Part 23: USS DEVASTATOR

The Slide way carried me over the landing field and while I stood on the slide segment I was staring up at the metal sky above me, trying to make out details. I had to remind myself that this was the underside of a star ship. Something that could travel and move through space at incredible speeds. Those tower like extensions, each the size of immense sky scrapers were actually landing gear and not a modern city There were countless stories, rumors and myths about this ship and everyone in the Union knew at least one. The ships origin itself was clouded in mysteries. The official GalNet Site was very vague about it and only said it was the product of an ancient and very advanced civilization. Most sources on the Net believed it was of Celtest origin but there was no official confirmation that this was indeed the case.

No less mythical and fantastic were the legends and stories told about the man who found it and brought it back. The immortal Warrior from Old Earth, Admiral Richard Stahl, chosen by the Guardian of Earth to be the soldier and warrior protector for the then fledgling society known as United Earth.

He took his calling more serious than anything and had indeed become the Eternal Warrior, a nickname he was known and respected by friend and foe alike.

He had been in every war and every conflict since Earth ascended and became known as Terra. He was perhaps the single most prominent person. Even Union enemies knew and feared his name.

They said he was untouchable, incorruptible and the very definition of honor and truth. Aboard the Hyperion there was a Lieutenant who believed Stahl was really a God and sent to this Universe to protect the Union. A believe that was not uncommon; I had met other people who felt and thought the same way. I knew a minority of people did not believe Stahl still existed, but was a propaganda tool. Kept alive by Avatar projections and actors that inherited the role.

I had not really formed an opinion, but I had met McElligott. The Old Highlander was as real as can be, and meeting him erased any doubt that there were indeed Immortals at the helm of things. Also in my opinion neither the Fleet nor the Union as a whole engaged in propaganda. In had learned about it in political science class, it was a tool used by authorities to keep up a usually false and inflated narrative to justify their existence. The Union did not have a government in a classical sense and the validation of its existence came from its citizens. “Move it Buster.” Someone yelled and only now I noticed I had reached the end of the slide belt. I mumbled apologies and walked a few steps. I had no idea where to go. The cargo doors where a thousand meters above me and I saw nothing that looked like an IST extension or access ramp.

“I said move it. You are holding everything.” yelled the same voice.

I turned and a Cargo Specialist waved at me with an angry face. I didn’t know what I was holding up but I walked forward and he screamed. “STOP.”

I stopped as he asked, a house sized container shoot up from a suddenly opening trapdoor, literally an inch from my nose. It was, quite a frightening experience, I could feel the sharp draft of air created by the moving metal container, that was bigger than Hogun’s Inn.

With a sharp metallic clang, a Cargo Drone latched onto the big box and lifted it away. The trap door, clearly marked with yellow and black stripes all around closed, only to open a heartbeat later and another container shoot out of the ground. The Cargo handler reached me and he was clearly angry. “Do you want to get killed? What in Jeezuz name are you doin’ on my cargo field anyway? You do not look like a Cargo Handler.”

He was a Sergeant so I swallowed the Sir in the last moment. “No I am not.”

“Didn’t think so, wouldn’t need a greenhorn today to teach him the cargo handlin’ business, not when the Devi is here. She takes more supplies aboard than the entire First fleet I tell you. All warehouses filled to the brim now and when she leaves, there won’t be cobwebs left.”

“I am Sorry, Sergeant. I need to get into that ship and the Slidebelt carried me here.”

“There is no personnel boarding yet. No access tunnels have been attached. You need to wait like everyone else.”

Another man walked up coming from the same slide belt and joined us. “I need to get up there as well.”

He was human, tall and wore a black jumpsuit without any markings. He had blonde hair and his eyes were hidden behind old fashioned sun glasses. A sure sign he was Terran. Only Terrans and those who wanted to be Terran wore those ancient contraptions, instead of shade fields or Lens implants.

The Sergeant barked. “What do you think I am, some sort of Ferry Man? There is no boarding.”

I said.”Sergeant, I was ordered to forgo regular boarding and get aboard as soon as possible. I have an urgent errant. I know and realize you do not provide boarding options to personnel, but I have learned in my short career so far, that cargo handlers and Sergeants usually know how things can be accomplished.”

He sounded much less irritated. “Do you have the orders to back it up?”

“Yes I do, Sergeant”

“You two stay right where you are, don’t move. This is a dangerous place if you don’t know where to step.”

“Yes Sarge.”

A Cargo Drone whisked down and the Cargo Specialist said. “This is quite illegal and don’t get caught, but it is quite safe if you hold on tight, we Handlers do it all the time. Step on the Drone claws and it will get you up there. But as I said hold on tight it’s a long way down and Cargo Drones are not the smartest machines if it does try to catch you, it might cut you in half.”

He raised both of his arms. “What are you two waiting for. It appears this is the only way I get you two of my hair.”

I stepped on one of the massive Steel claws of the hovering bot and the man in the black suit stepped on the other. I yelled.”Thank you Sergeant” But he had his back turned and apparently forgotten about us already.

I held tight to a hydraulic hose and the Robot accelerated upwards in a brake neck speed.

The Blonde man laughed and yelled: “Yeeehhaa ... That’s the ticket.”

