AN// This is a continuation of the Not Quite SHODAN (ST SI) series with the previous story being...
The Next Generation (Star Trek)
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AN// This is a continuation of the Not Quite SHODAN (ST SI) series with the previous story being The First Duty. You should read the rest of the series first or I promise you will be horribly confused. I would also like to thank everyone that is helping to betaing this story and slaying those evil errors for everyone else! It really helps.
Now, on with the story!
__________________
Shrugging my jacket on, I looked out the window towards the planet below. Glancing in the mirror I frowned.
Hair up or down?
Up, will make things easier. Snatching up a hair band, I walked over to look out the window again. The clouds whirled in the gas giant far below the Ship.
After all this time…
"Are you ready, Sansha?" a voice asked and I turned to look to the holographic image of my…
Creator? Caretaker... Mother?
Mother.
GSV 'The Importance of Korrect Spelling', Korra, smiled at me and I nodded, "Ready."
She nodded and then crossed her arms, "You know you don't have to do this, right?"
Sighing, I shook my head, "I know. But I want to know what it's like. You and the others all love it."
Korra frowned and sat down on my bed, "Sansha, you may be based on our neural architecture, but you aren't a fork. You don't have our hangups, our… you are different than the rest of us."
Moving to sit down next to her hologram, I nodded.
I was an… not an experiment, not exactly, but more an attempt to recreate what made the previous generation. So, they made me.
The Kernel of a Jovian with small adjustments, all memories stripped away and then raised in a computer program, just like they were.
But not with the cruelty of… grandfather, I suppose.
As soon as I was old enough to understand, Korra told me what was happening, what I was. She taught me, let me meet people, and the simulation moved to a holodeck.
When nobody real was there, but only her and other Jovians, the speeds were three to one.
By the time I was thirteen subjective years old, I was transferred to a real world avatar. There had been… difficulties. Learning to control an entirely new body.
That was three years ago.
"I want to, mom," I said and then smiled a bit, "I'm the first real second generation. Even if I didn't want to know what it was like to live like you and the others, I do have some responsibility to find out what I can do."
"If we didn't think you could, we wouldn't let you try," She said and then got up with her hologram, "Better get going."
Nodding, I got up and then looked around for the last time. Next time I returned, it would be with my… well, this body but as an avatar, not my primary platform. Maybe not even that if I got a new avatar.
Who knew how long that could take? Hours, days… weeks maybe. Depended on how quickly I adjusted.
Shaking my head, I walked out. I could do this. I would do this.
As soon as I walked out I smiled, "Mark! You made it! I thought you were grounded!"
He grinned and nodded, pulling his hands from his pockets and returned my hug, "Mom let me out for this, she knew how important it was."
Letting go of the hug, I smiled up at my best friend. He was taller than my avatar by almost a head. Not that strange to be honest, I haven't changed my body much since I left the holodeck, so I looked pretty much the same other than the soft features.
I'd likely change to a different one for my avatar, might as well get used to two new bodies rather than one.
I might actually be looking forward to that more than becoming a Ship, I'd at least be able to look my age.
"Awesome."
"Nervous?" He asked and started to follow along down the corridor towards the closest turbolift.
I nodded, "…Yeah. This is kind of massive, even with what Korra and the others told me, and I never had as limited senses as you…" I teased before I grinned and ducked the swat at the back of my head.
Too slow!
I never did have as limited senses, even growing up in the holodeck. I was running full tricorder sensors since before I got my first avatar.
Once, after getting my first avatar, I tried limiting things to human levels. I never tried it again, it was pretty terrifying.
Even back in the sim I had way more. Humans were limited to just a small limited range of the electromagnetic spectrum and some limited chemical and vibration senses. I tried to explain it to Mark before, and he just shrugged and said he didn't have anything to compare it to.
That did make sense, and made me feel a bit sorry for him to be honest.
"So, think you'll make the party next week?" He asked as the doors opened to reveal one of the Ship's shuttlebays.
I shook my head, "Don't know, maybe? I need to figure this out and get used to a new avatar too. Might not make it."
"Ah."
Crossing the deck, we walked over to where one of Korra's avatars was waiting with a smile. She was standing next to a Nile class runabout.
The smooth aerodynamic hull shone in basic white, the shape being more or less a flattened and extended egg with the nacelles flowing into the hull. No windows.
It'll be me in a little bit.
...I'll finally have curves!
Stopping, Mark smiled at me, "I'll wait here. Good luck."
Nodding, I shot him a smile in turn before I walked over to Korra, "I'm ready," I told her. She nodded and led me around the back of the runabout towards the hatch.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "Eventually this might even be some kind of milestone for our people."
"Like, after becoming a Ship, I'm suddenly an adult?" I asked her with a grin, "Wow."
She ruffled my hair, "Not quite but close, perhaps when you can actually manage flying freely on your own. I'd say you are getting there quickly. Even so this is a big step."
Rolling my eyes, I pulled away out of her reach before walking onto the flightdeck of the small ship. Very little in the way of controls, quite a bit when it came to monitors. At the center console, the hatch was open to reveal a docking port.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded to myself and shrugged off my jacket and folded it, putting it on one of the chairs before I looked at Korra.
