Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Uh....no. The hull of the Adamant is made from Inviolate Matter. Void Crystals are small.
The Secrets' Crusade
- Thread starter Snowfire
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
Uh....no. The hull of the Adamant is made from Inviolate Matter. Void Crystals are small.
- Location
- Somewhere other than where I am.
I thought that Inviolate Matter was derived from Void Crystal. Looks like my memory is playing tricks on me again. *sigh* Getting old sucks.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
S'all good. Inviolate Matter is essentially energetically reinforced normal matter. It's incredibly resistant to damage, but it's also heavily limited due to the field coherence behind it falling apart if you try and use it for something outside of a rather tight mass band. The Adamant is about as large as any ship made from the stuff could get, and there's no way it could be made viable as an FTL capable craft without what the Uninvolved are giving you.
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[X] Shakedown: In the mission to come, you will need to know your crew. Join Amanda for a brief introduction to the Adamant and those who will aid you in the mission to come.
With A Bang
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
This is crossposted from the flash-fiction thread at the suggestion of my Discord. For those interested, Amanda and Mary are somewhere in their late twenties as of this scenario. If it actually took place or not is another matter entirely. Written very late last night, so please do excuse any errors. Also blame @Aleph, as this is 100% her fault.
"Do you think she's gotten bored yet?" You asked, looking up from where you'd be resting your head on Mary's shoulder. Your friend didn't answer, her tongue poking out one side of her mouth as she moved a few more sparkling jewels across the enormous virtual screen she'd brought up in front of her. She'd been at it for, you checked the timer on the bottom-right, six hours now? Really?
You loved your youngest sister, but you did wonder when she was going to work out that her continuous efforts to lock you in well-appointed closets were sometimes welcome reprieves. Although how she'd managed to get this one into your flat…she must have convinced Cal and Misha. How had she done that?
"Mary?" You whined, one hand sneaking up your friend's side as she continued to be distracted by the panorama of glittering graphics. "She has to be bored by now, right?" Your hand scuttled a little further, almost in range.
"She's your sister, Mandy," the brunette replied, calmly reaching down and catching your hand before it could reach its target. You pouted up at her, considering a second attempt for a moment, before she calmly interlaced her fingers with your own. "And," she stopped, breathing in sharply as she pulled a diamond across to swap places with an equally animated sapphire. The two gems clicked into place and…absolutely nothing happened.
You blinked, trying to make sure that you hadn't started hallucinating after six hours spent in here. The two parallel lines of gems hovered in place, steadfastly refusing to detonate. "Mary, what the," you started, would have started, to say. Then the processor caught up with the mathematical abomination your friend had committed, and you shot back from the screen with a shriek of surprise as the display simply exploded.
You were dimly aware of Mary's so contagious it should be banned cackling behind your cry of shock. You were more aware of how you'd latched onto her as the explosions just kept coming. Why weren't they stopping? There was meant to be a limit on how far you could stack chains.
"Mary!" You yelled over the escalating din. "What did you do?"
"Non-repeating randomisation my ass!" She shrieked back through gales of laughter. "I knew there was a pattern hidden in there. I just had to go far enough to find it!" The detonations gave no sign of slowing.
"Did you just spend the last six hours breaking the latest update of BeJewel again?" You asked. It would have come out more menacingly if you hadn't been forced to shout.
"Maybe!" Mary rolled, dragging you around with her to reach down and fish her communicator from where she'd left it in the small sliver of ground next to the bed. Taking a moment to brush her hair against your arm, she started tapping furiously into it. She muttered something that you were suspiciously sure involved the word hack somewhere, hit send, and lent back with a sigh of contentment. You'd have joined her, if it weren't for the unrelenting rumble of yet more gems shattering.
"Can I at least turn it down?" You asked, leaning in close to her ear to ask. She shook her head. "Why not?"
"Because," she giggled maniacally. "Just wait!"
The door to your temporary escape from reality was wrenched open, and your sister stuck her head in, one hand raised as if to ward off the incessant noise. She looked at the screen, which would have been an epilepsy hazard if the condition still existed, then back at the two of you curled up together on the bed. Then she tapped a button on her side of door and the sound ceased. The steady trail of light didn't, but that was secondary.
