[h1][center] Vekta Prime Orbital 
127-7-12
10:00[/center][/h1]

There he was, lying in a hospital bed waiting for the nurse to adjust his medication again. You could see on his face how painful it was having the nanites going through and attacking the cancer cells. He had been getting this treatment for near on three months now, the progress slow and only prolonging his life some. The cancerous cells were still spreading faster than what the treatment could compensate for. They could, of course, introduce more nanites, or have the other ones work faster but that even had its risks. What really determined it was his choice to further the treatment. He knew years ago that this had a really high chance to occur, such as the life of a Navy reactor core engineer. He turned his head slightly to look at her with a small smile through the pain.

“You are looking well Jessica. Are your new augmentations functioning well?”

She nods and walks over to him taking his hand with her bare metal one. “They are. I haven't decided if I wanted to use their standard synth-skin though. It looks too fake to me.”

“You could always improve a design or make your own. L… li..... like you did with that small robotic dog when you were eight.” He chuckles for a moment before it turns into a series of coughs. The coughing lasted for almost a minute before subsiding. He looks up at her face his own expression being solemn and tired. “It's getting close you know. I know it isn't something you want to hear, but I can't lie to you. Here…” he shifts slightly picking up a small chain with a series of tags on it. “Take this. You will have much more use of this than I will.”

As she takes the chain from his hand his arm falls as though from exhaustion...


Jessica jolts awake in the small hotel room she had rented while on Vekta Prime for the interview. It had been awhile since she had that dream/memory occur. Then again then last time it occurred she was working on the synth-skin testing it's resistance to corrosive material. Last night after the events of the interview and what occurred after she was reviewing the material components trying to figure out a possible new solution for better corrosion resistance. She slowly gets out of bed heading to the coffee pot first to prepare the first pot of the day, she felt she was going to need quite a bit of it today. Once the coffee was started she went to the refresher to continue her morning ritual. When she returned to the coffee pot, hair still drying, she poured a cup of coffee and started to read through her new notes from last night's research. 

Halfway through her review of the notes when her comm unit chimed. She picked up the device and placed it in her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Ms. Ghaller?” a woman's voice asked in a rather professional tone.

“Speaking…”

“I am with the UNSF and I am calling to inform you that you are required to report at the UNSF Apollyon today before 18:00. You have been selected to fill the role of Core Specialist. Do you have any questions for me?” the last part spoken as though she had little time and it was meant to be only a courtesy. 

A few seconds of silence passed as Jessica stood there speechless. “Mrs. Ghaller are you there?”

“Yes, I am here. No, I don't have any questions for you.”

“Congratulations and best of travels then.” The other end of the line clicked leaving Jessica in silence. Through the next few minutes, she processed what she was told and then started to gather what belongings she had as well as finishing dressing.
[i]I did it, I really did it. I can barely believe it but it is happening.[/i]

[center][h1]Vekta Prime Orbital, Apollyon docks / Apollyon Reactor Core.
14:00
[/h1][/center]


The public transports were cramped with personnel going to the massive dreadnought. It didn't help that the transports seemed to shake with the slightest movement, whether it's own or another vehicle passing by to closely. Jessica gripped the metal coffee cup she had tightly each time the transport shifted and creaked.

The worst was when it came into land on the docks where it seemed several people were already making their way to their parts of the ship. Her knuckles went a shade lighter when the transport touched down and seemed like it was going to fall apart.

The old civilian transport, a T-76 Gallia, groaned as it landed in the rear hanger, it’s landing gears creaking as the full weight of its 750-ton hull rested on their hydraulics. The Type-76 Gallia was originally made and patented by Econ Heavy Industries, a reliable transport that was originally built for hauling massive amounts of cargo, and with its huge Class 8 Hyperlane Slip-Manifold, it was capable of crossing massive distances at much quicker intervals.

It was the workhorse of the early trade industry and autonomous merchants, way before the Union even existed. Though nowadays, these 2-century old space hulks are used as short distance civilian transports, moving people to and fro on the day to day, having their original Manifolds swapped for the smaller Class 4, to increase their internal space for additional passengers.

