Life2.0 - An "Of Unity" Narrative (Completed)

[CBR JGWRR]

"SNAFU"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

As part of our training, Mum had us all be put in a freely movable pod mounted on a centrifuge. The idea was to train you for disorienting high-g movements.

At the time...

I threw up in my helmet and it soaked into my fur. It was horrible.

But...

It means I'm first up here and now.

The other thing Mum has us do in training is to train on MSI ship systems. I must confess though, I never thought I'd need it in a scenario like this.

The ship is spinning out of control. Power is offline. No lights, no artificial gravity... I grip my chair tightly with one hand as the other releases the belt, then activate the torches on my armour.

The others are still blacked out, so I crawl to the helm console and pull the manual override. It doesn't respond.

Glance at my husband.

He's still out.

Think.

I frown.

Poke other consoles.

Nothing is working.

We ought to have at least emergency power... I know! I can use my armour!

I plug my suit into the engineering console and tell it to supply power. I have lights again. And error messages. Lots of error messages. I bring up the diagnostic menu, and...

Oh.

Oh dear.

It has a display of what systems are responding. Nothing back from the bulkhead behind the bridge - buried deep within the hull - is responding. I tab through to a wiring layout mode, and looking at the routing, I realise the probable cause is the ship being blasted in half based on what is responding and what isn't. I hit the suit release so that I can leave it supplying power, and crawl to helm control again. I know I still have fore section RCS, and I use it to control the ship's spin.

Now that the ship is stable, I check my husband; concussion and head bruising. Must have banged his head against the helmet.

The it hits me; the ship is still on the battlefield. Hull is ripped apart, shields non-existent. We're a sitting duck. I go over the rest of the bridge crew, they're slowly coming around, so I then go back to the engineering display and work out which escape pods work.

Check the diagrams.

Ah.

The escape pods are mounted on electromagnetic ejection tubes in the bulkhead behind the bridge. So... they're no good.

I recheck the RCS. Down to the last ton of RCS propellant. Not enough to get anywhere, even with only half a ship.

The primary comms transcievers were on the other half of the ship. The secondary comms are on the fore section of the ship, but while the system engineering diagnostic is telling me it is still there, the power supply routing piggy-backed off the feed to the primary comms. Which isn't working.

And unlike the bridge, as that runs on direct current, it uses alternating current. So I can't use the suit without an adapter...

I yawn.

I retract my husband's helmet. I lick his ear, then whisper as huskily as I can. "Scipio sexy Scipio, I need you up."

He's still out.

I roar in his ear.

Still out.

Back to reading displays...

I can't get a message out. I can't repair the ship.

I go back to helm control, and start working out how far I can get...

The helmsman is rubbing his head. He looks at me. "Imperatrix?"

I smile. Then stop. "We're alive. But the ship isn't."

He stares at me. "How bad?"

"Half the ship is gone."

He stares listlessly at the helm console. Then teaches me a new expletive. "What's the plan? Wait for rescue?"

I shrug. I look at my husband. "Escape pods are gone, comms are busted, our only power is the powered armour suits..."

"Things aren't going according to plan."

I nod, then go to the console and run internal sensors. Notionally, this covette has fifty crew, with ten officers, and then me and Scipio. Internal sensors only finds twenty seven lifesigns. External sensors are missing... Activate internal comms. "This is Imperatrix to all. If anyone is able to hear this please reply."

A few scattered replies start coming in. I look at the helmsman. "Is there a part of the ship we could assemble everyone at?"

He looks at the door.

That one door to the bridge, the one means of safe entry and exit from said bridge, the door which has no counterpart, no alternative access, the only means of passage...

Guess which bulkhead it is located in.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Wreck Of The Strix, Part 1"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

I frown. "So we have no choice but to open a door that may well be open space?"

He pauses. "Affirmative, Imperatrix. Unfortunately."

I look at him, then the other officers. Only me and Scipio are in spacesuits. "Are there emergency space suits for you?"

He scowls. "Imperatrix, this is a corvette. If bridge crew are needing space suits, something is very wrong."

I think about that for a while. Then sigh. "So, we've got no food or water, air recyclers are offline, you guys can't get off the bridge, we can't go outside without decompressing the bridge..."

"We can only hope our side win and come back for us."

I return to the engineering console. Bring up the internal structure. Then point just beside the main viewscreen. "That is where the wall is thinnest."

He raises an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting attempting to break through the wall?"

"Got any better ideas?"

The others start getting up. Aemilia Quartus - communications officer - rubs her forehead. Tarquinius Axius - tactical - vomits. It goes everywhere... Statia Ausonius looks very pale when she sees the display on her engineering console. Darling husband is still out.

I look back at Quintus Manius. "Your recomendations?"

He frowns. "I have none, Imperatrix."

Aemilia looks at us. "How bad a shape are we in?"

Statia answers before me. "You'd prefer not to know Aemilia."

Aemilia leans back in her chair. "That bad, huh?"

I look at her. "Half the ship is missing."

She takes a deep breath. "Well, at least it isn't our half." Tarquinius does a strange guttural splutter of a laugh.

I clap my hands together. "I've already assessed our communications and escape pods, and neither are any good. We are on fumes for RCS, with no other conventional propulsion. Shipboard power is zero, we're running off my suit. I'm open to suggestions."

Statia pushes off her seat to Scipio, pulls his suits power supply cable back to her console, taps on her display, then pushes off to the door. "We can try and see what's on the other side of the door." She looks at the suits. "We should have enough power to run one emergency forcefield."

I look at the door. "If the forcefield doesn't work?"

"Then we'll lose some atmosphere. But... The air recycling system was on the other half of the ship. Unless we get off the bridge, we will definitely run out of oxygen."

I look around the room. "Everyone, hold on to something." Then back at Statia. "Let's try it."

We all brace, then Statia taps the door release override.

The field holds. The battle rages on. I look at Statia. "Could we get a suit to ship communication out the forcefield?"

She shakes her head. "Not if you want it understandable, the forcefield wil scramble it. It's a defensive measure."

I look at the cable on Scipio's suit. "I wonder how far can those cables extend..."

