MILKY WAY GALACTIC AUTHORITY EREBUS-Class Deep Space Planetary Station - OASIS 10
“All right, all right, I’m coming.” The technician gave a powerful yawn as he stepped to the control dais. He barely stepped out of his PBM to begin his end of shift hygiene regimen when the alert for an incoming communication rang in the compartment. Closing up a hastily donned standard work covering, the Technician extended his hands into the dais activation field whereby the hard light display formed. A visual feed flashed the blue ‘Incoming Communication’ graphic and the Technician took a deep breath to wake himself. He was sorry his PBM was off. A good jolt of adrenaline would help right now.
The viz feed flashed on the red and yellow graphic of PROMETHEUS GROUP and then the red CLASSIFIED COMMUNICATION graphic flashed angrily. The Technician saw on his PHUD elevated heart and hormonal activity at the sight of the graphic. He didn’t have his PBM on so he would have to verify his identity and classification level with an old-fashioned DNA scan. With a few strokes of his fingers on the hard light display, an amber scanning beam passed over his left hand. A moment later an audio feed said, “The following information is classified level 609 MAA. Authorized recipients of this information are subject to the Personal Disclosure Clause of their contracts. Any divulgement of this information to unauthorized personnel or manufactured beings will be considered a breach of contract and the contractor will be immediately terminated.”
The Technician felt an involuntary spasm in his anal sphincter. What by the Galactic Core could be so important? The vis feed changed and a dark-skinned man of frightening bearing appeared making the Technician flinch. His dark eyes took in the Technician and with a cold, calm voice queried, “This is Operations Officer Rewar Talvi PROMETHEUS GROUP Security, to whom am I speaking?” “Ah... uh, this is Technician Level 6-7 Unger Sayo EPIMETHEUS SUPPLY Co-Op, Shipping and Receiving Department OASIS 10 sir! H-how may I help you?”
Those dark eyes raked over Technician Sayo causing his skin to crawl. “Technician, I am contacting your department to confirm the shipment of a secure Transport BOX from Prometheus Prime Headquarters to OASIS 10. Its final destination is the TARTARUS FACILITY. I will transfer the manifest codes for you to verify reception.” Technician Sayo nervously watched as the manifest codes were verified and confirmed the receipt of the secure cargo. When he checked the follow-on transport codes, something was odd.
“Sir, I have confirmation for reception of one Secure Transport BOX enroute to TARTARUS, but it was not shipped aboard a Security Transport. It was transferred to a Corporate Transport....” Sayo flinched once more as the Operations Officer bellowed at him via the viz feed. “What do you mean it was shipped on a Corporate Transport? How in the name of the Galactic Core did you people fuck this up? The Transport BOX came from a Secure Transport and was placed in your Secure Facility until transfer to another Secure Transport was headed to TARTARUS FACILITY! How in all of Black Space did that BOX end up on a corporate cargo bucket?”
Sayo’s hands flew about the display panel as he sought answers from the many shipping manifests. “H-here’s the answer sir! The scheduled Secure Transport was delayed for Particle Wave Transport to OASIS 10 due to an Ionic Storm caused by a nearby Gamma Ray Burst. The only Transport headed to a jump point on path to TARTARUS was the EPIMETHEUS Supply Co-Operative Transport, DROMEDARY.” Still bellowing the Ops Officer replied, “So you sent a Classified Transport BOX aboard a damn Corporate Transport?” Sayo quickly pulled up the specifications for the DROMEDARY and stammered, “S-sir! I see why the BOX was sent aboard the Transport. It has classified storage capability Level 6. No doubt, it was deemed secure enough to keep delivery on schedule.”
