Book 3: Chapter 88: Justice and Arrivals

Book 3: Chapter 88: Justice and Arrivals

USD: 78 days after the battle of Dedia IV

Location: 92 Pegasi, Ackman Orbit, A3123Y Orbital

Repairs on the station had rapidly restored most sections to acceptable integrity. Despite the number of perforations and explosions, the automated army of repair drones had made quick work of them. The only serious damage had been done to the main mooring bay where two rebel miner ships had detonated inside a hangar.

Well, Amy considered the loss of two dozen mining ships and crews a serious loss, but they had shown their true colors when they had attempted to seize the station. Neither Wyles nor Whitely had helped her come to a satisfying conclusion about why the miners would think they could get away with seizing A31 for themselves.

Abbey and Whitely were supposed to meet her to go over what would finally be done with the prisoners that had been taken, including two of the ringleader captains. Over 1400 people had died, most of them had been crews or part of the coup attempt, but there had been casualties among the crews and newer residents that werent involved.

It had put a heavy dampening on the desire by a lot of Ackman Station residents to reorganize.

The two freighters that had been under construction had finished their build outs into Frigate configurations and were now operable and in service alongside the captured destroyer. The Alpha core Captain Yalof had them added to his patrol formation.

Amy still was terrified by the ramifications of the Captains fate, but no one had any inkling what had actually happened. Most had assumed, as she hoped, that they had been spaced. And now Abbey was controlling the ships directly. That wasnt too far from the truth, from how she understood the Alpha cores worked.

They werent much more intelligent than a standard GAI, but with enhanced decision making and out-of-the-box thinking that used the persons previous knowledge and experience. Abbey had admitted that one large complication would be if another NAI appeared, they would need to remain close to her to prevent their subordination.

A high-bandwidth signal was required at all times to a higher NAI core to prevent capture. The young NAI said she was working on a way to prevent that, but the explanation had gone down a rabbit hole of technology that Amy had little knowledge of.

Basically, Abbey was working on a kind of firewall to protect them from being taken over. Unless they came into physical contact with another NAI Avatar, theyd be fine.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Amy had encouraged her to make that a priority, since it was likely that eventually either Corpo or Solarian NAIs would probably come to investigate. The Coup had set back their production schedule by half a month, even with the quick fixes Abbey had put in place.

One thing foremost on Amys mind was the same thing couldnt happen to the miners. Everyone was intent on the decision to be made about what happened to them.

Most opinions ran from execution to some type of harsh incarceration.

The latter would require expanding the prison system to be something that could be sustained long term instead of relying on Abbeys attention.

The control room for the prison module was untouched by the conflict, and Amy looked out from the observation window to the large gymnasium sized bunk room the current prisoners were living in. Double bunks were set out in multiple rows, and one section had been set up with tables and a kitchen for meals.

Those meals were stripped down to low resource alternatives of several types of soups and finger foods Abbey had assured her contained all the nutrition a prisoner needed to live healthily. Although Amys taste test had confirmed they certainly were receiving a kind of punishment already.

The door to the control and observation tower slid open behind Amy, and Abbey entered the room. The NAI had been wearing her power armor for over a week after the attack before transitioning to a federation blue naval uniform. It was reminiscent of the one Alex had used to wear, with modifications for Abbeys small size.

It was the comically large naval captains hat that made the outfit go from serious to cute in Amys opinion, but Abbey didnt seem to figure that part out. Although to be fair, no one else would dare to give Abbey headpats. Not even Logan.

Abbey looked at her and frowned. I have developed further medical treatment options for the scar tissue on your face and expanded the medical facility for advanced treatment of trauma and related injuries.

During the attack, Amy got a nasty cut on her cheek that went all the way to the bone. She hadnt even noticed it happening. Things had been so hectic until someone put a patch on it while they were in the APC. It hadnt completely healed yet and was likely to result in a scar. Amy could almost see the frowny face emoticon floating over Abbeys head.

Thank you, Abbey. We can visit the medical center and see about it after we determine what we will do with the prisoners.

Abbey tilted her head, then walked up to the window. She was just barely tall enough to see over the half wall.

You said we cant use them, so I dont understand why we cant get rid of them. They are wasting resources being stored here. We could use this module as a production facility or habitation module.

You cant undo killing someone. Neither people nor NAIs are things to be used or stored, Abbey. Amy replied calmly.

Abbey bit her lip. You taught me that, but they betrayed us and caused some people to die. They broke a lot of things. We should dispose of them in the most efficient manner possible; they would make good nutrients for the fishie tanks.

Amy winced. Never mention that as a joke again. People would stop eating the station supplies if they thought we made it from reprocessed humans.

Perhaps less than you would imagine. A new voice answered, and Amy almost jumped as Stationmaster Whitely joined them.

