Jump Chain Gothic 4 - Atlantis - Part 3
Aurora-class Battleship. Pegasus Galaxy.
What science fiction doesn't tell you just how dull space exploration can actually be, most of the universe is empty, and even when you get to a solar system that doesn't mean that they'll be anything interesting there to explore. Most suns had something orbiting them, mostly lumps of rock, ice, sometimes gases, with some metals mixed in.
Not that this was really a concern, we had a whole galaxy to try to map, and many years to do in, and yet ten years might not be enough as while this galaxy was a fraction of the size of the Milky Way, dwarf galaxy or not, it was still a galaxy, and as such contained millions of stars.
However only a very small amount of those stars would have any habitable planets orbiting them, as such we would be spending a lot of time mapping lifeless worlds, while using our subspace scanners in an attempt to find something more interesting to go look at.
So far however our scanners weren't picking up any signs of intelligent life, such as radio signals, but this didn't mean there wasn't any nearby, this spacecraft was a warship not a science vessel, as such it didn't have the same kind of fancy long range sensors you find on a Starfleet ship or on Atlantis.
At least there wasn't much in the way of travel time between system, since this ship used hyperdive rather than warp as a means of propulsion, we were able to make short jumps from one solar system to another. Which didn't take very long when compared to using warp drive when travelling,
There were some upsides to this. For starters the lack of anything out there to distract us gave us all plenty of time to get on with our projects, and for me that mostly involved coming up with plans to deal with situations, some of which were from the show, while others were situations I was imagining that could happen.
Another advantage of all this free time was that Seven of Nine was able to gather information from stored files and used to give everyone briefings about the Wraith and other matters concerning the Pegasus galaxy.
Of course Cortana, the AI who lived in my omni-tool, for lack of a better term, could have easily put together some written reports for everyone, and I was sure she had. Still I did my best to pay attention to Seven as I wanted her to feel like a valued member of the group. Plus she seemed to enjoy giving these briefings, although given how rarely she expression emotion it was hard to tell.
Right now, as the ship drifted through yet a lifeless solar system, one with all planets lacking atmosphere of any kind, that orbited a red dwarf, we sat in the briefing room once again and listen to the former borg drone speak.
Today's subject was the Wraith ships that we might encounter.
"A Hive ship is a massive Wraith mothership capable of carrying thousands of Wraith along with their fighters and other support craft" Seven of Nine started by saying "Large parts of these ship's internal structures are used to house organic cocoons in which Humans may be stored for later feeding, and the Wraith themselves use something similar to hibernate while between cullings".
We didn't have a scale for the size of the Hive ships, but given how big this Aurora-class was I imagined that the Hives were truly massive. Also we didn't have any idea of how powerful their guns were, all how much punishment their hull armour could take. We did know that Hive ships were vulnerable to internal explosions, however it was likely that the Wraith would quickly work out a way to jam the transporters. To be fair that wasn't hard, I'd seen bad weather block our kind of transporters.
Which meant once we could no longer simply teleport bombs onto Wraith ships we'd have to slug it with them, and while a salvo of drones could make short work of even a Hive Ship we had a limited number of drones and no way to make more. At least not in anything approaching meaningful numbers.
"Despite their great size, Hive ships are capable of entering a planet's atmosphere and landing on a world's surface" Seven said.
Which really was very impressive given their sheer size and mass, I knew of much smaller vessels that couldn't even skim the atmosphere of a planet nevermind actually survive entry into an atmosphere.
"The hulls of Hive ships are composed of living, and growing, organic matter through the use of a unique type of biotechnology capable of growing at a rapid rate" the cyborg went of to say "This has afforded the Wraith Hive ship a number of advantages such as hull regeneration, providing them considerable protection in battles despite the fact that they lack any energy shielding system. However these organic hulls have an effect on their capacity to enter into hyperspace for extended periods of time as the Hive requires rest to heal the hull damage caused by hyperspace radiation. Therefore attacking a Hive Ship just as it leaves hyperspace will be an effective tactic".
Sure, but to do that we'd need to be able to know when a Hive Ship was about to leave hyperspace anywhere near us, although to be fair given all the fancy sensor tech we had and Seven's extensive knowledge, that might actually be possible.
"As Hive ships posses no true shields, then energy weapons should be considerably more effective against them" the former drone told us "Drone weapons are also capable of inflicting mass amounts of damage, being able to destroy a Hive in a single salvo. While the hull of Hive ships are known to regenerate, being organic in nature. However, the length of time required for this process is unknown".
Seven still had more to say on this subject.
"A Hive ship contains a hyperdrive unit, a device which allows the vessel to enter and exit hyperspace" the cyborg was now saying "However, unlike the Asgard or the Ancients, these hyperdrives are not intergalactic".
