Memoirs of an Interstellar Spy - Book 5 of Re-Forge

The Flagship Goes Home

Next morning Matt arrived at the private hanger area of Titus where the new Graviton ship belonging to Boss is parked. Matt found Boss waiting with obvious impatience and greeted him with a bow, then they followed security protocols and Matt cleared Boss to enter.

Inside the enormous hanger, Boss looked around at the huge black ships parked to each side of a two-way, travelator. The ships were black spheres of varying sizes."

They stepped on the travelator, and it started moving them forward at a rapid pace, then Matt pointed at the glowing sign to the left that had 'T114 – BOSS' highlighted in illuminated letters on a black background.

Matt said: "I like your ship, Boss. It's very classy, and huge."

Boss said: "Stop being so cheerful. You know that one black sphere looks very much like every other. Especially when the Nanites make them all the same. Only the number and size differ."

Matt laughed and said: "Yours is the biggest in this hanger, so that must count for something, and you can add personal touches like colour on the outside and anything you like inside. Besides, your ship will take you anywhere in this superverse or further, and that was not possible before becoming one of us. Think of all the positives."

Boss said: "Being powerful does have a certain attraction."

Matt said: "There you go. Can we move this along? There is much for me to tidy up and Calemon is on my back about the Neanda and Bennu systems. Her adopted children's protection needs to be upgraded. No one has dropped in to see them for twenty thousand years."

Boss turned to his ship and communicated with it through his crystal comms. He said: "Ship, I name you, 'Preth.' Display your name in bold fonts on your hull. Confirm."

The ship replied: "My new designation is Preth. Welcome, General."

Aloud, Boss said: "Preth, admit Admiral, Matt Black. He will be taking a one-way trip to the Adonai flagship."

Both men walked toward the ship and Matt noticed the ships name was now visible in bold fonts just below its designation number in both Terran and Adonai. Preth lifted them to the 'equatorial circumference point' of the sphere as an opening appeared to admit them.

As they rose, Matt asked: "Preth?

Boss said: "It's the name I have given every ship that belonged to me. The fact that you do not know something this personal about me is comforting. It means I can trust Adara and 'B' Sharp to keep my personal memories, confidential."

Preth launched from Titus smoothly and approached the Adonai flagship. Matt could not help but be impressed, Firstly, with the Adonai flagship's size, and then, with seeing that she was peppered with turrets, attack craft hangers, and covered tubes that were suggestive of missile turrets.

Matt said: "This flagship is so different to what has become the norm in the Titan brain space. Our spheres mimic and comply with the economic principles pertaining to universal requirements for structural strength that already exist in the Cosmos, but this flagship looks like it came from a pre-space technology imaginary concept of what a ship of such power, should be."

Matt said: "She conjures feelings of awe and fear. It is beautiful and intimidating at the same time. It is no wonder Titan technology is underestimated. Looking at Titus just doesn't inspire those feelings in me."

Boss said: "You are very wrong, Matt... Everyone other than Titans are terrified when they see Titan ships. Just seeing evidence of the gravity wave on the sensors of those who have heard about what it foretells, chills those species to the bone. A plain black sphere that represents power and destruction beyond understanding. It all adds to the mystery."