Chương 18

There was something so integral, something so human, about the awe I felt when I took the step onto an asteroid that no human had ever visited before. A place nothing human had ever reached.

"One small step." I repeated the famous line as I landed softly on the dusty rock.

"Ah? But it was a big step Captain! You went. Wooooo, all the way from the ship!" I blinked at the comments of my shoulder Crabbit doing my best not to break into giggles at her innocent comment.

"It's a line from a famous astronaut. The first man to ever set foot on a moon." I told her as I looked over my shoulder as she hovered there. She brought up her claw to just under her eye screen and tapped herself a few times like tapping at her lip.

"I still don't think it makes sense? It was a big step."

"You're a cutie." I told her and she wiggled a bit at my words.

"Whaa! Oh you think so?" She asked both arms up to her 'face' and wiggled around in space.

"Yes. I made you that way after all." I said and poked her view screen which had her rolling backwards a few times before she regained her gravity.

"Hehe!"

"Alright, let's start mining. It's going to take forever to refine all of this." I added looking over at the rocks. This was the asteroid with the sensor dampener meta material. The material I really wanted to add to my ships engine room to hopefully hide more of the Light Diamond Drives sensor profile. I could get away pretending I had a medium drive. Maybe I could eventually reveal I had a heavy once I was off doing some jobs and earning enough Creds I could feasibly pretend.

But if I was going to finish the Phantom Star I needed the larger drive, and I needed a way to hide it. I'd even sat down in the engine room, and basically communed with the song trying to find the best way to hide the Diamond Drive, but unless I wanted to spend a long time trying to make another new crazy component that could maybe cause some serious sensor disruptions. I should just focus on the normal stuff.

I just didn't think turning off the sensors of an entire system all at once was a good idea to even contemplate making. There was acceptable tech, and tech that would have everyone set out to kill or kidnap me. Like the Diamond Drive itself. So I was out here on an asteroid with some mining equipment…

Well it was mostly a few drills and the Crabbit, and I was going to try and gather up some of the meta material, and then make the forging facilities I needed to manufacture some dampener plates made out of it for my engine room. I sighed, which was an interesting feeling when you were just standing around on an asteroid. But that's all I was doing, standing around. I started walking the short way to the damn magic space rocks. Time to get to work. —--- Work, repairs, and upgrades all continued.

The forging of sensor dampening panels made out of the meta material had turned into a massive task, until I just decided to make the Nanopaste do it. Sure it probably wasn't a good idea to make sensor protected nanopaste, but needs must. Yet the return of the Baron was what caused me to look out the viewport of the Phantom Star's bridge as I watched the Octavius fly in. I had already received a message from him before he even docked that he would like my presence for a meeting.

"This is so annoying."

"What is? Is it red?" I blinked at the question as I looked at the Crabbit hovering around me.

"No it's not red. Just annoying. The Baron wants me to work for him. He won't leave me alone."

"Hmm? Is that bad?" The simple question stopped me because, honestly it probably wouldn't be. The Baron had shown obvious intentions to try and tempt me with the carrot at every turn. He wasn't… Evil or something like I would have expected. Just a normal man.

"It's just not what I want." I decide and the Crabbit takes that information in for a moment as it floats around before she finally comes to her own conclusion.

"If Kat doesn't want to, Kat shouldn't do it!" She decided and I smirked. Childish logic at its core, but tempting all the same. I watched as the Octavius docked and turned away from the view out into space, towards the future I wanted. Back to the reality of the situation of now. A bit of work, which was fine. The Phantom Star wasn't ready just yet, so I'd do this to buy more time. That's all I needed to do, just get some more time. —--"Captain! A delight to see you again!

You have no idea how much I looked forward to this!" Engineer Eugene greeted me effusively as I was escorted, not into an expensive meeting room like I had expected, but instead a more familiar engineering bay. I couldn't help but look around. The engine room of the Octavius was just large enough that it felt like some massive ship room, rather than the cramped little hole my own was. More like walking into an engine room on the Enterprise, or something than what I was used to. It was… Cool.

"I got the message, and I can guess what it's about?" I offered and Eugene went serious, waving away at the soldiers that had led me here, which they promptly left.

"Indeed! Come, I have everything you requested already prepared and the tools, and since the Octavius is docked, all the computing power you might need. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I said as I followed him to a little side of the engine room, a workbench was set up with two chairs. Eugene had planned ahead. I settled in, noticing it was a much larger chair meant for soldiers so it actually fit me, as I looked over the parts he had laid out. It was basically a similar looking copy of the SDA I had made, a warp controller stacked on top of another like a ringed pyramid.

I quickly pulled it apart, and started looking over it, the song in my ear guided me, as I explored the internals, even noticing a bad connection between the controllers, and quickly grabbed a soldering iron and redoing the node. Once that was done, I nodded.

"It should work."

"Indeed." Eugene mentioned with a tone of voice as if he was thinking hard.

"I'm glad the hardware is acceptable, but it's the code that truly represents the difficulty."