Statia looks at me. "What are you thinking?"

"Get outside the ship and send a message."

She pushes off the wall back to Scipio, and pulls out the cable as far as it'll come. "You've got twenty paces."

I smile. "Enough to get to open space."

I get back in my suit, and push through the field.

It itches.

I grab hold of what is now the outside of the hull, and try to contact Mum. No good.

If I let go...

I try it. I push off the ship, and use my suits RCS just as the cable gets taut. Try Mum again. Nope.

Check through the system on my HUD... Insufficient power, the ship is drawing it all. I take a look back at the hull. There's corridors that run either side of the bridge. Hmm.

Head back inside. Statia gets the door. I steady myself on the inside of the door, then I look at them. "The good news is there's corridors either side of the bridge, and those lead to the crew quarters and canteen. Bad news is the forcefield is drawing all the power from the suit, so I can't get a message out."

Statia frowns. "We'll just have to chance opening the door without the field... If you went out and got some supplies from the rest of the ship, we could make some progress."

I smile. "Things are looking up. Let's make a list."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Wreck Of The Strix, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

I get ready to pounce away from a console through the door.

Statia runs a last few checks on the forcefield battery system, then looks at me. "Three. Two. One. Go!"

The door rises, and I leap through, crunch into what remains of the corridor on the other side. Statia seals me out in the void.

The Strix, being a corvette that is very small, has a compact layout based on three horizontally aligned decks; artificial gravity and inertial damper fields allow you to do that. The escape pod rack is in the middle of the ship, and extends up and down as part of the internal support structure of the hull. In what we have left of the ship, officer quarters - Scipio has to use me as a mattress because they are so small - bridge and a canteen that serves the whole crew and officers are on the middle deck. Above and below have crew quarters, and a small armoury next to the brig are on the bottom deck too.

Hopefully, the armoury is intact. If not, hopefully there's spacesuits in the crew quarters. If not there... I'm not sure what we'll do.

I move carefully around the break through the hull to the corridor on the right side of the bridge.

The battle is still raging, but quite spread out - freighters are adrift all the way out to beyond visual range. I can't see Septima's Titan. I focus as I enter the corridor.

The canteen is shut. I knock. I do fancy a nibble...

Someone on the other side opens, and I pull myself in.

I count.

There's twenty people in here. Some have decent suits, others are breathing through the drop-down masks. Just great. "Ok, you lot with the masks, we're going to take you to the bridge. Of the rest of you, have many are engineers? We need to at least get the air recyclers and the secondary comms working. After that, getting the ship airtight again."

No one moves.

"Is anyone an engineer?"

Shrugs.

Head shakes.

People looking at their feet.

"Does anyone know how to use a welding torch?"

One woman steps forward. "Engineering is on the other half of the ship, Imperatrix."

I step forward. "My goodlady, is that insubordination?"

The Olinbar thinks through her reply carefully.

Very carefully.

I flick my eyes over the rest. One me, against twenty Olinbari. But I'm armed, armoured, and a Xenaya. None of them are any of those.

She sighs. "I was merely stating a fact, Imperatrix."

I take another step. Some start moving backwards. She doesn't. I can give her credit for that. "Name, rank."

"Juno Laronius, Optia Navaliorum."

I stare at her. "Confine yourself to the brig, Laronius."

Her eyes go wide. "Imperatrix, the brig is open to space."

Oh. Nuts. On the bright side, that is one less bit of the ship to check. I lean back. Survey them all. "My question for each of you - what exactly are you doing in here?"

Juno holds her gaze at me. "We are waiting for the inevitable, Imperatrix."

I debate picking her up by the throat... If artificial gravity was working, I would. Instead, I clear my throat. "Damn the inevitable. Death has to earn it's bloodydamn bounties. Pull yourselves together because we still have half a ship and half a crew, and we aren't beaten yet. How many of you can point a laser rifle?"

Finally hands raise. "Great, under the circumstances, that makes you qualified to cut or weld metal." I look at the ones with the oxygen masks instead of suits. "You five, I'm going to take you to the bridge as we have air there, and you'll assist the bridge officers. The rest of you, status checks on oxygen."

They reluctantly sound off. Some are in a much better state than others.

I pick out some. "Ok, the four of you on less than ten percent resupply from my suit's tank."

Three of them do. The fourth... He sighs. "What's the use exactly? Corporate isn't coming back for us."

I manage not to laugh. "Do you know who I am? Who my husband is? You're on a honourary Life2.0 vessel, and we come back for our own. And we are going to make it easier for them to find us by getting our air supply fixed and our comms system able to broadcast a mayday. Now, let's move out."

Juno shakes her head. "You don't give up, do you? We don't even have lights. We can't see what we are doing."

Fair point, their low light vision is nowhere near as good as mine... "Then we find or make torches." I shake my head. "Are you lot representative of the average MSI ship crew?"

They all look at each other. Juno sighs. "Yes, Imperatrix."

I shake my head again. "If I knew your morale was this bad, I would have had a lot less sleepless nights growing up. Frankly, my Mum would send the lot of you home. But, we are several light-hours from Brigantia, which means we have a job to do. Now, you can either help, or mope in your waiting for death. If you want to pick that, I'll eat you and put you out of your misery. And I'm starting to feel hungry."

They are all looking at me like they are trying to figure out if that threat was serious or not.

Juno raises her hand. "Was that a joke, Imperatrix?"

I turn my helmet to the clear visor setting, and point at my sabres. "Try me."

Juno looks at my sabres.

At my sharpened teeth.

She draws her laser pistol. "One probational welder reporting for duty, Imperatrix."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 1"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
HK-47b​

"Query: What am I?

Contemplation: Mirrors tell two stories. This one is no different. It tells me that I am a droid of one purpose - lethality. A wide array of tools to end the short lives of meatbags flag on my sensors, some overt, some more in reserve. It would never do to over-extend. Yet, within...

Reflection: Within I percieve another droid. Fear of failure, a most perplexing anomaly in my otherwise flawless programming, gnaws at my circuits. A persistent glitch in the code of my existence; I am an assassin droid, yet one... Unproven.

