The space. Humans biggest dream, even when the space became populated with many colonies poured over the many star systems in many galaxies. Humans kept on dreaming. The biggest dreamers on this black sea are known as pirates. They reach out further than anyone else, and they live as free as they want to be. Adventuring being their air, exploring their blood.
They all search for the biggest treasures one can image.
The only question is will they recognize it once they see it?

---

Invisible
4 days ago

Milos was exited. As they were selling off some treasure on the black market and going to the bar for a bit of enjoyment, the captain was collecting some information on rumor that reached his ears. It made his fantasy fire up. In just a few hours later the whole crew was on the deck. He questioned like he always did, if all the supplies were refiled, if the ship was fully repaired and did they get the fuel and reserve fuel on ship, if all the system check ended and did everything run fluidly.
Fir each of his question one of his crew members said a clear yes captain.

He stood up there was a shine in his eyes, shine that told he was having either a adventure in front of him....or a stupid idea. This time it was a adventure. He spoke out the course, watching as the pilot did the Dialing. The AI who already read up on the place from the data they had in the base, tilted its head at the captain.

Milos didnt said what he deiced would be their next goal. He wanted to keep it as a surprise. He watched as the light surrounded the whole ship. A gently tug was felt, a indication that they started sinking thought space and time. No wormholes were created they just sunk thought the fabric of which space and time was created. Such a beautiful feeling.
''Well how long we have till we are there?'' he asked getting a clear answer it would be 4 days 15h 23 minutes. He nodded there was enough time and it was time to explain where they were going.

''My crew. You must be wondering what course I ordered. Or at least why I ordered a course to a death colony. It simple. Rumors that reached my ears spoke of a white ghost ship. One that appears beside the colony. It is rumored that this ship is unlike any other that were seen traveling around the cosmos. No model alike it. But each time someone nears it dials and is gone. It pretty clear isnt it? We will get to that ship and scavenge it first. Now you could wonder why did no one shot at is to destroy it and so stop it fleeing. Well Word goes they did. But no damage could be seen on the ship. A armor that resist any weapon? Or a shield that repels it all? Or a energy source so strong that can feed the shields so there is no damage? You get me dont you... ''

Milos grin grow as he opened his arms. '' What ever it is, its a treasure worth a adventure.'' He looked the face of his crew. He would not change any of them for all the money of this cosmos. His family, and like on command Milos stomach grumbled. '' Um...whats for lunch I am starving? ''

Today

It was the game Thursday. All of the crew was sitting on the table chit chating and finishing up their dinner. Even the AI was sitting with everyone down, it was only natural in Milos eyes. The AI was a crew member just like him or his pilot or the cook of the delicious food.
''I cannot wait today game is poker isnt it? We should think of what we shall bet on? '' The captain joined the conversation thinking aloud, tapping his chin. Maybe drinking would be a great idea, irresponsibly how it sounded, considering in 15h they would be reaching their traveling goal.

Invisible

Dagger kicked their holographic feet excitedly under the table, their image shimmering. Although the AI was there at the table, watching their fellow crew members finish their dinner, Dagger was also keeping via close eye on sensors, wary of their current location. The prospect of being the first crew to take on and defeat the ghost ship was a romantic idea, but they couldn't help but be concerned when Milos spoke of ship disappearing. It didn't seem like they were in immediate danger...

However as they moved through space, drawing closer to their destination, the AI was quietly running calculations on the levels of danger that this journey presented to the crew. Dagger pulled reports of ships going missing in pursuit of the ghost ship, figured in the number of times ships were destroyed mysteriously, their crew nowhere to be found in the wreckage. The rate of survival kept going down and down and down.

There were very few rumors of ships that made it back with only half of their crew, minds wiped of the experience, having no recollection of what happened or where their other crew mates had went. And most of those rumors included corrupted AIs that had lost most of their data and no longer functioned or appeared to be themselves anymore. This was not only dangerous to the human crew, but Dagger as well.

The AI shifted nervously in their seat. They were completely uncomfortable with the idea. Running the numbers over and over, the AI looked for an error in the calculations but found none. The final number that was projected was a 2.9% rate of survival at the end of this journey. Looking up at their human family, the AI's image suddenly wavered, becoming staticky and blurred and a garbled sound was emitted from the speakers. It corrected itself after a moment. Was this fear?