This ship was only a twelfth of the size of the rear hanger in comparison, and considering that it could fit two cruisers, the sheer scale of the place really hit hard. As Jessica took the metal steps down from the ship’s exits doors, she could see that there were 7 other transports, all offloading people in the hundreds. It was a wonder how many more of these transports were on the way.

The hanger crew were ushering people to the exits, all crammed together shoulder to shoulder. But despite all of the chaotic noise of zero-g thrusters and talking people, a maintenance droid made its way through the crowd and towards her, stopping her in her tracks. “There you are, human.” The droid stated. “You are Core Specialist Jessica Ghaller. I am here to escort you to the main power plant, under the orders of the resident AI, ATLAS.” 

She had been looking for where she needed to go trying to get someone from the hanger crew to give her better directions than just a finger pointing in a general direction. She had not noticed the droid until it impeded her progress and started to address her. Jessica looked at the droid curiously before she grabbed the small luggage bag she had. “Lead on then. I am eager to see the main power plant and I am sure the resident AI has a lot of information to share.” She brushed a few stray hairs out of her face as she followed the droid through the crowd.

The machine quickly ushered her through the crowd and into the hallways, leading her to the TransLifts. The TransLift room was filled with people lining up and waiting for their lifts to arrive. The lines were dwindling quickly, so the wait would be short. “A magnetized capsule will take you where you need to go.” The droid said. “Now if you will excuse me, I have others to direct.” Before Jessica could say anything, the droid had vanished into the crowd.

She stepped into the capsule as the droid left. While trying to relax some, she adjusted the luggage bag to fit in the capsule with her. Jessica closed her eyes hoping it would help with whatever motion sickness may occur. [i] I wonder how they accommodated for human frailty for transportation like this. [/i] She started to work through a few variables before the capsule had stopped and opened to let her out. A quick glance around the area was her first reaction to get an idea of where she was.

It was, of course, another TransLift room, but clearly lit holographic signs along the walls stated that she was now in the Engineering Deck. Stepping outside of the room and into the main corridor, more signs and holographic lines stretched along the walls, guiding people to their relative areas. One of the signs stood out to her, labeled “Power Core”.

Jessica followed the signs leading to the power core taking another sip of the still somewhat warm coffee in the mug she had. Upon her arrival at the power core, she set the luggage bag while looking over the massive room that was the main power core. She, as well as many others, trained studied and dreamed of being able to work with one of these cores. 

“As much as it displeases me that your presence is even necessary aboard this ship…” A deep, aggressive male voice echoed throughout the room. “I guess I have to welcome you… you are Jessica Ghaller. The Core Specialist for this vessel. My name is Nemesis, an ATLAS variant AI.”

The people in the room were looking around the area, some trying to determine where the audio was coming from, while others were trying to see who this Jessica Ghaller even was. “I recommend you look around the facility before you get acquainted with your fellow meatbags. You will also be receiving your standard issued gear from Captain Michi Maganza. You will have to meet with her at the earliest convenience.”

“I was going to look through this facility first before going to acquaint myself with anyone. I didn't get this certification to simply make friends, I did it so I could work with this magnificent thing.”  She gestures to the Core. [i]And you could use an adjustment to your social etiquette protocols. [/i]
“I will meet with the captain after I finish looking through this facility.”

Leaving her baggage behind Jessica made her way to the massive sphere in the middle of the room staring at it in fascinated wonder. A few other people look at her curiously for a moment before moving on. With a deep breath, Jessica turned away from the core to go to the main instrument panel to familiarize herself with it. “Is there anything non-standard I should, correction, I am allowed to know about this core Nemesis?”

“Currently, by the orders of the Design Bureau, Core internals are to be classified, unless an emergency occurs. As far as the Design Bureau is concerned, your purpose is to maintain the outer containment shell of the core as well as the system’s power draw levels and heat management to prevent catastrophic failure. Attempting to investigate the internal structure and components of the core outside of an emergency situation will be considered a breach of contract, and your Design Bureau issued Core Specialist Certification will be nullified.”

“Which was covered multiple times during their certification program. I'll take your answer as a no then. Anything else I should know about this area?” She looks over the power output display, then moves to the coolant levels, and finally the fuel levels while awaiting a response. 

