<Post Warp: 1 month 10 days>
Lincoln winced as she watched the charges go off, hopefully all of the reinforcement work that the General’s team had put into the facility were holding. The crowd inside the transport all cheered as the dust from the explosion flew up into the thin air.
“May peace be the only objective the future holds!” shouted the Martian announcer from the front of the transport as they began to move away from the site of the collider.
“Yay!” said Lincoln sarcastically, the people around her didn’t notice as they danced around inside the transport, most of them were the rich and powerful of Mars enjoying show. It wasn’t time for her breakdown yet so she had to participate in all of the idiotic events like this now that she was a celebrity for the peace between Earth and Mars. She was beginning to look forward to it though, the experience would be rather cathartic.
Megan set the wrench in place and bracing herself against the bulkhead turned it, the old panel creaked for a moment before it gave way and she was able to turn the bolts. Working at it Megan quickly had the panel open and pulling it away she tossed it over her shoulder.
“Hey!” shouted Ben.
She didn’t turn to look at her assistant, instead she carefully started checking the wiring inside of the panel.
“No need to chuck things at me because you’re grouchy,” said Ben.
Megan rolled her eyes and pushed herself away from the panel to float back to where Ben was, “We’re still waiting on the capacitors! I thought Mar’s was supposed to be a powerhouse of efficient production! We’ve been waiting for days!” she growled.
“So you’ve resorted to checking the toilets suction relays, you need to get off this ship,” said Ben.
Megan scowled at the man, he had been her assistant on the Yamato for the entirety of the war, and he was long ago qualified to transfer to another ship where he would have been offered a chief engineering position in a heartbeat, but like the entire Yamato crew he liked the ship, or the usually impossible things they pulled off.
“Have you even been in the station yet?” asked Ben.
“No,” Megan crossed her arms and glared at the man, “Are you trying to pick me up again?” she asked.
“Yeah every guy wants to date the woman chucking two kilogram sheets of metal at his head,” He said as he pushed the panel back into place.
“Fine, let’s go. Get us away from the stinking politicians, the North American ambassador got motion sickness this morning and missed the bag, they he tried to clean it up himself. We are still finding chunks floating around,” Said Megan grimacing.
“Fun,” said Ben.
The two quickly made their way through the corridors of the ship, the Yamato despite spending most of her time in weightlessness was in theory designed to make atmospheric maneuvers, she couldn’t land but she could dip in and out of an atmosphere to perform operations so her layout was gravity friendly with handholds the crew used when navigating her in space.
Moving through the center of the ship they passed through the Bridge.
Captain Takuya was “sitting” in his chair listening to one of the diplomats as they no doubt complained about another discomfort. Takuya noticed them as they floated through the Bridge and although his eyes were pleading for help he didn’t say anything to his subordinates as they passed through.
Making it to the airlock near mid-ship where they were hard docked with the Martian station Ben quickly opened the hatch and putting himself on the edge of it pushed himself off. Still behind him Megan quickly sealed the hatch and reoriented herself. What had just been a wall inside the ship was now the floor, and she was standing inside a small chamber with a display on one of the walls showing a map of the station. Ben was floating in front of it his arms crossed and upside down from her perspective he examined it.
“Where to first? Theirs a rendition of Romeo and Juliet in zero-g at the theater in a few minutes, or we could go downtether and shop and have something to eat. Apparently the Martians figured out how to make actual food in weightlessness,” Ben continued on for several minutes listing off all of the things to do on the station which was tethered to the Martian surface far below.
For years Megan had wanted to see the station, it was a feet of engineering on a degree that she could only respect. Even during the war she had wanted to see it, but now she was apprehensive for some reason. Perhaps the upcoming mission had her stressed, not only were they planning to fool command but if anything went wrong with the ship they were dead.
“The engineering deck.” Said Megan.
Ben rolled his eyes. “Aw come on, that was what I was trying avoid. We spend all day working on the systems in the Yamato. Why the hell do you want to go and look at more circuits and hydraulic systems?” Asked Ben.
“How old is this station Ben?” asked Megan
“A hundred years old or something, the core of it at least right?” said Ben.
“So you can’t tell me you aren’t curious to see the old systems? See how the first wave managed to build this thing without Earth helping them?” said Megan.
Ben sighed and slowly re-oriented himself until he was upright compared to Megan, “Fine, but after that I get to choose where we go.”
