03-02-2019, 11:33 PM
CHAPTER ONE - COMMITMENT
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30th September, 825 AS
Freeport 9, Omicron Theta.
Callaghan offices, Deck 24.
”Elicia Gridley is my name, yes”, said the young woman. She arrived at the CES offices and couldn’t help but take a glance at the huge scrolling signs all over the white walls, covered in a deep blue hue from the polarized window bays covering the entire roof of the CES deck. “Finis Coronat Opvs. Some Latin gibberish”, she thought. “Reminds me of The Core and their motto…”.
Callaghan Exploration & Surveys, CES for short, was a Zoner company mainly known for its pricey -but military grade- space charts, updated monthly with the position of jump anomalies all around the Sirius Sector. Their charts were highly praised by “questionable individuals” and bounty hunters of the Border and Edge Worlds alike, wealthy enough to afford these kind of maps. Callaghan’s methods, too, were questionable. You would often hear over the colony news service that another CES ship hadn’t been reporting to its base of operations for several months, and the company would never say a word about it.
The woman heard an announcement earlier saying that CES was looking for a individual that could read and analyse data about jump holes. Interested, she came to their offices applying for the position. She was told through the datapad she received at the entrance that she was to wait for a few minutes in room 024. An announcement would alert her when she could proceed to the human resources office.
The hopeful woman had a degree in physical cosmology. In Layman's terms, the study of the formation, expansion, and ultimately death of the Universe. But without research facilities, she would never be able to make a living in the station that hosted her for so long, as it could not provide her the required long range scanners or telescopes. And even if she could afford them, the station administrators would probably not approve the use of such equipment for free. A contract for Callaghan could allow her to bypass these restrictions and help her win a few million credits to get her out of the shack she owns on the lower decks of the station.
After a few minutes in the waiting room, she heard over the speakers that she was awaited at the conference room. The young woman was now standing up in front of two men and one woman seated behind a desk, explaining her the terms of the contract. These were businesspersons who were offering Elicia a contract involving surveying parts of the Walker nebula for warp anomalies. They were wearing tight black suits, except for the man on her left, who was leaning against a support pillar.
She grabbed the datapad handed to her from the woman sitting in the chair in front of her. She read silently.
“I didn’t know that I’d be collecting data on the fly, actually”, she said. The man on her right replied. “We need very accurate readings, Ms Gridley. This is why we hire people like you who could potentially make the best out of the limited environment of a Spatial-class vessel”. Elicia was astonished. “And that’s aboard a Spatial ?”, she asked, shocked as the offered job was very far from what she expected. The Spatial was big for a snub craft, but it could not host many equipment aboard nonetheless. “A modified Spatial, yes. The hull got special treatment against cosmic radiations and gunfire, the drivecore received an overall efficiency module, decreasing the heat loss, thus making the ship less noticeable by scanners”. “And top quality survey equipment was fitted inside the ship as well”, added the woman. “You’ll also be flying with a CES expert in security, trained to take down any hostile threats your team may encounter on the journey”. “And I’ll be flying the ship. What more could you ask for ?”. The voice came from her left, in the most Bretonian accent. The man that remained silent up until now was Daniel Rowley, the one who was leaning against the wall when she arrived in the office. “A walk in the park, really”.
“A walk in the park”, she thought, “apart from the potential Red Hessian or Corsair threat we could encounter...”. Elicia heard and saw enough of the latter, as they regularly visited the station to do business with the biodome owners for food, for they cannot sustain their population on Planet Crete alone. Her mind drifted away.
She remembered the last time she had dealt with them. She was onboard a supply ship headed to Corfu Base, a few hours from Freeport 9. They had just passed the sun when a squad of 2 bombers and a battle transport came from the direction of the Omicron Gamma jump hole. They seemed pretty desperate, and threatened to blow the whole Zoner convoy if they did not get their so precious food. The Zoners complied peacefully, and the Corsairs left with their share of supplies.
Foreigners and people unfamiliar with the Edge Worlds are terrified of Corsairs, but Elicia knew that after all, if you were ready to give up a week worth of synth paste, they would be grateful and let you go. Most of them are just trying to survive, as everyone here on this barren part of space.
“So Mrs Gridley, are you still interested in working with us ?”, said the woman. They were getting impatient. “Tell her about the potential long term employment”, Rowley said to the second man. Elicia took her eyes off the datapad. “What do you mean ?” she said. The man leant back in his chair. “Just take a look at page 26, section 3”. A little note at the bottom of the datapad stated that
Elicia knew that getting the position aboard the Corvo was very unlikely, as completing three whole surveys in relatively remote -and possibly hostile- space would prove extremely difficult. You never know what you can encounter out there, and the slightest mechanical issue would render the survey incomplete, and potentially cost her her life.
But then again, a position as the lead scientist aboard a Corvo was not something she could turn down like that. After all, she didn’t have much to do in Freeport 9. Even if the payment from CES would be enough to buy a ticket to somewhere better suited for her studies, she would have to get much more money to buy the necessary equipment for herself. A long term employment for Callaghan, even aboard a Spatial at first, sounded easier than trying to do it alone. And she was ready to take the risks.
“I’ll take it”, she said calmly. “I accept the terms of the contract”.