“Everything in this room is to the specifications of the Design Bureau, which you were taught during your certification program. Any more silly questions, human?” The AI responded, clearly tired of the conversation.

“Only where my quarters are and where can I find the captain.” She didn't expect much for living quarters and the previous questions asked were to see if there were any modifications someone made last minute or made without permission. It wasn't hard to guess that not everyone followed specifications, though when dealing with the Design Bureau you did not try to bypass their rules. To do that was to end any chance of working with them.

“You may find the Captain on the Bridge, or in her quarters, on the same deck. Your ‘quarters’ is one of the TransLift capsules.”

[i]Dad wasn't kidding when he said it was limited living space. Didn't think it would be that limited.[/i] “Right, thank you, Nemesis.” Jessica stepped away from the control panel and made her way back to the luggage bag she left at the entrance to the reactor core. She didn't know what she was going to do with this now but she would figure it out. 

The walk back to the TransLift room was quick. She waited for a capsule to open, climbing in when it did. [i]I guess this will be home for the rest of my life. It could be worse, I could have been killed by that gunman that appeared after my interview. [/i]

When the capsule opened again she was in another TransLift room similar to the last one, though the signs read differently. Jessica followed the signs leading to the bridge, keeping her luggage with her for fear of losing it, to a series of four doors. When she peered through the doors she saw a few people there looking over the equipment. 

“Is Captain Michi here?”


Even had Michi managed to miss the Core Specialist’s entrance, the sound of the many-leaved blast doors opening and shutting loud over the muted susurrus of Bridge conversation, Nemesis’ alert would have pinged her in a nanosecond, handily tagging the figure on the threshold. Waving away some of the hovering myriad of displays - everything from supply loading rates in the forward holds to current powerplant loads to expected crew manifests - that had surrounded her elevated, thronelike chair in a loose and wavering sphere of turquoise light, Michi rose in a whisper of smart material, her uniform’s space-black fabric smoothly shifting and sliding with her lithe musculature.

Not a crease marred the perfect lines, or twisted the ribbons and gold braid of rank and reward, even as she descended the curving stairs at a rapid, efficient clip, eyes locked upon the new arrival. Studying, evaluating, assessing with cool dispassion.

“Michi Maganza,” she said by way of greeting, raking eyes up and down Jessica’s form with a sharp, quick nod. Despite its rapidity, she missed very little, a soldier’s glance that drew in every scrap of information and processed it just as quickly. “Specialist Ghaller, I see. Good to have you aboard to massage the reactor. You may now salute.”

The luggage bag she was carrying dropped to the floor as Jessica fumbled a salute. She waited a second before picking the bag up and looking over Michi taking in as much in detail as she could. The silver-white hair against the dark mahogany skin color seemed a bit unusual to her but with this day and age, anything was possible. She was an example of it to a degree with three cybernetic appendages, one artificial eye, and to top it all real looking, and feeling synth-flesh.

Another sharp nod, as quick and fierce as the first - Michi was juggling twenty things, keeping her plates spinning with sheer determination, processing and storing information as fast as her neural lace and darting eyes could manage it, greedily suckling at the font of knowledge. “Good. With me, if you please, Specialist. There are matters of your expertise and your role aboard my ship I wish to discuss with you.” 

A swift about-face and Michi was striding confidently towards another bank of lifts, her gait practically crackling with energy as she strode between banks of consoles and holographic projections, confident and self-assured.

At least, on the outside.

“We’ll use my office,” she said pleasantly as she swept briskly through the Bridge. “Nothing to worry about, I’ve been meeting all my senior staff as they arrive - and as time permits, of course. You’re not up on jankers, but as nice as m’bridge is, it’s not the right place for a chat.”

[i]Certainly[/i] not the right place to hand over sensitive matters - and when it came to the dreadnought’s power systems, very little [i]wasn’t[/i] sensitive in some manner.

Jessica trailed a few paces behind the Captain. “Understood Captain, I know the Bureau likes to keep a lot of the knowledge about the cores secret.”