"I know. I'll need the data on the Iris Drive, and dimensions of the ship." I said, and pulled out my Tab, grabbing the copy of the data that let the Phantoms SDA work, I took a deep breath and settled in to alter the code to work on a new ship. It took even longer than I would have liked with Eugene's constant poking and prodding about what I was doing, but he would have to repair the thing if it ever went bad, so I didn't take it personally. —--"Alright! Check the strut integrity! No messing around!"

I called out, as I watched from inside the Phantom Star as the second wing of the ship was brought up to the connection and integration began. Luckily with all theCrabbit working together, they could bring it up perfectly in line with the place it was meant to attach onto the ship, but that still meant that I had to make sure the connection was perfect. I didn't want my ship ripping itself apart because it was off by a micrometer.

"Gloop gloop!" The Crabbit in charge of layering the Nanopaste onto the strut nearest me chattered out as it sprayed the two connecting struts. First the struts, to connect it, then further internal connections like walls, and flooring binding, and then outer connectors like hull and armor. I closed my eyes, everything sounded right, but mistakes could still be made so I had to keep a close eye on all of this. Regardless of what today is. No I wasn't ignoring my comm as it kept beeping at me. I was busy!

"Done done!"

"Let me check!" I called out and pushed off, careful not to touch the strut, instead slowing myself on the floating Crabbit so I could peer in.

"Give me a scan?"

"Beep boop!" And my tab chirped.

"Really where are you lot learning this stuff?" I asked half laughing as I pulled out my tab. Inside were the sensor scans of the strut. It looked… Good.

"Give me scans of every strut! No issues are allowed!" I called out and heard a few muffled comments through the holes in the walls. Only once I was sure the struts were all on straight and the Nanopaste was binding the struts together did I step from the Phantom Star into the section that was being added. I had of course been in the wings before, but this was… They were actually part of the ship. The wings weren't extremely large, but it added enough space for four quarters on each side. Two up, and two down.

The hallway I was in connected to the second floor right into the mess room. So everything was centralized through that room. I walked down, and took the stairs to the lower level, which was much more compact, and then towards where the lower strut would be located. It actually ran through the roof of the front lower quarter, although that wouldn't be noticeable to anyone inside.

I slipped into the empty room, and looked at the seam that ran half way through the room and the strut that was already being connected with Nanopaste.

"Everything good?" I asked, and the Crabbit turned and waved an arm at me. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Everything is green!" It chirped happily and I just nodded.

"Green is good right?"

"Green is good!" She confirmed and I nodded. Good.

"Then… Good job on keeping it green." I told her and she gasped and giggled happily.

"Oh, Captain!" It waved at me, embarrassed. I walked out and relaxed. This addition was so tense, I had been… Irritable all week. My Tab beeped again and I quickly pretended I didn't hear it, and continued to check the connections. We were nearly there. This was the last of the big additions. When I was done here, I'd move the current Diamond Drive into the secondary power slot I had been working on, and install the Light Diamond Drive into the main power slot.

The sensor baffling meta material would come down and support the Diamond Drive and should muffle a lot of the sensor profile. The Phantom Star would be sneaky even with such a big drive. At least for the most part. It was only a Tier 1 material I had used after all. The Phantom Star would finally be moving as she should. All four engines were connected, all the tests had come back positive, or 'green!' as the Crabbits would cry out.

The Plasma thrusters were installed and hooked up, and with this once everything was sealed up the wings would be connected. It felt… Great. To finally have her together. Not done of course. Maybe never done. I grinned at the idea of ever really thinking the Phantom Star was done, but at least I could say it was put together.

"Alert alert! Intruder alert!"

"What?" I jerked at the warning my Crabbit on my shoulder gave me.

"Just throw them out then! What'd they do, space walk?" I was out at the ship hangar not docked to the station.

"Can't! Can't! Red! Red!" I frowned. Can't throw out an intruder? What?

"Where?"

"Starboard Airlock! Warning warning! Red!" I hurried away climbing back up the stairs, to the mess room, which had emergency force fields set up to keep the atmosphere in despite the Phantom Star currently cut into three. Then headed across the ship to the airlock hallway and then I slowed when I recognized who it was. The Crabbit surrounding him were all hiding their faces behind their hands as he glared down at them. Yeah. That made sense then. Definitely Red.

"Hi Dad."

"Katherine!" Uh oh. Full name. Dad stomped past the weakly resisting Crabbit trying to stop him and failing as he headed straight for me. I winced and looked away as he glared up into my face.

"Why are you hiding away on your ship during your birthday?" He demanded and I winced.

"I was attaching the wings! I had to be here." I made excuses not daring to meet his eyes.

"That could have been put off and you know it." I continued to look away. This week I'd been very irritated. Mostly because everyone had been looking forward to my birthday. I wasn't, not really. I was eighteen now.

"I'm busy." I whined and Dad didn't even shift from his look. The Dad look of disappointment, followed by the look of, and do you think I buy this? Too powerful!

"Everyone is expecting me to do something crazy because I'm a captain. I'm not flying the Phantom Star to the station. I'm still securing the wings."