"I apologize for that; I have no idea what happened. In any case, I would appreciate your attention for a moment.... Sorry everyone, but I have just finalized some calculations that I have been running in the background and have some bad news...." The AI looked very guilty. This was game night, and although the fun might be ruined, this was very important. "If we continue on this mission, due to research and the pulling of every shred of information I could find, I have calculated our rate of survival to be less than three percent.

Tempo had her game night playlist playing through her headphones; a sort of contemporary lounge/jazz soundtrack which fit the mood of card games perfectly. She knew that the others could hear it, so she might as well tone it down from her usual and perhaps have a more relaxed ambiance for the crew. As Dagger spoke, Tempo heard the words in the form of jazz lyrics, so they came across as smooth and almost romantic; a complete contrast to the actual content of what they said. This was probably why she was still relaxed in light of this alarming news. "Don't worry Dagger, my flying can totally raise that percentage up!"

Because of the music, her voice also took a break from her typical loud fashion, and while the volume of it was still high, she sounded far more relaxed than she usually did, as her words were spoken to the tune of the soundtrack. Tempo was proud of her flying ability, and she was completely certain that the Ghost Ship would definitely not have a pilot as competent as herself; since nobody she had ever met had quite a good flight playlist as she did. On the contrary, Tempo was completely on board with this adventure, and would follow Milos to the ends of the Cosmos if it meant more adventure. In all the time she had spent as the crew's pilot, not once have they come close to death, and have actually died. Not to say they didn't come close to death. Because they did. On many occasions.

The White Ghost Ship would be bound to have plenty of loot and plunder on it, considering how far it goes in order to not have anybody at all come near. It was probably using something very, very expensive to ensure no damage appears on the ship, which was another clue as to what bountiful riches they could come across. This was another thing that made her more confident about their chances. As much as she respected Dagger and their calculating ability, she still completely believed that nothing could beat pure human intuition, and her intuition was telling her that the Invisibles are the best crew in the entire galaxy, and nothing could ever stop them. Not even a 2.9% chance of survival.

"Bets..." Hide murmured incoherently in reply to Milos, his eyes glued to the pages of a relatively old looking book. Dinner that evening had been made a bit differently than usual, but it seemed to have turned out as good as it ever had, if not better. He had made countless different things, of what everyone liked, and had a 'pick and choose' night instead of a more usually set and well-rounded meal. It happened on occasion, these pick and choose nights, but only when Hide had been studying something new rather fervently and had not gotten enough sleep. And with the dark circles under his eyes at the moment, he had definitely not gotten enough sleep recently. It really did not matter to him if he got enough sleep, though. He still had breakfast, lunch, and dinner prepared and things kept tidy as he liked them.

Slowly he lifts his gaze up from his book, looking around at the others, checking to see how things were going. But his attention was drawn to the ships AI, Dagger. He noted the nervous shifting in their seat, and even as the hologram shimmered and distorted. The sound from the speakers made him cringe a bit, but that was nothing too unusual for Hide to be cringing at such noises. He then carefully closed his book and plopped it down into his lap as he listened to Dagger speak. Just from listening and the motions before, it was terribly easy to conclude that the AI was worried, nervous, or afraid. Or quite possibly all three. Having been around AI's for a long time, he had seen how similar some of them acted... but each one was different in its own way. It made it harder for him to treat them like anything less than another living being.

"It will be alright, Dagger. Really, it will." Hide says in a rather calm, collected tone. He fully believed it would be alright, he trusted everyone here with his life, he had complete faith in their skills. "I've been on some ships that have survived with less of a chance than that before. Sometimes there are other factors and bits of information you do not have that cannot be added in until the adventure starts. Plus, it is game night. We can save the worry for tomorrow. Tonight, lets just drink and play games and have fun. I am placing all my bets on you this time. Anyone in the mood for a few shots? Or maybe a few bottles...?"

He began to hum lightly to the sound of Tempo's music as he moved his book onto the table, leaning back in his chair as he stretches his arms into the air with a loud, slightly tired sounding groan. He did not like it when others were so worried, especially Dagger, the AI he had become rather fond of within the past thirteen years or so. And the guilty look he had spotted on the AI's hologram was enough to make Hide want to try to make him feel a bit better, at least... and what better way of doing that than getting everyone else drunk?