Michi pulsed the request to Nemesis before even arriving at the lifts; the pods were, therefore, ready and waiting by the time her immaculately-booted feet set down, whisking her off to the palatial (for a warship) captain’s quarters and the bubble of emitter-studded battleplate that made up her office. Practically an anachronism in the modern age of always-accessible information, of holosuites and lightspeed conferences, but some Navy traditions were worth preserving.

Michi arrived before her subordinate, having just enough time to tune the emitters to a spectacular nebula so that the desk and chairs floated amid a sea of searing, silent flame.

Having stepped into yet another pod to be moved to yet another part of the ship, the few seconds it took to get there left her time to contemplate on the things Captain Michi may wish to discuss. Figuring that the Captain would probably wish to avoid meaningless conversation, she mentally prepared for such and kept a mental reminder that Nemesis had said Maganza would provide standard gear for her. 

Just as the pod opened the emitters in the office had changed the appearance of the room to a marvelous nebula. Jessica couldn't help but gaze at the display in astonishment. It was completely unexpected and a bit outside of the normal for someone to put on a display like this unless it was a close friend. The reason for having come here was temporarily forgotten that is until the Captain stepped into the field of view “Oh right, you wished to discuss a few things about the Core. Please excuse my bewilderment I was expecting a more bland office setting than this.”

“I’d go bananas inside of an hour if all I had to look at was curving battleplate,” Michi admitted cheerfully, settling herself behind the desk. “Have a seat, do,” she added, waving a hand at the chairs arrayed in front of it. “It’s one of my more well-known little quirks - in the Service, at any rate, which is undoubtedly why this office, and my quarters in general, [i]have[/i] emitters in the first place. Admiral Beaufort regards them as fripperies, of course, but then he’s always been a fan of unnecessary privation.” A faint, fond smile for a moment, quickly wiped away by the military veneer.

“Now. There are two things I wish to discuss with you, Specialist. First, I would like a comprehensive stress-test exercise from you and your department. I’m aware our draw capacity from the reactor is effectively infinite, but I’m equally sure the power grid can’t handle [i]that[/i] much energy. I have the builder’s specs, of course - but although I’m not an engineer m’self, I do [i]know[/i] them. I want to find out what tolerances we’re [i]actually[/i] working with, not so much what the book and the schematics say we’ve got. How much power can we shunt to the thermal beam batteries in an emergency, for example, without melting the main bus and throwing every transformer from here to the aft boat bay, that sort of thing. Understood?”

Jessica took a seat and listened intently as the Captain began explaining the first thing she wanted to be done. An actual test of the system made sense as no one wanted to have parts of the electrical system burning up in a critical situation. 

“Can do, just need to know when to do it.”

“As soon as possible, naturally.” Michi paused, and then explained, gesturing airily with long, elegant fingers. “Yes, it’d be something of an embarrassment if you actually [i]do[/i] melt half the power grid and we had to limp back into the slips being towed by tugs, but I’d far rather you did it here and now, with the finest shipyard in the Union right next door standing by to make good the damage, than in some godforsaken system at the back end of beyond ten thousand light-years from the nearest friendly welding torch.” A shrug and a lopsided grin. “Better to be embarrassed now and alive further down the line than prideful and dead, in my opinion. Just let me know when your department’s ready; might have to juggle some of the other shakedown tasks I’ve assigned. Not your problem, though - Nemesis, Cresswell - the comms officer - and I will sort out schedules.” Happy she’d made her point, Michi leaned forwards, her more relaxed posture tightening once more and the vague half-smile vanishing.

[i]More sound thoughts, though I doubt we would be thousands of light years from a welding torch. I'm sure we have some available. [/i] The thought was there but withheld to not risk upsetting the Captain and start off on the wrong foot. She noticed how quick the Captain went to and how long she held her serious demeanor, furthering Jessica's decision to maintain silence and listen. 

“Secondly - and more importantly - I have some vital equipment for you.” One-handed, Michi reached below her desk and produced, magician-like, a small box which, to the augmented eye, thrummed with thousands of defensive programs, a spiny and poisonous mine ready to go off - and go off spectacularly - at the slightest unauthorized touch.