Our hyperdrive wasn't either, but the Ancients had purposely limited the hyperdrive on this class of vessel in case one was captured. Which was fortunate for the humans of the Milky Way galaxy.
"Wraith cruisers are typically seen when escorting Hive ships during assaults or when culling a Human world. Beyond this role, they are also seen in the role of patrol ships that are sent to investigate disturbances near Wraith territory" was what she was saying now "They are also sent alone against Human worlds in order to cull its inhabitants that are incapable of mounting a defense against the vessel. Similar to other Wraith vessels, they apparently do not possess shields and instead rely on their organic hull to protect them from damage. Wraith cruisers require a Wraith or someone with their DNA to pilot it".
So if I ever wanted to capture a Wraith ship for study I'd either need the cooperation of a Wraith or a human with some Wraith DNA, like say Telya. There were others like here, but it would impractical to track them down.
"They are known to carry Wraith Darts on them which are deployed in combat engagements "Seven said "though the exact number of Darts on a cruiser remains unknown at this time".
This lecture wasn't over yet.
"A Wraith scout ship is a relatively small vessel used by the Wraith. Larger than the Wraith Dart and Puddle Jumper, the vessel functions in a role similar to Starfleet runabouts, serving as a scout, shuttle, and even as cargo vessels" the cyborg let us know "The craft might be hyperspace capable, but it is unknown what sort of range it has. It is unknown if it requires a Wraith to pilot the vessel, much as how the Wraith Hive ships require a Wraith to interact with the neural interface".
Perhaps one day we'd find out. I did after all want to capture some Wraith for study, and one of their small starships would do nicely.
"Wraith supply ships are vessels which carry cocooned humans to other parts of the Wraith fleet. They are usually used when the Wraith are in a long battle, and need to be resupplied with humans to feed upon" Seven of Nine told us before changing the currently displayed picture "The primary role of a Dart is the culling of humans to provide the Wraith with their food supply. They are small enough to fit through Stargates and are most often dispatched from a Hive ship which carries hundreds of Darts, stored in large hangar bays. Wraith cruisers also house Darts, but it is unknown how many such a ship carries. During a culling, the Darts make use of their transport beams to capture as many humans as possible, which are later re-materialized on the Hive ships or other locations".
Well that was something to avoid
"Darts are also used as fighters deployed against other ships of similar size, or to attack a bigger target in large swarms or to protect their mothership".
Not for the first, and it sure wouldn't be the last, time I zoned out as Seven kept talking.
(Line Break)
Aurora-class Battleship. Pegasus Galaxy.
The door which led to personal quarters made a noise which I knew came from the Ancient version of a doorbell. It wasn't exactly late since stuff like night and day didn't mean much in deep space, but I was tried, it had been a long day full of rather dull exploration and yet more meetings about this galaxy.
When the chiming noise filled the air for the second time I set down the data padd I'd been reading and got my head up off Cameron's lap, which had been serving as cushion, considering that she most made of metal she was surprisingly comfortable to lie on.
"Enter!" I called out.
The door slide open to show, Seven of Nine, the woman I helped rescue from the Borg a few years ago. The cyborg stepped into what passed for the captain's cabin on this massive warship. It was a large space, but as of yet I hadn't taken the time to personalise it.
No doubt I'd take trophies and souvenirs scattered all over the place once we had made contact with human civilizations and had battled some bad guys. During my time in the Delta Quadrant I'd collected many years, as well as other odds and ends, most of which were now in storage, or back on Voyager as I'd not packed everything.
By now Seven had noted my own state of undress and the fact that Cameron was alone with me while also not fully dressed, it wasn't hard to deduce what she was thinking. She was however wrong. I had just been relaxing.
"Excuse me, Captain. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I'll return in.."
I was now confused about something
"Captain?" I asked.
Seven paused from backing out of the room.
"You are a navy officer in command of a ship" she said
Any naval officer who commanded a ship was always addressed by naval custom as "captain" while in command, regardless of his or her actual rank, even though technically an officer of below the rank of captain is more correctly titled the commanding officer, or C.O. Back in my days on the Normandy, Shepard had never used the title even when in command of the Normandy, but she could have. For some reason Starfleet made use of this custom despite not being an actual space navy.
"That's all right, Seven," I said before she could leave. "What's the matter?"
Seven wore her usual uniform, a gray suit that fit every curve of her body. I'd spent far too much time admiring her form when she wore this kind of outfit.
"I wished to discuss with you my fulfilment of our agreement" the cyborg told me "You have lived up to your side of the bargain, now I must do the same".
Seven of Nine took a deep breath.
"I have never experienced anything sexual" she then said.