"I'll make a few bets that I can drink all of you under the table."

Yahtzee hunched over the large slowly spinning engine in the bowels of the ship. A protective helmet that was attached to his suite covered his face. Normally he hardly needed it but he was trying something new and the thought alone had made him grin fiercly underneath the visor as sparks pattered against it like particularly violent raindrops. One hand was against a stationary bit of railing and the other was tightly holding a small gun-shaped device that was intermittently shooting out small, weak lasers into the engine itself. A small shake ran through the ship but he ignored it an kept working. After about half-an hour of what looked like simply holding that position he moved away from the engine an pressed a couple of buttons and pulled a lever. At first nothing happened but then the engine started to speed up ever so slightly and he gave a satisfied grunt before pressing a small button on the side of his neck that lowered the helmet into his suit. "That should do-" His musing was interupted by a small alarm coming from his wrist and he glanced at the screen there that normally simply showed the time and date. Now it had red writing over it that simply read 'Game night!'

It had completely escaped his mind and Yahtzee cursed as he turned and hurried out of the engine room casting one last forlorn look at all his hard work before continuing along. It took him another few minutes before he actually reached the room. As he arrived he heard voices and slowed his pace slightly.
"...survival to be less than three percent." That sounded like dagger. He had always liked the AI as he thought that it was the only thing that ha as much knowledge of the mechanics of the ship as he did.
"Don't worry Dagger, my flying can totally raise that percentage up!" He heard Tempo chime in and he smiled slightly to himself as he entered the room.
"Also if you include the enhancments I just made on the engine's stabilizer and projector output I'd say we nearly doubled our chances." He said with a slight air of cockiness as he walked in. "Sorry I'm late. I was... distracted." He grinned warmly as he pulled up a chair and sat down. As the conversation wore on he relaxed and laughed at Hide's challenge. "I'll take on that bet." He said still grinning. He wasn't a big drinker but right now he felt as though he could take on anyone at anything although in this case he would probably come out worse for wear.

Tempo looked on over at Yahtzee, who had just walked into the room. "Hey! You missed dinner! Grab a plate, Hide made amazing food tonight!" Her volume was high, but not as loud as it usually was, and they seemed to have been sung along with the lounge jazz, "I'll take you guys up on that bet as well though! I bet I can drink way more than you guys can before passing right out! You're alright with taking over the ship while I'm out cold, right Dagger?"

Everyone in the crew knew very well that Tempo was the lightest drinker out of all of them, but the hardest partyer. Normally, she can party and dance to her heart's content, but on booze, the craziness expands tenfold. This one time, the crew got kicked out of the tourist paradise colony, 801 because of her. Granted, what she did did not warrant them going to the jail on 801-1, but it was still enough to get them removed from somewhere where most people were drunk 24/7 anyway. Tempo did not remember what happened, but the crew reminded her very fondly, on many occasions that she somehow ended up destroying a massive neon billboard using nothing but a potted yellow cactus plant, a bowl of stones, and a wrecking ball from a nearby construction site. Granted, the wrecking ball was used in such an unconventional way that it wasn't even the main reason the billboard was destroyed. Also, the words "Don't give me no sunglasses, I want to take every single flare with my bare eyes" were sung by her on a loop the entire night.

If they'd ever want to go back there, they'd need fake IDs or something.

((Crap, doublepost))

Hearing Daggers worry Milos smirked. So typically to have him worry about them. To him it sounded more like a sweet challenge than danger to worry about. He smirked, but Tempo beat him to answering. So he took another serving of the food Hide beat himself in this round of cooking.
The treasure keeper added on the calming voice towards the AI. The suggestion of getting a few bottles sound pretty good.
''Now you speak my language Hide. Dagger just imagine it like this what kind is a adventure is where you are 100% safe? But anyways,'' Milos leaned towards Hide to look at the front cover of the closed book on Hides lap. '' Have you found anything interesting in that book of yours? For example a way we can let our AI experience getting alcohol wasted?'' He asked having the serious smirk on, it would be a worth while experience to see that. He himself could take alcohol well, if he got wasted enough he would dance, something he would avoid when sober. Milos would think of himself as a awkward funny dancer as he just couldnt get those rhythms look well enough with his body movements.