“Deal.”
[Charles] turned and stunned quickly put his hand to his right eye, “Consul,” he said surprised.
[Marcus] waved his hand and [Charles] lowered his salute.
“I need you to do something for me Captain,” said [Marcus]. “I need you to report directly to me about your observations of the species, and if they appear to be too much of a threat obtain the technology by any means necessary.”
“Sir?” asked [Charles].
“If you are unable to obtain the technology in a clandestine manner I want you to take it,” said [Marcus].
“Could you clarify that sir?” asked [Charles].
“Take the prototype if needed,” said [Marcus].
[Charles] slowly nodded and then looked back at his team who were in the briefing room behind them listening to the more detailed analysis of the class C’s species advancements. It was the [10th day] of the briefings and already [Charles]’s head was spinning as the scientists and politicians argued about how to handle the issue. Even the Emperor had become fed up with the proceedings and had not attended for the past few days.
[Charles] had gotten up to try and clear his head when the Consul had followed him out of the briefing room.
“Does this mean I have been selected to captain the [Singer] sir?” asked [Charles].
“You will be.”
[Charles] Looked at the Consul, he was not adept in the sciences currently being discussed in the briefing room and neither was he familiar with all of the political minutia that was intertwined within it. But he knew that the man standing in front of him was the de facto Emperor, with the actual Emperor hardly old enough to be making decisions about his own clothing, not that [Charles] would ever voice that particular concern.
“Yes sir, I will make sure that we do get the technology,” said [Charles].
[Marcus] smiled and briefly put his hand over his eye, “Thank you Captain. Now I think the both of us should get back to the meeting, as much of a headache those High Scientists are giving me it is important,” He said cheerfully.
[Charles] nodded and followed the man back into the room.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here,” said Ben as he looked down the dark corridor beneath his feet.
“Aww come on, this hatch will open If I can just get this stupid thing to turn!” said Megan as she struggled with the wheel, “Come on and help me you idiot,” she said as she turned away from the wall she had been bracing against to face Ben.
“Are we sure there’s not a vacuum on the other side of the hatch?” asked Ben.
Megan tapped the side of the hatch, pointing out the seal that was on their side. If there was a vacuum on the other side the pressure of the atmosphere inside would keep the hatch sealed by pressing down on it. “Your strong Ben but not that strong, it’s just stuck!” said Megan.
Rolling his eyes Ben grabbed the wheel and bracing himself turned the wheel quickly breaking whatever had the thing stuck. Spinning the wheel until it hit home Ben tugged on the hatch, weightlessly it swung towards him and a blast of hot stale air ran over them along with a large accumulation of dust and a few floating pieces of trash.
Megan and Ben both coughed and pushed the floating trash away from themselves, whatever the room was it was illuminated by only a few ludicrously small portholes. Reaching into her belt Megan pulled out her firefly, a small LED array in the form of a sphere and switching it on slowly pushed it into the room.
Looking like a miniature sun the orb slowly floated into room and the words on the wall printed in faded black paint on the dull gray metal came into view. “Observation deck”.
Megan smiled and slowly pushed herself into the room, “this must have been one of the first things the Martian’s built up here! The original observation room on the top of the station!” Said Megan excitedly.
Ben nodded and followed her into the room, floating up to a small window in the middle of the deck he peered out. The entire station and the long tether leading down to the Martian surface obscured most of his view, but beyond the red planet was the familiar vista of stars.
“Why was this place abandoned?” asked Ben not taking his eyes away from the sight, the Yamato for all her glory didn’t have windows, she had displays embedded into some of the walls that showed live camera feeds from the outside and even though he shouldn’t have been able to notice a difference they were so high in fidelity their was just something off about them. Staring out through a weak piece of transparent material into the void was entirely different.
“That corridor was turned into a service crawlway, it goes almost through the exact center of the station right next to the tether. I bet it was the first thing built and then they moved outwards. Once they got orbital construction down they could build better structures,” Megan tapped the side of the outer hull around one of the windows, “Look at the weld. It was done in gravity, manufactured on the surface and brought up. They don’t do that nowadays,” she said.
“Well you wanted to see the old part of the station, here it is,” said Ben.
