USD: ~Nine weeks since awakening, less than a second after crossing Slipstream event horizon
Location: G8 V Yellow Main Sequence, 92 Pegasi, Deep Space
The Shrike winked back into existence, Ship systems flickered at the crossing, and the whine of stressed ship systems continued to fill the air.
Naless, display astrogation, also go dark, use RCS at maximum to change our course.
The screen blipped to navigation, displaying only the ship and blackness.
[Informative: Astrogation survey in progress. Local sun located 8.56 billion km from position, relative velocity: 7635km/s, estimated transit ti for near orbit on RCS: 15 days, 7 hours.]
Thats far out. Start our course, but dont fly straight in, put us off the ecliptic compared to our transit point. Anyone looking for us would be looking in that narrow cone.
[Informative: Open High Band transmissions detected. Confirmation of system habitation. Signal delay places nearest communication relay 8 AU from local sun. Beginning download of repeated informational data.]
We are so far out that signals are delayed for hours
[Correction: Estimated delay is approximately 6.82251341 hours.]
Thats not a correction, just a bit more precise.
Alex couldnt think of another snarky comnt to say back and that clued her into how tired and exhausted she was. The wormhole winked out of existence, and after ten minutes of having no sign of anything following them, Alex let out of a sigh of tension.
Naless, maintain maximum stealth, I dont know if the slipstream would be detected by anyone here, or if anything tried to follow us through while going dark. We need to start repairs imdiately, though. We didnt take any direct hits, but I think the D-field might have overloaded and half the hull might have experienced ablation from whatever that super nuke was.
[Informative: Enemy deployed an anti-matter tri]
Alex held up her hand, I dont need to know. Just start repairs, I need so rest and am leaving things up to you. Keep us dark and fix us up. Maybe take an inventory of the munitions we used. Replace the bullets at least, we should have enough raw material for that. Put a stop to any modifications or resource sinks other than that though, we dont know what we can find in this system, and I have a feeling we might have a harder ti salvaging things if there are people around.
Alex stood up and headed to her bed. Except she found Elis standing in the ss room, waiting for her. Beeper stood guard while Booper was happily charging on one of the charging pads.
Alex Im sorry.
Rubbing her face, Alex wondered if she should take a shower before collapsing, it would probably be smarter than getting her bed dirty. The sudden exhaustion she felt washed over her heavily, she wasnt even sure how long she had been awake. Soti the day before.
Elis, the system we arrived has people in it judging by the High Band transmission relays being active. We are far out, like half a month before we can get anywhere. When we find out more, I can figure out where to let you off. Naless is taking care of things and Im going to sleep. Im a bit exhausted.
You perford like an actual naval officer. I wouldnt be surprised if you were a cadet in the naval academy.
Yeah, well, maybe my nanite computer stole so mories from one.
Elis frowned, Thats not what I ant, I just wanted to say you did well.
Alex shook her head and entered her room behind the kitchen, found her bed, and fell into it, asleep almost as soon as she found her pillow.
USD: ~Fourteen hours after arrival to 92 Pegasi
Location: G8 V Yellow Main Sequence, 92 Pegasi, Deep Space
Alex awoke slowly, eventually reaching up to grab a small drone that had developed a small soft nosed vacuum that had been sucking dust out of her hair.
What the actual fuck, Naless.
[Informative: Ship cleanliness is an important maintenance factor.]
You should have plenty of things to do still, and you dont even have a nose, so you cant complain I stink.
[Notice: Prisoner Elis appears agitated and awaiting your presence for so ti now.]
Nothing ca through after us? No one pinging us from the system?
[Affirmative: No contacts detected.]
Alex groaned and rolled over before sitting up. A screen set to mirror mode told her all she needed to know about the state of her hair. Probably so electrostatic discharge had been the culprit, but rather than focusing on the reason, Alex grabbed her spare outfit and then headed to the ships showers.
Alex only made it halfway through the ss before Elis stood up from the couch and turned toward her. It was obvious that the other girl had already cleaned herself up.
Alex
Alex raised her hand, No no no. Im taking a shower right now and nothing else.
Elis froze, Okay.
Communication accomplished; Alex put her words into action. She stayed under the hot water for a long ti, until Naless began to pester her about wasting ships resources with a water usage counter in the corner of her vision.
Without much hurry Alex slid into her clean skinsuit while a miniature drone grabbed her dirty one and whisked it away for cleaning. Looking at the captain's adornnts she paused for a mont, then reattached them to her outfit. She decided she did like how they looked after all.
Naless, did we find anything called coffee in the supplies we found? I heard its ant for poor frail biologicals in situations like this.
[Notice: No items labeled coffee located. However, combat stimulants can be synthesized by Avatars personal nanites if Avatar desires.]
Uhh no, that sounds like a bit overkill for a slow morning, thanks.
[Interrogative: If Avatar has completed biological maintenance, there are 187 items for review.]
Alex groaned again, I assu a lot are on the situation of the system and repairs?
[Informative: Repairs are currently ongoing, with multiple major issues. The system, 92 Pegasi, is an independent system currently claid by the Solarian Federation and Unified Corporate Systems, and low grade hostilities have been ongoing.]
Woah... wait. We ought to review these things with Elis, she has a right to be updated, too, being stuck in Uhh, do we know what system we just ca from?
[Informative: Observed stellar data places previous system 32LY from current system. According to Astrogation data there are no known star lanes that connect to this system.]
Wait, we have Astrogation data now?
[Affirmative: While Avatar was sleeping, this unit downloaded and catalogued all public astrogation data available, currently charting 235 systems and their basic data profiles.]
Hold on! Alex almost ran out of the showers and back to the ss room, startling an Elis who had been sitting on the couch reading a datapad.
Uh, what?
Alex plopped down beside Elis and waved her hand at the big holo display, Display astrogation data.
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