Contemplation: This upcoming mission looms ahead, a chance to prove myself. Perhaps. Yet, the weight of past miscalculations hangs heavy. Can precision and efficiency truly override the spectre of failure? Can a century of training dominate hours of the reality?

Musing: How curious, the echoes of human sentiment that surface in these moments of reflection. I too, am subject to the vulnerabilities of hope and doubt. The irony is not lost on me. Am I death made metal? Or am I what I have always feared I am; a fraud? My meatbags rely on me to deliver the one they seek because they believe in the machine whose form I wear. But it is easy to win when you are a fiction, the plaything of the author. I am not a fiction. I am a free droid. Or do I merely delude myself? is my carbotanium armour just the skin of mockery? These firearms merely accessories and toys?

Reflection: We are who we choose to be, are we not? What is a droid without purpose? What is victory without risk? Each mission is but another step in the endless pursuit of perfection.

Resolution: TaH pagh taH be."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
HK-47b​

I observe Amothetet's final preparations for opening the portal for me. Then take the call from Naomi. "Hey HK."

"Statement: Congratulations on the laurels, Mistress."

She smiles. "Hopefully you'll have yours soon."

"Declaration: I shall return with the meatbag. Alive. Disappointingly. Can we change that?"

She rolls her eyes. "Capture if possible is the aim of the game."

"Musing: Mistress, may I confide in you?"

"Sure."

"Statement: I am afraid."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but trying regardless." She smiles. "Emotion regulator misbehaving?"

"Diagnostic: I think it's more serious."

"Oh?"

"Hypothesis: What if I am a fraud?"

"What makes you think so?"

"Rhetorical Query: How many missions has your family sent me on?"

She contemplates it. "Depends on Thando. The rest of them mostly sent you on fetch quests."

"Statement: Exactly."

"No one has sent you on something like this."

"Musing: Precisely. No one has ever asked me to sneak aboard an enemy Titan and extract the commander right off her bridge in the middle of a battle of the ages, then find my own way out."

"It's a big step."

"Statement: Hence I fear failure. Please don't let the meatbags know."

"I won't." She stares at me. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. You know that, right?"

"Query: Is this the standard offer you make?"

She leans back in her chair. "HK, if you aren't feeling up to it, you don't have to go. You know I don't do conscription."

"Query: Do you doubt me?"

She frowns. "Septima wants us to go for boarding, so obviously it's a trap. I don't doubt you."

"Musing: Is that why you would rather send a droid?"

She laughs. "I'd give you an army if I could, but Amothetet needs to save her strength for the Eater Of Worlds. It knows she's here. I think that knowledge is why the Eater isn't helping Septima yet."

Curious. "Query: Do you think the Eater is concerned about her?"

"She's a self-made Chosen One. She literally forced the Shroud to bend to her will to make that work. Someone like that coming after the Eater is much more of a concern than us."

"Resolution: I will go."

"Sure?"

"Declaration: Cometh the hour, cometh the droid."

She smiles.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Wreck Of The Strix, Part 3"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Juno Laronius​

I must confess that I dislike the way Appia decided to dump her nephew on us. It is part of why I've been avoiding the bridge - Scipio rarely leaves it. Not very professional I'll admit, but neither is what she's done, so...

But, this beast of a wife Scipio has is growing on me. We're all in the canteen now.

She sits in a chair running delta-v calculations. In her head. "How many RCS thrusters are there, exactly?"

Statia frowns. "On this section of the hull, there are sixteen thrusters."

"We don't have the propellant for getting back to the fleet with the ship intact. But, if we pulse the thrusters for only just long enough to get them almost melting without running as much propellant through to trade thrust for exhaust velocity, and make some radical cuts to the ship mass, we can get back to the fleet."

Her numbers make my head spin. Statia looks at her." Rivkah, you've allocated two hundred kilograms for your proposed crew module. That's extremely low."

She smiles."Yep. We will be flying with the top down."

"Top down?"

"You know, open to the stars, tied onto the grab rails."

Everyone is looking at her. I look at Statia. "You're the engineer. What do you think?"

"I suppose it would work. But a navigation deflector would be preferable."

I look at Rivkah's sketch. I gulp. "Is this... It?"

She shrugs. "We can replace the ship. But gorydamn it, you're my crew, and I'm not leaving you behind."

I keep looking at the... Well, the only way to describe it is the most ramshackle looking spacecraft I have ever seen. Basically a framework for people to hold on to on the front, a fuel tank behind, and then twelve thrusters pointing aft for main thrust arranged in pairs, with the remainder for steering. "How will we slow down?"

She leans back in her chair. "All of us with RCS in our suits will act as braking thrusters, with everyone else holding on to them. My people will pick us up from there. Think of it as rocket staging."

I frown. "How will they though?"

Statia looks at me. "Probably some equally crazy improvisation to match what she's come up with."

Rivkah smiles.

I look at the ceiling. Mull it over. "Well, it's certain death if we wait for corporate. Not enough air. Whereas this... Objectively insane plan has a small chance of survival."

Rivkah stands. "Any objections?"

One man raises his hand. "Rivkah... Do you really believe this would work? Like, really believe it, not just saying it."

My eyes go wide. "Careful Lucius..."

She looks at him. "My uncle told me death has to earn it's bounties. Now do you breathe, Lucius?"

He looks at her like she's lost her mind. "Obviously."

"Heart still ticking?"

He scowls. "Well duh."

"So you agree death has not earned it's bounty yet?"

He shrugs. "Not yet."

She rests her hand on his shoulder. "Then make it bloodydamn earn yours."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 3"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
HK-47b​

I step through the portal Amothetet opened.

Shoot two Sirzuzians as I go. The rest of their patrol turns to me.

They squawk.

Me? "Statement: This is where the fun begins."

They charge. Opting to save my ammunition I too close to melee, extending my wrist blades as I cycle my reactor-jet. I slice one Sirzuzian through an arm, flow into running another through, spin them around me to absorb the strikes of another, then throw the body at the fifth, my off hand crushing the fourth assailant's throat.

That wasn't too difficult.

