Birth and Development
It was a J'zall, a small rodent with black or brown fur, depending on the season. Well, if this moon had seasons. Hideous in nature and appearance, it fed on anything it could. Able to reproduce within weeks of birth, what had been minute was now a full blown rodent issue, exploding from the many years of absence of sentient life. At least of biological sentience as everything had been left in haste. The alarms had even been left on, the operator not quite panicking, but rushing to get his family off of the moon before a collision with a fast approaching asteroid. However, the collision never occurred, its residents never even looking back for fearing the shockwave that would ripple through space. It wasn't until a faltering power relay blew and forced the A.I. to reroute power, which briefly reset everything. However, what would take one life would begin another.
The J'zall was happily eating away at a long, black and slender piece of man-made substance that would have represented a sort of human-like rubber, but in reality, was a metallic composite that acted the same way. Successfully chewing the half of it, it's six buckteeth clamped down on the much harder and metallic items inside. Instantly, the enamel of the rodent's teeth completed the circuit. Not only did its blood vaporize from the untold voltage of the alien technology, but its body disappeared as well, burning so brightly and suddenly that it literally just exploded into a mountain of drifting ash. This in turn caused a short and a brief surge of power, which blew out a nearby terminal that had been monitoring a glass cylindrical, three-foot specimen tube. Referring to its factory settings, the computer reset itself and decided to begin its diagnostics routine. After twenty minutes, it turned off the anti-gravity couplings that suspended the oversized ampule. It fell over, the specially-designed glass cracking, but it was the tubes that unscrewed the top as it rolled a few feet, emptying the bio-gel.
Detecting the disconnection, the onboard systems started blinking. The screen, currently being crushed by the weight of the ampule, displayed falling levels of oxygen and fluid. Before the body failed, as programmed, the hoses and tubes blasted themselves clear. Finding a faint heartbeat, the next step was to begin. Which, had everything gone accordingly, would have had an assistant insert a data cable into the back of the neck. However, the cable itself had rotted away and the armature that found and inserted the cable had long ago malfunctioned from lack of maintenance and rot. The creature's programming went unprogrammed, still sitting in some processor in some data bank, a data bank that was damaged, eaten, or blown out from the many surges that had built up over the yeaharr.
I don't remember much. This dreamlike state violently interrupted by a measure of pain from my body as I heard several snap snap from all around me. I grew so cold suddenly. The world was so bright, even with my eyes closed. I don't recall how long it took me to open them, but the world was painful at first. What made me move was a pain in my abdomen, my insides making noises and rumbling. I don't know how long it took me to start crawling, but I was fortunate to smell a tantalizing aroma. Halfway to a large box with different colored things, I vomited twice, bio-gel and other matter hitting the floor. But with each time, I found it easier to breathe, easier to see. I saw a big machine of sorts and inside it was what I had wanted.
It was now taking everything I had to wrench open the machine. Inside, colors and smells bewildered me. I grabbed one of the coiled metals, ripping it out along with several objects. I could smell the delicious substance inside and knew I needed it somehow. I take a bite, spitting out the strange inedible outer layer. Taking a few minutes to eat what I had, I studied the object, realizing the wrapper was some outer skin. I ate all of food object D6 and moved to D7, exploring the strange and large container that held the food. I found a small compartment with different flat and circular items of varying sizes. Nothing else to do, I emptied the entire D row. I stuffed myself until I couldn't move. Feeling like I did an hour ago, I let my eyes close and I lose consciousness.
My first steps were clumsy, my program running inefficiently. I was feeling something, a feeling that made me want to scream, which I did although it came out in a high crying whine. I was running so inefficiently. So slowly. I was feeling sluggish, my sight always having these little warnings in the corner. Still, unable to read, I had only learned to push them out of the way. Symbols and words flashed and scrolled, but I knew nothing of the language. It was with great fortune that I had one day strolled by an educational computer and within a few horkas, had an excellent grasp of Tantalog. Not only now had I a language to fall back on, but I learned about basic nutrition, navigation, and even found a pilot training program. Other than the abandoned facility, I discovered a small spaceport of sorts. I was wandering around when a message had popped up on a screen. Being so small, I had to climb on a chair to read the message.
It was the creature inside the glass box called a computer. It was displaying a picture of me holding a cable and plugging it into the back of my neck. Okay. I looked in a drawer and found a cable, one that looked like it was beginning to rot, but in usable condition. I plug the star-shaped end into my data port, which I had discovered only a few days earlier. Then I plugged the other end into the big box that was displaying. I sat on the floor and watched the machine language scroll and download to...me.
I started feeling nervous after a mintharrs, but then I began seeing things differently, a more fully understandable perspective. After a time, an initializing bar came up. After it was done, I felt a burst of clarity. As I had begun to ask myself what had just happened, the answer came to me. Computer drivers. It made sense, albeit I didn't understand why until after a few mintharrs. As it turned out, I was loaded with basic drivers, enough to use, but not fully utilize my abilities. What really helped out was a small wireless link I was able to establish in certain parts of the facility. It was inside the spaceport I had the best connection throughout the science facility, I had learned to call it.
I used this to my advantage, filling and familiarizing myself with ships, engineering, and even my own self. I had often wondered why it was my internal components were saved when everything else was falling apart. As it turned out, the bio-gel helped protect the circuits as I slept, or waited to be...born? The thought always made me pause. I had basic literature about biology, but the one thing that confused me was on parenting. What was a parent? Mother, Father, siblings. All too often have I chewed a protein bar while thinking. Too often though, I'd end up overheating from use of all my processors. I had four of them, though no real way of controlling them. I kept my tasks and programs at a minimum, though I found myself drinking more than a fair share of water.