Callaghan Exploration & Surveys, CES for short, was a Zoner company mainly known for its pricey -but military grade- space charts, updated monthly with the position of jump anomalies all around the Sirius Sector. Their charts were highly praised by “questionable individuals” and bounty hunters of the Border and Edge Worlds alike, wealthy enough to afford these kind of maps. Callaghan’s methods, too, were questionable. You would often hear over the colony news service that another CES ship hadn’t been reporting to its base of operations for several months, and the company would never say a word about it.
The woman heard an announcement earlier saying that CES was looking for a individual that could read and analyse data about jump holes. Interested, she came to their offices applying for the position. She was told through the datapad she received at the entrance that she was to wait for a few minutes in room 024. An announcement would alert her when she could proceed to the human resources office.
The hopeful woman had a degree in physical cosmology. In Layman's terms, the study of the formation, expansion, and ultimately death of the Universe. But without research facilities, she would never be able to make a living in the station that hosted her for so long, as it could not provide her the required long range scanners or telescopes. And even if she could afford them, the station administrators would probably not approve the use of such equipment for free. A contract for Callaghan could allow her to bypass these restrictions and help her win a few million credits to get her out of the shack she owns on the lower decks of the station.
After a few minutes in the waiting room, she heard over the speakers that she was awaited at the conference room. The young woman was now standing up in front of two men and one woman seated behind a desk, explaining her the terms of the contract. These were businesspersons who were offering Elicia a contract involving surveying parts of the Walker nebula for warp anomalies. They were wearing tight black suits, except for the man on her left, who was leaning against a support pillar.
She grabbed the datapad handed to her from the woman sitting in the chair in front of her. She read silently.
Code:
SECTION 1: Mission details
-Recon mission in a light craft in the Walker nebula.
-Your team is to gather data about jump hole alignment, the natural appearance or collapse of said entities, as well as mapping the sectors of the Omegas that got affected by ion storms or other cosmic events.
-An accurate set of coordinates is to be reported for each solar body or artificial object you may encounter.“I didn’t know that I’d be collecting data on the fly, actually”, she said. The man on her right replied. “We need very accurate readings, Ms Gridley. This is why we hire people like you who could potentially make the best out of the limited environment of a Spatial-class vessel”. Elicia was astonished. “And that’s aboard a Spatial ?”, she asked, shocked as the offered job was very far from what she expected. The Spatial was big for a snub craft, but it could not host many equipment aboard nonetheless. “A modified Spatial, yes. The hull got special treatment against cosmic radiations and gunfire, the drivecore received an overall efficiency module, decreasing the heat loss, thus making the ship less noticeable by scanners”. “And top quality survey equipment was fitted inside the ship as well”, added the woman. “You’ll also be flying with a CES expert in security, trained to take down any hostile threats your team may encounter on the journey”. “And I’ll be flying the ship. What more could you ask for ?”. The voice came from her left, in the most Bretonian accent. The man that remained silent up until now was Daniel Rowley, the one who was leaning against the wall when she arrived in the office. “A walk in the park, really”.
“A walk in the park”, she thought, “apart from the potential Red Hessian or Corsair threat we could encounter...”. Elicia heard and saw enough of the latter, as they regularly visited the station to do business with the biodome owners for food, for they cannot sustain their population on Planet Crete alone. Her mind drifted away.
She remembered the last time she had dealt with them. She was onboard a supply ship headed to Corfu Base, a few hours from Freeport 9. They had just passed the sun when a squad of 2 bombers and a battle transport came from the direction of the Omicron Gamma jump hole. They seemed pretty desperate, and threatened to blow the whole Zoner convoy if they did not get their so precious food. The Zoners complied peacefully, and the Corsairs left with their share of supplies.
Foreigners and people unfamiliar with the Edge Worlds are terrified of Corsairs, but Elicia knew that after all, if you were ready to give up a week worth of synth paste, they would be grateful and let you go. Most of them are just trying to survive, as everyone here on this barren part of space.
“So Mrs Gridley, are you still interested in working with us ?”, said the woman. They were getting impatient. “Tell her about the potential long term employment”, Rowley said to the second man. Elicia took her eyes off the datapad. “What do you mean ?” she said. The man leant back in his chair. “Just take a look at page 26, section 3”. A little note at the bottom of the datapad stated that
Code:
Should one fares one’s mission well, one may be eligible to apply for a permanent lead position aboard a Corvo research vessel. A minimum of three (3) successful sector surveys are required to claim the post.Elicia knew that getting the position aboard the Corvo was very unlikely, as completing three whole surveys in relatively remote -and possibly hostile- space would prove extremely difficult. You never know what you can encounter out there, and the slightest mechanical issue would render the survey incomplete, and potentially cost her her life.
But then again, a position as the lead scientist aboard a Corvo was not something she could turn down like that. After all, she didn’t have much to do in Freeport 9. Even if the payment from CES would be enough to buy a ticket to somewhere better suited for her studies, she would have to get much more money to buy the necessary equipment for herself. A long term employment for Callaghan, even aboard a Spatial at first, sounded easier than trying to do it alone. And she was ready to take the risks.
“I’ll take it”, she said calmly. “I accept the terms of the contract”.
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