"What," Amelie asked, very precisely. "The fuck?" Sparks danced in her blue eyes, and you recognised the expression.
"You were the one who said that we weren't allowed out until I made her scream." Mary said innocently. Amelie blinked once. Twice. Then the blonde gave an inarticulate shriek of primal frustration and vanished back into the sitting room.
"How can you be this-" a door slammed shut, cutting off the rest of the words.
"So," you said a minute or so later, with no sign of your sister's return. Had she given up for now, or would she be calling for reinforcements? What did it matter, you were comfy. You reached up, swiping the panoramic psychedelia off to a holding screen. "Did you have any other plans for the evening?"
"Not really," Mary smiled, the motion creasing the skin of your forearm. "You?"
"Well, there's a Stardust showpiece…"
This piece gave me some new appreciation for why I'm writing this story almost half a century after these events might have taken place. Amanda and company with some level of maturity are scary enough. Them as young adults is terrifying.
"Do you think she's gotten bored yet?" You asked, looking up from where you'd be resting your head on Mary's shoulder. Your friend didn't answer, her tongue poking out one side of her mouth as she moved a few more sparkling jewels across the enormous virtual screen she'd brought up in front of her. She'd been at it for, you checked the timer on the bottom-right, six hours now? Really?
You loved your youngest sister, but you did wonder when she was going to work out that her continuous efforts to lock you in well-appointed closets were sometimes welcome reprieves. Although how she'd managed to get this one into your flat…she must have convinced Cal and Misha. How had she done that?
"Mary?" You whined, one hand sneaking up your friend's side as she continued to be distracted by the panorama of glittering graphics. "She has to be bored by now, right?" Your hand scuttled a little further, almost in range.
"She's your sister, Mandy," the brunette replied, calmly reaching down and catching your hand before it could reach its target. You pouted up at her, considering a second attempt for a moment, before she calmly interlaced her fingers with your own. "And," she stopped, breathing in sharply as she pulled a diamond across to swap places with an equally animated sapphire. The two gems clicked into place and…absolutely nothing happened.
You blinked, trying to make sure that you hadn't started hallucinating after six hours spent in here. The two parallel lines of gems hovered in place, steadfastly refusing to detonate. "Mary, what the," you started, would have started, to say. Then the processor caught up with the mathematical abomination your friend had committed, and you shot back from the screen with a shriek of surprise as the display simply exploded.
You were dimly aware of Mary's so contagious it should be banned cackling behind your cry of shock. You were more aware of how you'd latched onto her as the explosions just kept coming. Why weren't they stopping? There was meant to be a limit on how far you could stack chains.
"Mary!" You yelled over the escalating din. "What did you do?"
"Non-repeating randomisation my ass!" She shrieked back through gales of laughter. "I knew there was a pattern hidden in there. I just had to go far enough to find it!" The detonations gave no sign of slowing.
"Did you just spend the last six hours breaking the latest update of BeJewel again?" You asked. It would have come out more menacingly if you hadn't been forced to shout.
"Maybe!" Mary rolled, dragging you around with her to reach down and fish her communicator from where she'd left it in the small sliver of ground next to the bed. Taking a moment to brush her hair against your arm, she started tapping furiously into it. She muttered something that you were suspiciously sure involved the word hack somewhere, hit send, and lent back with a sigh of contentment. You'd have joined her, if it weren't for the unrelenting rumble of yet more gems shattering.
"Can I at least turn it down?" You asked, leaning in close to her ear to ask. She shook her head. "Why not?"
"Because," she giggled maniacally. "Just wait!"
The door to your temporary escape from reality was wrenched open, and your sister stuck her head in, one hand raised as if to ward off the incessant noise. She looked at the screen, which would have been an epilepsy hazard if the condition still existed, then back at the two of you curled up together on the bed. Then she tapped a button on her side of door and the sound ceased. The steady trail of light didn't, but that was secondary.
"What," Amelie asked, very precisely. "The fuck?" Sparks danced in her blue eyes, and you recognised the expression.