To be fair I'd been expecting this at some point. For most of her life, Seven of Nine had been a drone whose personal needs were completely ignored by the Borg collective. To go from that to a member of a sort of harem had to be a bit overwhelming.
Still, it was surprising to think that she'd never experimented sexually. Any number of men and women on Voyager would have been happy to oblige her. And stranded in the Delta Quadrant as we had been, a certain degree of fraternization had to be tolerated. Although thinking on it I couldn't recall her getting close to anyone other than myself during her time on that ship.
"Take off your clothes" I ordered.
For a moment Seven showed no reaction. Then her lips began to curl into what I guess to be the beginning of a smile.
"Yes, Gothic," she said.
I watched as Seven slipped out of her suit. And for a moment I considered trying to record this, but I figured that this might be a bit much for the former drone, she was after already stripping into front of two people.
Seven soon unfastened the functional and very utilitarian bra she wore, and then slid her plain panties down her long legs. Once that was done she stood in front of me as if presenting her naked body for inspection. Cameron paid the scene no mind, which wasn't odd as Cameron rarely cared for anything anyone else other than me did, at least when it didn't threaten me.
Her breasts were bigger than I had expected, and her nipples were already stiff. Her skin was pale, and she kept her pussy bare. Her muscular legs looked as if they could run a marathon and then squeeze the life out of anyone who got between them.
"Am I—attractive?" Seven asked.
"Seven, you're beautiful" I replied
I could tell that I would need to take charge here.
"Come sit down"
Seven obediently followed my instructions, and as soon as I got my hands on Seven's body I began gently squeezing her tits.
"Do you like that?" I asked her.
"It is . . . pleasant." Seven told me, sounding somewhat nervous. "Very pleasant."
I was pleased by how large and firm they were, they weren't as big as Miranda, but they were more perky. I spent some time getting a good feel for them, and the former drone seemed to enjoy every moment of it. However as fun as it was to play with her jiggly parts, I did have more to explore. Seven moaned as slipped a finger inside her cunt, she was tight and very wet, and hot down there to.
"You like that, Seven?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Affirmative" she then said.
Her dirty talk would need some work.
"Then I think you'll like this" I told her.
Slowly but firmly, I slid two fingers inside her pussy. Seven gasped again, and she began moving her body. I fingered her as Cameron watched us, she seemed mildly interested in what I was doing, but not all jealous. To her Seven and I might as well have been playing a game of chess.
"I've never felt like this before" the former borg drone admitted.
"You've never masturbated?" I asked.
To make it easier for the cyborg to answer I stopped moving my fingers.
"I researched the techniques, but until now I've never felt the desire to be touched" she told me.
Upon hearing that I got back on with things.
"Gothic?"
"Yes, Seven?"
"Would it be appropriate to . . . reciprocate?" she questioned.
I would like that.
"Yes, Seven, that would be more than appropriate" I told her.
Seven stood up on wobbling legs and turned to watch as I took off what little clothing I had been wearing. I had nothing to be shy about as thanks to the body mods offered by the Jump Chain and the genetic engineering supplied by the Alliance I had a very fit looking body, with a larger than average penis, something the former drone commented on.
"May I touch it?" she then asked.
I sat back down and Seven got onto her knees
"Fortunately, my research into human sexual techniques has given me the knowledge I need" the human woman said next "And your obvious arousal should make up for any deficiencies in my technique".
With that the cyborg got to work and began jerking me off, her hands were soft and the view of her tits from this angle was very enjoyable. I found myself spending some time simply staring, I only stopped when I got close to climaxing.
"Are you about to experience an orgasm, Gothic?" she asked.
The former borg drone didn't need a verbal answer as I soon shot my load, getting most of it on her huge boobs.
"That's enough. For now" I told her.
"Was that adequate, Gothic" Seven wondered "I am prepared to make another attempt if-".
I would need some time to recover.
"No that was great" I assured Seven "And I think that was enough for today. There's no need to rush".
Seven got up and went to recover her clothes, but she was in no rush to dress.
(Line Break)
Aurora-class Battleship. Pegasus Galaxy.
"I have located something on the long range sensors" reported Seven of Nine as I entered the auxiliary control room "I was fine tuning the scanners to better detect subspace signals when I discovered an repeating signal of some sort coming from a nearby system. It is very weak, in fact if I not been examining different subspace frequencies it would have gone unnoticed".
The auxiliary control room lacked one of those chairs people with the Ancient gene could use to control pretty much everything, but it was a quiet working space, so it wasn't shocking to find 7 of 9 down here. Despite her recent growth as a person she still wasn't very sociable.