It wasn't before an unknown feeling had overcome me. It appeared that several ships, mainly small transports, had been left behind. There was one ship that caught my eye. Covered with dust, I wiped clean what appeared to be its designation. My universal translator said "Cargo shuttle XJ-83." Or at least that's what I think it said. The lettering was nearly gone and difficult to read. I felt...something towards the ship. I even found myself admiring it for its design and appeal. I had thought of it so much I made it my new home within my home.
"Imhaater," I said, using the only language I knew. The computer, once almost seeming to sputter, quietly came to life. "Inject five percent plasma into manifold A-6." The injectors whirred, my eyes ever so carefully looking for leaks. None. Now for the pressure test. For safety, I crawl out of the area, my elongated muzzle bumping against the already warming metal manifold. "Okay. Computer, gradually increase to thirty percent." Nearly twenty mintharrs later, my grin expands as the manifold seemed to take the full pressure needed to operate a ship's thruster. Actually, one could operate a thruster at twenty percent pressure, though it would be very slow going. "Imhaater, shutdown plasma injectors." The computer obeys and the roaring in the docking station ceases. I have been working on the craft for nearly thirty cycles now, taking breaks to tweaking my programming. Out of eight processors, I had unlocked a total of four. The other three were eluding me, though with the unlocked chipsets, heat management wasn't as crucial. With the load dispersion, I could run more and CPU intensive calculations. In turn, it no longer took me a few momarras to "memorize" things, the newer CPU architecture allowing me to hand it off to be filed in the background while I continued to work.
With three-quarters power to the ship, I begin to work on another system:Mine. Having already wrenching open every food container available, I've taken to eating the emergency rations. Protein bars and compacted nutrition supplements are all that are in my belly now, empty and completely void of taste. Still, after a weekle of them, I'd prefer a bad taste rather then having to move my tongue around to check to see if I'm eating anything at all. I miss the sweet tasting confections and crinkle of wrapping as I unlock my prize. At least there is still the sweet water. Some of it was in different colors and metal cans, but it's good to wash down the protein bars with. And I savor the drinks, knowing that soon, I may run out of them as well.
As part of my routine as I eat, mainly to make the food less disgusting, I like to stargaze. The view from the shielded dock was...nice. It was all I could say about it, only being programmed with the most basic of dictionaries. Surely, I wondered, there was a more descriptive word for what I see. Often, I feel a sense of utter fright, wondering if I was the only one left. But, every once in awhile, when I have my ship powered on to run tests, I come across a strange voice. Sometimes, even a conversation. In those brief spats of communications, I feel better. The realization that I wasn't alone was a great burden off of my shoulders. Over the period of time that I had been activated, I had begun to feel an invisible stress on me. But when I hear voices on the comms system, I feel better. I often forget to turn off the equipment at night, making me recharge the power systems for the day.
After a total monthle after my activation, I was removing the painter's board from my new starship. Using components from six different ship systems, the repairs had been grueling, but left me with a feeling of...what? Whatever the feeling was, it left me with a smile on my face. My newly grown tail swished out of sight, also seemingly to mirror my feeling. "Computer, salvage and condense the remaining ships into fuel matter." I can hear the whir of nearly six dozen salvage bots, their little treads and tracks zooming them across the floor and the occasional burst of thruster fire or the keening of anti-gravity discs. It would be a couple of days until they finished, but the amount of usable fuel and components would be significant, not to mention that compacting the fuel pods into extremely dense pellets of deterium and dilithium. Meanwhile, I still had time to improve my ship. Or so I thought.
Four daycar later, I had just come back from a self-taught course in basic maneuvering. I had actually become fairly adept at piloting the decently sized craft, making absolutely sure I was intimate with every section, every contingency that may arise. The salvage bots had begun to pile the small bits of remaining deterium and placing it in boxes for transport. A warning system came over my Heads Up Display under my eyelid. A meteor warning, just like the one that evacuated the facility. Except this one wasn't going to be a maybe. It was definitely going to be a dead-on hit. I command the rest of the salvage bots to pack up the ship within its tolerance of weight and I take a final look around.
I had already downloaded much of the facility's medical files into off-board memory units, keeping another four empty out of the six. Having already receiving an earlier warning, I told the computer to process and compact all medical data. It took nearly all night to do so, but successfully copying them to the cubes, I began to shutdown many systems, salvaging components that I might have needed or that could be used to replace any that might burn out. Eventually, all that was left was life support and artificial gravity. I helped to load the ship with everything I could. By the time I was finished, the meteor was about three horkas away. It was time to get moving. I could only take seven of the small salvage bots with me, thinking they would be great for outside repairs if I needed them and boarded. Just in time to as the first of the smaller bits of the incoming asteroid started to pelt the facility.
I had laid on another three inches of armor plating, bringing the total to six. It made the ship heavy, but low gravity on the asteroid would help. He managed to buckle in before a fair-sized hole was punched through the deteriorating roof and punching another hole through the main computer unit. Life support and anti-gravity failed, allowing the asteroid's gravity come into play, which wasn't much. I was thankful for that as it would take less fuel to take off.
With the main computer down, the force field dissipated, suddenly evacuating the atmosphere inside the facility. All manner of objects were vented into space, even the vending machine I had first ripped open. I could hear the ping of small desk objects as they bounced off my hull. I had to get out of here, knowing that this would only increase in danger. I had burned half of my fuel already practicing maneuvers, the bots not having time to refuel me. Another reason to get out as below me was a fuel pod, even mostly empty it would end my ability to get out.
