“After sixty-five thousand years, one would think someone would make travel in long-term stasis less damnably unpleasant upon revival.” The out loud thought hung weightless and unanswered as Operations Officer Rewar Talvi donned his Combat Grade Personal Body Membrane. In order to get to this station in the actual middle of nowhere, he and his team did a rare direct transfer from PROMETHEUS GROUP Headquarters. In actual EST, the transmission took five hours. In Bubble Time, Talvi and his team spent two hundred and fifty-three years in stasis.
Every five years, his stasis pod partially revived him and provided mental and physical stimulation for four hours. Even in deep stasis, the mind often remained active albeit at a much lower rate. Many have gone into deep stasis and come out quite insane. The importance of gaining positive control over the errant Transport BOX was well worth the risks involved in undergoing Direct Particle Wave Transmission. As the situation stood, the risk taken placed his team ten Earth Standard Hours behind the DROMEDARY instead of ten days.
Talvi scanned the file his PHUD called up for their connecting transportation to the HESTIA System. It was the MWGA FURY-Class Attack Transport, WHIPLASH. The WHIPLASH was originally scheduled to transport the BOX to TARTARUS FACILITY for disposal, but was delayed by unstable conditions caused by a nearby Gamma Ray Burst. Once Particle Wave Transmission was underway, nothing could interfere. However if space-time conditions were unstable at the jump or arrival points, the transmission could be inadvertently blocked or shunted off to a random coordinate far from where intended.
Within a few hours, OO Talvi and his team would be cleared for Transport and embark aboard the WHIPLASH to intercept the DROMEDARY before making its next scheduled jump. Talvi looked at the travel manifest for the Corporate Transport. It was scheduled for a five-day orbit of AIPOTU. “Must be nice. I would kill for a five-day planet drop.” Over his shoulder, Talvi felt the recirculated air current shift but did not move. “Who exactly would you kill to get some planetary downtime Ops’?”
It was his companion and Team Second, Talvi Altea. She sat beside him and leaned her head close to his. “Request Secure Data Link.” Giving a nod Talvi replied, “Granted.” With the Data Link established, Talvi saw both his files and Altea’s as split viz feeds within the field of his PHUD. “Oooh, that’s a nasty looking Transport. Is that our hopper? Please tell me we’re not doing bubble time in that Corporate Clunker.”
Talvi could never get used to Altea’s colloquialisms despite their long association. Though she was a Manu, Altea was Bio-Mech. All her systems were biologically engineered. For practical comparisons she was similar to a Gestated MHG-3.6 female. Her enhancements were set for durability, agility, strength, and intelligence. Talvi purchased her one hundred and fifty-four years ago though he was eligible for procreation.
Unfortunately, he was an MHG-4 the highest modification possible for a gestated human. Mod-4’s being exceptionally rare always performed in military or security positions. Because of their rarity, it would be impossible for him to engage in a permanent procreation contract with a female Mod-4. He had however, given DNA to three compatible females and somewhere out in the Galaxy his offspring were hopefully alive and well. Altea was durable enough to withstand most of his physical exertions and proved to be both a competent compatible companion. The side benefit came from her personality modules which fostered strong loyalty and competence in fulfilling tasking. It did not hurt that Altea was also an excellent sexual partner.
“No on embarking on the ‘clunker’. We will board the WHIPLASH and intercept the DROMEDARY in the HESTIA System.” Altea gave a sigh and said, “Good. After nearly three hundred ESY’s in stasis, I’d rather spend a much shorter time on an Attack Transport! Bubble time on those Corporate Clunkers is like watching the Galaxy spin.”
“Keep in mind we are still on mission. Until we get our assignment secured and delivered to TARTARUS, don’t consider the possibility of going planetside.” Altea gave another sigh and said, “Ops, it’s going to be four ESH before the techs clear us to embark. I haven’t had oral-genital stimulation in two hundred and fifty-three years. You’ve briefed me on the mission. Let’s see if all our systems are functioning at optimal levels.” Talvi did not break the Data Link after closing the mission files. Looking into her expectant almond colored eyes Talvi replied, “I love it when you talk dirty.”
****
The aromas of spiced cooked meat, citrus oils and alcohol based drinks mingled with the sound of raucous music in the Dromedary’s Galley. There were hard light torches lighting plastiform replicas of woven palm frond structures and the bulkheads surrounding the hemispherical space showed the scene of a tropical beach at night. It was truly an amazing sight to see aboard a Corporate Transport.