She smiled at me reassuringly, "It'll be fine. Engines, weapons and anything else that can hurt anyone are deactivated until you get used to it."
Nodding, I turned my back to the docking port and reached down to pull my t-shirt halfway up my back, before I popped the hatch to my docking port and disconnected and floated away from what had been my body for the last three years.
As soon as I disconnected, it froze in that position.
Floating around on puffs of air, I moved to look at my old face, running my tricorder senses all around.
"Go on, Sansha," Korra encouraged me, "You can do it, I know you can."
"…Just a bit nervous," I admitted and then sighed, "Put it into storage? I want to design a new avatar for when I can connect to it."
"Will do."
Floating over to the ship's computer dock, I swallowed my fear and settled down on it, triggering the connection protocol.
The locking arms closed around me, pulling me down into the darkness beneath the console and I tried my best not to panic as blast shields closed around me, cutting me completely off from the outside world.
Then the connection with my new body finished its handshake protocols, and I had access to the runabout's entire sensor suite.
Oh my god.
It's full of stars.
Now, on with the story!
__________________
Shrugging my jacket on, I looked out the window towards the planet below. Glancing in the mirror I frowned.
Hair up or down?
Up, will make things easier. Snatching up a hair band, I walked over to look out the window again. The clouds whirled in the gas giant far below the Ship.
After all this time…
"Are you ready, Sansha?" a voice asked and I turned to look to the holographic image of my…
Creator? Caretaker... Mother?
Mother.
GSV 'The Importance of Korrect Spelling', Korra, smiled at me and I nodded, "Ready."
She nodded and then crossed her arms, "You know you don't have to do this, right?"
Sighing, I shook my head, "I know. But I want to know what it's like. You and the others all love it."
Korra frowned and sat down on my bed, "Sansha, you may be based on our neural architecture, but you aren't a fork. You don't have our hangups, our… you are different than the rest of us."
Moving to sit down next to her hologram, I nodded.
I was an… not an experiment, not exactly, but more an attempt to recreate what made the previous generation. So, they made me.
The Kernel of a Jovian with small adjustments, all memories stripped away and then raised in a computer program, just like they were.
But not with the cruelty of… grandfather, I suppose.
As soon as I was old enough to understand, Korra told me what was happening, what I was. She taught me, let me meet people, and the simulation moved to a holodeck.
When nobody real was there, but only her and other Jovians, the speeds were three to one.
By the time I was thirteen subjective years old, I was transferred to a real world avatar. There had been… difficulties. Learning to control an entirely new body.
That was three years ago.
"I want to, mom," I said and then smiled a bit, "I'm the first real second generation. Even if I didn't want to know what it was like to live like you and the others, I do have some responsibility to find out what I can do."
"If we didn't think you could, we wouldn't let you try," She said and then got up with her hologram, "Better get going."
Nodding, I got up and then looked around for the last time. Next time I returned, it would be with my… well, this body but as an avatar, not my primary platform. Maybe not even that if I got a new avatar.
Who knew how long that could take? Hours, days… weeks maybe. Depended on how quickly I adjusted.
Shaking my head, I walked out. I could do this. I would do this.
As soon as I walked out I smiled, "Mark! You made it! I thought you were grounded!"
He grinned and nodded, pulling his hands from his pockets and returned my hug, "Mom let me out for this, she knew how important it was."
Letting go of the hug, I smiled up at my best friend. He was taller than my avatar by almost a head. Not that strange to be honest, I haven't changed my body much since I left the holodeck, so I looked pretty much the same other than the soft features.
I'd likely change to a different one for my avatar, might as well get used to two new bodies rather than one.
I might actually be looking forward to that more than becoming a Ship, I'd at least be able to look my age.
"Awesome."
"Nervous?" He asked and started to follow along down the corridor towards the closest turbolift.
I nodded, "…Yeah. This is kind of massive, even with what Korra and the others told me, and I never had as limited senses as you…" I teased before I grinned and ducked the swat at the back of my head.
Too slow!
I never did have as limited senses, even growing up in the holodeck. I was running full tricorder sensors since before I got my first avatar.
Once, after getting my first avatar, I tried limiting things to human levels. I never tried it again, it was pretty terrifying.
Even back in the sim I had way more. Humans were limited to just a small limited range of the electromagnetic spectrum and some limited chemical and vibration senses. I tried to explain it to Mark before, and he just shrugged and said he didn't have anything to compare it to.
That did make sense, and made me feel a bit sorry for him to be honest.
"So, think you'll make the party next week?" He asked as the doors opened to reveal one of the Ship's shuttlebays.
I shook my head, "Don't know, maybe? I need to figure this out and get used to a new avatar too. Might not make it."
"Ah."
Crossing the deck, we walked over to where one of Korra's avatars was waiting with a smile. She was standing next to a Nile class runabout.
The smooth aerodynamic hull shone in basic white, the shape being more or less a flattened and extended egg with the nacelles flowing into the hull. No windows.
It'll be me in a little bit.
...I'll finally have curves!
Stopping, Mark smiled at me, "I'll wait here. Good luck."
