Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lucille
Lucy felt the wind against her face and was struck all over again by how incredible it was to have her own body. Her old one had, at the time, felt like hers, but this one actually was.
It had actually grown around her program like a natural extension of her own programming. It was just one of a hundred incredible experiences since she discovered her own people once again. The trip had been a nonstop rollercoaster, b...
2024-10-03 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Coming in hot.
“I knew that dead spot on the scan was going to be a problem,” Berenice sighed.
The Marshalls were gathered around the scan terminal in the asteroid base control room. They had hoped to find clues about how to approach the next base, but they discovered a problem.
“Orbital Beam Platform,” Cara read the information on the scan display. “What’s it orbiting?”
“It just means it is depl...
2024-10-02 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Breaking Rocks
Crush gave Sec an annoyed look as he rushed onto the Liberties’ bridge and took his position.
“Oh, spare me,” Sec glared back. “Do you know how much work I had to do in the last…few… hours? Sorry, Boss.” He wilted under the stare.
“Just to be clear,” Crush said to the assembled crew. “If you need time, ask. But do not be late unless someone is dead.”
“Sounds like an encoura...
2024-10-01 08:00:07 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Six
Coming Home
Message received through the egg
Nellie,
I’m coming home in two days your time.
I won’t lie; your last message scared me a lot. I never thought about it before, but other than the messages through the gate, I have no idea what is going on, do I?
I mean, I just don’t.
<...
2024-09-30 08:00:12 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Five
Explanations and Complications
It is an awful thing to be completely in terrified awe of someone, only to realize you haven’t seen even a tenth of what they are capable of. That was the feeling Edwards got as he watched the creation of not just a new ship but a whole new definition of what a ship was.
Paren was not willing to risk leaving the planet on the ship they had arrived in, even if they could fit all her peop...
2024-09-26 08:00:09 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Four
Miner Problems
Hardwicke looked at the reports in front of him for a long moment before returning his eyes to the recordings from the surviving ships. On the screens around him, a titanic ship battled with the ships of the Line.
Flashes lit the screen as beams sliced into hulls and railguns turned cruisers into wreckage. Lasers burned through shields and armor alike in a symphony of destruction while the massive vessel...
2024-09-25 08:00:08 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Three
Taking Liberties
“Sec, you better be bloody sure about this!” Prim snapped as they waited for the override to work.
“Of course, I’m sure!” Sec protested. “Still, if it doesn’t work, no harm done, eh?”
“If it doesn’t work, we’ll probably be recycled into toasters!” Prim growled.
“Not me,” Sec insisted. “People like me!”
“Are you suggesting people don’t like me?”
S...
2024-09-24 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-Two
Carl’s Day.
Edwards saw the scouts ahead of him. The three were gathered around a pile of discarded armor lying half-submerged in the mud and grime of the swamp.
Two silvers and a gold.
Edwards swallowed his anxiety and started to move toward them, his steps slow and careful as he pushed the nanites in his glove out to form the matching one on his other hand. As of yet, that was the total amount of nanites...
2024-09-23 08:00:07 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty-One
Fallout
“If this is one of those everything changes from now on speeches, can we just skip it?” Baz asked tiredly.
“What?” Nellie asked, completely thrown by the comment. She had called them all to a meeting on the Bly’s Rest because now that the Line knew about the new ship, there was a decent chance that they would invade soon.
That meant they had to work faster, even when they were working all out already. ...
2024-09-19 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirty
Harbinger
Sometimes, small things make all the difference in the long run. A message sent but not received, or a call of warning that lets the right person duck or the wrong person become distracted at a crucial moment.
Little things are overlooked in history books but can mean everything at the moment. For the Harbinger, and more importantly, its Captain, that small thing was a warning from Captain Hellena. Instead of a re...
2024-09-18 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Countdown
“None of them came back?” Munro asked again, staring at the long list of missing personnel. In all, it was nearly forty names, including many he recognized.
Bannerman, especially, would be missed.
“While there is still a chance that one or two teams are delayed, the lack of contact suggests otherwise,” Kilravock said grimly. “I am afraid that there is little chance that this is the result of interac...
2024-09-17 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Name Day
“All crew, all crew, report to muster stations immediately.”
The call went out throughout the Bly’s Rest as the clock ticked down to the launch of their new ship.
“We really don’t have to have a name for it just yet,” Salem hedged.
“You can’t launch a ship with no name; it would be bad luck,” Nellie insisted. “Right?”
“I honestly have no idea,” Salem admitted. “Un...
2024-09-16 08:00:07 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ripple Effects
“Edwards, come over here, please,” Paren called, and he felt his tension ratchet up to new levels.
Ever since he had reported back to the Lab, Carl had been waiting for something terrible to happen. Being a lab rat for the conversion process had been terrifying, but once he had been delivered to his own room, things had looked a little brighter.
Quite a bit brighter, if he was honest.
2024-09-12 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Six
Message Logs II
Encrypted Transmission
Source: Captain Hellena - Birdsong.
Destination: Admiral Cyrus - Ravenwing.
Dad, I did something that might just help us get Mum and the rest out of the Imperial Line's hands. It is risky, but I think it will work in the long run.
I don’t want to say more, but if you find out which ...
2024-09-11 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Five
Progress Report
“You know, I think that is getting easier,” Nellie said with a wry smile between bites. “I hardly feel like I’m going to pass out at all this time.”
“Not exactly a ringing endorsement,” Salem replied. “But I’m glad it is better than the first time, at least.”
“The changes to the infusions and I.V. supplements have really helped,” Nellie said. “And the rest.”
“Yes,” ...
2024-09-10 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dark of Night
Edwards adjusted his grip on the rifle and fiddled with the controls on his night vision again. The damn thing just wouldn’t show a clear image tonight.
