command. She had a whole host of ideas on how shed design the outfits for the rest of the (nonexistent) crew, when she realized she was going to be late.

Doing a quick check over of herself to make sure nothing was out of place, she ran down the main corridor to poke her head into the Medbay.

Hey are you ready?

Elis was dressed up as well.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

At some point Alex had managed to stash all the crew quarter furniture and accessories in a pair of two rooms. It had nearly reached the ceiling. She regretted that when she started digging for the gift she had thought of for Elis. She had found the uniforms after an hour of searching, though.

They werent an exact match, with Elis and her crewmates being marines, and the uniforms being navy, but it was the best Alex was able to do. Without reinventing retooling the ship for textile production, anyway.

Im ready, Elis replied.

Alex held the door open, and waved for Elis to follow her.

[Warning: Allowing captured POW to traverse the ship is a security risk.]

Relax, I am watching her. Actually, you are watching her! Also, she is not a POW. Shes a detained Federation soldier.

Elis gave her the same unhappy look she always did when Alex responded or started talking to Nameless.

Some of the bodies had been in less than perfect shape after being recovered. She had coerced Nameless into helping her use nanites to do some restoration and make the corpses look presentable. She could now add novice mortician to her vocational experience list.

Elis took a second to think about it, then nodded, Okay, that sounds fun. Youre right, there isnt much to do in the Medbay now that my injuries are healed.

[Imperative: Question the prisoner about the nanite signal, as we discussed earlier.]

Ah Right. Umm, Nameless wants me to ask you about a thing.

Elis didnt miss a step as they continued down the hallway, but Alex saw her face freeze and her entire body language tense up.

Alex swallowed before continuing, We made it to a new debris field, we had detected a nanite signal before heading here. It turned out to be a large, very well armed, asteroid. Anyway Nameless wanted me to question you about it, he wants to know if the Federation had possibly captured some nanites and was experimenting on them.

Incredulity washed over Eliss face in an instant, Thats a sick joke.

Uhh, sorry. So, you dont think its possible?

We arrived here along with the Nanites' hivemind through a slipstream. This is a dead system, there is no way in or out. There wasnt enough left of the fleet to survive, the only ones would be those on ice like weI was.

We are surviving you know.

Just onetwo people. From what Ive seen youre doing well, and I wouldnt be surprised if you rigged hydroponics to work indefinitely and converted to a renewable power source that would run indefinitelyin time. There were thousands of survivors in pods or running on bottled air with failing systems and no real hope of ever leaving. A lot took the fast way out.

The lump in Alexs throat felt twice as big and she swallowed again, remembering her sudden encounter in the Armory with the skeleton that had hoarded all the oxygen canisters. What would she do if every option had been used up and she was on a finite time limit before the end? It was a scary thought.

Nothing to explain the asteroid then we couldnt communicate with it, so we are preparing a drone with a tight beam laser to see if we can contact it and communicate.

A crushed, defeated look washed over Eliss face, All that for nothing.

It hadnt been Alexs intention to add more grief to the other girl.

Hey, we dont have to talk about this right now, I would love to learn more, but we were going to watch a holovid? Do you like romantic comedy?

Sure, or an action flick.

When they reached Alexs makeshift abode, Elis immediately blurted out, Holy Shit, you werent kidding.

The standard gunmetal mess tables had all been removed to make room. The centerpiece of the messroom was now an oversized faux-leather sofa that had been adorned with an ample amount of soft and warm to the touch coverings. Pillows included. A small table had a pile of e-tablets that Alex had been mercilessly collecting and raiding for their content: technical data on how starships worked and other important facts, but also just as importantly, fiction novels.

Beeper and Booper followed them in, flying over to two charging pads Alex had made for them, and both landing in a docking cradle that kept them suspended while supplying ample amounts of power and propellant for their thrusters.

The kitchen that would have normally been used to serve meals was covered in whatever clothes Alex had thought might fit her. With only MREs there was very little actual cooking to be done, although the hydroponics was hopefully going to bear fruit soon, literally. Shed managed to coax some miniature modified peach trees to sprout along with some root crops.

[Suggestion: If prisoner is going to be inside the mess, anti-personnel turrets should be added.]

Alex looked over to the now charging Beeper and Booper. She figured it would be safe enough for today.

We can add them tomorrow, putting them up right now would be the opposite of helping her.

[Warning: Avatar courts unnecessary danger.]

That was true, but Alex shook her head, she could handle things this time, and Beeper and Booper were there if things got out of hand. But she didnt think Elis would repeat the Cryopod Wake Up Incident again.

Alex found Elis staring at her questioningly, What is it?

Oh, sorry. The computer was being snarky.

[Informative: This unit was not being snarky, it was expressing concern for Avatar safety.]

Its default is snarky. Anyway, we can eat while we watch.

Sure.

Alex gestured to the assortment of boxes filled with MREs, Take your pick. Grab two, Ive tried them all so Ill just have what you do.

Elis nodded and went browsing while Alex started to organize the holovids that had scattered everywhere. The rectangular boxes resembled ancient VHS tapes, but they were solid state stores of holographic data. For entertainment though, it was mostly 2d and that was what the flat panel was for. Theyd get a crystal clear 12k pixel image from a small box and a flat panel of painted sheet metal.

You have Beef Ravioli!

Uhm, yeah, that one is pretty good.

You were giving me Chicken a la King!

Alex winced. Dont like it?

Who fucking does. Somehow, they make it almost inedible in MRE form.