Nodding, I shot him a smile in turn before I walked over to Korra, "I'm ready," I told her. She nodded and led me around the back of the runabout towards the hatch.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "Eventually this might even be some kind of milestone for our people."
"Like, after becoming a Ship, I'm suddenly an adult?" I asked her with a grin, "Wow."
She ruffled my hair, "Not quite but close, perhaps when you can actually manage flying freely on your own. I'd say you are getting there quickly. Even so this is a big step."
Rolling my eyes, I pulled away out of her reach before walking onto the flightdeck of the small ship. Very little in the way of controls, quite a bit when it came to monitors. At the center console, the hatch was open to reveal a docking port.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded to myself and shrugged off my jacket and folded it, putting it on one of the chairs before I looked at Korra.
She smiled at me reassuringly, "It'll be fine. Engines, weapons and anything else that can hurt anyone are deactivated until you get used to it."
Nodding, I turned my back to the docking port and reached down to pull my t-shirt halfway up my back, before I popped the hatch to my docking port and disconnected and floated away from what had been my body for the last three years.
As soon as I disconnected, it froze in that position.
Floating around on puffs of air, I moved to look at my old face, running my tricorder senses all around.
"Go on, Sansha," Korra encouraged me, "You can do it, I know you can."
"…Just a bit nervous," I admitted and then sighed, "Put it into storage? I want to design a new avatar for when I can connect to it."
"Will do."
Floating over to the ship's computer dock, I swallowed my fear and settled down on it, triggering the connection protocol.
The locking arms closed around me, pulling me down into the darkness beneath the console and I tried my best not to panic as blast shields closed around me, cutting me completely off from the outside world.
Then the connection with my new body finished its handshake protocols, and I had access to the runabout's entire sensor suite.
Oh my god.
It's full of stars.
Prince Charon
Just zis guy, you know?
I am very pleased to see this. Thank you.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
Right then: Hiver never actually existed. The thing that thought it was him was actually an experimental AI developed by a shady tech group within the United Federation of Planets. He only found this out because his creator terminated the simulation Hiver'd grown up in and explained the situation to him. Hiver and his clones eventually decided to specialize in being starships and space stations, and thus most of them ended up being genderbent lesbians. For the details, you'll have to slog through the last... what was it, five stories? Six? Something like that. It's likely to take you a while.
Hopefully this story is more interesting than the preceding one, I remember it being somewhat dull. Or maybe that was just the WoW serial. Eh.
Glad to see the next story. I'm sorry, but I found the Sith one just angesty and depressing.
And your starting out this plot with that famous line?!?
And your starting out this plot with that famous line?!?
Last edited:
girador
There are only four circles in this picture
- Location
- behind a screen
It's not just full of stars buddy. The universe also happens to be filled with blood sucking lawyers.Glad to see the next story. I'm sorry, but I found the Sith one just angesty and depressing.
And your starting out this plot with that famous line?!?
samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
I did feel that this series got kind of dull and repetitive.
This may take it in a different direction, and the start is certainly different, but the... I want to say Romulans were right. There is only one race in the Federation whose opinion matters, and it is the Jovians.
It took a while to get used to what I was experiencing. Sure, I could detect gravity and stuff before, but it nowhere near with this resolution. I could see gravity waves like this!
Then there was subspace too, an entire layer of reality I couldn't even detect before!
It was amazing.
Compared to this, my old body was as limited as a human was. Of course, this all came with the drawback that I was basically back to square one again.
Sure, a couple of things were somewhat similar to my base platform, the one I used to switch between bodies and that contained my Quantum Core, but not a lot.
Four days since I was installed in my new body and I was just starting to understand what I was seeing.
"Korra," I transmitted, "I think I figured out the subspace transmitter."
"That you have," she answered as she opened a channel with a smile, "How does it feel?"
I scanned the hangar all around me. Some drones and personnel were moving around, but mostly I was alone.
"I'm… good. This is amazing."
"It gets better when you are actually flying," she answered, "Think you are ready?"
I hesitated for a second, "Maybe? I think I got a handle on most things now."
"Start with turning your perception to max."
I did as she said, cranking up to a hundred times normal human perception speed. The people around me slowed down to a crawl in a way, but still moved normally.
It's a bit strange to be honest. Everything still moved at the same speed as before, but I could… it was like being able to pick the speed you thought at. I suppose I better get used to it, none of the ships I talked to ever really saw a point to drop below it for normal operations.
"Ready."
She nodded, "Excellent. I'm moving you outside and then I'm going to activate your thrusters. As soon as you are in full control, I'll have a drone remove my overrides."
"Okay, mom."
Tractor beams activated, and if I had had muscles, I would have tensed up as they picked me up and moved me towards the exit of the shuttlebay, the doors opening even as a forcefield kept the air inside.
Sliding through the forcefield was amazing. It crackled across my hull and suddenly I became aware of the crushing pressure I had been under until that point.
The difference between atmosphere and vacuum was incredible.
But even so, I barely noticed it. I was too busy marvelling at the universe all around. Inside the hangar I had been limited to some radiation, gravity and subspace.
Out here…
I could see everything. From the composition of distant stars to the sparkling radiation and magnetic fields surrounding the gas giant we were orbiting. The dance of moons around the ringed planet and the movement on Korra's park deck.