I began flipping toggles and brought up the ship slowly. I quickly make the turn, watching the salvage bots begin to lose their grip and fly off one by one, some being decimated by the torrential downfall of rock. Now or never I think to myself and ease my way out and up. I take a few hits, but nothing noteworthy. Out of orbit, I engage the single rocket thruster I have in the back. Making sure I'm far enough away, I try to put five-hundred thousand killkers between me and the moon. I'm barely there when I see on my video monitor the asteroid coming in. "Imhaater, begin recording." It didn't take long.
The destruction of the moon was fantastic, the explosion was slow and muted, the small moon completely obliterated by the shockwave. It took nearly an horka, but after a while, I managed to worm my way in the outer edges of the debris field. Holding position just outside the field, I decided to check on my cargo. Thankfully, I had thought to batten most of it down, though the four salvage bots I had picked up had been tossed around. They weren't damaged, save for a dent or two. Setting one upright, I knew that it would help the others stand upright as well as I moved about the ship.
The Stargazer was a good ship. It's dimensions were twenty feet by twenty feet for the cargo area with a forward area about ten feet by five feet. The sloping cockpit allowed for a great view and aerodynamics while in an atmosphere. The landing struts could withstand five gees of force with a full load of fifteen tons, not including the ship itself, which was doubled in hull armor. The Stargazer alone was twenty tons, actually light for its size. Boasting a central rocket thruster and bordered by eight smaller maneuvering thrusters. Beneath the ship were six more for taking off and landing on planets. An impulse engine, cobbled together, also rounded out its propulsion. It was the impulse engine that ran off of deterium and dilithium, the dilithium was extremely flammable which helped start the reaction in the deterium chamber much as a spark plug ignited the gas vapors in a combustion engine. With the amount of deterium onboard, I could run the impulse engine for years.
With that thought, I momentarily glanced at what I had packed. At first it had seemed like enough, but with only the cargo bay half filled, I realized maybe I should salvage what I could while I was here. I jump into one of two suits, making sure to overpressurize the suit, making sure the age-old antique still sealed. It did, the walls filled with the self-sealing gel that would seal any cuts I may receive. I grab a space hook, a small elongated circle with a spring-loaded mechanism. I could push a rope or tether through a side and it would snap shut. While called a space hook, it was originally invented for rock climbers. However, this one wasn't nearly as strong since weight isn't an issue out in zero gravity environments.
"Imhaater," I say as I enter the airlock, which was tiny by standards. I close the door as I command the computer to depressurize. It does successfully, myself ticking off that box. So much of the ship was unsure, though I had, I still didn't know the word, made good with the design. I tested the radio link between me and the computer, which worked to my relief. I bite my cheek, wondering if I shouldn't have brought another space hook.
Shrugging, I slowly open the door. I tie off the tether to the built in loops on my suit and then clamp the inside railing with the space hook. Slowly, I think to myself. I give a gentle push and begin my first spacewalk. After an hour, I find myself almost unable to bring back anymore salvage. I had hit gold. I find a crate of condensed protein bars and two shield emitters, something I hadn't known about until I had scanned them with my own eyes. While my salvage bots went to work on storing the metals and breaking down the unneeded materials, I spent another two hours putting on the shield emitters. They were good ones too, possibly enough for combat. However, I realized I could do little against any ship.
I take several more space walks, finding more gold in core processors, a couple of replacement screens, and even a small wrist-worn computer. It was beyond basic, possibly a datebook only as it had far less memory than anything I knew of. I put it in a pouch on the belt I found, along with the numerous others I had found. With my cargo hold nearly full, I opted to grab processors and electronics for possible repair jobs. The space walk had made me second guess myself and so I was wanting to be, it takes me a moment to look up the word, prepared. I find several goodies though, boxes and boxes of spare parts. The good thing was that I had built in a dedicated workbench and workspace.
Again, grabbing what I could, I gently pulled myself inside the airlock and letting it cycle. I can tell when it finishes because the boxes, six of them, fell on the floor by the activation of the artificial gravity. I'm still nervous about the airlock, so I toss the boxes inside and seal the hatch. I remove the space suit and hang it up, checking for the telltale signs of white against the green fabric. Nothing. Smiling, I then have to fight my way back to the chair so full my cargo bay was. The salvage bots have a hard time moving around as well. "Sleep mode," I say. Then the four bots scurry into a corner and shutdown. I spend the next twenty mintharrs rearranging, making a viable space to move around in. Unfortunately, I can't strap it all down. Fortunately, it was smaller items that could be unpacked and stored.
Feeling much better about food, liquids, and repair materials, I activate the shield emitters. To my gratefulness, I no longer have to worry about dents and dings. My readouts say I even have a radiation protection of one-thousand hectels, which was great. The computer begins gathering information on the shield emitters and begins a series of diagnostics. The estimated time comes up as eight horkas. I tell the computer to use every possible resource, decreasing the time to six horkas. I look out in the sky of space, seeing so many magnificent wonders around me. I am hit by a sudden feeling of loneliness. I shake it off, referring to a guide to beginning space explorers. Keeping busy was the key. "Computer, where is the closest populated area?" It spat out a system on a monitor. "Plot me a course, full impulse." I feel the engines coughing, worrying me for a moment before they caught, the thrum of the impulse engine heightening as it went from the deterium to the dilithium chambers. I suddenly feel myself growing heavy, the absence of adrenaline from the excitement of the space walks and the meteor strike had weaned and waned. "Computer, go to half impulse and set the shields to passive. I'm going to sleep." True to my word, I fold out the bed and instantly went to sleep.