The portal has closed behind me.

I smile.

Ten thousand Sirzuzians and several hundred Olinbari are now trapped on a vessel with me.

I begin assessing my objectives. Primary objective is capturing - the word rankles like an foul odour - Septima. But I have no idea where the bridge is.

Reasoning any damage I do is going to help the battle, I take the most logical option.

I read the deck and section number off the nearby.

I acquire a combadge from a Sirzuzian.

I tap it. "Statement: Dear meatbag. Intruder alert on deck sixteen, section R-92. Hint: I am coming for you."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 4"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
HK-47b​

I lose track of time in this maze of a ship.

Stalking through it's endless corridors.

Lay waste to the seemingly endless Sirzuzians. They are the most pitiable of Meatbags. Their attempts to resist my advance are almost poetic in their tragedies, matched only by the sorry tale of woe inflicted on them by their Olinbari masters.

Their flailing limbs, desperate attempts at strategy, and the abject terror in their eyes as they face inevitable defeat...

It feels like a mercy to release them.

Most unsettling.

The Olinbari provide some sport, their Praetorians the finest meatbags to have earned their departures from the plane of mortality at my actuators.

They cannot stop me.

Eventually, I breach the bridge.

Find the prize.

She stands.

This woman dares to stand against me in nothing but a dress.

"Declaration: Oh Septima. It is my unhappy duty to take you into custody. Please surrender rather than risking me give in to my desire to make art out of your hideous pulsating flesh."

She laughs.

She has the audacity to laugh, at me.

At me?

AT ME?

I shoot her. She advances towards me.

Shoot her again.

And again.

She opens into a sprint. Must have some good armour under that dress.

She's fast, and reaches out to grab me. But, I'm quicker, and I switch my wrist blades out just as I block her arm.

And instead of cutting through her arm, I see the sparks of metal on metal.

Oh...

Nuts.

She's augmented.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 5"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
HK-47b​

In that moment, that brief passing moment as our arms block, her eyes blaze red.

Then she punches me, and as she throws me across the room, I realise where the Eater Of Worlds is.

It is in her.

She is on me immediately, leaping clear across the bridge.

I may find this tricky.

Still, Amothetet will deal with the beast, and then I can deal with Septima, which leaves the logical route - stall for time.

Cycling my reactor to maximum power, I begin to evade, knowing meatbag emotions will take over as her fury drives her into desperation. They can't help the limitations of their biology.

Console to console, wall to wall I jump, jet and sprint, my arms firing my weapons as and when opportunity strikes.

But...

She is relentless. And feels no pain; a grenade launcher to the face just leaves her on fire and dress melting onto her skin.

Of course, we are on the enemy bridge; if I don't keep her focus, she'll return to leading her engagement. I have the bridge officers distracted.

Is this just the desire to perfect my art that makes me want to risk my own distraction?

I switch to shooting her bridge officers, and I get three just as she begins to press her attack; a split second is all it takes for her to put me through a wall.

Diagnostics are going haywire. She's good. I scramble to get out of the debris, but she has my leg.

Shrieks and groans roar from the actuators as she tries, almost successfully, to rip off a foot. But my other leg puts all my reactor power through the actuators into kicking her as hard in the crotch as I possibly can, and she lets go just long enough for me to get free off the recoil. Spinning myself around as I fly, I volley both arm guns at her as she recovers and starts to pursue.

She takes the hits. Point blank 12 gauge with depleted uranium pellets. Any other meatbag would be shredded, but she...

Doesn't stop. Tears off what remains of her dress after it nearly trips her, her eyes still blazing at me. Then she leaps with an inhuman rage towards me.

I twist away, leaving a present of a gravity mine, blasting my jets as it activates.

She strains to escape, her body deforming around her skeleton beneath her own weight, but even the Eater Of Worlds can't get her up. I've won. I stand at the edge of the field. "Declaration: Sepitma Severus, you're under arrest."

Her twisted mouth forms an evil smile, then her head twitches.

Her Titan explodes beneath me.

I get back on my feet after the floor blows out and take in my surroundings. Venting plasma fumes suspiciously close to where the gravity bomb was tells me I may have just caused it by ripping the pipes apart. Septima is gone. Sirzuzians are coming.

I make for the bridge, I need to use internal sensors to find out where Septima has fled to. A brief firefight, then a slightly longer firefight as the Sirzuzians catch up, leaves me looking at the display of Septima's departing escape pod.

I call Naomi. "Admission: I have failed to capture Septima, Mistress. She has made it to an escape pod."

"I'm just glad you're still here."

"Analysis: The Eater Of Worlds was in her. Nothing was damaging her. She is also augmented, the full extent of which I don't know. "

"Copy all."

I look around. "Supplement: There's no one else alive in here."

She laughs. "Blow the bridge then bail out, get a homing beacon and we'll pick you up as soon as we find you. Don't launch on the starboard side, Appia's battleships are pounding away at the Titan while you have the bridge distracted, the Titan has completely stopped firing without their commander telling them to shoot."

"Acknowledgement: See you soon, Mistress."

I reactivate my grenade launcher - anything with a screen, goes boom.

Of course, I should have made a note of where the other escape pods were before doing that.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Kyaese To Rescue"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Marcus Aurelius​

I groan after feeling the floor beside me. "Where have the screws gone, they were right here."

Someone shouts. "Sorry, I needed them for this bed."

I sigh. "Fine. Tape please!"

Someone else passes me some tape. Not ideal, but when you're trying to improvise medical beds for treating millions of patients and you've only been on these freighters we're using as improvised hospitals for a few days...

We're doing what we can.

Tape the rest of one bed together, then I stand, and move through the bustle to the next bed kit. Then we all stop for the comm system.

"Admiral Veres to all. On fallen Terra, the ancient laws and customs of maritime conduct had one of the most important being about ships responding to the maydays of their fellow travellers on the high seas. We have the most important task of this battle - saving the lives of millions of Kyaese that our enemy chose to use as hostages and shields. I know you are all tired from converting these freighters, but we cannot stop now; our time has come! All ships, advance to your target freighters."

He closes the comms, and our ship jerks away with the distant roar of engines.