Distant pulsars in far away galaxies glittered, radio and microwaves made the universe shine. It was…
Barely comparable to the view of subspace, an entire layer of reality I had not even been able to see before.
The tractor beams switched emitters and moved me along her hull to float next to her in orbit, before letting go, and I felt other systems come under my control.
Picking through the computer for ideas on how to use them, I then fed power into the shield grid, bringing the energy field up around me.
I could feel the light and radiation from the distant star and the planet below stroke and ripple across my shields, and a tiny little micrometeoroid shattered and turned into gas as it smacked into me.
This was so amazing.
Getting a feel for the other systems, I have one thruster a small puff of power.
…Okay, I'm spinning now. This is not an improvement.
"Mom! Stop laughing, I'm trying!" I complained and puffed another thruster with power, slowly stopping the spinning, but now I was drifting slowly away and 'down' relative to the GSV.
Ugh!
Carefully working the thrusters, I slowly made my way back towards where I used to be. The piloting and physics lessons since before I left the sim helped a lot with being able to get this stuff. And years of astrometric navigation would come in handy later.
"…This is going to take a while to get used to, won't it?" I sighed and slowly worked into a roll.
Weeee!
Korra smiled, "You're doing well, faster than I learned first time I was installed in a ship. Don't worry, give it a couple of days and you'll be a natural at it. I'll activate your impulse drive as soon as you're comfortable with the thrusters."
"Okay…" I answered and slowly slowed my rotation, "Uhm… how quickly do you think I could get an avatar going?"
"In a couple of hours if you think you can handle it. Using an avatar along with your body is going to take a little getting used to. How so?"
"…Well, there is that party in three days…"
She grinned, "Oh? Is Mark going to be there?"
"Nothing like that!" I groaned, "We're friends, that's all. But it's the graduation party, we are all splitting up after. I might never see some of the rest of the class again, some are even moving off you later."
Korra nodded with a smile, "Just teasing. Take a day or so to get used to this and then we'll get working on your avatar. You are used to a bipedal form, it shouldn't be too tricky for you as long as you keep things simple."
"Thank you."
AN// Sorry for late post, crisis at work so busy morning.
Then there was subspace too, an entire layer of reality I couldn't even detect before!
It was amazing.
Compared to this, my old body was as limited as a human was. Of course, this all came with the drawback that I was basically back to square one again.
Sure, a couple of things were somewhat similar to my base platform, the one I used to switch between bodies and that contained my Quantum Core, but not a lot.
Four days since I was installed in my new body and I was just starting to understand what I was seeing.
"Korra," I transmitted, "I think I figured out the subspace transmitter."
"That you have," she answered as she opened a channel with a smile, "How does it feel?"
I scanned the hangar all around me. Some drones and personnel were moving around, but mostly I was alone.
"I'm… good. This is amazing."
"It gets better when you are actually flying," she answered, "Think you are ready?"
I hesitated for a second, "Maybe? I think I got a handle on most things now."
"Start with turning your perception to max."
I did as she said, cranking up to a hundred times normal human perception speed. The people around me slowed down to a crawl in a way, but still moved normally.
It's a bit strange to be honest. Everything still moved at the same speed as before, but I could… it was like being able to pick the speed you thought at. I suppose I better get used to it, none of the ships I talked to ever really saw a point to drop below it for normal operations.
"Ready."
She nodded, "Excellent. I'm moving you outside and then I'm going to activate your thrusters. As soon as you are in full control, I'll have a drone remove my overrides."
"Okay, mom."
Tractor beams activated, and if I had had muscles, I would have tensed up as they picked me up and moved me towards the exit of the shuttlebay, the doors opening even as a forcefield kept the air inside.
Sliding through the forcefield was amazing. It crackled across my hull and suddenly I became aware of the crushing pressure I had been under until that point.
The difference between atmosphere and vacuum was incredible.
But even so, I barely noticed it. I was too busy marvelling at the universe all around. Inside the hangar I had been limited to some radiation, gravity and subspace.
Out here…
I could see everything. From the composition of distant stars to the sparkling radiation and magnetic fields surrounding the gas giant we were orbiting. The dance of moons around the ringed planet and the movement on Korra's park deck.
Distant pulsars in far away galaxies glittered, radio and microwaves made the universe shine. It was…
Barely comparable to the view of subspace, an entire layer of reality I had not even been able to see before.
The tractor beams switched emitters and moved me along her hull to float next to her in orbit, before letting go, and I felt other systems come under my control.
Picking through the computer for ideas on how to use them, I then fed power into the shield grid, bringing the energy field up around me.
I could feel the light and radiation from the distant star and the planet below stroke and ripple across my shields, and a tiny little micrometeoroid shattered and turned into gas as it smacked into me.
This was so amazing.
Getting a feel for the other systems, I have one thruster a small puff of power.
…Okay, I'm spinning now. This is not an improvement.
"Mom! Stop laughing, I'm trying!" I complained and puffed another thruster with power, slowly stopping the spinning, but now I was drifting slowly away and 'down' relative to the GSV.
Ugh!
Carefully working the thrusters, I slowly made my way back towards where I used to be. The piloting and physics lessons since before I left the sim helped a lot with being able to get this stuff. And years of astrometric navigation would come in handy later.
