“I knew it didn’t translate correctly.” Mark resets the simulator’s perimeters. “It should be ready.”
Reynard climbs inside.
As he performs his preflight checklist, Mark inquires, “Out of curiosity, Sir, what did the Academy aptitude examines reveal?”
“Feel you’re wasting your time, Cadet?” Reynard has never been one for the manacles of command procedures.
“With all due respect, I should be training full academy classes. I’m gifted in Mecat combat but barely remember to lace up my boots. I just wanted to know if you’re a gifted pilot or gifted at lacing boots.”
“I understand. Everyone has an aptitude for certain skills and those aptitudes need to be cultivated.”
“Had you been born in the UCP they would have tested you and tested you, shifting you into programs accelerating your natural skills instead of useless courses.”
“The UCP eliminates freedom of choice.”
“No, freedom of chance. You have choices. They’re just in areas where you’re skilled. Why waste money on resources to educate someone in an area they aren’t good at just because they want to try it? Think about it. If I am trained and challenged in an area I have a natural ability in I will excel further and be successful, which releases natural chemicals in my brain that make me feel good. Why would I not want to do that in my life? Everyone does what’s needed to benefit society.”
“What if I had creative, artistic talents?”
“You mean you want to grow up to be a poet? Entertainment’s a career. The UCP has a department making vid shows and holoemersion games.”
“Not quite the same as someone writing a poem. Many cultures are measured by their poetry.”
“No system’s perfect, but eliminating the useless drain on resources protects society, not an individual. It’s a highly debated issue, but one person is not worth more than the entire group.”
“You’re here for one person. Your talents would be better served training squads of pilots, not just one man.”
“My experiences on the Dragon and engagement into combat will benefit countless cadets.”
The commlink chirps, “Commander, report to the bridge.”
AMYE SQUEEZES HERSELF into the shortened leg room space below her weapons station console. With little wiggle room to maneuver, she flips her legs into the seat of her chair. With a small panel open she fishes a probe tool inside.
Reynard holds in a laugh at the sight of Doug hanging over Amye’s position. To anyone just entering the bridge looks more like a twisted act of coitus rather than a repair scenario.
Amye removes a small crystalized microprocessor from inside.
Doug takes the probe tool, carefully inserting the crystal into his handheld scanner. After a few seconds he reads through the data.
“How did you even find this?” Doug asks.
“I simply searched for components I couldn’t access instead of continually trying to access the security level above the Command Code Level.”
“So what does it do?” Reynard asks.
“The Dragon’s full of them. They’re the higher-level protocols for advanced systems we didn’t even know she had,” Amye says.
“Cloaking shields, a one-pad transporter, scanners capable of identifying subdimensional riftgates. What more advanced tech could possibly be on this ship?”
“I doubt removing all of these crystals will release the security locks.”
“It’s a start at least,” Reynard says.
“More than a start. With this chip removed, Doug might convince Athena to track the shuttle by reprogramming the crystal.”
Doug nods. “It’s possible to access just one crystal over the entire smerth’n security grid.”
“A ‘divided they fall’ situation. One isolated security system would be easier to defeat than the entire next work,” Amye speculates.
“I could develop a Trojan horse to allow me to work my way to beat the system, but I have no time table for such a task.”
“It’s impossible for us to search twenty-six star systems,” Reynard says.
“Incoming transmission from Aurora,” Athena reports.
“This isn’t healthy.” Reynard groans before ordering, “On screen.”
The main view screen towers with the image of Queen Aurora.
“I demand the return of Princess Aurora.”
Doug silences the transmission, “She’s smerth’n serious?”
“A ploy to appease the Mokarran,” Australia offers.
“The transmission has a smerth’n tracking virus embedded in it. I’ll shut it out.”
Reynard waves his hand signaling Doug to open the comm channel.
“You dare send your assassin to end my life under the guise of ancient alliances,” the queen steams.
“We’re not assassins.”
“Micah Donkor would disagree. You failed with me, Commander, and Admiral Maxtin has been unavailable far too long.”
“End transmission,” Reynard orders.
“I’ll bet she dispatched those Halcary,” Amye says.
“Worry about her once we get Michelle back. Find the shuttle.”
“I came to the bridge to eliminate two star systems,” Australia reports.
Scott ceases his computer programming to stare at his mate. “What have you found?”
“With this last piece of information from the queen, I believe Ki-Ton has been perpetuating the elimination of Maxtin’s secret contacts. One of Maxtin’s agents is rumored to be on the moon of the sixth world in the Al’nurt system. I speculate this as his next target.”
“He has the princess. Why drag her along as he makes an assassination attempt?”
“Guilt. We show up and someone dies…we become suspected.”
“Unless you find a way to track our shuttle, we’ll initiate our search there.”
••••••
“TRACK HIM!” REYNARD shouts.
“Locked on the engine signature. He jumps again, we got him,” Scott rejoices.
“Commander, this has been his third traceable jump. His behavior has mocking tendencies,” Australia warns.
“We know it’s a trap, but he has Michelle.”
Amye works the weapons console. “He’s not activating his jump engines now despite being out of range of the null field.”
“The third planet in the system has a humanoid viable ecological system,” Australia reports.
“What is this system?”
“TSF H00978. It is just a catalog number in a database.”
“Means there are no civilizations of technological worth.” Amye performs her own scans. “Neurodynamic,” Amye mumbles.
“What, Amye?”
“There are two strong pockets of neurodynamic energy in the northern continent,” she says.
“Telepathic life forms?” JC questions. She accesses the database. Under current law of telepathic registration, she should be able to learn facts about TSF H00978 from the Eir Basilica even Doug can’t access.
The