"You were the one who said that we weren't allowed out until I made her scream." Mary said innocently. Amelie blinked once. Twice. Then the blonde gave an inarticulate shriek of primal frustration and vanished back into the sitting room.
"How can you be this-" a door slammed shut, cutting off the rest of the words.
"So," you said a minute or so later, with no sign of your sister's return. Had she given up for now, or would she be calling for reinforcements? What did it matter, you were comfy. You reached up, swiping the panoramic psychedelia off to a holding screen. "Did you have any other plans for the evening?"
"Not really," Mary smiled, the motion creasing the skin of your forearm. "You?"
"Well, there's a Stardust showpiece…"
This piece gave me some new appreciation for why I'm writing this story almost half a century after these events might have taken place. Amanda and company with some level of maturity are scary enough. Them as young adults is terrifying.
- Location
- PA
And to think, the only difference between Amanda and Mary's appearance here in Crusade and back then in Practice War-thread times is how that maturity reflects in their body language.
RyubosJ
Person that hates Mega Evolutions.
- Location
- UK
I quite a agree. The pair are hopeless.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I have no idea what you're talking about.
I have to say, that does not truly fit the prompt ("Locking them in a closet together hadn't made them break down and kiss already. Instead, it had united them in stubbornness. And spite. ") - they're not in a closet, and it seems most of the spite and action is on Mary's side. Not truly united.
I have to say, this does sorta explain Marymanda's present-day behavior - they've had decades of people throwing them together, so they developed a sense of how to conceal whether-or-not that works on observers even across the fourth wall.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
They're in an extended closet that Amelie had built to throw them in. And I told Aleph going in that she wasn't getting any spite. They're not that sort of people.
I have to say, this does sorta explain Marymanda's present-day behavior - they've had decades of people throwing them together, so they developed a sense of how to conceal whether-or-not that works on observers even across the fourth wall.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Mary and Amanda's charming and benevolent unshakable resolve to troll people may not be spite, but it is an acceptable substitute for spite in over 80% of recipes using that ingredient!
- Location
- Somewhere out there
Snowclones - inject all substitutes!
It did for me.
Thanks again for this quest I have not been as active following this as I used to be but I still love the writting and interested where this is going.
Evil M. Lurker
What Lurks at Midnight
- Location
- The City, USA
...I can't stay quiet. Not now. Not with what's about to happen.
Not when you're off to outer space...
... you're leaving Mother Earth...
...to save the human race...
... we'll fight the Shiplord Empire, battle through the raging fire, filled with the hope that Earth will survive. We'll keep peace alive with A - da - maaaaant!
(Yes I'm shamelessly mixing every incarnation of the show. It's kind of my thing.)
Not when you're off to outer space...
... you're leaving Mother Earth...
...to save the human race...
... we'll fight the Shiplord Empire, battle through the raging fire, filled with the hope that Earth will survive. We'll keep peace alive with A - da - maaaaant!
(Yes I'm shamelessly mixing every incarnation of the show. It's kind of my thing.)
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
...I can't stay quiet. Not now. Not with what's about to happen.
Not when you're off to outer space...
... you're leaving Mother Earth...
...to save the human race...
... we'll fight the Shiplord Empire, battle through the raging fire, filled with the hope that Earth will survive. We'll keep peace alive with A - da - maaaaant!
(Yes I'm shamelessly mixing every incarnation of the show. It's kind of my thing.)
I'd like you to know that this got some very needed laughter from me today. Thank you
Shakedown
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
July 17th, 2130
"Welcome aboard, Miss Hawk, Miss D'reve, Iris," it was clear that the petite woman greeting you wanted to attach a different title before your name at minimum, but you'd specifically requested otherwise.
"Thank you, Captain Cyneburg," you rather doubted calling her Jane would have been acceptable, though the title earned you a respectfully quelling look. "Adamant looks very different to the last time I saw her."
"It's more than looks," she gave you a satisfied smile, leading you away from your shuttle towards the exit to the small flight bay. "The yard staff have outdone themselves in getting her ready this fast, and we're down to final system checks now. We'll be ready for launch in six hours, assuming all is to your requirements."