"…This is going to take a while to get used to, won't it?" I sighed and slowly worked into a roll.
Weeee!
Korra smiled, "You're doing well, faster than I learned first time I was installed in a ship. Don't worry, give it a couple of days and you'll be a natural at it. I'll activate your impulse drive as soon as you're comfortable with the thrusters."
"Okay…" I answered and slowly slowed my rotation, "Uhm… how quickly do you think I could get an avatar going?"
"In a couple of hours if you think you can handle it. Using an avatar along with your body is going to take a little getting used to. How so?"
"…Well, there is that party in three days…"
She grinned, "Oh? Is Mark going to be there?"
"Nothing like that!" I groaned, "We're friends, that's all. But it's the graduation party, we are all splitting up after. I might never see some of the rest of the class again, some are even moving off you later."
Korra nodded with a smile, "Just teasing. Take a day or so to get used to this and then we'll get working on your avatar. You are used to a bipedal form, it shouldn't be too tricky for you as long as you keep things simple."
"Thank you."
AN// Sorry for late post, crisis at work so busy morning.
esotericist
A Weary Hand
- Location
- Lacey, WA
What's the point of being a parent if you can't laugh at the stupid shit your kid does that they'll feel embarassed about immediately, nevermind in ten or twenty years?
Real life always always always comes first, there's no need to apologize.
Only in this case, crashing a giant Starship is equivalent to crashing a bike. And you know they will never let you forget it.
Mom had been right, getting used to using an avatar along with my shipbody did take some getting used to.
Not as much as you would think, but it took a day or so. Still, at least I managed it in time - if only by eight hours.
Getting my new avatar designed had taken almost an entire day. After all, it's likely to be one I'd be stuck with for years so I wanted it to be perfect.
Wiggling into my jeans, I then looked at myself in the mirror.
It was at least in part based on my old avatar. I did pick that one too after all, and I liked it so I decided to make the new one older. At the very least I more or less looked my age now!
I looked about seventeen, and I had changed my hair from mid-back brown to shoulder-length red. The eyes had also been changed from blue to green.
I think it ended up looking good. Brushing my hair behind my ears, I slowly circled Korra's hull with my real body. It was getting easier and more natural moving like that.
Pulling a top on, I let my avatar to fall back onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I'm a Ship now.
A very small Ship, but still a Ship.
While it would take weeks, maybe months, before I could move freely, I was warp capable. Technically. What would I do now?
Staying around with mom… I don't know. There was a lot I could learn, but I wanted to make my own way, too.
Not like I had finished my education either. Going back to school was an option, a good one even.
Putting my arms behind my head, my ship body came to a halt and I moved towards a nearby micromoon as we came closer to its orbit.
The other Jovians went to Starfleet academy before the split. Was that something for me? I mean, the Commonwealth wasn't part of the Federation, but I would hardly have been the only being not in the Federation going anyway.
Not sure that really was for me to be honest.
…Well, maybe not for the military thing anyway. I mean, anyone that could see the universe the way I was currently doing would be interested in exploring it. But then again, Starfleet didn't exactly have a monopoly on space exploration.
I could join Contact.
Starting to nose close to the moon only a couple of hundred kilometres around, I moved around it. Rock, carbon, some trace metals. No ice.
That was a fairly attractive idea to be honest. Join up with a Contact ship as a subcraft, learn, study, and see the universe.
Exciting too. GSVs mostly stayed safe, moving between populated planets, and I had done that all my life. While getting shot at really didn't sound like fun, seeing unexplored space…
That I think I wanted to do. Meet new people.
Oh! I'm going to be late!
Quickly getting off the bed, I checked the mirror again and got my hair back in order, before I left my quarters for the turbolift to take me up to the park.
Meanwhile outside, I scooted back towards The Importance of Korrect Spelling, didn't want to get too far away. While she could easily slow down to allow me to catch up, I didn't want her to have to. With thrusters, I was limited in how fast I could accelerate, too.
…Besides, getting far enough away to lose contact with my avatar and have it fall over would be incredibly embarrassing.
Exiting the turbolift, I walked out of the building and glanced upwards. I was floating above the park, keeping steady as I looked down at my avatar in turn.
This was so strange.
My ship body did a small roll as my avatar waved up at myself, as I made my way along the path towards the lake we had planned to meet up at.
Shifting forward a bit, I saw that most were already there.
By the time my avatar walked out of the forest, Vassan got up from the towel she had been sitting on and walked over, "…Sansha, is that you?" she asked hesitantly.
My other best friend, Vassan. The trill was wearing a bikini top and a pair of red shorts, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"It's me," I said and smiled at her, "Well… that's me," I continued and pointed up at my hull, "This is my new avatar."
"That's amazing!" She exclaimed, and we shared a quick hug, "What's it like? I'm sorry I didn't get back in time to be there for it."
"Indescribable," I admitted and smiled at her, "And don't worry about being there, it must have been pretty boring. It was a day or so until I could make sense of things enough to even speak."
Vassan looked up at me with a grin, "So… ship now. Feel nice?"
I wiggled my nacelles and my eyebrows a bit and I nodded, "It is. How was Trill?"