Slender fingers dipped through the haze and danced a flickering fandango over its dull metal surfaces even as her lace broadcast complex access codes on a tight-beam channel. Slowly, almost reluctantly, the box unfolded, segments raising from the whole and clicking outwards.

‘[i]All it needs to complete the effect,[/i]’ thought Michi, an imp of mischief dancing irreverently in her brain, ‘[i]Is some dry ice vapour spilling out.[/i]’ With the ease of long practice, she kept her face stone-like, impassive, even as she reached in and lifted the Device out. 

It was heavy, heavier than it looked, a dull metal vambrace and gauntlet festooned with a boil of slender pipes and sullenly-glowing power cores, a labyrinthian design that tugged at the eyes and the brain alike. The cores pulsed, rhythmically, brightening and darkening as if to some unknowable heartbeat, the light casting uneasy shadows across the metal, whilst the centrepiece of the Device, standing proud, glared like a baleful eye at the universe.

“Your hand, Specialist Ghaller?” Michi said expectantly even as she half-turned the gauntlet, ready to receive Jessica’s hand, its inner lining gleaming with circuitry and other, arcane things. 

She reached out towards the gauntlet looking over it while doing so. Curiosity pushed even more now wanting to know what the purpose of such a thing was. As Jessica's long slender finger slide into the gauntlet, she waited. Waited to see what was going to happen.

In the event, all that occurred was a faint, electrical tingle as the Device woke from somnolence, a tiny and almost unnoticeable prick at the end of one finger as it sampled Jessica’s DNA. The glow brightened for a few moments and then settled down, and it all looked much the same as it had before - no new access pathways, no secret codes, no unusual abilities made themselves immediately manifest.

A flick of Michi’s hand summoned a scrolling projection of a thousand parameters, blurring past as the gauntlet self-reported its status, running rapid internal diagnostics and checking the myriad of sensors with which it monitored its wearer.

“Excellent.” A smile as sharp as a knife and twice as quick flickered across the captain’s impassive face as the scrolling list chimed sweetly and burst into gleaming pixels that merged with the nebula’s background splendour. “That stays [i]on[/i], Specialist. When you’re at work, when you’re off duty, when you’re in the shower, when you’re sleeping, when you’re dancing, when you’re making the beast with two backs...I don’t care. You keep it on, regardless of what anyone else says - I will [i]know[/i] if you don’t, believe me, and you don’t want to experience what I’ll do to you if I find you’ve disobeyed.” That knife-like smile - if it [i]was[/i] a smile - again, pearly white teeth gleaming and a hard light in her eyes. “I trust we’re clear on this?”

So it was a monitoring device. Keeping it on should be simple enough. She didn't really dance, would probably spend more time on duty than off and the time off would be spent sleeping, showering with it on might be slightly irritating for awhile until finally growing a custom to it being there, and making the beast with two backs… that was probably a reference to an activity of sorts. More probably a reference that people made she didn't understand. Still, she mouthed it silently to herself trying to puzzle out the meaning of phrase before dropping the train of thought to continue the conversation with the captain.

“Yes Captain, it won't be an issue. Anything else you need of me before I return to the Core?”

Michi pursed her lips in consideration, a slight [i]frisson[/i] of surprise running through her. It was a rare person who simply [i]accepted[/i] a new piece of equipment without at least enquiring what it was for, all the more so given the gauntlet’s onerous usage requirement. Still, it meant less work for her…

“Only t’let you know that I dine with my officers and their departments on a semi-regular basis. Chance to mingle, chat, head off some problems at the pass, that sort of thing. You’ll be notified in advance, of course, but I thought I’d let you - and by extension your part of the crew - know it’s coming. Mess undress; nothing too formal. Save that for special occasions and dignitaries. Oh, and don’t tinker with your new glove; it’s covered by the same clauses and tampering penalties as the core itself.” A bright, beaming smile and a nod. “I think that’s all for the moment. Nice to have met you, let me know if you have any difficulties. Dismissed, Miss Ghaller.”

“Thank you, mam’. If I have any issues you'll be first to know.” After standing and before leaving she salutes again. The trip back to the Core was uneventful after it, however, was busy as Jessica began getting familiar with the other people that work with her in the Core.