She hadnt noticed his entry, until he spoke up and she swiftly greeted him with a nod. Stationmaster.

Whitely nodded to both of them and joined them at the window. I am afraid I agree with our Station NAI in this case, Ms. Tanis. These men have violated a critical piece of law that has had only one punishment in all of history. The response to mutiny is death.

They werent technically our employees or crew, Amy hedged, feeling uncomfortable.

Abbey smiled. Of course, thats where I pulled it from!

Whitely nodded before looking Amy in the eyes. I definitely think Abbey should stay with you more often. More than any lessons, she needs a role model.

Amy nodded quietly.

***

USD: 79 days after the battle of Dedia IV

Location: Van Biesbroecks star, Meltisar, Intra-system Flight #7,385,235,248

Alex stretched and yawned, cracking an eyelid to look out the small digital window port beside her seat. It wasnt an actual window, but the shuttle had a simulated camera that showed what a window might have shown if they had built it into the hull.

The view was filled with the orange and white swirling clouds of VB30s gas giant. As they had approached, a small pebble had grown in size until she had made it out to be Meltisar. The smaller moon felt absolutely dwarfed by its parent even if it was three quarters the size of humanitys ancestral home, Earth.

The other passengers were almost exclusively made up by the Iron Horses crew, with a few exceptions composed of some military crewmen and officers from station MIL-3A that had been waiting for a transfer.

Alex looked at her HUDs clock. They would arrive soon. Flight #7,385,235,248 had taken over 24 hours, and Alex had checked on Elis several times, but mostly she had slept or read the new literature and news available to her.

The inner system had many more available sources of information, and StarWikipedias monopoly was broken here.

A crewman walked down the two rows of seats and gently woke up the passengers that were still asleep. The dim lighting gradually brightened as a stewardess opened the curtains that had been separating the section Alex was in.

The Captain had offered to give her seats in the first class seating at the front of the shuttle, but shed declined, opting for the seating furthest back and closest to the medbay where Elis was being cared for by the shuttles medical personnel.

Alex realized the shuttle must have made a turn when the orbital came into view on the virtual window port. Her eyes widened at just how massive it was, and she had seen several stations she thought were massive, including Dedia Primes space elevator.

The military space elevator designated MIL-1A was a hundred times larger. A massive drydock of C clamps spread out in a curving forest of dozens, hundreds of warships of various sizes. Massive towers rose above and below the rectangular structure, and trains visibly flew up and down rails along the stations outer skin.

She spotted two massive elevators large enough to be ships themselves moving in alternate directions up and down the massive cable that reached all the way to the planets surface from their place in orbit.

Alex unclicked her restraint and moved to get her bag out from the overhead compartment. She didnt have that many belongings, but Alex smuggled away her ShipCore in her carry-on, wrapped in a few of the uniforms that had been donated to her.

Shed avoided having her bags checked and security scans with the help of Captain Thraker. There would be another one for most of the passengers, but not for the injured, so she was to stay with Elis on their way out.

As she turned to go toward the rear, a crewman halted her. Maam, you need to return to your seat and strap back in. We will arrive shortly.

Alex blinked, drawing a blank for a second on what to say when a stewardess came to her rescue. Its fine. She has permission to stay with the patient.

Ah. The man looked at her and moved out of the way. Sorry, I didnt know.

No problem. Thank you. Alex said politely, then headed on to the back of the shuttle. She found Elis sleeping in her medical bed that MIL-3A had supplied. It had a small panel showing Elis vitals, as well as its own oxygen and power supply.

She set her bag at the top of the bed above Eliss pillows and found an elastic strap to hold them down, before plopping down herself in one of the small seats beside the beds. The ready nurse smiled and waved at her while Alex waved back with a fake smile.

Her stomach didnt feel good, and she felt a nervousness that she had been forced to deal with before. She was getting a handle on it, though. One thing that being on the Iron Horse had taught her, while mindless tasks might be one way to escape from everything, it wouldnt fix it.

She needed to come up with some kind of plan for her future, for helping Nameless and Elis, and for getting back to 92 Pegasi and A31 and H32. She wasnt sure what Admiral Darren would have to say, or if Captain Thraker was right about his assessment, but whatever she decided, she wanted it to be on her terms, not theirs.

She had done her best to research what the Captain had said, and she could find nothing that contradicted him on the public net at least.

A buzz annoyed her right ear, and she swatted at an imaginary fly when her HUD suddenly updated.

|Welcome to MIL-1A, Meltisar. |

A moment later, the overhead comm system made an announcement.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Meltisar. Please prepare to disembark at checkpoint 36-B1 and follow the directions of all flight and station crew.

Alex swallowed the last of her nervousness. They had arrived.