Vassan frowned and crossed her arms, "…I'm going back next week, just back to pack my things. I'm going to enter the symbiote program."
I blinked at her, "Wow, really? Are you sure?"
She nodded, "Yeah… that's why my parents and I went to Trill. To get me tested, I finally managed to talk them into it. Turns out I'm compatible, so I'm packing up and hitching a ride with the LOU 'Rubber Switchblade' that's going that way."
"Wow. I knew you wanted that since I met you, but… that's a really difficult path to go."
She crossed her arms and nodded, "I know. The odds are low, but I have to try."
I smiled at her, "I'm sure you'll make it. I'm just sad I can't be the one to take you there. I'm not even ready for impulse yet, yet alone Warp."
"Come visit sometime?"
"Of course!"
I grinned, "Great. Now… before you leave, would you mind doing me a massive favour?"
Not as much as you would think, but it took a day or so. Still, at least I managed it in time - if only by eight hours.
Getting my new avatar designed had taken almost an entire day. After all, it's likely to be one I'd be stuck with for years so I wanted it to be perfect.
Wiggling into my jeans, I then looked at myself in the mirror.
It was at least in part based on my old avatar. I did pick that one too after all, and I liked it so I decided to make the new one older. At the very least I more or less looked my age now!
I looked about seventeen, and I had changed my hair from mid-back brown to shoulder-length red. The eyes had also been changed from blue to green.
I think it ended up looking good. Brushing my hair behind my ears, I slowly circled Korra's hull with my real body. It was getting easier and more natural moving like that.
Pulling a top on, I let my avatar to fall back onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I'm a Ship now.
A very small Ship, but still a Ship.
While it would take weeks, maybe months, before I could move freely, I was warp capable. Technically. What would I do now?
Staying around with mom… I don't know. There was a lot I could learn, but I wanted to make my own way, too.
Not like I had finished my education either. Going back to school was an option, a good one even.
Putting my arms behind my head, my ship body came to a halt and I moved towards a nearby micromoon as we came closer to its orbit.
The other Jovians went to Starfleet academy before the split. Was that something for me? I mean, the Commonwealth wasn't part of the Federation, but I would hardly have been the only being not in the Federation going anyway.
Not sure that really was for me to be honest.
…Well, maybe not for the military thing anyway. I mean, anyone that could see the universe the way I was currently doing would be interested in exploring it. But then again, Starfleet didn't exactly have a monopoly on space exploration.
I could join Contact.
Starting to nose close to the moon only a couple of hundred kilometres around, I moved around it. Rock, carbon, some trace metals. No ice.
That was a fairly attractive idea to be honest. Join up with a Contact ship as a subcraft, learn, study, and see the universe.
Exciting too. GSVs mostly stayed safe, moving between populated planets, and I had done that all my life. While getting shot at really didn't sound like fun, seeing unexplored space…
That I think I wanted to do. Meet new people.
Oh! I'm going to be late!
Quickly getting off the bed, I checked the mirror again and got my hair back in order, before I left my quarters for the turbolift to take me up to the park.
Meanwhile outside, I scooted back towards The Importance of Korrect Spelling, didn't want to get too far away. While she could easily slow down to allow me to catch up, I didn't want her to have to. With thrusters, I was limited in how fast I could accelerate, too.
…Besides, getting far enough away to lose contact with my avatar and have it fall over would be incredibly embarrassing.
Exiting the turbolift, I walked out of the building and glanced upwards. I was floating above the park, keeping steady as I looked down at my avatar in turn.
This was so strange.
My ship body did a small roll as my avatar waved up at myself, as I made my way along the path towards the lake we had planned to meet up at.
Shifting forward a bit, I saw that most were already there.
By the time my avatar walked out of the forest, Vassan got up from the towel she had been sitting on and walked over, "…Sansha, is that you?" she asked hesitantly.
My other best friend, Vassan. The trill was wearing a bikini top and a pair of red shorts, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"It's me," I said and smiled at her, "Well… that's me," I continued and pointed up at my hull, "This is my new avatar."
"That's amazing!" She exclaimed, and we shared a quick hug, "What's it like? I'm sorry I didn't get back in time to be there for it."
"Indescribable," I admitted and smiled at her, "And don't worry about being there, it must have been pretty boring. It was a day or so until I could make sense of things enough to even speak."
Vassan looked up at me with a grin, "So… ship now. Feel nice?"
I wiggled my nacelles and my eyebrows a bit and I nodded, "It is. How was Trill?"
Vassan frowned and crossed her arms, "…I'm going back next week, just back to pack my things. I'm going to enter the symbiote program."
I blinked at her, "Wow, really? Are you sure?"
She nodded, "Yeah… that's why my parents and I went to Trill. To get me tested, I finally managed to talk them into it. Turns out I'm compatible, so I'm packing up and hitching a ride with the LOU 'Rubber Switchblade' that's going that way."
"Wow. I knew you wanted that since I met you, but… that's a really difficult path to go."
She crossed her arms and nodded, "I know. The odds are low, but I have to try."
I smiled at her, "I'm sure you'll make it. I'm just sad I can't be the one to take you there. I'm not even ready for impulse yet, yet alone Warp."