The large group of beings present was in high spirits as Captain Gital led me onto the catwalk platform overlooking the Galley Deck. At our arrival, XO Basi stood at the platform rail waving for us to come forward. My eyes grew wide as I saw her wearing what was called a ‘one-piece’ bathing suit with large portions of material removed in strategic places. Basi’s muscular physique was well displayed and her two smaller male companions wore skimpy coverings which resembled cloth wraps more than official swimwear. “Come Cahptain, it is time to commence this event!”
I waited behind the Captain as he thanked the passengers, crew and even the Dromedary’s AI for all their efforts in putting this ancient style gathering together. I could not help smiling while watching the Captain give praise to individuals and made no distinction between the Gestated or Manufactured for tasking well done. It seemed strange to go through all this effort for everyone on board to make bubble time pass more smoothly. Suddenly, the Captain made a sweeping gesture of his arms and said, “Now, you all don’t want to hear me go on endlessly. I present the being you really came to see! The one and only... Pandora 001!”
The Galley’s main lighting switched off leaving a single shaft shining upon me! My PHUD automatically engaged filters but I squinted anyway. I stood unsure of what to do as the Galley lay dead quiet except for the sounds of many people respiring below. Captain Gital waved for me to come forward and the light followed as I complied. I stopped just short of the railing and could barely make out the crowd below even with the false torch light. An awkward silence was growing and my companion whispered, “Take off your robe!” I could not fathom why he instructed me to wear it if ultimately I was to take it off. Confusing as it all was, I did as commanded. When the robe softly fell to the deck the Galley erupted in cheers, clapping, and whistling combined with the pounding of extremities on the plastiform tables and chairs.
My image three times larger appeared on all the bulkhead viz feeds over the beach scene. I stood wearing a blood-red and black ‘T’ shaped bikini and my usual plastiform boots. I found it surprising to see how my much larger image made the cheering more enthusiastic. This time my companion drew near enough for his lips to brush my ear as he said, “You are the Transport’s Mascot, smile and wave to them.” I did so reluctantly, but grew more comfortable when the music resumed and a shower of colored material called ‘confetti’ fell down upon us all as the party commenced.
Captain Gital and XO Basi each threw an arm around me and lifted me onto their shoulders while the crowd below began to dance and wave back. “See Pandora? Your fans await!” Laughing XO Basi yelled, “Now Cahptain, we see if I win bet or not!” I remembered the XO saying she and my companion wagered whether a fight would break out over my swimwear. Seeing myself covered in the red and black bikini did please me. More so, because it was the design I decided on before my companion did. The duo then carried me down the ladderwell to the Galley Deck where I was instantly inundated by my Fan Club.
The night was spent eating, dancing, drinking, and swimming to no practical end! To my surprise, such activity happened to be far more stimulating than being awakened on scheduled cycle for physical and mental stimulation during stasis. I participated in a game called ‘arm wrestling’ which was carried out on a floating platform over the pool whereby the loser ended up getting thrown in. I found no one in my Fan Club could best me nor XO Basi who after dunking challenger after challenger, did not seem to take her defeat well.
Of course, there had to be one being I could not best and it irritated me to no end! Each time I faced Captain Gital at a critical moment, he would make the same face as when he ‘tickled’ me mercilessly. I would immediately start laughing and then found myself upended and immersed in salinated water! After three humiliating defeats, everyone started to boo the Captain. Finally upon the fourth attempt, I just pushed him in much to the cheers of the crowd and then jumped in after him.
Hours later, only a few beings were left and the on-coming duty crewmembers began cleaning up. The final song was playing and only me and my companion danced close together as the rhythm matched our heartbeats. I held onto him tightly wrapped in a towel with my head resting upon his chest. The Captain was taller and broader than I realized. Despite his obvious weariness, he held me close and supported my weight. I recognized him for an intelligent, physically fit, attractive and kind human male.
I could not comprehend why no gestated female had chosen him for procreation? I found myself strangely disappointed he could not see me as anything more than a machine. “Come Pandora, the party’s over. I would like to get a few hours sleep before my next duty cycle begins.” I did not want this moment to end, but complied as Captain Gital took my hand and led me to our compartments.
© 2012 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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