The Officer glared at Sayo from many light years away via the viz feed and said nothing for several moments. “Technician Sayo, your department can expect an Inspection Team on the next available transport for this breach of security. Now... where is the DROMEDARY’S next jump point?” His heart beating rapidly Sayo replied, “Uh, its next destination is AIPOTU sir in the HESTIA SYSTEM. They departed OASIS 10 orbit at 29:30 hours via Particle Wave Transmission. They’ll be halfway to the system by the time the inspection team arrives!” Operations Officer Talvi leaned in close making his dark face fill the viz feed and said, “You pack of incompetents better pray that BOX has been secured and is safely on its way to TARTARUS. Do not divulge the nature of this transmission or any details we’ve discussed. Have I made myself crystal clear Technician Level 6-7 Unger Sayo?” Nodding furiously Sayo replied, “Absolutely sir!” The viz feed went black with only the graphic, ‘TRANSMISSION TERMINATED’ staring back at him.
Someone on his shift fucked up big time though they followed shipping protocol. Now his entire department would soon have an Inspection Team from PROMETHEUS GROUP lodged firmly in its ass! The ‘Group’ was where most of the smartest people in the Galactic Authority worked to design everything that made life for humans among the stars possible. Something of theirs was headed outside the Galaxy to TARTARUS FACILITY no doubt for final disposal. Whatever was in that BOX had to be beyond bad if it was being shipped to a disposal facility located within a Dark Matter Cloud. At least the BOX was no longer on OASIS 10. Sayo went to go put his PBM back on. He couldn’t tell his Supervisor what was coming. However, he could go through the records to make damn sure his entries were clean when the Inspection Team arrived.
****
ZEUS INTERSTELLAR INDUSTRIES HEADQUARTERS - OLYMPUS PRIME, MOUNT OLYMPUS STATION
Looking out of the massive Aluminum Crystal windows, Jobs Gates CI could see the landscape of OLYMPUS PRIME spread out beneath him. Vast rolling hills of red foliage under the green rays of dawn were a welcome sight as the planet turned its face to the blue stellar giant ZEUS. Too long had he been away from the Gates Ancestral Home. For three hundred years he’d seen to the management of his family’s corporate empire touring the hundreds of systems and thousands of facilities across the Galaxy. At six hundred and forty-nine Earth Standard Years of age, he’d grown tired of the constant travel. Long as he kept his Meditechs on their toes, Gates figured he had at least another three to four hundred good years left in him. Lately though, he was beginning to feel his age.
On the other hand, being back home Gates felt invigorated. The merger between ZEUS INTERSTELLAR, PROMETHEUS GROUP and HEPHESTUS CORP meant he controlled an unbeatable combination of industrial, innovation and manufacturing power none of his competition in the Milky Way could match! It was a damn good feeling too. Even better, the first joint venture involving the Personal Android series Zero Romeo Alpha was underway. Preliminary data was already coming in and the interaction between the prototype and her test companion was quite promising. This was a new day for the Manufactured Being Market and the Zero Romeo Alpha would lead the way.
The graphic announcing an incoming communication flashed in the upper corner of Gates’ PHUD. It was a Priority 01 call on a secure feed. Gates accepted the communication and the gold-winged HERMES MESSENGING GALACTIC logo was displayed. An instant later, a comely woman with golden skin and braided black hair appeared in the viz feed. “What news do you have for me Director Graves?” “Greetings Mr. Jobs Gates the One Hundred First. You honor me by accepting this communication directly.”
Though he personally despised the concept of royalty, Gates long ago gave into the fact his family had a dynasty which has lasted sixty-five thousand years. ZEUS INTERSTELLAR INDUSTRIES reach spanned the known galaxy with colonies and outposts beyond the Spiral Arms extending into the abysmal perimeter of Dark Matter Clouds surrounding it. ZII was so entrenched into the lives of trillions of beings the entity was barely distinguishable from the MILKY WAY GALACTIC AUTHORITY. Having taken on the roles of family Patriarch and Company Owner over three hundred years ago, he commanded more power and resources than anyone could possibly squander even during a lifetime long as his. Gates took a deep breath and played the role of impatient Regent.