“I know, I’ve seen pictures of stuff like this but it’s amazing to actually see it. I mean look at this,” She pointed at the control panel along the side of the wall. Wires were leading out from it in every direction spidering along the wall many of them showing signs of corrosion.
“It’s simple, frighteningly so. Everything was so exposed back then and put together by people who had no idea what they were doing, eager to simply have something that worked. Nowadays exposed wiring is against regulation and I’ll bet that panel’s hotwired as hell, do that anywhere on the station nowadays and I bet you’d get fined.” Said Megan.
“What you don’t like safety regulations?” asked Ben bemused.
Megan chuckled, “I like safety regulations, but Mars was at the beginning a new frontier! It didn’t matter what kind of degree you had or if some university signed off saying you could do something. All that mattered was that you could do it. The people in the first wave knew they were only moments from death at any time from a breach or a radiation burst, but the crazy bastard still did it!” Said Megan.
She paused for a moment and looked out at the stars, “Now we get to do it too, we’re going to travel to another star system, and if something goes wrong no one will be able to save us. You and I will have to fix whatever comes up, no more safety nets.” Said Megan.
“Thanks for putting that thought in my head, and you do remember all of those missions we did in the war right? Their were no safety margins there, and we didn’t always follow regulation when fixing our engines, or the weapons” said Ben.
Megan pursed her lips, “That was similar but really if we survived long enough to make repairs we knew we were going to make it. Out there though, we’re fighting the Universe, and I’m willing to be she’s more dangerous than the Earth or Mars ever were,” said Megan.
“I’m not betting against you on that,” said Ben.
The two of them were silent for several moments looking out at the expanse in front of them.
“Crap,” said Ben.
Megan glanced over at him, he was floating in the dead center of the room out of the reach of any handholds.
Megan couldn’t help it, after contemplating the human condition Ben had gone and gotten himself stuck. She let out a small giggle and Ben glared at her, “you going to help?” he asked.
Megan nodded and pushing off of the wall launched herself at him, sending the both of them into the opposite wall where they hit another control panel. Flood lights outside the observation desk windows that had been off and exposed to space for nearly 80 years slowly flickered to life, pointing directly down at the modern observation deck of the station no doubt blinding everyone inside of it.
Ben and Megan glanced at the mess of wires that was the control panel and then at one another, before scrambling for the hatch.
“No,” Said Megan.
“Aww come on! You said I would get to choice the next place!” said Ben.
“You want to go to a strip club,” said Megan as she tapped her foot on the deck plate she was looped into.
“A zero-g strip club,” Said Ben as if that were justification enough.
“No.”
“Restaurant then?”
“Sure, all of them are in the downtether area,” Said Megan, and pushing herself off of the handhold she shot down towards the far wall of the compartment they were in towards the bottom of the station compared to its orientation around the planet far below.
The downtether area was at the core of the station and being protected by rest of the largest open area. A massive cylinder the tether went through the center of it and up into the rest of the station. The Martian engineers had designed it to rotate to serve as a place on the station with artificial gravity but by the time construction was complete to many businesses had already adapted to the zero-g. And with the introduction of nano-machines it was deemed unnecessary. So it was left as it was the only addition being handholds and thick ropes crisscrossing through it to allow for easier navigation.
As Ben and Megan made their way towards the downtether area and out of the service crawlways and ducts they had been in the corridors became much more crowded, the station had a population close to 5,000 with most of the population working to either expand the station or in the shipyards which unlike those around Earth were a suit less environment.
Mars officially considered the station as a city, and it had massive political and economic value due to the ease at which materials and individuals could be moved. Nearly all foot traffic to the surface of mars went through it the only exception being military craft designed to make hops in an out of the atmosphere.
Following the flow of the crowd Ben and Megan both paused at the entrance in awe of the largest open weightless environment in the sol System until a disgruntled Martian seemingly annoyed with their rubbernecking expertly shot between them his hand up behind him in the universal symbol of road rage, a gesture which had endured the transfer to Mars.
“The bar?” asked Ben not turning to look at Megan his gaze locked on the marvel in front of him.
“The bar,” Said Megan nodding her head in agreement.
Grabbing the nearest rope Ben pulled himself up to the correct angle and then launched down towards the middle of the cylinder, with Megan not far behind.