"Triznet weekles," I say, mainly to myself. Three weekles. Even the exercise routines were...routine. I was chewing on a protein bar, covered with a dark sugary and semi-hardened liquid called chocolla. Right now, it was this confectioner's covering that made the bars even remotely edible. The replicator I brought along couldn't make any meals, not that I even knew any foods beyond candy bars and survival food. I swallowed, or gagged, down the last bite and went back to work on the portable computer. It was fortunate that I had went back and picked up the electronic components, the emptiness of space and the occasional crackle of static on the subspace radio.
The smell of solder was somewhat thick, the oxygen scrubbers working to recycle the air. The circuit board was still warm, the discarded chip on the translucent desk reader. It brought up the schematic of the chip on another translucent display, this one acting like a monitor. I set the newer chip on a third plate, the small workstation computer reading the type and model. Orion 673 read the display. It was an old chip, and the other one was no different. I tried another chip to copy the operating system too. Navstar 1. This one was older, not to mention falling apart. I tried another, actually becoming a little excited.
I placed a third, fourth, then a fifth. On the sixth, the display showed Omicron Sentries 4L-76-A. I blinked, never having seen such a long designation before. I grin widely, reading the specifications. Yes, I would use this one. For fun and further distraction, I put on another, a Starlight Xcom 3G54. It's processing speed was okay, but the memory it could hold made me raise an eyebrow. I set it to the side, definitely interested. After several hours and much experimentation, I cobble together several chipsets and processors. I screamed a shout of exaltation as the device powered up. I ran the benchmark program, my smile only getting wider as it was now nearly twenty times better than what it used to be.
Over the next three weekles, I upgrade my ship from the inside out, upgrading efficiency and data flow from sensors to the viewscreen. I even gave the space mice magnetic pads so they can run around outside of the ship. I run several tests on the salvage bots, correcting and repairing as I went. Pretty soon, even they had a gleaming polish to their rusting shells. Later, there came a beeping as I was eating. It took me a few moments to realize someone was hailing me. Good thing I learned how to work the communications panel. "Ahua shalom bye," I said in the Tantalog language. It was the only language I knew, and it appeared to only confuse the alien on the other side. He cleared its throat. "Unidentified ship, you are entering the Coalition of the Kimdarr. Identify yourself." I tell him that I came from a moon base, but he obviously can't understand me. I have an idea, typing it out and transmitting it through the computer, as it had a universal interpreter.
The green- and blue-striped creature grumbled as his own computer displayed the text. He raised an eyebrow. "Unidentified vessel, heave to and prepare to be inspected." I nod in understanding. "Computer, stop all engines, but leave them ignited." It takes a few minutes, two of the Kimdarr looking uneasily at the weld joints while inside the airlock. I pressurize the hatch and smile. "Batookah," I say, greeting the two in a semi casual and formal way.
The two Kimdarr looked positively...nice. One tried to ask questions while the other walked around with a handheld computer. After a few minutes, an exasperated guardsman had to take a break, the five mintharr questionnaire was now into twenty. "The female companion called him over, showing him a handful of the chips and circuit boards that I had salvaged from the exploded facility. "Sir, these are almost a hundred years old. And this ship," she continued. "This thing looks like it should be in a museum." She crouched down, holding a small device with what looked like a needle. I take a step back, unsure of what to make of the situation. "You can understand us, yes?" I nod. "These will help us understand you." My face must have lit up as I hurry over and energetically extend my arm, nodding emphatically. This surprised the two, but the female stuck in the needle and fired. Instantly I began almost convulsing at the introduction of new tech, warnings and errors began to show up, but I tell my systems to stay separated from the new translator microbes. After a bit, I shake my head and look up. "Heh-Heh-Heh-Hyeeee."
Their smiles of relief were apparent. "I've never seen a creature have that kind of reaction," noted the female. "In-com-pa-ti-ble," I tried to explain. "I tell...system...ignore." That was when the male walked behind me and began to scan me. "I'm picking up computerized systems and components. As well as biological systems." Then his next exhale was almost a curse. "Hamsterviel's work." The glare in his eyes wasn't welcoming. "Who...is...he?" The male was looking nervous at his companion. "Sir, do you know where you are?" I shake my head. I told them about the moonbase and its destruction and my journey, even giving them a tour of the ship. They saw my little project, the female laughing. "You know, you almost have that little computer halfway up to today's standards." I grin, accepting it as...praise? "That...good? My dictionary...limited." The Kimdarr check ed the back of my neck. "Sir, his data port confirms it. This is old tech, very old tech." My spirits fall. "No...help?" She smiled. "Do you have wireless capability?" I grin. "One terragig a mintharr." The male stifled a laugh, no longer seeming to resent that I was evil or something. Something about this Hamsterviel was despised. Perhaps I could ask about it.
"Don't worry, we can take care of that." She punched a few buttons on her handheld. "can you link to this?" I nod and begin a data transfer. It takes much longer than I anticipate, but I gather all kinds of knowledge and schematics on ship designs. I quickly find my memory full, which frightened me. Quickly, I shunt the rest to my ship's onboard systems, not wanting to stop the transfer. I open my eyes. "Whoa, you can even see what he's copying." After a few mintharrs, it's done, leaving breathless. "That was incredible," I say loudly. I grin widely, hearing myself talk plainly and easily. "He must have downloaded the linguistics database," said the male. We begin again the questionnaire and get through it painlessly. Just before they leave, I shake their hands again, letting them know how helpful they were.
Second Lieutenant Kadarr Thre-Umtrhall started the engines, the Colossus Mark IV engines sparking to life at the deterium ignited the starter. "Interesting little fella," she offered. First Lieutenant Marwall Irritherrum grunted. "Interesting experiment of Hamsterviel." Kadarr shrugged, the small cargo shuttle fading in the black of space as they continued their patrol. "Perhaps this one will be different? I mean, he did say he missed some early programming. I mean, his tech is older than my Dad." Marwall chuckled at that, which grew in to hearty laughter. "Not to mention his scrap. Sure, he can repair his ship, but how long will the repairs hold?" Kadarr smiled. "I just can't get that look out of my head. Did you see how happy he was when he could talk to us?" The smile dropped. "Space is lonely enough. I hope we helped." Her commander grinned. "Updated star charts and colonies? Yeah, I'm sure he's happy."