"That's more up to Iris and Mary than me," you said, looking over at your daughter. Her hair was a riot of reds today, though at least they were all natural. "How's it looking, Iris?"
"Just finished localising myself to the shipboard network," she said, resolutely cheerful. Iris had never been cut off from wider sourcing in the way this mission was going to, and you could tell she was nervous. But she was better than she'd been before boarding. "I'm impressed, Captain. I know the plans said a full mainframe, but I wasn't sure how far that extended. What they've given me, us, is a full Orrery bank. I'm not sure even you could need all that processing power at once, mo- Mary."
"I expect we'll go challenging that, but I certainly hope not," Mary nodded. The doors to the bay opened, then closed behind you, sealing way the sounds of steady maintenance work from the crews present. You hoped they wouldn't trouble themselves with your shuttle. It hadn't needed servicing for almost twenty years now; you weren't sure it ever would.
"Would you like to see the labs then, Miss D'reve?" Jane asked, slowing as you approached a junction. There were relatively few crew in the corridors, all of them moving with quiet purpose towards their next task.
"No," Mary shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I can do that once we've dealt with the more important matter of the day."
"Ah," Jane said, and her face split in a small smile. "Thank you. I wasn't sure if I was meant to be giving the tour or," she shrugged eloquently. "I know we have it a lot better than we used to, but it's still sometimes hard to tell what someone so far up the chain of command wants."
"None of that," you said, gently reproving. "I was once President, yes. And I know that my capabilities as a Potential means that I often occupy a unique place in command structures. But my highest current rank is the same as yours. That's why we need this."
"I, yes," her nod was a little jerky, but it steadied quickly. "Of course." The empty space hanging off the end of that acknowledgement was deafening, and you realised at last where it was coming from. You were too used to people who knew you, and despite your attempts to reach out, Jane still didn't. The image that fifteen years as President and your…extreme involvement in the Second and Third Battles of Sol created was hard to overcome. Fortunately, you'd long since worked out how to handle the matter.
"Mary?" You asked casually, breaking the silence that had lingered as you moved through the Adamant's spaces. "Do you remember…"
"…and that's where they found her, when the rescue fliers arrived." Mary laughed, her smile a wicked thing of carefree joy. "Right at the top of the reconstructed spire, with no lines, an expended grav-chute and enough food to last her three years. How she got it all up there I will never know."
Jane's expression had mellowed a great deal across the minutes, as Mary wove the tale of one your first excursions to the fallen cities of the pre-Sorrows world. It really hadn't been that bad, all things considered, but there were a number of such stories that you'd use to puncture the image of your own invincibility. Only if you had time, of course, but you did here. And even if you hadn't, this was too important for you not to make it.
As the story came to a close, you were happy to hear the woman laugh freely. It had taken a while, but Mary had gotten her there. She was smart enough to know what you'd done, of course, but that was alright. It harmed no one, and the result mattered.
"Thank you, Mary, Amanda," she said as the laughter faded. The words were heartfelt, and you wondered how hard meeting you must have been. You know the woman's record: XO aboard the ship that discovered the Tombstone network, then a rapid rise to command of the sole Advanced Destroyer squadron that you'd been able field during the Second Battle of Sol. After that, a transfer to the War Office's evaluation and design section, helping prepare the ships that had held against Shiplord Regulars during the Third Battle of Sol.
Then another transfer, the details of which you knew only now, to what had become the Trailblazer project. She'd helped prototype many of the Adamant's systems long before this mission had been thought possible, and had led the first of the Trailblazer missions beyond the tenuous security of Sol.
"I know why you did it," Jane continued, slowing as you approached what should be the final door. "And…I guess you were right to do so. It's very easy to see what a person's done, at least when they've done as much as you have."
"I should have considered it," you apologised. "I've gotten too used to working with people that I've known for years. Arcadia, the Two Twenty Three, even Adriana and her cabinet, they've all known me long enough that this isn't a problem. But I'm not sure we've ever talked bar once, at the remembrance ceremony after the Second Battle of Sol."
"That's true. But, well," her speech paused for a moment, and you sensed the flicker of a security ping through Sidra. "We're all human, in the end."