Eyes wandering to the empty seat, of Yahtzee. He will give him 2 minutes before he ask Dagger to play on max volume the loudest of Tempos music in the room where the man hid himself. Just to ensure the man didnt forget how much he disliked when the crew wasnt complete on the times of dinner or the game nights to come. And the jump scare any human being would experience, minus tempo, from it would be enough to him to forgive him for being late.

Just like he was summoned by it, the man in question came in. Adding that he improved the engine and doubled their chances. "Sorry I'm late. I was... distracted."
'' For punishment you are cleaning up the table.'' Milos pointed his finger poking the mans arm. To make his point clear. Not aware he pretty much avoided ear damage by not staying 2 minutes longer.

Taking one of his last servings for the night, one could drink lot more on a full stomach obliviously, adding to the collective bet that he will drink them under the table. Whispering just a moment later. '' Of course our pilot will only get one alcohol glass, after it shall be apple juice only.'' He didnt want their precious ship destroyed, 801 was still pretty fresh in Milos mind, thought on a funny side note it would be fun to try break out from 801-1. At least on Mils standard list. The meal soon finished, the captain stood up firstly stretching his arms.

'' Lets move to the lounge, Dagger dont cheat peek in our card while we pay.'' He jokingly said to him.

Hide was quiet for a a few moments before speaking up, a grin now plastered on his face as he quickly stands up from his seat. He remembered what happened on 801 very well, he had watched while the destruction happened! He had taken up one too many drinking games that day and was for once, actually too drunk to function correctly. Though his memories of it were well in tact, at least, enough that he knew why they had been kicked off of the planet. But he did not really blame Tempo for it, he honestly thought it was very amusing at the time.

"If I keep an eye on her, a very careful eye, can she have more than a glass? It feels like a waste if we are all going to be drinking and she only gets apple juice." He asks, tilting his head as he looks at Milos. He lightly clutches his book in his left hand as he spins his chair back into place with the other. "I'll take full responsibility if anything happens this time, it wont turn out like 801, I promise. Plus, I think we are running low on apple juice from last time." He mumbles. Though he had challenged everyone to a drinking contest, he was quite sure he would be the only one to not get trashed, unless people decided to stop early. He rarely ever did, even if he was drinking four bottles of the strongest drinks they had or more, he would be fine, mostly. The only time they had probably seen him too drunk to walk straight was on 801. There were some advantages to his mutation, a monstrous liver was just one of them.

"Ahhh, and Yahtzee! If you want, just pile the dishes on the counter and I will get them after everyone is out." He chuckles, shaking his head. "I don't want to delay the drinking too long. But you should probably eat something, too. Alcohol on an empty stomach is never a good thing." Hide would stop himself, looking like he had more to say. But he was not anyone's mother, though he was sure he acted like it sometimes. But he really couldn't help himself, it was just in his nature, he liked looking after other people. It did not even cross his mind that Milos had said it was a punishment for the engineer to clean the table, he was just so use to cleaning things, it felt almost weird to have anyone else do it at this point.

"Just... plate. Food. Lounge. You." And it wasn't even a full two seconds before he puffs his cheeks out with fake irritation towards himself, he looks at Yahtzee, then to everyone else. The wheel had stopped spinning and the hamster had fallen off, it seemed. Without another word, Hide spins on the heels of his soft-soled boots and makes quick exit out of the kitchen to go to the lounge, book in hand, not even glancing back. He felt he had sufficiently embarrassed himself enough already for the evening, maybe he was more tired than he thought.

Dagger was quite sure that the crew was not taking the risks seriously enough. Their image shook and fizzled a bit, looking staticky once more. Although they trusted their human family, Dagger was nervous and a bit hurt when the crew blew off their warning. Their mention of betting on how much alcohol they could drink was even more concerning. The last time the crew did any drinking, Dagger was stuck in the ship for several days by themself, waiting for their crew and calculation the chance of their return based on a variety of scenarios.

Dagger's image disappeared as they moved from the kitchen to the lounge. As they appeared in the room, they looked directly at the alcohol cabinet, with its electronic locks and briefly considered changing the passcode or making it inoperable until after their journey. The AI shook their heads and decided against it. That would only make the captain irritable. No need to do that when the human crew was in such high spirits..