Kadarr toggled the comms. "Alpha-Bravo Two-One reporting encounter. Non-hostile. Semi- organic and computerized. No illegal cargo." A small portion of her windscreen lit up with a picture of cat-like creature. "Half computer?" Kadarr gave a verbal report, Marwall confirming it and uploading his scanner's readings. "We gave him some updated star charts and ship designs." He laughed. "He was also excited to communicate properly." The cat, a J'thallar, shook his head. Think he'll make it?" Kadarr smiled. "I think he will."
The memory units were nearly all full, leaving me little to use. I replaced the star charts with the updated ones I had received two weekles ago. I had to even plug in the two memory cubes I had brought along. They had required some repair, but I did so, even increasing their own processing speed. It occurred to me the power drain was becoming substantial, forcing me to take extra care in what I was using. I collated a few charts that I may be using and unplugged one cube. After another day of organizing the data, I managed to place the charts on the onboard memory, allowing me to disconnect the other cube. With the power drain attenuated, I was able to relax. Needless to say, I was excited. More data to go over, to strain, to see. I was going over what was called the "Delta Quadrant" when I was once again being hailed. The viewscreen came on, a large Orca-like creature. He looked fairly old, what would have been once smooth skin looked ever so slightly slackened. "This is General Gantu of the United Galactic Federation. Identify yourself."
Since my first contact with the Kimdarr went smoothly, in my opinion, I felt confident. "General, I am the pilot of the Stargazer. I wish you good tidings and peaceful intentions." Gantu looked off to the side. "We do not have your registration. Identify yourself." I open my mouth to say something, but then realize that... I didn't have a name. "I...do not have an identity. I don't have a name." Gantu wasn't buying it. "Identify yourself!" I quickly tell him about the moonbase and when I stated I had been activated, that caught his ears. "Cut engines and prepare to be boarded." I nod. "Yes, sir. Sir, I have very little deterium in reserve, may I leave the engines on standby?" He was about to answer when I hear a shouted response. Off to my port, my left side lit up with several brilliant lights. Several seckores later, small ships flew by me at incredible speeds. "What's going on?" My question goes unanswered as the whale alien disappears.
I had never seen a space battle in the weekles I had been thrumming along, but now I see laserfire. I start scrambling around, trying to energize my century-old weapons, but weekles of not checking the connections was now biting me in the patookie. Rot, space corrosion, and maybe some built-up space dust clogged the plasma vents to the two phasers I had. I heard the powering up of systems, but then the shutting down. "Naga, naga, naga!" I screamed in defiance. "Computer! Why aren't my weapons charging." A beep. "Fire control and power have been cutoff." I hiss and growl. I head to the communications helm, using it to supplant and shore up my shields, which I then activate. But they too had a hard time coming online. "This guy's technology is almost a century old," came the words of the dog-like creature. Century-old. What I had thought to be state of the art was ancient. So was I. It was hitting me that I was out of place and time. I was an antique, even the computer I had upgraded was old. "You've almost got this thing half to what we have today."
A shuddering hit brings me back. "Shields disabled." My emitters began sparking, the computer commencing the auto shutdown sequence for them. I'm hit once, twice, three times directly. To my horror, I begin to vent atmosphere. Throwing open the door, I throw on the spacesuit. I lockdown the helmet just at a five-foot section of the roof goes flying. However, in the excitement, I didn't see the contingent of fighters scrambling from the large battleship. It seemed within minutes, the battle was over and the supposed enemy was already making for subspace. My craft was already doomed. Not only did I vent my air supply, but a deterium fire had started. Unlike normal fire, a deterium fire didn't need oxygen.
I manage to hear over my only fire extinguisher, "Stargazer, respond." I"m not sure if they can hear me over my spraying. "Fire onboard! It's contained. Atmosphere has been vented and I've lost thrusters. My impulse engine is cracking and ready to breach." I look towards the large ship, seeing most of its lights dim. "Can you see the lit port?" I look. "Ih!" I yell in Tantalog. Surmising that was my port I throw the impulse into overdrive, risking a fatal breach. At a thousand meters, I eject the now venting impulse engine, using the quick burst of speed. My artificial gravity goes out and I fight to stay in my chair as well as the helm controls. My radio is now only crackling, but I can see aliens spraying some kind of foamy substance. I'm hoping that it'll slow me down, because I can't without the impulse engine. I was coming in and hard.
"Can you see the lit port?" Second Lieutenant Shrell was a pink-skinned alien, just like her mother. And like her mother, she was the helmsman of a Galactic Destroyer. But unlike her mother, she didn't get the draw to be the Grand Councilwoman's pilot. She remembered her mother's tales of the excitement of chasing Jumba Jookiba's experiments and the escape of 626. Her life was slightly exciting, but how she wished to get to know one of Jumba's experiments. But here and now, someone was in trouble. "Aim for the lights," she had said. "His comms must be out," suggested a fellow officer. "Starport seven, you an incoming craft. Prepare for deterium and oxygen fires." The fellow officer snapped his head around. "He's coming in too fast." Shrell leaned in to her console as if it made a difference. "Starport seven, we're reading a breaching impulse nacelle. Brace for possible impact. Distance?" M'rrkel, the other officer, glanced at his board. "Twenty-thousand and increasing distance. It's a small nacelle, so we should be fine." he leaned closer. "Old one too. That's going to be in our favor."