“Honored indeed Director. Now, how goes my little ‘experiment’?” “Mr. Gates, the package has been transferred to a Corporate Transport and is enroute to the nearest jump point on a path to TARTARUS FACILITY.” Gates rubbed his fingers across a newly stubbled chin then asked, “Was the package received with the usual security measures?” “Negative Mr. Gates. The package was delivered incognito as directed.” “Do you think they will enable their secure storage measures?” “It is unknown whether they will implement secure protocols sir. The package is unmarked and can easily pass a standard security scan.”
Gates rubbed his chin for a moment and then said, “Interesting. Has the agent made contact yet? This experiment is on a timetable and I expect no delays.” “Of course Mr. Gates, the Agent checked in via physical contact with the package on schedule.” “Good. Very good. What is the Transport’s designation and where is its next jump arrival point?” The Director’s hands moved about the viz feed frame and she replied, “Here sir, I am sending the information.” A moment later, Gates’ PHUD displayed the CLASSIFIED FILE graphic on his secure feed and he commanded, “Three dimensional display point one-two scale.” Before him two three dimensional hard light displays of a Medium Grade Corporate Transport and an Earthlike planet appeared.
Placing a hand beneath the slowly rotating hard light representation of a planet Gates commanded the display. “Planetary designation.” Beside the representation a two dimensional information feed began scrolling and Gates read it aloud, “AIPOTU, Class 3 ‘Super Earth’. Apparently it’s located in the prime ‘Goldilocks Zone’ of the Yellow-orange Dwarf Star Catalog Number 10k2077EIAC. Ah, that’s HESTIA System. Hmmm, the HESTIA Colonization Corp discovered the system over fifty thousand years ago. I believe they were absorbed by ZII twenty three thousand years later. I’m surprised my family didn’t change the system name. AIPOTU is one of the five thousand near earthlike planets and one of the closest matches to Mother Earth itself. It’s quite lovely.”
Switching to his other hand, Gates made a twisting motion and the replica Transport turned showing its designation and catalog number marked upon its outer hull. “EPIMETHEUS Centaur-class Interstellar Transport, DROMEDARY 40203SVL. Nice looking Transport for a corporate contractor. Dromedary... that name sounds familiar.” Gate’s PHUD initiated a search query and then the file appeared in the info feed next to the hard light display. A third representation materialized next to the Transport. “Well, well, well. Isn’t that an interesting variable?” Gates looked upon the slowly rotating hard light representation of the Personal Android series Zero Alpha Romeo Unit 001.
“Mr. Gates, I’ve just been notified PROMETHEUS GROUP security operatives have been alerted to the status of the package.” Gates stood silent looking at the three hard light displays. The potential interference in the experiment by PROMETHEUS GROUP could hamper the desired results... or would it? “Have they deployed a Recovery Team?” “Yes Mr. Gates, they have. However, they are several days behind as they will first have to Transmit to OASIS 10 before they can make the jump to AIPOTU. What are your orders sir?” “Nothing has changed Director. The experiment is still on schedule. In fact, the entrance of PROMETHEUS GROUP operatives may increase the likelihood of the experiment’s success. You and your team have done well so far Director Graves. Keep me informed.” “It will be my honor to do so Mr. Gates.” At the close of the viz feed, the graphic TRANSMISSION TERMINATED appeared on Gates’ PHUD.
Still pondering the three hard light displays Gates said, “Depending on how things transpire, life is about to get a great deal more interesting in the HESTIA System.” An audio alert on his PHUD let him know his latest appointment had arrived and was standing by for his transmission. He gestured and his Personal Assistant came over and saw to his appearance before he made the transmission. When the young woman stood and faced him to straighten his exotic woolen sweater, she smiled and said, “You look good Jobs.” Smiling, Gates replied, “Thank you 002.”
The story continues in November with EPISODE TWO: A Tale of W.O.E.S.
© 2012 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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