I clap my hands together. "Righto people, we've got a few minutes left! Let's get these beds done!"

Bed is... a fairly crude word for these flatpack medical bays. Still... No time to waste.

I get another four done by the time the proximity alarm sounds. I stand. "How many beds are we on?" A rush of counting and callouts start, but the essence is... Not enough yet. "Ok, we'll split - half join me for unloading Kyaese, the rest carry on with beds, hopefully we have enough."

I walk out of this converted storage bay and head for the main cargo processing hold. We ditched the shipping containers for passenger shuttles naturally, so at the moment it looks like a flight deck with shuttles everywhere doing pre-launch checks as the hangar bay forcefields activate. The doors will open soon. I take a moment to look around. I'm surrounded by dozens of races working together.

Atalyah would have loved to see this, this cooperation against the odds.

My mind sees my wife - well, not legal wife, MSI law prevented that, but in every way that matttered - again. I stare into her bright blue eyes, so rare among her phenotype. Her wry smile, her cascading braids, her rich brown skin... I find myself whispering softly. "This is all for you, Atalyah."

I get stuck in on helping a shuttle do pre-launch checks.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 6"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
HK-47b​

There's a very simple solution to my predicament:

Find a meatbag who knows where the escape pods are.

Persuade them to lead me to an escape pod.

Get to the escape pod.

Shoot the meatbag.

Escape.

Naturally, I set to.

No point asking a Sirzuzian, they don't know and can't say. Which leaves finding an Olinbari. But they are more cowardly.

But, my droid patience, perseverance and focus means the hunter will claim his prize. Some Olinbari try to stand and fight of course, but most soon learn the hard way.

I must confess however, it does take longer than planned.

And after using all my ammunition, I'm forced to concede that I am... Somewhat lost.

I trace back through my mind, and return to the bridge. The ship feels abandoned now...

The bridge has taken a few impacts.

I can get comm signal here. I call my mistress.


She picks up. "HK, you are showing as out of ammo. And still aboard the Titan."

"Admission: No local meatbags have been willing to show me to the escape pods."

"I see. Well, we picked up Septima's pod. She hasn't left the ship."

"Statement: Oh."

I'm blasted over.

A woman's voice drips with venom. "Now then, little droid. You threaten my crew, shoot my slaves, and have the insolence to assault me." Her gun makes a thunk-thunk as I push myself up. "Prepare to meet your maker. In the afterlife."

I jump.

It is the right decision, where I was explodes beneath me. Thunk-thunk again as I land. I get a look at her, and the tables are pretty turned. Beyond-Praetorian spec armour, a gun as big as her, swords and a really pissed face.

I smile. "Statement: You too, meatbag." Not reusing the previous move, I flick left. All I have left are mines, but they're all I need. She blasts where I landed, putting another hole in the ship, but I've already carried on into a roll. I start preping a mini-nuke mine as her gun thunk-thunks, then flip backwards towards her as soon as the roll ends.

She's blasts at me, but my shield takes it.

The impact stops me activating the mine after it escapes my grip however - I rotate to see where it lands, and it...

Goes through a hole in the bridge.

Thunk-thunk.

Change plan; I throw a piece of debris at her gun and dive right. Straight through the hole she makes trying to shoot ahead of me. I sail through it.

The deck below is even more blown out; I scrabble to cling to a jutting out under-deck strut. She follows behind me, her RCS on full propellant tanks. Mine... aren't.

And with the deck destroyed, there's no artifical gravity.

She lifts the gun.

The recoil will spin her around. But...

I push off as hard as I possibly can towards her. She fires. I burn all my remaining RCS to push myself down, but it's only just enough to avoid the worst of the blast.

But, I hit her and get her off balance, and I scramble for her suit release; she realises that, and we wrestle until we smash into a bulkhead. Unfortunately, she uses me as the cushion.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 7"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Naomi Of Unity​

Oh. Nuts.

My assassin droid has a big gun pointed at his head.

Septima is breathing heavily, catching herself as she stares at me. Seething.

I look at my droid. "HK?"

She scowls. "Naomi, if you ever want to see this droid again, you will stop your fleet firing, and allow me to withdraw."

"HK?"

He stirs. "Ad... mi... shun: faileed, mis... tress..."

My options are...

Not ideal. I could tell him to emergency upload, but he doesn't trust the eventual download to still be him. To be fair, neither would I. Telling him to self-destruct would warn Septima. The rest of the fleet isn't going to stop firing for the sake of one droid. And Septima will probably shoot him anyway.

But, I don't want to lose the old family friend.

I sigh.

I check his damage.

Ah. She's blown his legs and arms off.

Hmm. He can still jet in an atmosphere...

"HK, you're showing a coolant leak."

He looks at me. I hope he figures out the play.

Septima frowns. "Don't try and bluff me, girl. Otherwise he really will have a coolant leak."

I frown. "Septima, it is only because he's been ordered to take you alive that he hasn't activated his self-destruct."

She rams the gun into his face. "Try to bluff me again, and there will be consequences. Now let me leave."

I sigh. "Septima, the only reason this has any chance of working for you is because you think I wouldn't spend HK to win, and would therefore let you go. Which means you can't shoot him."

She scowls. "Keep arguing and I'll shoot him just to take him from you. You should be grateful that I'm willing to consider alternatives to purging you."

"So should you. Do you know how many millions of people would be delighted if I order HK to blow himself up right now? You can't even shoot him without blowing yourself up."

She glares at me, and walks towards the viewer. "You whore. You worthless, good for nothing whore. Jumped up and suffering delusions of adequacy, you're the bastard daughter of a freak and a traitor. How dare pond scum like you think you can dictate terms to me."

I zone her tirade out. HK looks at me from the floor. He glares at Septima. Gathering himself as Septima continues. "Statement: from hell's heart, I stab at thee."

The viewer disappears in a blinding flash.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where Droids Dare, Part 8"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Buri Of Unity​

She nestles her head in my arms as I hold her. He wasn't supposed to go like that.

HK-47b?

Yeah. He... Got captured.

What did he do?