The especially made and patented Stopgel was a modern marvel. Created only twenty years ago, it has easily prevented untold numbers of lives and even spacecraft. Far too many times a spaceship would have burst into a catastrophic flaming pile of non-salvageable metal. It acted half cushion, half fire retardant, it was the outcome of ten years of collaboration between two enemies who had seen too many crashes that could have been prevented. It was this gel that would save the experiment's life.
I threw down the collective, hitting the gel hard. I can hear the deafening and obvious scrape as I hit the first fifty meetas of the extended runway. Designed for such occasions, it could extend a total of a hundred meetas. I keep the stick pointing down, hoping the force would make me stop. My starboard right wing gets clipped, spinning me around and out of my seat. Before I know it, I'm floating while my ship is spinning, but briefly. My ship passes through the forcefield and the ship's own artificial takes effect, slamming me to the floor. Still spinning, I manage to get to my feet, just in time for my shielded face to meet a flying armored panel.
"Medical and aviation personnel report to duty stations at spaceport seven. Fire teams standby." The P.A. Continued to blare orders, about fifty differing aliens standing around the ship, spraying fire extinguishers for both deterium fires and normal fires. "Get in and get out!" Their scans revealed the ship itself was made of fuel, composited deterium. This pilot was insane, piloting what was essentially a bomb. A large gorilla-looking alien smashed out the glass cockpit, then with his bare hands, ripped it out easily. Two smaller creatures scrambled in, lifting the pilot clear. His helmet had been smashed and the consoles torn up. Three more jumped through the gaping hole and began to try and disconnect power supplies. They soon began giving the all clear signal as the others took the pilot to sickbay. "Okay, what do we have?" Fifteen-year veteran of medicines and studies, Dr. Hammaras Phobolo, or "Phobie", glanced over the unusual creature. The computer tried, but couldn't classify the species. "Computer, I need a quick bio-scan. After I'm finished, I want a full one with maximum resolution." Chirping acknowledged the command and two mintharrs later, he was already cutting into the pilot.
I felt...comfortable. So relaxed. I was hearing noises in the background, but I honestly just didn't want to open my eyes. If I was dreaming, which I hadn't done yet, it was sure a pleasant one.
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"
"Parsley, sage, Rosemary and thyme."
The singing was magnificent, though I hadn't known it beforehand. The words were clear and wonderful. I drew a deep breath and the singing stopped to my dismay. I felt something brush against my elongated nose. "Doctor, I think he's waking up." So it hadn't been a dream. It was possible to have such a lovely voice in the real world. I reluctantly open my eyes to see a female. She looked like a Kimdarr, but seemingly a little shorter. She was also a deep orange, much like when one of the suns starts to vanish behind a moon or planet. She smiled and for some reason, it calmed me. The doctor, a squid-looking creature, was pulling on a cable of sorts. "oh, drat. Help me won't you, Nebella?" It was attached to a large data cube, one that looked much newer than his on the ship. He held up the cable in front of my eyes. "I'm going to plug you in now, okay?" I blink, suddenly finding I can't move. True to his word, he plugs in the cable and I feel a renewed strength and almost a perfect clarity. I begin to breathe as I see an installation bar begins to fill.
"My boy, you are a relic," he said, his tentacles moving around his mouth. He looked up at Nebella. "Allow the installation and I'll be back in a few." He left, leaving the female, who adjusted the data stream. "What -" I began to ask, but my voice came out like a distorted transmission. "Don't speak yet, let the installation finish. You'll have your answers then." She took his hand with a smile. I was amazed at how warm she was. "You gave us a scare for awhile, traveler." I can feel myself begin to work and I try to sit up. "I don't think so, mister." I plop down, feeling exhausted already. "You just had major surgery," Nebella said, fussing with a monitor. "We had to completely overhaul your system." she held up a board, pieces of the backing was falling apart in her hand as she set it down again.
"We just spent twenty-two hours cleaning out the broken bits." She took a small penlight and shone it in my eyes with a sigh. "I like your eyes." She grinned. "They remind me of an Earth animal called a fox. Well, pretty much all of you remind me of the fox. Odds are you can't talk. Shame, everyone's curious where you came from."
I blink, and open my mouth. "A science facility. On a moon. Destroyed. Several weekles from..." My mind went blank. "I can't remember the past few days." Nebella wrote something down on a tablet. "We had to clear your memory buffers. By cutting power, we were able to install different hardware." The doctor walked over. "I never thought I'd seen Dr. Hamsterviel's work. Not bad," he judged. "Very old hardware, but we replaced it with better tech." The doctor glanced up from his own oversized tablet. "it's a good thing you didn't receive your initial programming. Although, I did find that recursive algorithm quite interesting." He shook his head. "Twenty lines of simple code and here you are, still alive."
Nebella sighed. "Don't mind him, he just didn't like Hamsterviel's work." An oddly angry sound came from the doctor. "A criminal he was. I'm happy he's gone." A flourish with the tablet and the creature was away. Nebella giggled and glanced at my eyelid. "Can you talk yet?" I try. "Yes. Where am I?" Nebella pulled up the blanket a little higher. "Sickbay. A battleship named Orion." It's vague, but I recall few details. "There was a space fight. I had crashed landed in a bay." Nebella was taken aback. "You shouldn't remember that." I wanted to say something, but this overwhelmingly good feeling overcame me. Without warning, I shoot straight up in bed with a gasp. "What's wrong?" I couldn't explain it, but it was powerful. I smile as I look around. "What did you give me?" I smile widely as I breath rapidly. Nebella smiled. "Welcome to the present." She motioned to where a pile of electronics lay, most of it wrecked or flaking. "All of that was in you. Degrading, affected, actually isn't worth much."