I was sure that Tali would get around to building an astrometrics lab for Seven, complete with a galaxy map, but while the robot crew could maintain and repair existing systems without aid Tali still had to install everything. For now the transporters and replicators were important.
Seven played the message, if it could be called that, and it was clearly not a natural sound. It was also extremely weak, I was surprised that we'd picked it up at all, but Seven had been able to fine tune the sensors if just a little.
"I'll set a course for the source of the signal" I informed Seven.
With that I headed for the door, but before I left I turned to look at the former borg drone.
"Good work" I praised.
Her response to this was a slight nod and nothing else.
(Line Break)
Aurora-class Battleship. Pegasus Galaxy.
Mere moments before the ship exited hyperspace I made my way onto the bridge and soon I was in the captain's chair, this seat didn't give me the level of control over the ship that the other chair did, but it didn't need since I did have a crew to help me fly this vessel.
However it would be a simple matter for me to head down to the control chair room. It was some distance away, but recently we'd discovered that this vessel did have a few transporters like on Atlantis, which allowed a person to quickly move to different parts of this massive craft.
Control chairs were chiefly used for launching Ancient drone weapons, but they were also capable of displaying various charts, cross-referencing the desired chart from the user's mind with the file stored in the chair's computer. Control chairs were also believed to be able to network with Puddle Jumpers, allowing the user in the chair to remotely pilot them for kamikaze missions and the like.
The device was not simple to operate. In fact, it requires a considerable amount of concentration even for some who possesses the Ancient gene naturally. Those with Dr. Carson Beckett's Ancient gene therapy can also operate the technology, but not as well.
"I'm detecting both a L and M class planet in this system" Seven of Nine reported "The distress signal is coming from the L class planet. I am also detecting a large artificial object. It appears to be in a powered down state. I do not believe it is a ship. Perhaps it is a space station of sorts".
This system seemed worth our attention, and how could it not be with two habitable planets and signs of an advanced civilization.
"On screen" I ordered.
As soon as I saw it, I knew what is was.
"Full scan" was my next command.
This was one of the powerful weapons platforms which long ago had protected the Lantean System from Wraith invaders. Once there had been many, but now only one satellite, which was disabled, had survived the ten thousand-year gap between civilizations which occupied the great city of Atlantis.
The satellite was not powered by a Zero Point Module, nor was it armed with drones and pulse cannons like my ship. Instead it used something like a laser to slice through enemy vessels, it could one hit kill a Wraith Hive Ship.
"My scans show that the weapon's platform does not have life support, and the technology is damaged, but it should be repairable" I heard Seven say "Your files mentioned this device. I would like to beam over with Tali'Zorah and conduct an investigation before we consider enacting your plan".
I'd considered what do if we found the weapons platform before the people of Atlantis were able to fix it up. Seven and Tali should be able to fix it up, and install a cloaking device so that the platform would remain hidden until it was needed. We could even add a shield, but this would drastically increase the power requirements, meaning that we'd have to instal another power source. This was doable, but it would take time. Hopefully the Wraith would take their time in attacking Atlantis, as they did in the show.
"Okay, but take the runabout" I told Seven "Then once you've finished you can catch up with the rest of us".
I took a moment to consider what to do next.
"There's no rush to get to Atlantis" I was now saying "I want to examine that crashed Wraith ship. If I remember correctly one of crew is still alive. We need samples of Wraith and their technology so I'll go and recover some".
This was when Seven checked the sensors again, extending the range so that I could see more of this system.
"There's Atlantis" I said, while gesturing to an energy signature which was on the ocean of the M class planet "And those human life forms on the mainland must be Teyla's people. Athosians I think they are called".
Not that it mattered. A group of primitive hunter/gatherers were of little worth to me. Not unless they were willing to act as guides, and give me the gate addresses as well as information on other worlds.
"I will see you later" was all Seven said as she left the bridge.
While Tali was spending most of her time in what passed for main engineering on this ship and such didn't come to the bridge often, Miranda and Cameron were both here. Of course Cortana, the AI who inhabited my omni-tool was always with me, but her ability to interact with this vessel was very limited, the result of some sort of safety measure like the need for the gene.
Cameron didn't say or do much while on the bridge, since there was nothing for us to shoot at, however Miranda was a bit more talkative.
"So you want to explore a crash alien spaceship that may or not have a dangerous survivor on board" Miss Lawson was saying "You never change do you".
Should I change?
"I'll be going with you" Cameron insisted "Miranda will stay here and keep a transporter lock on you at all times. You'll be wearing full armour, and you will keep your force field on at all times".
When it came to my wellbeing, Cameron didn't take any chances, thankfully she'd never tried to completely keep out of harm's way, instead focusing her efforts on lessening dangers as best she could.