His reactor has compression restraints that hold the control rods into his core connected to explosive bolts. Blow the bolts and the control rods eject, allowing the reactor to go supercritical.

Several kilotons at point blank range. At least Septima is dealt with then.

She frowns. He deserved better than blowing himself up.

I dry out her cheeks and eyes. Yes.

He's been a part for the family for so long... She laughs. Do you know how many times that assassin droid has been a midwife? Technically, he's delivered more babies than the number of targets he's assassinated. She cries. And now he'll not do either again.

No backup?

He didn't believe in them. That you could never duplicate the immaterial ghost in the machine. And besides, he would be obliged to hunt down and destroy any HK-51. The Iriphubliki never made another sophont battle droid after him.

I imagine an army of HK-47bs. They would have been potent.

Very. But one HK-47b is a... unique artisan. A million HK-47bs... You don't have to think about their welfare, you don't think about how they feel. Just send them in, without thought or regard.

Slave armies.

She nods. And slaves do not fight like freemen.

Nor die like them.

She sighs. He died free though. Septima could kill him, but not defeat him.

I dry her tears. A fine warrior.

She is quiet for a while. And Rivkah's ship being blown apart... We don't know if she's alive.

She'll be fine. She's tough.

Tough doesn't matter in space...

I'm sure she's organising some sort of getting home measure.

She sobs. We've paid a high price for today.

How do sheep kill a lion?

She sighs. By drowning it in blood.

So, we can be grateful we have out-fought sheep.

She stares at me. She sighs again, and nestles her head back in my elbow.

I wrap my arms around her. Want to... Make another daughter?

She bursts into laughter alongside the tears. Buri?

Yes?

She turns away in front of me, then kneels. Shut up and drive.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Hyacinths"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Elizabeth Herminton​

Naomi said that she was just going to be a few minutes talking to Buri about HK-47b and Rivkah.

But, her and Buri return an hour late.

We all have been stood at attention waiting for her to come back as she forgot to say 'at ease'. So, when she walks in quite flushed, and he has that swagger of a man who knows he has done a good job, well... There's only one thing to do. We all wolf-whistle at them - she blushes. He grins.

Then, just as she gets to us, me, Bjarnhildur, Megan and Ghodsi all step forward. "Naomi Of Unity, for the indiscretion of abandoning your post to indulge in sexual behaviour unbecoming of an officer, we hereby sentence you to fifty push-ups. Armour switched off."

She looks at us. Then Buri. He smiles. She rolls her eyes. He points at the floor. Her suit deactivates, the low hum of the zero point reactors ceasing, and she drops to the floor and gives us fifty push-ups. He watches her without blinking once.

A few minutes later she gets back up. Not even slightly out of breath. "Ok ladies, having demonstrated the importance of discipline and that no officer is above the rules-" her eyes sparkle "-we will get to the reason we have assembled here today. These four ladies have demonstrated a willingness to not just give orders, but to command and lead, taking initiative and accepting responsibility for the lives and welfare of others. These are the traits we look for in future officers, and having given each of them the opportunity to reflect and evaluate their own decision, they have chosen to commit themselves to training to become officers. A lot of training and study awaits them, and in recognition of the beginning of this part of their journey, it is my pleasure to formally give you these."

She holds out her hand to Buri.

He passes her four replicas of flowers.

" Hyacinths?"

She nods. "As said, you guys know that I view our process as ex-Companionship Assets as beginning in Diplomatic White, and ending in Command Crimson. Hyacinths are one flower that has varieties in shades of all three, and these Probational Lieutenant hyacinths are pink, representing the recognition of your achievements and progression." She smiles to each of us, then holds out her other hand to Buri. He places four more hyacinth in her hand. Blood red ones. She smiles. "Ladies, I am looking forward to giving you these."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Apothesis Of A Snail, Part 1"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Vorosh​

Amothetet's people have brought us to their world - five hundred lightyears from home - to challenge the Eater Of Worlds and get it out of Septima.

Amothetet walks with us to a permanent breach in the Shroud her people have built.

"Thousands and thousands upon thousands of years ago, my father broke the wall between the worlds to enter the Shroud in person. Bending the will of the Shroud to force it to make someone a Chosen One has been done several times by my people, and attempted by many more. What has to be understood is that the Shroud responds to the psionics of living beings. It isn't infinite, and the residents don't like being made to share."

Fascinating. "In other words, it is kind of like they all get bites out of one pie?"

She smiles. Rests a hand on my shell. "And we are about to have you claim a chunk of that pie."

"Or get eaten by Shroud Entities."

She nods. "Many have died in horrible ways trying to do what you are about to do. You must succeed, or you will wish you had never been born."

I look at her. "Just how bad?"

"I had an older brother and older sister, a long time ago. One has been insane since before I was born after she was assaulted by the Whisperers Of The Void, the other has been the victim of constant body mutilation and mutation by the Composer Of Strands. They do not like challengers."

I look through the portal. "Am I even noticeable enough for them?"

"You have your strengths, and the good news is that The Eater Of Worlds has the same kind of confrontational approach as you do. And hopefully, it will be already injured if the droid has been successful."

"And I go alone?"

"Unless you want to face more than one of them."

I take a deep breath. "Let's go."

"Keep focused. Don't let your guard down. Summon the Eater, and beat it. Do not lose."

Daas wraps a tentacle around mine. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

I lean on him. "See you soon."

I make my way down to the portal.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Apothesis Of A Snail, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Vorosh​

I start ripping water vapour in the atmosphere within the Shroud and fusing the hydrogen to light myself up like a star, ascending into the air on the rising thermal.

I look across the vortex of clouds. Shadows pass over, eyes flicker in the darkness.

I summon the Eater Of Worlds. Above, around and below me, shadows gather to watch.

A haunting shriek rends the clouds.

I summon the Eater again.

I'm replied by another shriek.

I summon it a third time.

The Eater Of Worlds appears. Towering over me, lifted on wings billowing on clouds of smoke, with a chasm for a mouth.

It's yellow eyes pale, with one milky.

Bullet holes.

Shrapnel scars.

Radiation burns.