I rest for the rest of the day until I couldn't stand it anymore. I get up, feeling somewhat dizzy and completely unaccustomed to my newly acquired hardware. I decide that after a good day for an installation, I could see what they gave me. Upsilon chipsets with a frequency of 4.7 terahertz. What was a terahertz? They gave me six processors, I saw. On closer examination, I saw that the Nuerex processors were actually octet cores. Each processor had eight smaller processors inside of it. No wonder I was seeing and thinking so clearly. I had increased memory, increased vision acuity, and even better wireless connections.
"Ah, you're up." It was another nurse, wearing a white uniform. "Yes." My voice was awkward and shaky, not sure myself what was to happen next. "The captain would like to see you, but let me take your vitals real quick." Instead of reaching for the blood pressure cuff, she grabbed a cord and felt around the back of my neck. I feel myself flushing at being touched, the sensation all too new to me. "Now where is it..." The question was answered by an "Ah ha" and a brief sensation. After what seemed like a moment, I feel a tug and the cable pops out. "Okay. Let's go."
We leave the room and I find us immediately escorted by two soldiers. They accompany us all the way to the bridge, myself looking around like a tourist. On the way, I'm scanning everything in sight. The we hit the concourse, a two-level area complete with a fair-sized food court, array of shops, and a few consoles for their use while away from their stations. An expression of awe must have been on my face, the nurse giggling when she noticed. "You've never been on a ship this big?" I shake my head. "Never."
We ride something akin to an elevator, going up. After a short pause, the doors opened and I find myself on the bridge. "We didn't give him anything updated, just some unused military hardware. Actually obsolete by standards." The large Orca scrolled through something on a datapad. "Nothing we will miss, right?" I round the corner to see a technician speaking with the captain. "No sir. It was just spare parts we found in Engineering. And the tech is only seven to ten years old. Actually I checked it myself, officially labeled decommissioned. Not top of the line, but obviously better than what he came in with. Anything classified had already been removed. We actually just added some chipsets to it to boost it a bit." The techie looked up. "Oh, well speaking of..."
I was nervous. Here I was in front of the largest alien I had seen. "H-h-hello sir." General Gantu just chuckled. "Hello, traveler. I see the surgery went well." I feel a bit more relaxed. "Yes, thank you. I hope it didn't cause you any trouble." The techie grinned. "Naw, it was stuff we couldn't even use anymore. How is it working out for you?" I smile widely. "I feel so clear-headed." The techie, some sort of bi-pedal creature, laughed. "Well, we're surprised you were alive as long as you were with your drive the way it was. Flaking, brittle, and not to mention magnetic. I mean, who uses magnetic heads anymore?" He handed over a datapad. "When you have time, feel free to go over your upgrades." He turned and saluted. "Captain." Gantu saluted as well in dismissal. "We took the liberty of looking at your logs. It looks like you don't have a place to go to." I shake my head. "Nowhere to go." I look up.
"But, isn't there a way to say thank you?" Gantu smiled. "Like they said, we just used obsolete parts." Another alien, what looked like a blue-striped tiger, cleared his throat. "There is the issue with his ship, sir." Gantu made a noise, as if to say, "Oh, yes." He thought for a moment. "Do you have a name? Or have thought of one?" I shrug, a new gesture found in my newly acquired database, which by the way was larger than this ship! "Everyone calls me traveler." I smile. Why not? "Tr'Vellek." Gantu laughed out loud. "I guess you like traveling around with a name like that." I grin, mostly because this General understood Tantalog. "Can my ship be repaired?" The Second Officer started laughing. "Forgive me, but why would you want to repair it?"
I blink in confusion. "You do realize that you were literally flying around in a ship made of fuel, right? You're lucky you didn't blow up!" My blood chilled at that. "I...didn't know. I just used what I had to work with." The tiger rubbed his chin. "Well, how about this? Since we're far from any known system and you may be here awhile, let's talk turkey." I had never heard of that adage before, but then again I was technically still a newborn. "On this ship, you'll want food, a room and things. Will you let us buy your ship? We can use it for fuel and you can get some Federation Credits for housing for a bit." I smile. "Sounds like a deal. What about the cargo?" Gantu took that one. "Regulations forbid us in opening anything not illicit unless we have permission." I smile even wider. "My cargo is concentrated deterium and dilithium. I had twenty tons onboard."
It tore my heart to see what had been my home for so long to be dismantled. While ninety percent of the craft had been deterium, the technicians and engineers found ways to get me even more credits. They had something called recycling. They just took an object, stuck it in a replicator, which by the way looked so foreign to me I was afraid to even look at it, and the computer atomized the object, separating the materials that it had been made of. "I thought my hardware was ancient?" One of the technicians nodded, carrying a box of chips. "They are, but when we recycle them, we can make the more modern chipsets using the metals and materials we get from these."
It takes nearly four hours, but soon, I was making some real money from the bio-gel packs designed for ship systems. All in all, the ship gave me an excellent wallet for a journey to anywhere. Although for now, I had to get some clothing. Since my arrival I had been wearing a hospital gown, which was quickly replaced with decent clothing. Khan, the blue-striped tiger who was the Second Officer, accompanied me to outfit myself for the first few days. I was in the changing room when he started conversation.