The bar was wrapped around the tether in the center of the cylinder running almost the entire length of the chamber. Several dozen waiters were buzzing along the tether stopping at intervals where drinks were stored in old phone booth sized compartments which also happened to be the anchor points for the internal lines of the cylinder. Drifting over to a table Ben slipped his feet into the holds and Megan quickly joined him.
A menu popped up on the surface of the table, offering the wide selection of Martian drinks, all but the most expensive being potato based.
“Any preference?” asked Ben.
Megan shook her head.
“Whatever is recommended, under 30 credits,” said Ben to the table. The menu winked out and within moments a Waitress drifted down to them, two plastic bags on her tray sticking to it with small magnets which would also allow them to anchor to the table.
“Anything else?” asked the waitress, she didn’t look like she was older than 18 in earth terms yet she towered over both Ben and Megan her height no doubt from the low gravity of Mars and working on the station.
“No we’re good,” said Megan as she picked up the bag and placing it to her lips took a quick gulp of the liquid wincing as it burned down her throat.
“Alright just call me if you need anything else!” she said and then expertly jumped back up into the air, small gas jets firing from her belt and feet and shoulders. She was able to get around in the low gravity when her hands were full.
“This place is amazing!” said Ben as he craned his neck looking around the inner surface of the cylinder where hundreds of small shops and vendors were all selling their wares.
Megan nodded in agreement, none of the shops were corporation storefronts. The station didn’t let them set up in the cylinder so the closest analog to the inside of the surface was the ancient Middle Eastern markets she had only seen in movies.
It was disorganized, loud, and despite the need for cleanliness in space a little dirty. Unlike the downtown areas of Earth which were clinically clean immaculate and occupied by the storefronts for the corporations this place was alive.
Ben glanced up amazed that in every direction around him he was seeing the same thing, people moving about and flying between the stalls that were set up trails of purchases and knickknacks flying with them. The residents were climbing along the lines strung up with expert ease, flying past one clearing others by only inches as they flew in opposite directions at speeds that if they were to have impact would have hurt quite a bit.
Megan took another sip of her own drink, “I never thought I would get to see this,” she said.
“What do you mean?” asked Ben.
“This station was always a target during the war, I mean the Martians can launch things almost for free from here! But we could never get through the defenses around it! Heck when it came into line for a kinetic bombardment the Martians put one of their largest frigates in between Earth and the Station and then over pressurized her as much as possible. The one rod that made it through the frigate just glanced off the station, they nearly lost the counterweight from the oscillations it caused in the structure. If that had happened this entire place would have fallen into the atmosphere,” said Megan.
“That would have probably let us win the war,” said Ben.
Megan nodded and ruefully took another sip of her drink draining the pouch.
Ben glanced down at his own which was still mostly full, “want more?” he asked.
Megan shook her head and leaned back from the table letting herself float, keeping herself attached only by the footholds. It had been five years since she had been able to relax, and even now she could still feel that knot of tension in her stomach. She doubted it would ever completely go away especially with the upcoming mission.
“You Terran’s?” growled a voice to Megan’s right. She glanced up and Ben turned as well. A man with a deep scowl on his face was staring at them, maneuvering jets occasionally firing off around him. He was tall like most Martians but he had a more developed muscle structure one that would have been on par with Earth wrestlers.
“So what if we are?” asked Ben keeping his voice neutral.
“I would ask what the hell you’re doing here after what your politicians just tried to pull,” growled the man.
Megan and Ben glanced at one another and then moving quickly Megan pulled out her link and groaned reading the first news story that came up in her feed, “We’re apparently demanding reparations from Mars,” She said.
Ben slowly nodded still facing the man in front of them and leaned across the table, “So we drag them all the way from Earth and this is the thanks we get?” asked Ben.
“Apparently.” Said Megan, looking up and around she could see other Martians beginning to gather around them, they should have changed into something other than their jumpsuits, apparently even with the patches missing they were still conspicuous.
“You started that war and now you want us to pay for it!” demanded the man as he bobbed side to side in the air, he was apparently already quite inebriated.
“Let’s go,” Ben said as he quickly put his pouch down and swiped his link over the payment slot on the table. Megan nodded in agreement and bending down slightly she pulled her feet out of the brace and got ready to move.
“Hendrik!” A woman who looked as if she had her own gravitational field floated over, she seemed to have jury-rigged three of the jets that people were using to navigate through the room and even with those the jets seemed to be struggling to move her. How she fit anywhere else in the station Ben had no idea.