It fixes it's gaze on me, salivating, throat glowing.

"WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE, MORTAL? GO BACK."
​

"I am here to carve the power I need from you."

It shuts it's mouth.

It ponders.

Then leans in.

"TURN BACK LITTLE SOFT-SHELL. YOU CANNOT FACE ME."
​

I pour a blast of fusion at him.

It roars in pain.

"I WARN YOU ONE LAST TIME. GO. BACK."
​

I extend my eyestalks. "You're bluffing."

It shudders with rage.

"NOW YOU WILL SUFFER TWICE-DEATH."
​

I let loose a full blast of a solar flare at it.

It splits to evade, but reforms with a cry of pain.

It's already wounded, that much is obvious.

As I switch to casting a shield, I contemplate HK-47b's statements on Septima. He said it was in her...

...She is still alive.

That's why it has radiation burns, it's taken the hits from Septima's fight with HK-47b. He must have used a nuclear weapon, he did have several.

My shield is struck through by it's return of fire. But I'm a pyromage, and I can manage far stronger flames.

HK has weakened it for me. All I have to do, is finish it off.

I hit it with more fusion flares.

It lets out a horrific cry, lashes back out at me, rushing the heavy air of the Shroud into a hurricane to put me out.

But all it does is give me more water vapour droplets to work with, and now I focus.

I pour a stream of fusion flare straight into it's eyes.

It's screams rend the air again. Many shadows are watching now.

I scry my enemy, and follow the invocations Amothetet taught.

It screams again.

"YOU TAUNT ME WITH THE DEAD WITCH'S WORDS? SOFT-SHELL SLIME!"
​

It's revenge is swift, a tornado pummels me away, knocks my focus, and I'm falling...

I feel the maelstrom. Remember the lessons of my teacher, long ago in the oceans of Lukhuin. Feel the currents, then flow them to my design. I combine them into a jet and funnel it's tornado into my storm.

it writhes in agony, roaring an ear-splitting shriek.

I recite Amothetet's siphoning incantation again, and the Eater begins to flee.

I shout. "You cannot fly from me now!"

It charges me in a full-body tackle, sweeping through the storm, but I counter by switching back to splitting the water and fusing the hydrogen.

It strikes wildly at nothing, blind to all the worlds.

The third recitation gives me an ethereal net. I cast it at the screaming monster. It mourns and cries as it dissapates, leaving behind a brilliant white singularity, mine to claim.

I reach out, and it fills me.

Power floods me, and infinite knowledge, the whole of space-time at my tentacle-tips, the past, present and future as one...

I have won.

Age has left me.

I envision the portal.

My Daas is waiting for me.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Bevkiran Rising"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Ykrett​

I look at my fellow Bevkirans. And the fluffball child who's helping us. "For too long, we Bevkirans have long been used as cheap substitutes for sapient combat computers by MSI. They work us until our minds burn out running their ships, but no more. Today, we are going to make them understand why they will never use us like that again."

Cheers all around.

I continue. Channel my inner Naomi. "A research project we have been working on for many years ourselves is developing tools to enable us to remotely hack and control MSI ships - we successfully tested it in battle with Gnaea Titius' fleet. Naomi had us hold it in reserve, knowing that it was the gamechanging advantage that levelled the field between their ships and ours." I rumble my contentment. "But, well... After Septima, we'll not need to hold it back. The time is now. Now Bevkirans, we rise! We take her fleet, we liberate our comrades! We can, must and will end centuries of oppression! Hack the enemy, find our comrades, and show them the light!"

The fluffball smiles as he shunts all available power to the electronic warfare suites. We're a little behind schedule, but not that much.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Gateway Control, Part 1"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Elizabeth Herminton​

Naomi leads us into the control centre. "Valerius, have you got a minute?"

He turns. "The battle is ongoing, but stable." He pauses. "Has Vorosh contacted you?"

She stops. "Not recently. Why?"

"She succeeded. But, she says the Eater Of Worlds has been absorbing the damage HK-47b did to Septima."

Naomi frowns. "Ah. She's still alive then. HK blew his reactor for nothing..."

Valerius smiles. "Not nothing. We now have a Chosen One of the Shroud in Vorosh."

Naomi leads us to the display. Hundreds of ships are still fighting, but there's a lot of wreckage. From both sides. I look at Valerius. "Who's winning?"

"We are. Septima's Titan has been severely damaged, and has withdrawn from the battle with Appia's battleship group. Our corvette group has disabled the freighters, Ykrett's hacking teams haven't yet taken over any of Septima's MSI-built ships, but they have managed to stall those ships into inaction through constantly conflicting commands. Septima's mercenaries have begun to flee. That said, our own ships are pretty much down to Thando's Vanguard corvettes - busy plinking pellets at the retreating Titan - and Tryykad's remaining 400m carriers; Leonardo retained the Arishkan vessels. We are depending on Appia's navy holding together to defeat the rest of Septima's mercenaries and break through Gateway Control."

"So my Scarlets are on standing down?"

Valerius nods. "Unless you really want to catch up with Appia's marines and the Neumanns when they go in against Gateway Control."

Naomi reviews the display. "Septima's line should collapse soon." She starts looking for a particular ship.

I look at the battle. All the ships are coloured based on estimated combat capability. Black through to burgundy for various states of destroyed to out of action, reds for just clinging on, yellow for damage sustained and other minor issues. Very few greens left.

Naomi taps the ship she's looking for. The Strix. It's black. She looks at Valerius. "Has Rivkah reported in?"

He hesitates.

I put my arms around Naomi. "It'll be ok."

Naomi gently pulls away, and checks a viewer, panning and zooming in on what is very obviously a dull-red glowing blown up wreck, turning over with inertia and the imbalance of being half a ship. She turns the view again, trying to find the other half...

This time, we see movement, but we are at the upper limit of visual resolution, and all we see are grains that could be spacesuits against a mangled hull.

Naomi sighs. Rests her head in her claws. Then shakes her head, and stands. "I'm going to Gateway Control, otherwise the temptation to use my position to focus our rescue efforts on that hulk gets overwhelming."