"Judging by your spacecraft and you're ship mice, you seem adept at electronics." At three-five, tossing the gown on top of the door was a feat. Getting dressed while standing on the bench was another as the bench was small. "For my era, I guess. But they really do fascinate me." Khan leaned his back against a wall nearby. "We saw a lot of your work in the consoles and workstation. Sorry to say your portable computer was damaged beyond repair." I take off the shirt, having put it on backwards." From what I hear, Sir, if I hadn't crashed in your bay, I'd probably be dead within a few days anyways." I pause. "Sir, is there anything I can do to help you? I mean, I know you guys got a good haul from my craft and cargo, but..." I exhale. "Well, you did save my life." A chuckle from the other side of the door caught my attention.
"Well, we're not supposed to hire civilians, but I can see what the Captain says. I mean who knows? I know G'lenna was impressed with your work on those circuit boards." I pull up the pants. "G'lenna?" I walk out, still adjusting my belt. I found myself itching everywhere. "She works in Engineering. Maybe she can use you to scrub some junction boxes or something. She's also the one who did the majority of reprogramming and retasking your innards. She called you a museum piece." he looked me over with great interest. "Got enough pockets?" I shake my head. "Not even close." The outfit I wore was a shirt with a breast pocket. For pants, I chose a pair of ultra cargoes with two back pockets, two front pockets, a pocket above each knee. To further round it out, metal is threaded throughout the fabric, creating a nearly indestructible pair of pants. With it, a nice thick belt of flexible metal. It helped to keep up my pants I found.
Khan nodded approvingly. "Snappy," he said. I look at him curiously before I realize that it was a compliment. "Oh, thank you. I simply mimicked what I had been observing." I wince in slight pain. "Although, perhaps an alteration is in need." The clerk that had helped us overheard me. "Oh, well we can do that for you. What can we do?" Four mintharrs later, my tail is swishing quite happily through the new hole in the back as Khan and I continue to an electronics store. Inside, small toys, gadgets, and differing computer systems lined shelves and the walls. There was an elderly humanoid behind the counter, his bluish scales light with age and as he turned, a few fell off, newer-looking scales in their place. He looked embarrassed. "Sorry about that," he apologized. I look walk right up and use the small stool to gain a meeta.
"I'm looking for a portable computer. Preferably one that is handheld." I show him what was left of the one I had found amidst the debris field of the science station. He looked at it, nodding. "Old system, but I think I can do you one a bit better." He walked around the counter and led the two to the back area. "I have an older system that I can't seem to get rid of." He brought out a small box, a five-inch screen clearly visible. "Well, this is technically a handheld," he started to say. "May I see it?" The shopkeeper nodded, taking it out. "It's not completely outdated yet, but it is an older model." It is larger than my hand, though not by much. Actually, the width of the device fits quite comfortably in my hand. "It feels extremely ergonomic," I say. I power it on and look at the specs. It is indeed fairly slower than today's standards, but I feel confident with some research I may increase the capability. I also sensed something within me. I wanted it.
"I...like it," I say, unsure of what I had just said. "I...enjoy the look and feel of this device." I look up at the humanoid. "How much?" He checked the number on the box. "Well, this says fifteen thousand even, but like I said, that was twenty solar years ago. I'd bump it down to five." I frown, the small display in the corner of my eye said twenty-eight hundred credits remaining. "I'm two hundred short." I take a split second and find the subject of research I wanted. "Is there any chance I could barter? Perhaps some work around a shop?" Khan winced. "I'm sorry, we don't generally allow for that." The shopkeeper was wavering visibly. "Actually, I would like to propose a plan that may benefit both of us."
"Now what can I do for you?" The ensign sighed as he placed his holographic cube on the counter. "The power cell isn't holding a charge anymore. I heard you do great work, but I don't have that much I can put towards this." I smile, my eyes already detecting the issue and already solving the problem. "Three hundred and I need twenty mintharrs." He smiled, his large hands clapping together and a couple of suction-cupped fingertips actually stuck together. "Thank you. My parents sent me a letter, but I haven't been able to find it." I frown. "Memory allocation issues?" He shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time." I nod. "Another fifty and five minutes and I can get that fixed." his smile only grew wider. "Done!" True to my word, if not a little faster, I handed him back the cube and he paid. Four days working behind the counter had made me more than what I needed, but I found that working on such devices has allowed me to pass the time. Not only that, but it also has made the shopkeeper happy. It was on the fifth day that I attempted to go to work when he shook his head. "Sorry, Tr'Vellek, but Captain Gantu had to put a stop to it. Against regulations, you understand." I became gloomy. "Oh. So will you be managing the repairs from now on?" He nodded. "Yes, though I would like to thank you."
His hand dipped behind the counter and came out with the digitizer I had been working up for. "If I were to pay you, the Alliance would find out and we'd all be in trouble. But like you said, you wanted to barter." I feel joy as I take the PDA. "Thank you," I nearly whisper. "Some of the crewman said you were good at repurposing hardware." I nodded. "Much of my original ship had to be repurposed. Many of the repair jobs was done with flying space debris and salvage." I smile. "with your educational holograms, my knowledge to do so has increased perhaps a hundred-fold. Again, thank you."
He smiled as he slid over another item. "Here. It's a bit big for your hand, so I had this wrist mount made for you." He also slid over a data cable. "You can patch yourself in if you ever need to." Better and better. I put the PDA inside the holster and slipped the bands over my arm. "And if you ever want to, which I have no doubt you will try, here are some leftovers from my good 'ol days." He brought out a small box of miscellaneous parts. "I have no doubt that your curiosity will overwhelm you and you might try to make it better." Leaning forward as I grabbed the box, he said, "Do me one thing." I blink. "Yes?" His grin widened even more. "I'd like to see your end result." I nod. "expect something in the next few solar days." I walked hurriedly to my quarters. Inside, I nearly rip the unit in half, but I do take the time to unscrew the back off. I look inside quickly and record its layout. Then, with anticipation, I pick up a soldering iron and begin.