This work is solely Fan Fiction and is an offshoot of the GENE RODDENBURY Sci-fi TV series ANDROMEDA and has not been sanctioned, approved, or commissioned by anyone associated with the TV series ANDROMEDA. It is a work of speculative fiction drawing on the original ideas incorporated into ANDROMEDA.
The original characters (the property of Tribune Entertainment and Fireworks et al) are in minor secondary roles to new characters of my own creation. I am the intellectual property owner and copyright owner (unless stated otherwise) of these new characters evolved from those in ANDROMEDA, the title 'PLEIADES RISING' (in relation to this work), the stories and the work containing them.
This work has been written as narrative prose but rather than chapters scene breaksare used to emulate a TV series.
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After the ANDROMEDA ASCENDANT there comes . . .
Pleiades Rising, the prototype for the new class of multiple-function warships, Transcendent Plasmic Animate light cruisers, the evolution of Argosy fleet and heir to the Andromeda Ascendant. Thirty years have passed since The Abyss was destroyed, Tarn-Vedra returned to the known worlds and Earth obliterated. The slow rise of the New Systems Commonwealth continues …
"To chase a sunset one needs a dawn.. Thus by knowing where we are going we must know where we have come from. But is knowing enough?."
Kendra Halig, High Syncretica of Krishna Murti, Whisperer of Truth.
FROM DUST COMES BONES
SCENE ONE:
"Open your eyes and meet the god of your dreams. One Seamus Zelazny Harper." The cocky voice laughed. "That's Vice-Admiral Harper to you. Acknowledged genius extraordinaire of the New Systems Commonwealth Federation for the last 25 years." He stepped back to watch his ultimate creation stir, opening eyes too golden that blinked rapidly at him. "Lyric, Merope's visual parameters need fine-tuning." Harper leaned forward to watch his daughter make the adjustments.
Lyric suppressed the familiar pang that tugged at her heart. Her father was always obsessed with his work, barely recalling responsibilities to his only child. It wasn't easy being the daughter of two of the brightest minds in their known worlds. Perhaps if her mother Jessa had survived the Nietzschean attack things could have been different. Perhaps.
"Thank you, Lyric." Merope turned her head and smiled before fixing her steady gaze on Harper. "You have surpassed expectations, Vice-Admiral Harper."
"Respect. Now that I like!"
"Is it not normal for a subordinate to have automatic respect for a superior?" Merope's puzzled voice dipped on the last word.
"Only in the military would that be inherent," Lyric muttered under her breath, forgetting the biodroid's superlative hearing.
"So you are not in the Argosy or Lancer Corps since your vocalisation carries no deference for the Vice-Admiral?"
"No, I'm not. Space travel and fighting are not to my taste. I prefer to keep my feet firmly planted on Tarn-Vedra in the science branch of the Home Guard. I leave the wild adventures and legends surrounding my father and the rest of the Andromeda Ascendant crew for them to encounter and build on."
"Yet you are the chief designer and co-creator of Pleiades Rising's bio-dimensions. Surely you needed to have familiarity of the requirements of space and slipstream travel to have perfected us for the next phase of the New Systems Commonwealth?"
"I saw a lot on the Andromeda Ascendant after my mother's death. Those years are ingrained on my soul." Visions of herself playing in the vast, lonely corridors of the Andromeda welled in Lyric's mind.
Her best friend, nursemaid and teacher had been the AI Andromeda. From the monitor core and the logical hologram she had matured her natural intelligence and sequential thought. Rommie and Trance, when time permitted, allowed her the luxury of playing as a child.. The crew had treated her more as a pet to be indulged.
Only when her Aunt Beka put Harper on the carpet for the emotional neglect of his child did he have the foresight to enrol her in a New Systems Commonwealth school for High Guard offspring. Here her genetic legacy of two genius' was fostered and nurtured into being at the forefront of bio-engineering. Which brought her to this point with her father.
"Ladies, what am I here? Chopped liver? You are both my girls and need to pay heed to your Papa." Harper was oblivious to the pain he cut in Lyric. "Stand up, Merope. Get a feel for the soft skin of your body."
The biodroid stood, flexing the musculature of her tilandrum frame. Data processed at infinitesimal speed through her synaptic ganglions. A ghost of a smile hovered on her full lips. "All aspects are fully functional, Vice-Admiral."