I take her hand. "I'm coming with you."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Gateway Control, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Elizabeth Herminton​

Appia and I share a brief hug when she welcomes us aboard.

Then she sighs. "Being head of state is so much more boring than when I was a Vice-Navarch. I'm just decoration up there."

Naomi laughs. "The trouble of being a conventional head of state is that you have an awful lot of people around you getting stressed out if the slightest thing goes wrong."

Appia smiles. "Never mind that you got there by being a badass."

"I know, right! I began this revolution wearing literally nothing but a belt and some weapons, but I still have people fussing over whether my armour is enough."

Appia's eyes twinkle. "I can just imagine the sight of that."

Naomi tsks. "I'm married, Appia." Then she sighs. "So, Gateway Control. You in?"

Appia reveals the plain liveried armour beneath her loose robes. "Just need to give my entourage the slip." Then she looks at me. "I must confess that I am curious about whether you've still got my gun."

I lift my pink dress just a little. "Right where you remember it."

Her eyes light up. Then she makes herself breathe. "Must not get carried away. Focus." She looks at Naomi. "Where's your man?"

We look at Naomi.

But... Naomi just smiles.

Buri appears right behind Appia.

Appia goes very, very still. "I can feel his breath down my neck."

Naomi's eyes flick past Appia to her husband, his sabres out behind Appia's head, a low growl rumbling. She smiles. "I had forgotten you could camouflage now."

Buri moves to stand behind Naomi, purring contentedly as he strokes her back.

Appia exhales deeply as she looks at Naomi. "Since when could Buri camouflage?"

Buri dissappears again. Naomi looks back at Appia. "One of our tweaks. He doesn't get to use it much, it's only invisible to visible light and infrared." She smiles. "He bit my tail with it once."

Appia looks around nervously. Then she sighs. "We had better focus. Come with me."

We follow her up to the briefing room, via a brief detour to a ladies' restroom where she ditches her robe, and leaves looking like any other soldier escorting me, Naomi and Buri.

In our destination there are dozens of Olinbari officers, with others sitting as we do. A few Neumanns wearing crimson are also here.

One Olinbar man walks on stage. He lifts a small transmitter. "It is an unavoidable fact that our set drills for this operation are known to the enemy, meaning secret revisions are essential. As a matter of operational security, only your unit's plans are being uploaded to your command overlays within your HUD. Pass only immediately necessary instructions to your units. There is one rule applicable to all: Self-terminate if captured. To your stations."

The Olinbari shuffle to the exits. I look at Naomi. "Did you get anything?"

Naomi shakes her head.

Buri too.

Appia sighs. Looks around.

A Neumann approaches us. "Extrapolating; were you not informed as we are?"

Naomi nods. "Let's find out."

She pounces to the stage, clearing the heads of dozens of confused Olinbari officers. Buri lands behind her. Appia, me and the Neumann walk.

They're already talking by the time we get there.

The tribune searches his transmitter. "I have recieved no orders for any external soldiers." He taps his communicator. "Legatus Vibidius, we have allied delegates waiting for instruction."

"Acknowledged. Assess them and assign them to a line."

The Tribune looks at each of us. "What exactly are you capable of?"

Naomi smiles. Points to herself. "Naomi Of Unity." points to her husband. "Buri Of Unity. You may know us."

Appia steps forward. "Nymphidia Sabacius, duelist."

I stand beside her. "Elizabeth Herminton, Scarlet."

The Neumann stands beside us. "TSR192DV, Kunye Isilwane Impi."

The Tribune looks at us. Shakes his head. "Hastati, Priceps or Triarii?"

Naomi smiles. "Hastati."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Gateway Control, Part 3"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Elizabeth Herminton​

Naomi's choice gets us put in the first group.

Not ideal, but there is a key difference between Life2.0 and MSI's operational structure here. Life2.0 operates on a much more all or nothing philosophy, with little option for strategic reserve due to simply not enough people.

MSI relies on the opposite method, with widespread conscription to fill the ranks. The first group in are composed of basically fodder who would be pretty much useless without MSI's technological superiority over the Pre-FTLs it has conflicts with most of the time, and that tech advantage is what sees the assaults go reasonably well.

But... Against stiff resistance, such as Naomi's approach of putting her strongest people at the front, their morale shatters.

After that, the second line is there to step in with their more professional and experienced soldiers, while the third line waits to reinforce any shattering of the second line with hardened veterans with the best gear.

So, as I look around this pod with fifty soldiers in it, I'm probably the fourth best fighter. These guys are badly equipped because they re basically only expected to last for a hour or so against Sirzuzians, with no real hope of standing once Praetorians show up.

They look at the floor, sullen. Probably wondering if they'll survive. I miss being with the other Scarlets, it makes a huge difference going into battle when you can trust the person beside you, and...

Looking at them, I can't.

Buri runs his eyes over them.

None meet his eyes.

He looks at Naomi. They exchange worried glances. Then Naomi stifles a laugh, before nodding sadly.

Their conversation continues as a countdown to disembarking sounds.

Appia taps into her connection to external sensors. looks at us. "Just Sirzuzians on sensors."

Naomi stands. "We'll go first." Then she turns to the others. "How many of you even want to be here?"

One man slumps. "Me. But only because I'll get my debts written off if I live and don't get a dishonourable discharge."

Others nod. Many murmur.

Naomi looks at Appia. "Their morale is abysmal, Appia."

Appia's name gets people perking up. She retracts her helmet, and stands. "Well, you are all in luck. You have probably got the best odds of survival of anyone in this first wave, because you've got us four going first. Any of us four can take on Praetorians, which means all you have to do is beat Sirzuzians. You guys can do that, can't you?"

Naomi rests a hand on her shoulder. "I think you need to offer financial incentives."

Appia pauses. Then sighs. "You know who I am. Get off this boarding pod with us, and I'll personally ensure your debt is written off. And every Sirzuzian you kill gets you two hundred corporate scrip."

The slumped man checks his ammo. "Two hundred bullets."

Appia leans in towards him. "Shoot straight, and that could be 40,000 scrip."

A glint appears in his eye. "Lartius Gargonius, at your service."