"Yes," Iris agreed, as the hatch spiralled open. "We are."
The command centre opened out before you, a circular chamber much in common with the conference centre at the heart of Prometheus Station. Workstations ringed a central holoprojector, placed so that their users would be able to easily see the projection above it; currently a slowly rotating replica of the galaxy. Then Jane made a small, sweeping gesture with one hand and the projection rippled away, the stars flowing inwards and expanding until they formed an image of the Adamant.
"As I said, the ship is largely complete. All primary systems have been fully integrated," sections of the ship glowed faintly, noting primary power supplies, drives, life support, everything that made a spacefaring vessel capable of its purpose. "And the final system checks for our support modules should be complete before we leave dock." More sections pulsed to life, and you noted with some approval how they'd been clustered to allow ease of access between them.
And at the centre of it all, the bridge, with the command centre behind it. You examined the image for a careful moment, noting the links that ran between sections, in the event that you might be needed there. Sidra could guide you, of course, but it was better to know for yourself.
"This was all in my report however," Jane continued, "so I doubt it's new information. The larger issue is, well," she sighed. "I'm used to being in a chain of command, ma'am. In Trailblazer, I was right at the top for the missions I ran. But this isn't an ordinary mission, and we need some level of power sharing between us given each of your unique statuses."
She raised a hand to forestall any objection, continuing gently, though very steadily. "Amanda, there is no avoiding the fact that you are the most important member of this mission. The Uninvolved came to you before us, and according to Tahkel, we will need you to enter the systems that the Shiplords have hidden." She turned slightly, fixing Mary with her gaze.
"Mary, you occupy a position of importance only just below Amanda in my assessment. We will need you," she nodded to your closest friend, who stared back, green eyes steady. "To decipher whatever secrets those star systems hold. If they are as old as the Uninvolved believe, then making sense of them will no doubt present a considerable challenge, and your expertise there will be vital."
"And you, Iris," Jane sighed. "You are the only reason that I consider entering a system protected by Shiplord cybersecurity measures anything more than an elaborate form of suicide." She paused, and the silence was not a comforting one. "And yet, I also know that you are more than those descriptions. You are people, and you possess far more skill and knowledge than a mission critical asset analysis."
"That's true," Mary said. "But the analysis was fair, at least in my case. I've never been much of a leader, beyond my own specialities. And this mission isn't one of them." She smiled. "I'm actually a little glad for that."
"Me as well," Iris said, the admission coming as a small surprise. You knew at least some of your daughter's capabilities, and she was truly impressive. And yet, she'd also seen how much of herself she'd needed to contest the Regular Fleet as it tried to breach humanity's networks. "With the mainframe, I'll be able to do a lot in a support role, and more if required. But I should be focusing on that. And to be honest, I've never commanded anyone." Not strictly true, you knew, but VR games didn't really count.
"Which leaves me," you said. "You've got far more experience with the type of mission we'll be undertaking, Jane. But," you sighed, realising where she'd been going. "But it's also a mission that I'm uniquely placed to understand in ways that might not be easy to explain, especially not quickly."
"Your capacity for grasping situations beyond usual comprehension is rather well documented," Jane noted, the ghost of a smile stealing across her face. "And your command experience is a match to my own. We're both good candidates, but there are going to be situations out there where someone will have to make the call. And that can't be both of us."
She was right, but then you'd come here intending to solve this problem. Unfortunately, the freely flowing communication of the Two Twenty Three wasn't something you could replicate on such a large scale, and certainly not without an entire crew of Potentials, which would have been impossible even with the Adamant's comparatively tiny crew compliment.
"You're the best choice to run the ship," you pointed out.
"Yes," Jane nodded, yet something in her expression told you that she wasn't finished. "But does that make me most qualified to run the mission?" And the worst of it, you thought, as the question sliced through the air like an awl, was that she wasn't wrong in asking it. And now you had to work out an answer. Adriana and Lina had left this to you.
You must now decide who will assume overall command of the Adamant's mission, once you leave Sol.