"You are my perfection personified," Harper chuckled as he took in the curvaceous biodroid. "Maybe I should have given you a normal hair colour instead of the deep purple."
"Father, you know full well the Triumvirate ordered that as near humanoid looking as the new biodroid is there needed to be a distinctive discrepancy. I'm surprised they let you get away with just the hair."
"Don't forget the eyes! I had contemplated chrome skin." He kept a dead-pan face at Lyric's raised brow. "But there was a clash of colour schemes, so the Conclave and Senate were amenable to the hair variant." And unaware how fully functional and humanoid he hade made her.
The soft swish of the lab door behind them heralded another presence.
"Has the biodroid been prepped for her maiden voyage?" Senator Talia Waterkurk's autocratic voice demanded an answer.
Harper turned on his heel. Those steely eyes sent a shiver down his spine. On Beka they looked good. On the Senator they were positively lethal as they flickered from father and daughter to the biodroid. " Prepped, loaded and ready to astound, senator."
"She had better be. The New Systems Commonwealth has invested years and the income of several planets to develop your idea of a biological AI."
"I can guarantee that Merope here can, and will, be able to pilot Pleiades Rising through the slipstreams as well as our greatest pilots. I should know since we incorporated the DNA from our bravest and best into her cellular biomechanism."
"The conclave will be watching intently. And Triumvir Ja'el Yinsel will be in close proximity to the trial show. If all runs well we will commission further construction."
"Give me the Nietzschean shipyards of Almagest and I could turn you out a fleet of these babies in double-quick time."
"We leave for Pleiades Rising on the next shuttle. Be on it. All of you." Senator Talia swept out of the lab.
* * * * * * *
SCENE TWO:
Fleet Admiral Dylan Hunt gazed into the void of space from Andromeda's observation deck. To one side Tarn-Vedra gleamed opulently while beyond pinpoints of other worlds and stars glittered faintly.
The latest ship was commissioned and awaiting trial runs, hanging in suspension above the planet. Though his eyes were focused on the sleek outlines of Pleiades Rising his thoughts were elsewhere, in a past he could never quell or forget. Soft footfalls behind him failed to rouse him until his wife's arms encircled his waist.
"Wishing it was you taking out the Pleiades?" Molly rested her head against his back.
Dylan patted her hand as he pulled her to his side. "No, I have Andromeda and my duties to the New Systems Commonwealth to keep me busy."
"Mmm, I do wish I could pilot her, just once, to get a feel of the biotechnics. Harper's work is going to make me feel obsolete." Molly fingered the data port in her neck.
"There will always be a place for the best slipstream pilots in the New Systems Commonwealth."
"Well, that guarantees Beka a job."
Dylan laughed as he held her tight. "You are only a whisker behind her as Andromeda's pilot."
"So, that makes two dinosaur warship pilots then."
"You are assuming that all will go well with this maiden flight."
"And why shouldn't it?"
"Harper was born with Murphy's star fixed firmly in his heaven. Brilliant as he is, I have come to expect the unexpected where he is concerned."
"Dylan, the Conclave shuttle is on approach to hangar 17." Andromeda's hologram flickered into vision.
"Time for politics. Thank you Andromeda. Ensure our guests are guided to the observation deck upon disembarking. I need to check on command deck."
"A kiss for luck." Molly pressed against his heart, lifting her face to his.
"You can never have enough luck," Dylan murmured as his lips met hers.
********
SCENE THREE:
"Attention, all hands, Fleet Admiral on deck." The ensign stood to attention.
"As you were." Dylan moved to his command post.
"Status report, Andromeda."
"The Conclave shuttle has just docked. And I am detecting a slipstream event. The nexus portal is opening."
"On screen." Dylan watched as Doyle's Demand burst into view. It's pale green hull glimmered under the Tarn-Vedran sun.
The familiar face of Admiral Beka Valentine flashed up on the monitor. "Fleet admiral, we have arrived. Requesting permission to come aboard."
"Welcome, Beka. The Conclave representatives have shuttled in. We await your presence." The screen flicked back to Andromeda's monitoring functions.
"Rommie, go and greet our first guests. Give them a mini tour long enough to delay them until Admiral Valentine gets here."