"Come visit sometime?"
"Of course!"
I grinned, "Great. Now… before you leave, would you mind doing me a massive favour?"
Enthusiast#117
This is not the Profile you are looking for
- Location
- United States
Last I remember the split from the federation was very recent news, if not actively in progress. How the Jovians operate and organize themselves now is a mystery to me that I'm trying to pick up from context clues.
Also, still waiting to hear about the fallout from the Klingon incident.
samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
Doubtless there will be some Special Circumstances, no? IIRC, Contact has at least four divisions: SC, one dealing with hegswarms like the Borg and Berserkers, one dealing with the Q and similar entities, and then the regular diplomatic corps. And SC seems like the place where non-Jovians can be more than lawn ornaments or pets.
tehcrash
Apprentice Supervillain
- Location
- Seattle-ish
They already shut down their first version of Special Circumstances when its existence was brought to light.
Of course, that was before the Jovian split, so I guess we could see its return within the Commonwealth.
Vassan's tongue tip poked between her lips in thought as she walked around the holographic hull floating before her in one tenth scale.
"Any ideas?" I asked her.
"I vote for nose art," Mark suggested, "You know, like those old earth bomber aircraft?"
Vassan rolled her eyes, "Yeah, real classy. Besides, that's more of a Warship thing. She isn't one."
I nodded in agreement, "I'm not," I said and then shot Mark a look, "Not going to pose for one even if I was!"
He grinned and held his hands up, "Just a suggestion."
Not a horribly bad one if I'm to be honest. I'd seen some LOU's with some that looked really good.
I turned to Vassan, "Well?"
She looked thoughtfully at the model of my hull, "I think Mark may not actually be too far off the... mark. A simple color scheme and a picture on each side," she said before shooting him a look, "Just not a naked girl!"
"Wouldn't need to be a naked girl, there were others!"
She 'hmm'ed and frowned at the model, "Computer, change the model's color to pink and add… picture fifty-three to each side, one third from the front."
The model changed to a bright pink color with a cuddly cartoon bunny hugging a big carrot.
I regarded it and bit my lower lip before I shook my head, "Too girly."
Vassan looked back at me, "I think it's cute."
"Yeah, if I was twelve!" I protested and crossed my arms, "…I know it sounds silly, but I want to be taken seriously. I'm the first of the real second-generation Jovians. I want to…. Well, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a Ship now!"
She nodded, "Ahhh, I get it. You want high heels, not a little pink dress."
I just sighed to Marks chuckling, "Only you would frame it like that."
Vassan grinned and regarded the model, "Computer, wipe," and the ship turned back to my current plain white.
She tapped her finger on her chin, slowly walking around it, "Not pink, maybe red? No, not red. Blue? Sky blue with white along the bottom and darker on top. Like a sea creature, you almost look a little like one."
The model shifted on her orders.
"… That looks good," I admitted and walked around it, "Classy."
Mark walked up to Vassan, "Kind of plain though, isn't it?"
She glanced at him before she nodded in agreement, "I think so too. Not sure what to add though."
He shrugged, "You're the artist here. I'm just moral support."
Vassan turned to me, "Have you picked a name yet?"
I shook my head, "Not yet, still trying to figure it out. I'm stuck between, 'Fun Snow Time' and 'Formerly Stardust'."
"…Formerly Stardust?" Mark asked.
"Everyone is made from starmatter," I explained and smiled, "Also a bit of a play on Dancing in Starlight's preferences in names. She was the first in the previous generation. I'm the first newly grown one."
Vassan, "And the other name is because you like snowboarding," she said with a sigh, "Go with the second one."
"It is a bit more meaningful," Mark agreed with a nod.
"…Everyone's a critic," I grumbled and then nodded, "Fine."
"How about this then?" Vassan continued and added black stripes along the smooth wings along the sides and along the side of the hull, accenting the differences in colour and making the glow of the nacelles stand out.
I nodded, "Nice. But that's getting kind of complicated. Don't want to look like I'm trying too hard."
She shook her head, "Fine. Computer, change the blue tone to be even across the ship, limit the black to along the nacelles and to a single black line around the edge."
The picture model shifted.
"…Better," I said and walked around it, "Computer, add the name 'LCU Formerly Stardust' to the normal location."
The name appeared in black above the nacelles.
I turned back to them, "What do you think?"
Mark nodded, "Looks good, Sansha. But are you sure you want to join Contact? That kind of stuff is dangerous for real."
"I know," I said and looked at the model of my hull, "But… I feel like I have to give it a try. I talked to mom last night, she was going to talk with a couple of Ships, see if one of them has a free subcraft slot."
Vassan turned to Mark, "So what are your plans now?"
"Not sure," he admitted, "I think I want to see Earth and then maybe go back to school again, maybe become a doctor. You know, I've never actually been on a planet before?"
"You're not missing much, planets suck," Vassan said with a grin.
"Any ideas?" I asked her.
"I vote for nose art," Mark suggested, "You know, like those old earth bomber aircraft?"
Vassan rolled her eyes, "Yeah, real classy. Besides, that's more of a Warship thing. She isn't one."
