Companionship - beyond flesh

The Virgo Ophiuchians

C-Buck sat at his post on the bridge, his strong, handsome face feigning deep concentration as he pretended to analyse the morning diagnostics. He was one of the best alchemists in the Galaxy and a spy for the Skyean Empire.  He was not a control tech.  But it was his rotation on the control panel, and if he wanted to fit in with the Ophiucian crew, he was going to have to cop the boring assignment like a dutiful Ophiucian.  He had to give them credit though; if this were a Skyean ship things would have gone to shit after twelve months in space, but almost twelve years into the mission, things on the OSS Parsifal were still running like clockwork. Talking about clockwork, he thought, it's 0600 and time for her highness to enter the throne room. He turned in his seat to watch Ven Verde enter the bridge via the Captain's hatch. He didn't care that he was staring as she took her place on the raised helm platform. All this time and he still hadn't become bored of trying to make out the details of what was under the tight white material of her uniform...if only she would let me see in the flesh...

"C-Buck. Something on your mind?"

"No Captain." he replied grudgingly and turned back to his station. 

"Good." Shifting her attention to her first officer and ranking auger, "Denver, anything new to report? I don't suppose you have a blip on Companionship that you've been keeping to yourself?"

Denver was physically the oldest person on the ship; his silver hair, wrinkles and big ears made him look geriatric. But anyone who knew Denver, knew his appearance was an effective deception that belied a physical prowess. His cracked voice replied formally to the question,  “Nothing to report Captain. No sign of the freighter. All diagnostics clear. We are in clean space.” 

“Wonderful Denver, thank you.” she replied with playful sarcasm trying, for outward appearances, to hide a deep frustration at their situation. Ten days ago it would have been all eyes and ears on her as she followed up Dever's negative with some option or plan for the day. But today, she had nothing and her crew knew it.

For twenty-one days the OSS Parisfal deep space interceptor, had been waiting at its current location one hundred and thrity-nine odd parsecs from its home port at Ophiuchus Prime. Captain Verde and her crew of thirty-two Virgos had been laying in ambush for the Agency’s courier class freighter Companionship.  The coordinates had been provided by the Ophiuchian Intelligence Agency and were considered to be good enough to risk a crew with a twelve year intercept mission.  Verde, one of the brightest captains in the Ophiuchian fleet, volunteered and had to ‘pull strings’ to secure the gig.  It was a “no-brainer” as she put it, “I’d quit my commission and marry a Sagittarius for even a microgram of orr, and that freigher is going to be full of it!” 

Ven (and everyone on the Parsifal) knew that gaining access to the Agency's orr discovery could change everything, and for the past twelve years they'd been fantasizing on the theoretical possibilities that orr might make a reality.  But, almost as exciting as getting hold of orr itself would be their return journey where they would be the first to unlock the potential of this amazing material -- augmentations that could make a person a walking zeus processor -- god-like thinking ability -- the human intellect coupled with the mind of the universe.  All that was fun to think about, but the real draw card was the promise that orr would enable the calculation of warp coordinates on the fly.  Any fleet that had that capability would become the dominant power in the Galaxy.

So the cargo that would be on Companionship, for them or anyone, represented the 'holy grail' of loot, but the uncertainty of their current situation was eating away at morale.  There was a real chance that the mission coordinates were wrong.  Other risks were weighing on them too. For example: there was no way of knowing if Companionship had even made its pick-up destination; it was possible that the courier had been lost in space; was off schedule; or was stalled in maintenance at the refinery. 

Verde wondered what new directive she could provide, something, anything to keep the possibilities alive. She drew a blank and so resorted to clutching at theoretical straws, “Denver, I want you to consider the possibility that the courier has been fitted with some kind of superior sensor capability able to feel space beyond an entry point.  Perhaps she's out there but has detected us and is in hiding.”

The face of the auger seemed to become even more wrinkled as he began his complaint, “Captain, you do realise that it is theoretically impossible to transfer data between phases?”

“Of course I know the theory.  Just humour me, after all, we’re talking about an unknown quantity here. Even if the ship left Earth without the capability, it is possible that the researchers at the refinery outpost have themselves developed a new generation of augmentation capable of heralding previously unthought of advances. Isn’t that why we’re all here; for a piece of that?”

Denver conceded, “Indeed, your reasoning is plausible Captain. However, we do know that the policies of the Agency forbade utilisation of any quantity of this element that would enable such breakthrough advances.  It seems that their mandate is to produce the stuff, but in no way be allowed to  prosper from it themselves. Don’t you just love politics?”

That was easier than she thought, “Sure, but tell me the truth, given the opportunity, if you were in control of a significant amount of orr, wouldn’t you take a few liberties? Just in the name of science, of course.”

A nod. “But if I were provided with such an opportunity, my priority for research would not be limited to advanced sensor tech.  My top priority would be to improve the efficiency of warp coordinate generation.  We know that ‘faster’ warp travel is not a function of improved asset technology, but rather dependent upon the quantum of calculations within a given timeframe. It took Ophiuchia's zeus almost eight months to calculate the warp points for our twelve-year journey.  Imagine being able to generate an itinerary in days for the same trip with a duration of mere months. Such a discovery would mean that the courier may already be home.”

They had this discussion several times over the years, but now faced with the realisation that they had most likely missed their prey, this possibility seemed real.  She leaned hard on the guard rail, frowning in concentration, “So you’re saying they could have used orr augmentations to improve the course of the courier, thereby making this entry point void?”

“Yes Captain, they could have.  I would imagine that would be more likely than them having developed impossible sensor capabilities. But then again, they could have done anything...or nothing.”

She ignored the sarcasm, “Hmmm. So my next question. Do we wait here forever, or do we change plans?”

“Well…” Denver began to answer only to be cut off by the Captain.

“Not a question. Let’s go find where this refinery is at. If they ain't comin’ to us, then we go to them.” Standing tall, Ven Verde rubbed her hands together and announced, “KK Cats! Let’s play!”