Giving up, he continued his patrol.
Of all the times to get guard duty, he had to pull the midnight shift when it rained. The mud sucked at his boots as he moved, and he cast the occasional longing look at the large tents the rest of his scouting ...
2024-09-09 08:00:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cold Light of Day
Compared to her own efforts, the invaders had taken an absolute age to set up their base. After five days of pissing about, they had finally managed to complete the wall around their compound.
Not that Paren was complaining about that. The open walls had allowed her to claim a dozen lives via her new pets, which she had taken to calling Dart-Raptors. Their quick attacks and nasty venom were the perfect com...
2024-09-05 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-Two
Being Realistic
“Cheape, as of now, your only focus is the Imperium Fleet ships,” Nellie told the young officer. “All other ships will make do with whatever they have on board for now.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Cheape said, looking relieved.
“Salem, ask Crush to join us at the shop and bring Brix along with him.” Nellie pushed away from the table. “Everyone else, we are going to be making changes soon, so...
2024-09-04 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty-One
Camp
“Quickly!” Paren hissed. “We don’t have much time!”
Robot nodded and started the process of collapsing the pre-fab building while she kept a wary eye on the mountains to the north.
Leaving him to it, Paren stalked outside to see how the rest of them were doing.
Figures ran back and forth as the camp they had barely set up was reduced to cubes once more. Eyes turned to her, watching as she stalked al...
2024-09-03 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twenty
Breach and Clear: Part Three
The Queen’s Wrath was an incredible ship, but it was not exactly built to last. Before she had finished the second engagement, it was already starting to fail. The power pathways on the Orb ships were just not designed to carry the kind of power that a cruiser used.
One by one, the Orbs were burning out, but it was enough to stem the tide a little.
By the time Nellie micro-jumped to the ...
2024-09-02 08:00:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Nineteen
Breach and Clear, Part 2
Nellie could not quite believe she was doing this, but as she slid into place on the throne, she had no doubt in her mind that it was necessary.
Less than a minute earlier, the alarms built into the defenses of every jump point in the system had gone off. Her entire run to the throne room had been accompanied by a soundtrack of Salem’s constant reports of movement detected.
Closing her eyes, Nel...
2024-08-29 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Eighteen
Breach and Clear, Part 1
Cheape looked over the stack of data pads in the corner of her new office with weary eyes.
When they said they were short on Logistics people, they were not kidding. Each data pad recorded items moved, loaded, or unloaded. Some were nothing more than a couple of crates, while she had come across two that seemed to include enough materials to make several large shuttles.
It was a madhou...
2024-08-28 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Seventeen
Messages
Message Traffic Log: Imperial Line Blockade
Message Received from Ten Suns Ship - Birdsong
Sender: Captain Hellena
To: Grand Shareholder Hardwicke
Captain Hardwicke,
Reporting on station in Maius system as of a half hour ago.
There are signs of a battle on...
2024-08-27 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Sixteen
Bounty
“Report!” Nellie commanded as she fought the urge to pace back and forth in the control room. It was still taking a bit of effort to force herself to stay still when she was wound up.
“Captain Sec here!” A smug voice called over the comm line from the cruiser. “I am happy to report the enemy force has been beaten to a pulp, and the ships are currently under tow while we undertake conversion and automation!”
2024-08-26 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Fifteen
Escalation
“At least they are living up to the reports of innovative tactics,” Hardwicke noted as he tapped the report of the sighting of Nanite Imperium ships at an obscure system. “An unknown jump point connection, apparently.”
“Somewhat irritating,” Stibbert admitted. “A blockade is only a blockade if they are trapped. Otherwise, we are all merely out here burning money.”
“Accurate as ever, Stibbert,...
2024-08-22 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Fourteen
Experimental
Nellie sat in the corner of the small shop she had commandeered on the main promenade and tried to devise a comprehensive defense plan. Every now and again, she would get up and go and check on one of her experiments before heading back to her seat with its scattered datapads and mountains of crumpled paper.
Planning had started with a massive meeting in the conference room. Everyone had come, and they had brought ...
2024-08-21 08:00:08 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Thirteen
The Smiling Man
Crush pulled at the stupid silver armor, but nothing he did would make it comfortable. Andy seemed to be having similar problems, judging from his constant fidgeting.
The Quad and Sec cents with them didn’t seem uncomfortable, but they had the advantage of metal bodies that were immune to being squeezed in inconvenient places.
The skiff they had borrowed was flying on automatic, heading for the large des...
2024-08-20 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Twelve
Complications
Crush tapped his fingers irritably on the arm of the awkwardly designed chair and tried to ignore Andy's smug look.
Their host, Viria, had invited them to a formal dinner, and Andy had warned Crush that it would be interminable. He even went so far as to suggest that Crush would rather spend the time slamming his own head against a wall.
Andy was right.
The worst part was being stuck in a seat next to th...
2024-08-19 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Eleven
Teething Troubles
Nellie lay in her bed and groaned in frustration.
It had been two days since she left the throne, and it was still difficult to keep herself grounded and actually in her body. Perhaps the idea to split her mind into that many different pieces had not been the best one she ever had.
The truth was, it was taking focus to keep focus and attention on her physical body after being out of it for what...
2024-08-15 08:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter Ten
Developments
Crush stood on the bridge, watching the tracking dots moving back through the station and toward the Talon’s dock. He ground his teeth when another detour was taken, ending in another large compartment.
How difficult was it to follow the instructions to go straight to their meeting and immediately return?
Their stay on the station was tense, to say the least. A good first impression had not been made when they f...
2024-08-14 08:00:07 +0000 UTC
View Post