[] Jane Cyneburg – A talented commander in the FSN, who has been on detached duty with the Ministry of Security since the founding of the Trailblazer program. She has led multiple Trailblazer missions, including the first one. She possesses perhaps the greatest understanding of the needs of a covert operation on this scale of all humanity.
[] Amanda Hawk – Although by no means practiced in covert missions, you have had more than a decade of command experience, and you were the person that the Uninvolved came to first. You are also the means for the Adamant to enter the systems hidden by the Shiplords. And you know from long experience that Practice can open doors that none but a Potential can truly understand.
Please select the next scene:
[] A Family Farewell: Amanda, Mary and Iris bid their family and closest friends goodbye, as they prepare for the journey ahead.
[] On Wings of Starlight: The first test of Adamant's FTL drive to a destination beyond standard range limits, to confirm its functionality.
[] Write-in?
"Welcome aboard, Miss Hawk, Miss D'reve, Iris," it was clear that the petite woman greeting you wanted to attach a different title before your name at minimum, but you'd specifically requested otherwise.
"Thank you, Captain Cyneburg," you rather doubted calling her Jane would have been acceptable, though the title earned you a respectfully quelling look. "Adamant looks very different to the last time I saw her."
"It's more than looks," she gave you a satisfied smile, leading you away from your shuttle towards the exit to the small flight bay. "The yard staff have outdone themselves in getting her ready this fast, and we're down to final system checks now. We'll be ready for launch in six hours, assuming all is to your requirements."
"That's more up to Iris and Mary than me," you said, looking over at your daughter. Her hair was a riot of reds today, though at least they were all natural. "How's it looking, Iris?"
"Just finished localising myself to the shipboard network," she said, resolutely cheerful. Iris had never been cut off from wider sourcing in the way this mission was going to, and you could tell she was nervous. But she was better than she'd been before boarding. "I'm impressed, Captain. I know the plans said a full mainframe, but I wasn't sure how far that extended. What they've given me, us, is a full Orrery bank. I'm not sure even you could need all that processing power at once, mo- Mary."
"I expect we'll go challenging that, but I certainly hope not," Mary nodded. The doors to the bay opened, then closed behind you, sealing way the sounds of steady maintenance work from the crews present. You hoped they wouldn't trouble themselves with your shuttle. It hadn't needed servicing for almost twenty years now; you weren't sure it ever would.
"Would you like to see the labs then, Miss D'reve?" Jane asked, slowing as you approached a junction. There were relatively few crew in the corridors, all of them moving with quiet purpose towards their next task.
"No," Mary shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I can do that once we've dealt with the more important matter of the day."
"Ah," Jane said, and her face split in a small smile. "Thank you. I wasn't sure if I was meant to be giving the tour or," she shrugged eloquently. "I know we have it a lot better than we used to, but it's still sometimes hard to tell what someone so far up the chain of command wants."
"None of that," you said, gently reproving. "I was once President, yes. And I know that my capabilities as a Potential means that I often occupy a unique place in command structures. But my highest current rank is the same as yours. That's why we need this."
"I, yes," her nod was a little jerky, but it steadied quickly. "Of course." The empty space hanging off the end of that acknowledgement was deafening, and you realised at last where it was coming from. You were too used to people who knew you, and despite your attempts to reach out, Jane still didn't. The image that fifteen years as President and your…extreme involvement in the Second and Third Battles of Sol created was hard to overcome. Fortunately, you'd long since worked out how to handle the matter.
"Mary?" You asked casually, breaking the silence that had lingered as you moved through the Adamant's spaces. "Do you remember…"
***
"…and that's where they found her, when the rescue fliers arrived." Mary laughed, her smile a wicked thing of carefree joy. "Right at the top of the reconstructed spire, with no lines, an expended grav-chute and enough food to last her three years. How she got it all up there I will never know."
Jane's expression had mellowed a great deal across the minutes, as Mary wove the tale of one your first excursions to the fallen cities of the pre-Sorrows world. It really hadn't been that bad, all things considered, but there were a number of such stories that you'd use to puncture the image of your own invincibility. Only if you had time, of course, but you did here. And even if you hadn't, this was too important for you not to make it.