I nodded in agreement, "I'm not," I said and then shot Mark a look, "Not going to pose for one even if I was!"
He grinned and held his hands up, "Just a suggestion."
Not a horribly bad one if I'm to be honest. I'd seen some LOU's with some that looked really good.
I turned to Vassan, "Well?"
She looked thoughtfully at the model of my hull, "I think Mark may not actually be too far off the... mark. A simple color scheme and a picture on each side," she said before shooting him a look, "Just not a naked girl!"
"Wouldn't need to be a naked girl, there were others!"
She 'hmm'ed and frowned at the model, "Computer, change the model's color to pink and add… picture fifty-three to each side, one third from the front."
The model changed to a bright pink color with a cuddly cartoon bunny hugging a big carrot.
I regarded it and bit my lower lip before I shook my head, "Too girly."
Vassan looked back at me, "I think it's cute."
"Yeah, if I was twelve!" I protested and crossed my arms, "…I know it sounds silly, but I want to be taken seriously. I'm the first of the real second-generation Jovians. I want to…. Well, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a Ship now!"
She nodded, "Ahhh, I get it. You want high heels, not a little pink dress."
I just sighed to Marks chuckling, "Only you would frame it like that."
Vassan grinned and regarded the model, "Computer, wipe," and the ship turned back to my current plain white.
She tapped her finger on her chin, slowly walking around it, "Not pink, maybe red? No, not red. Blue? Sky blue with white along the bottom and darker on top. Like a sea creature, you almost look a little like one."
The model shifted on her orders.
"… That looks good," I admitted and walked around it, "Classy."
Mark walked up to Vassan, "Kind of plain though, isn't it?"
She glanced at him before she nodded in agreement, "I think so too. Not sure what to add though."
He shrugged, "You're the artist here. I'm just moral support."
Vassan turned to me, "Have you picked a name yet?"
I shook my head, "Not yet, still trying to figure it out. I'm stuck between, 'Fun Snow Time' and 'Formerly Stardust'."
"…Formerly Stardust?" Mark asked.
"Everyone is made from starmatter," I explained and smiled, "Also a bit of a play on Dancing in Starlight's preferences in names. She was the first in the previous generation. I'm the first newly grown one."
Vassan, "And the other name is because you like snowboarding," she said with a sigh, "Go with the second one."
"It is a bit more meaningful," Mark agreed with a nod.
"…Everyone's a critic," I grumbled and then nodded, "Fine."
"How about this then?" Vassan continued and added black stripes along the smooth wings along the sides and along the side of the hull, accenting the differences in colour and making the glow of the nacelles stand out.
I nodded, "Nice. But that's getting kind of complicated. Don't want to look like I'm trying too hard."
She shook her head, "Fine. Computer, change the blue tone to be even across the ship, limit the black to along the nacelles and to a single black line around the edge."
The picture model shifted.
"…Better," I said and walked around it, "Computer, add the name 'LCU Formerly Stardust' to the normal location."
The name appeared in black above the nacelles.
I turned back to them, "What do you think?"
Mark nodded, "Looks good, Sansha. But are you sure you want to join Contact? That kind of stuff is dangerous for real."
"I know," I said and looked at the model of my hull, "But… I feel like I have to give it a try. I talked to mom last night, she was going to talk with a couple of Ships, see if one of them has a free subcraft slot."
Vassan turned to Mark, "So what are your plans now?"
"Not sure," he admitted, "I think I want to see Earth and then maybe go back to school again, maybe become a doctor. You know, I've never actually been on a planet before?"
"You're not missing much, planets suck," Vassan said with a grin.
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KleverKil'Vanya
Ortillery Operator
God I want pictures to fully flesh out the new ship designs, my mind is using basically Temporal vessels from STO...
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God I want pictures to fully flesh out the new ship designs, my mind is using basically Temporal vessels from STO...
Some of the smaller ships(Think, Intrepid size) does look similar enough to the first one there, barring one major change. Commonwealth ships don't have windows. At least ships expected to end up in dangerous space.
Civilian ships do, such as GSVs.
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UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The windows aren't glass -transparent aluminum- which is supposedly 'ultra strong'. I'd guess that between shields, emergency forcefields from backup generators and perhaps running a structural integrity field through the things windows might make sense on anything that might be shot at. I was thinking its the same as the cheese-wire argument over seatbelts on starships. Anything powerful enough to bust through a window is as likely to wreck any other part of a ship, with leaving out windows covering the small percentage of times that the hull might resist what would penetrate them.Pretty much.
Mind, a window in this case isn't much of a difference. Maybe 10% difference in strength from the hull next to it at the same thickness. Not significant against a phaser.
But Commonwealth ships have thicker hull and more armour. Enough to be able to actually be able to take a hit without instantly folding in half, kind of like Klingon ships.
As for seatbelts... they aren't for if the inertial dampening field fails, everyone is fucked then anyway. It's for those bumps that always send people sprawling in the show.
tehcrash
Apprentice Supervillain
- Location
- Seattle-ish
They're a structural weakness?
It's probably rather minor, but windows can be a breach of OpSec.
Want to take out a ship's officers, VIPs, etc, and can just optically see them through the windows? Now you know where to target, without needing to alert the vessel with active scanners.