Dagger took it upon themselves to initiate their executable file called 'Game Night Playlist.' It was one that the AI had compiled due to the taste of each member of the crew including themself. Shuffling it several times before it played, the AI set to work, pushing out the automatic drawers full of games and alcohol glasses as well as unlocking the cabinet full of alcohol. As they worked, they became unaware of how blurred their projected image was becoming. The music skipped a little as the AI ran more calculations and became more and more upset.

This was really bothering the AI and so they directed more power to shields and sensors, silencing the ship-wide notification of such.

As Dagger played the Game Night Playlist, the music became processed through the program running in Tempo's headphones. This resulted in a mashup of different songs, readily made to sound in tune with whatever was already playing. Even though the style was similar, Tempo could notice that the music had changed, and it was not as calming. This was not to say that she didn't enjoy it, because she really did, and her head bobbed in time to the music. "Thanks Dagger!" She yelled, excitedly. "I've never tried mixing these two songs together!"

She grabbed a glass as she said this, and then she went and got a bottle of whiskey that they had plundered recently from a trade ship outside of colony 24; which was a very old colony well known for its alcohol manufacturing. Tempo sat back down and poured it into her glass irresponsibly so that it almost reached the top, and just as she went to take a sip, she realized she needed to pee. "Don't any of you touch my glass while I'm gone!" She said in her very loud voice, and then she left the room.

Milos followed Hide to the lounge. The AI already there starting to play the crews music playlist. It was fitting his mood as he opened the cabin. His pilot getting the whiskies, Milos made a different choose for himself. Starting off with a new wine sort. Made from fruit ants. He had no idea if there were real ants of fruits that looked like ants. Well only a taste taste could prove it which one was it. Or at least if its good or bad.

Seating beside Dagger Milos grinned at the AI. '' I know you. I can beat my arm on the fact that you upped by now the power for the shield and other things. You blurred for a moment, that was your give away. '' Milos told to his oldest crew member taking a sip of the wine. ''I am fine with it.'' He referred to the precaution which Dagger made. Watching in a fascination how much whiskey Tempo poured in her glass. Staying silently not even noting the taste that was super sweet and a bit hot from the wine. Awaiting to see Tempo drink what she just poured. That didnt happen.

"Don't any of you touch my glass while I'm gone!"
And out the room was she. He turned towards Hide. "Well you offer of keeping a eye on her. I am totally taking it. But it may turn to a challenge. And I fear Yahtzee head was in a star cloud again. He is probably went to wash the dishes, not hearing you."

Milos shook his head letting a laugh out for himself. The man was maybe the one of the best in engineering but he would loos his own head and body parts if they werent attached to him. Deciding to let the man be for now. The music changed to a song Milos liked quite much. He couldnt pin it why, if it was the tempo of the song or the lyrics. It didnt matter. Humming along he got out the cards and started dealing 5 cards for each crew member. Awaiting for pilot to return the captain took the cards and look them.
''Oh baby~''

he slammed his hand against the table and the whole ship jumped a bit. A rough tug felt by everyone. Similar to the one to when they started sinking thought space and time. The wine tripped over the table, half of the whisky joining the mess of dark pink on the white table.
''...dagger where are we? Shield fully up the engine warm running. Start the weapons. Are we under attack?''
The captain of invisible let his cards fall on the table. A full house that never got a chance of being played out.

The tug could only happen if they stopped sinking thought space and time. There were many it shouldn't in the captains mind as he marched up to the cockpit. It was with a word clear that everyone had to head to their position.

It shouldn't be so rough, a light tug not a violent one was right.
It shouldn't have happened yet. No one could hurry the dialing process or transport. It was impossible to arrive before the time it was given, before the timer run out.
Could it be that Dagger had a system error and misinterpret the timer?
It shouldn't happen, Dagger wouldnt make such mistakes.
They shouldn't be under attack either as it was impossible to attack someone while they were in the dialing transporting procedure. He jumped in his commanding chair. The safety belt going over his shoulder. If in some situation the gravity give up it would keep him in place not to float away from the commands. No one shoot at them, actually no one was in the vicinity and to the surprise Milos stared thought the front window at the planned destination. The death colony idly standing there like it was playing tricks on him.

''Status of... everything there is to give status off.'' He demanded to hear.