As the story came to a close, you were happy to hear the woman laugh freely. It had taken a while, but Mary had gotten her there. She was smart enough to know what you'd done, of course, but that was alright. It harmed no one, and the result mattered.
"Thank you, Mary, Amanda," she said as the laughter faded. The words were heartfelt, and you wondered how hard meeting you must have been. You know the woman's record: XO aboard the ship that discovered the Tombstone network, then a rapid rise to command of the sole Advanced Destroyer squadron that you'd been able field during the Second Battle of Sol. After that, a transfer to the War Office's evaluation and design section, helping prepare the ships that had held against Shiplord Regulars during the Third Battle of Sol.
Then another transfer, the details of which you knew only now, to what had become the Trailblazer project. She'd helped prototype many of the Adamant's systems long before this mission had been thought possible, and had led the first of the Trailblazer missions beyond the tenuous security of Sol.
"I know why you did it," Jane continued, slowing as you approached what should be the final door. "And…I guess you were right to do so. It's very easy to see what a person's done, at least when they've done as much as you have."
"I should have considered it," you apologised. "I've gotten too used to working with people that I've known for years. Arcadia, the Two Twenty Three, even Adriana and her cabinet, they've all known me long enough that this isn't a problem. But I'm not sure we've ever talked bar once, at the remembrance ceremony after the Second Battle of Sol."
"That's true. But, well," her speech paused for a moment, and you sensed the flicker of a security ping through Sidra. "We're all human, in the end."
"Yes," Iris agreed, as the hatch spiralled open. "We are."
The command centre opened out before you, a circular chamber much in common with the conference centre at the heart of Prometheus Station. Workstations ringed a central holoprojector, placed so that their users would be able to easily see the projection above it; currently a slowly rotating replica of the galaxy. Then Jane made a small, sweeping gesture with one hand and the projection rippled away, the stars flowing inwards and expanding until they formed an image of the Adamant.
"As I said, the ship is largely complete. All primary systems have been fully integrated," sections of the ship glowed faintly, noting primary power supplies, drives, life support, everything that made a spacefaring vessel capable of its purpose. "And the final system checks for our support modules should be complete before we leave dock." More sections pulsed to life, and you noted with some approval how they'd been clustered to allow ease of access between them.
And at the centre of it all, the bridge, with the command centre behind it. You examined the image for a careful moment, noting the links that ran between sections, in the event that you might be needed there. Sidra could guide you, of course, but it was better to know for yourself.
"This was all in my report however," Jane continued, "so I doubt it's new information. The larger issue is, well," she sighed. "I'm used to being in a chain of command, ma'am. In Trailblazer, I was right at the top for the missions I ran. But this isn't an ordinary mission, and we need some level of power sharing between us given each of your unique statuses."
She raised a hand to forestall any objection, continuing gently, though very steadily. "Amanda, there is no avoiding the fact that you are the most important member of this mission. The Uninvolved came to you before us, and according to Tahkel, we will need you to enter the systems that the Shiplords have hidden." She turned slightly, fixing Mary with her gaze.
"Mary, you occupy a position of importance only just below Amanda in my assessment. We will need you," she nodded to your closest friend, who stared back, green eyes steady. "To decipher whatever secrets those star systems hold. If they are as old as the Uninvolved believe, then making sense of them will no doubt present a considerable challenge, and your expertise there will be vital."
"And you, Iris," Jane sighed. "You are the only reason that I consider entering a system protected by Shiplord cybersecurity measures anything more than an elaborate form of suicide." She paused, and the silence was not a comforting one. "And yet, I also know that you are more than those descriptions. You are people, and you possess far more skill and knowledge than a mission critical asset analysis."
"That's true," Mary said. "But the analysis was fair, at least in my case. I've never been much of a leader, beyond my own specialities. And this mission isn't one of them." She smiled. "I'm actually a little glad for that."
"Me as well," Iris said, the admission coming as a small surprise. You knew at least some of your daughter's capabilities, and she was truly impressive. And yet, she'd also seen how much of herself she'd needed to contest the Regular Fleet as it tried to breach humanity's networks. "With the mainframe, I'll be able to do a lot in a support role, and more if required. But I should be focusing on that. And to be honest, I've never commanded anyone." Not strictly true, you knew, but VR games didn't really count.