"Will do. By the way, the admiral is already on her way. The Maru just launched."
"After all these years I can't believe she hangs on to that bucket of bolts."
"Bucket it may be, Fleet Admiral, but it has been sturdy throughout all our encounters and saved each of us at sometime."
"She's right, there," Andromeda broke in. " The Maru may not be sightly but she pulled me from the brink of oblivion at Hephaistos and has always bucked the odds."
"Direct the Maru to hangar 18. I'll meet them there."
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SCENE FIVE
Vapor hissed as the Maru settled on the hangar deck. Beka checked and double checked the vessel's status.
"Everything is fine, Beka." Doyle looked up from her station. "The Maru made the short hop without any problems."
"She's long overdue for an upgrade."
"Which is why I will oversee the work while you enjoy Harper showing off his new toy."
"Do I detect a note of jealousy, Doyle? His engineering feat of building a warship around you for me to captain would flatter even the meekest of androids."
Doyle gave an indifferent sniff. "He owed me as much."
"I dunno. By naming my ship Doyle's Demand it kinda makes me feel he might have been bullied into it."
"No-one bullies Harper."
"Persuaded, then."
The outer airlock hissed open. A familiar tall figure strode in. "Some things are timeless and never change," Dylan commented as he ducked the portal frame.
"Dylan, life on Andromeda sits well with you." Doyle smiled.
"Doyle, astute as always. I am sure you and Rommie will have a lot of catching up to do."
"Andromeda and DD have already interfaced and exchanged information. But it will be nice to see Rommie again."
"Nothing like playing catch-ups, is there Dylan?" Beka unbuckled her harness, stretching her legs as she stood up. "None of us are any younger but have a lot more to reminisce about." Her familiar lop-sided grin reflected her pleasure of being back on the Andromeda. "Let's get on with the show."
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SCENE SIX
"From the Andromeda observation deck a full vista of the simulated war games and the scheduled trial slipstream run can be observed in comparative comfort.." Rommie's matter of fact tones commanded the attention of the members of the Conclave she had escorted into the area.
Andromeda's hologram continued. "We will traverse the slipstream as soon as the Pride Jaguar flag ship has relayed its accompanying war ship is in position, The Pleiades Rising will follow with Doyle's Demand in observation from behind."
"You are sure the Pleiades Rising will recognize the Nietzschean simulated frontal attack as just that?" Triumvir Ja'el Yinsel questioned.
Commander Trance Gemini smiled as she stepped forward, golden skin glowing mutely in the subdued light. "Pleiades Rising has an inbuilt safety code in place for this trial. She will undertake all necessary manoeuvres to avoid and negate a surprise attack but will not retaliate with any active weapon fire.".
"The point of the exercise today, Triumvir Ja'el Yinsel, is to show the Conclave the versatility of the Pleiades Rising as both a war ship and as a bio-engineering feat that allows for an artificial bio-sentient to use the slipstream." Fleet Admiral Dylan Hunt smiled at the crowd before him, the slight wink aimed for his wife off to one side. "Admiral Valentine will be monitoring the Pleiades Rising for any abnormal variants as they traverse the slipstream."
"And if there are any abnormalities? Do we lose years of work with one ship and a valuable vessel and seasoned crew following?" Triumvir Ja'el Yinsel raised his brow in query.
"I assure you, Triumvir Ja'el Yinsel, all the short test runs we have monitored have shown no known faults in evidence in the Pleiades Rising. She has performed to Admiral Harper's specifications and expectations." Admiral Valentine stepped forward. "And today in her maiden voyage through a lengthy slipstream event she will come through with flying colors. I stake my reputation on it." And my life, Beka added to herself.
Dylan's eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the anxious twist of Trance's mouth. What did she know that she wasn't revealing. That avatar was an enigma that he doubted any of them would ever solve in their lifetimes.
"Enjoy the hospitality of the Andromeda Ascendant while I brief Admiral Valentine on a few last details. As soon as Pride Jaguar have confirmed their presence we will join them at the exit nexus of the slipstream." From the corner of his eye Dylan noted Rommie and Doyle in amicable discussion. Beka would be borrowing one of the slipstream fighters to return to DD while Doyle took the Maru planet-side for mechanical outfitting.
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SCENE SEVEN