He had no rank insignia. Was he one of the enemies I was warned about? In one hand I held the case and with the other I grabbed tight to the hydraulic arm. The man however had a free hand and if he wanted he could do something.

The ground was far down and the huge containers down there appeared no bigger toys. The cargo door that looked like a small window from below grew to a gigantic hole. Our burg would have fit right through it, with plenty of room to spare. The drone whisked us inside and lowered us to solid ground, just a few meters of the ledge and disappeared back down.

The cargo hold was immense and the ceiling had to be at least 200 meters above us. Cargo belts moved the containers in a steady stream. Robots and Men in cargo manipulator suits stacked them in honey comb like shelves.

Before I could orient myself and to see where I needed to go. Two Marines flew across the cargo bay and pointed their guns at me and the stranger. “Hold it right there. No moves. We are not cleared for personnel boarding and what you just did is illegal boarding. We usually shoot intruders on sight you know. This cargo handler trick might work on other ships, this is the Devi.”

“Sir, I have an urgent errand of utmost importance and was ordered to board as soon as possible. I have corresponding orders with me.”

“Those better be good.” One of the marines scanned my order chip and stepped back. “Aye you do have an urgent mission, and your MITI checks out. Go right to the wall over there and tell the IST control where you need to go. Centron will check you out and if he thinks you aren’t kosher you’re history.”

“Who is Centron Sir?”

“The ships AI, but unlike any you ever came across.”

The other Marine spoke “This AI is authorized to make life and death decisions and has ways to make you disappear.”

That was just what I needed, probably an Alien AI with an itchy trigger finger. Still I ran towards the IST and while I did I looked over my shoulder to see how Mr. Sunglasses fared.The man in black talked to the marines and then he followed me. I reached the IST way ahead of him, but the system voice said after I voiced my destination request. “IST resources maxed out at the moment. Please stand by for the next available IST car. The waiting time for non essential transports is two Minutes and seven seconds.”

I wondered how it would be to man the OPS position of this ship. I am sure it was a whole department and a big team.

The man in black reached me while I had to wait for the next available car.

He had a scar underneath his left eye and he smiled at me. “What is it you have to do so urgently?”

“An errant Sir.”

“Have you ever been aboard the Devastator before?”

“No Sir this is my first time.”

The IST Car arrived and I said.” Why don’t you take this one? I wait for the next.”

“No worries, Midshipman. I won’t bite and besides you are armed and I am not.”

I reluctantly went into the car with him. The system beeped and asked.”Destination?”

“Command Deck”

“Scanning ID for authorization.”

The man dressed in black said: “Are you from a Water world? I noticed your neck gills.”

“Yes, Sir, Nilfeheim.”

“I bet you like swimming.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Well that’s where I am heading for right now. The Devastator has great pool facilities. Care to join me?”

“I would like to Sir, but I have an errand to do.”

“How about when you’re done?”

“Sir I am a Midshipman and I bet my day has been already planned for me.”

The IST beeped and moved.

“Ah yes you are an officer and probably have more important things to do than go swimming.”

He must have been an enlisted man of some sort. Or perhaps a civilian contractor, the Marines let him pass and the IST moved so he must have checked out, I realized I had my hand on the butt of the blaster. “It is not that, Sir. I sure wish I could go with you, but a Midshipman is the lowest end of the chain of command, technically not even a real officer yet and that means I don’t decide what I can do or not. Not that I even know where my next posting is going to be.”

“You regret joining the Navy?”

“No I don’t. Everyone has to start somewhere and I am the beginning. If I survive this year and measure up to them, I might make it to become an Ensign.”

“I see you got the Medal of Honor. That should count for something.”

I sighed. “Yes I am proud of it but I wish I wouldn’t have to display it. It is more trouble than it is worth.”

“I might not be an expert on Military commendations, but even I know that’s the most prestigious medal there is.”

“Sir I am a Midshipman, no one believes it’s real.”

The IST stopped and the doors parted.

“This is the command deck.” The Man said.

“After you Sir.”

“You are one nervous and mistrusting person. I must say. “But he stepped out the IST and I followed.

He was about to walk away and then said. “Where do you have to go? It happens I know this ship pretty well.”

“I am sure I can find it Sir.”

He shook his head and walked away.

I had no idea where I had to go. This was the Command deck but I was certain it was as big as the rest of the ship. There was no one else in sight. Then I saw a location diagram and a Computronic panel. “Computronic, I have a personal delivery for Admiral Stahl. Where do I go?”

“All non-command personnel accessing Command level must report to Command and Control. Follow the blue light.”

A throat tightening feeling got a hold of me that made me think with every step I took I came closer to something frightening. The mission wasn’t so difficult. I had made it aboard the ship but I was sure this was another of those moments I marched head on into trouble. Only this time I wasn’t in charge of anything. In moments like this I wondered Loki did exist and had cursed my life. It certainly felt as if some invisible trickster behind the scenes was pulling the strings.

A blue illuminated line appeared in the floor and it led me after a sort walk to a set of massive doors.

Now my skin felt as if insects crawled over it and my throat was dry as the dust lakes on Twilight.

The doors where guarded by a pair of Marines and a Cerberus robot.