"Which leaves me," you said. "You've got far more experience with the type of mission we'll be undertaking, Jane. But," you sighed, realising where she'd been going. "But it's also a mission that I'm uniquely placed to understand in ways that might not be easy to explain, especially not quickly."
"Your capacity for grasping situations beyond usual comprehension is rather well documented," Jane noted, the ghost of a smile stealing across her face. "And your command experience is a match to my own. We're both good candidates, but there are going to be situations out there where someone will have to make the call. And that can't be both of us."
She was right, but then you'd come here intending to solve this problem. Unfortunately, the freely flowing communication of the Two Twenty Three wasn't something you could replicate on such a large scale, and certainly not without an entire crew of Potentials, which would have been impossible even with the Adamant's comparatively tiny crew compliment.
"You're the best choice to run the ship," you pointed out.
"Yes," Jane nodded, yet something in her expression told you that she wasn't finished. "But does that make me most qualified to run the mission?" And the worst of it, you thought, as the question sliced through the air like an awl, was that she wasn't wrong in asking it. And now you had to work out an answer. Adriana and Lina had left this to you.
You must now decide who will assume overall command of the Adamant's mission, once you leave Sol.
[] Jane Cyneburg – A talented commander in the FSN, who has been on detached duty with the Ministry of Security since the founding of the Trailblazer program. She has led multiple Trailblazer missions, including the first one. She possesses perhaps the greatest understanding of the needs of a covert operation on this scale of all humanity.
[] Amanda Hawk – Although by no means practiced in covert missions, you have had more than a decade of command experience, and you were the person that the Uninvolved came to first. You are also the means for the Adamant to enter the systems hidden by the Shiplords. And you know from long experience that Practice can open doors that none but a Potential can truly understand.
Please select the next scene:
[] A Family Farewell: Amanda, Mary and Iris bid their family and closest friends goodbye, as they prepare for the journey ahead.
[] On Wings of Starlight: The first test of Adamant's FTL drive to a destination beyond standard range limits, to confirm its functionality.
[] Write-in?
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
The results of this vote will be covered to some degree in person, but the majority of the shakedown cruise will take place offscreen. I'm doing this mostly for pacing reasons, because whilst this decision is very important in the long run, it's really the only important decision to be made in the process. What scene comes next will dictate the way in which I express the result of the vote, and the shakedown cruise itself. And, being honest, I've found that I really don't want to write a nitty-gritty shakedown cruise segment. So I'm sorry if this disappoints. I know I'm disappointed with myself given how long it's taken to get the damn thing done. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be something that holds for a while. I can't find a way past the choking presence of...everything...going on right now to write as effectively as I did during PW. Maybe that'll change once the Adamant leaves Sol, but maybe it won't. I don't want to go making promises.
Still, I hope this was worth the wait, and that you're all doing well and keeping safe. Many thanks go to @Coda for checking this for me. As before, ping me if you have a write-in for next scene and I'll let you know if it's viable. Happy voting.
Still, I hope this was worth the wait, and that you're all doing well and keeping safe. Many thanks go to @Coda for checking this for me. As before, ping me if you have a write-in for next scene and I'll let you know if it's viable. Happy voting.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
Amanda is going to be the one with her feet on the ground. She has enough to worry about that if someone needs to make a call, let it be the person who is equipped to put her full attention on the mission as a whole.
[x] Jane Cyneburg
I also want to do A Family Farewell absolutely last, because that just seems like the thing that would be the best send-off to start into the rest of the story.
[x] On Wings of Starlight
[x] Jane Cyneburg
I also want to do A Family Farewell absolutely last, because that just seems like the thing that would be the best send-off to start into the rest of the story.
[x] On Wings of Starlight
Do Iris's closest friends even have sufficient security clearance to know about the mission?
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
They know she's going away for a while for something to do with the war. Details beyond that? Not so much.
Well, knowing that all four of Amanda + Mary + Iris + Adamant are involved says a ton about the gravity of the task.