The woman came up to the man and despite his height and muscle mass was tiny compared to her, “You start another fight and I swear I’ll toss you through the recycler,” She said, as she crossed her arms in front of the man Hendrik.
He considered the woman in front of him for a moment before turning and slowly drifting away, the gathering crowd quickly dispersed as well none wanting to incur the wrath of the woman. She glared at his back for several moments before turning around to the table, “I’m sorry about that, he didn’t threaten you did he?” She asked.
“Thanks, but we would have been fine.” Said Megan.
“Ah but then I would have had to kick the both of you out along with the prick. You’re the first Terran’s to make it here from that transport. The Yamato I think it was,” Said the woman.
Ben nodded and the woman’s smile widened, “I’m Janus, I own the bar.” She said.
“Quite the place.” Said Ben.
“That it is, I built it from the ground up. You have no idea how hard it was to get permits to actually build on the cable. But it was worth it in the end,” She said with a sigh as she slipped her feet into the hold at their table.
“Attracts something of a rough crowd most of the time, and station security is always out at the docks working there. So I usually have to lay it down here, not that the military guys mess with me or my staff. They still haven’t found the last one who did, so it’s mostly drunken traders and planet hoppers who cause trouble. You two on a date seeing the station?” She asked.
Ben coughed on his drink, “No! Yes, I mean we’re seeing the station, but we’re not dating.” He said.
“I understand,” said Janus as she glanced sidelong at Megan, who was pointedly glaring at the woman.
“Well I’m sorry about that disturbance, a word of warning don’t go to the upper ring if you don’t want something worse than that to happen. The fanatics were up there were during the war saying we should atomize Earth, they’ve been cleared out officially but those uniforms you’ve got on would get you stabbed, “she said.
“Thanks, we’ll keep that in mind.” Said Megan.
“You have any plans after this?” asked Janus.
“Not really be a tourist,” Said Ben.
Janus smiled, “In that case make sure you visit Ambrosia,” she said.
“Thanks,” Said Ben.
“Well I’ll leave the two of you to enjoy your free time than,” she said and activating the jets on her harness the woman floated off.
Ben and Megan looked at one another, “How the hell does she fit in a sleeper pod?” asked Ben.
Megan couldn’t hold I the small chuckle, “I have no idea.” She said.
SPECIFICATIONS: Yamato (Pacific Frigate)
Length: 70.3 m / 230.6 ft.
Height: 19.8 m / 64.9 ft.
Weight Empty: 298,523 kg / 658,130.5 lb.
Maximum Weight: 370,000 kg / 815710.3 lb.
Max g-rating: 5.3
Max g-rating (dampening system): 6000
Life Support: 1460 hours (thirty crew)
Delta V: 60.2 Km/s (chamber burnout)
Power: Fusion Reactor (105 MW)
Drive: (5) Quantum Vacuum Drive (Mark V)
Weapons Payload: 50,000 kg / 110231.1 lb.
Weapons: <Encrypted> iyW4xGG8r6UtPjLXBkY7k/I6tmWon6On0jg+PaFGifi79e7TTwPCCeVoaeFXCYJMFmY42iUR/MF64Ku+ iwBN3BdvR+2hNvGcFwqmDY1swFMFV/uShDfp48AFK6cBawZIrc1vpvS6dhS4HPqFJFMqLf68cZoLpY9J h7kzoD0P8oPcNxvT/7F1dAl4q+zVCAyQxYuhvffSGPFPSuXuiIPqXq00ThAQCe18wA5FwJ0xHssZQoLe P74U6MuoXciPwzJm0DpzvDwp6YJLtX1qa8I2IxdZ7odGpxUfVXeH5gt+Z4YJOaYg9mjibfjbzlV/d/zR </Encrypted>
Description: The third Pacific class frigate to be constructed the Yamato was specially outfitted to be faster than other ships of its class at the detriment of armament and shielding. Constructed to make hit and run attacks at essential enemy targets the Yamato was a force to be reckoned with. One of the more successful ships during the war the Yamato is one of only five remaining ships of her class, all others having been destroyed in combat. The success of the Yamato is often attributed to her crew rather than her design, as the initial configuration of the Yamato’s power distribution systems left her susceptible to complete power failures when under atmospheric stresses, a design oversight not corrected until after the famous Yamato skip incident.