"Then don't. C'mon your mother had a whole thing planned. And she's going to start crying soon if you don't show."

"Uuuu. Do I have to?" I whined but by saying it I had already given up.

"No, but you should." He said and I huffed and took a second. Pulling off my gloves I ran a hand through my hair, it was messy as I had purposefully ran away to hide in the ship to avoid people today.

"I'm eighteen." I told him and he nodded his lips pursed a little as he knew what I was getting at. I was in a weird place. On one hand, I still took resources from the station, but I wasn't really providing much. I was only barely ever working with Aunt Sheila, and it had been noticed. Most kids my age had already picked a profession and were working on it. Like Marie. I was different, because I was a captain, I wasn't working for the station, but for myself, yet I was still around.

It wasn't bad, but I still wanted to contribute while I was here, but it had taken a lot longer than I had hoped to get the Wings completed. And that's without the weapon systems still.

"Kat, you've already done a lot for the station, and no one cares you aren't working a job. You're finishing your ship."

"I care." I grumbled, and Dad just smiled at me and opened his arms for a hug, as if that would make everything better… It did make me feel better.

"I just want to finish the Phantom Star. I'm almost there."

"You can finish it tomorrow. C'mon." He demanded and pulled me along and I sighed and nodded. The airlock had a shuttle connected in, and he slipped inside, and I felt myself smirk a little as this was one of my favorite things. I slipped in and took a seat behind him in the small jump chair. Not the most comfortable, but…

I felt the airlock close and Dad started flying, and I was a little girl again wanting to fly through space because it was space, and I had never gotten a chance to go into a spaceship in my last life. And then Dad pushed the shuttle to its limits and I laughed as the little shuttle went flying through space towards the station.

"The idea to make the Phantom Star. You know it's your fault right?" I offered and he just laughed long and loud at my words. We docked and as I was pulled out of the shuttle I was attacked by Mom.

"Katherine!"

"I already spoke to her." Dad said and to my relief swept Mom up and away. Then… Then it was time to face the music. I followed as we reached the elevator and Mom was glaring at me for being messy no doubt, but I pointedly ignored her as the elevator took us up to the Hab level. And it opened to a party. It wasn't entirely for my birthday, but celebrations were one of the few stress reliefs the crew of the station really got. Instantly I felt myself want to laugh.

Uncle Tom had gotten drunk again as he was only so sure of his musical talents when he was drunk. He had no talent. But it was a familiar sound and I walked out into the celebration.

"There she is!" A voice called out and plenty of people cheered at the sight of me. I flushed and just rubbed the back of my head as I did my best to look away while giving a little wave. This was so embarrassing. —--"So when are you leaving?" Aunt Sheila asked me cornering me later on during the party. I was mostly hiding at the food tables enjoying a meal when she sat down and asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Don't give me that look. I saw you putting the wings on her while I was out working before the party."

"I still have a lot of work to do." I tried, but she blew me off.

"Once you secure that addition and if the ship is capable of flying… Unless you went over on the Iris Drive you got… What is it, a Heavy Drive you picked off those pirates in secret? I get not sharing it, but-""I have no idea what you are talking about." I argued and Sheila sent me a look, but just smirked.

"I'm sure you don't. So when are you leaving?"

"I…" It was the simple truth that I could leave pretty soon. I probably should. I was an adult, in both worlds I lived in. I should start making my path. That doesn't mean I don't feel uncomfortable about the future. About going out on my own into space. But… I was a child of Star Trek, and Star Wars. Of that hope to travel the stars…

"I'll leave soon. I'm going to find my first job." I decided and Aunt Sheila started smiling.

"Good." She finally said after a moment.

"You shouldn't waste away here Kat. Go explore the galaxy, that's what you always wanted right?"

"Something like that… I just have so much more work to do!"

"Then do it on the go. You have a massive hold, and your crazy little drones."

"It's easier when I'm docked."

"But still doable, so do it. I look forward to hearing all the tall tales you'll share when you come to visit." I felt myself smile at that as that sounded fun.

"Me too." —-- Internet in the distant super future was pretty much exactly like the internet of the past. 99% things you don't want to know, and 1% actually useful, but only if you knew how to get to it, or if you were willing to pay. Luckily, the Transport Guild was pretty easy to find, unfortunately it required a yearly payment to join. All to access the best place to find safe transportation jobs in the sector.

I'm not sure if the guild was galaxy wide, or if each sector had their own, but it was still something I needed. So I paid the Cred to get a guild transport license. That was it. The license was digital, and there was no test, or practice exam. Just a handover of my personal data, so if I ever ran off with a shipment without explanation, I'd be labeled a pirate. Not something I wanted of course. I had a ship, and I could transport goods, so I was considered good enough.

I guess the Guild expected that I would have already been trained or was competent enough to get a ship so there was no testing required. Probably not the wisest thoughts, but it was good for me. Then, I had access to a network of requests, and quickly started searching. Thankfully UNK-L was the only real civilization in the sector, so it had been outfitted with a network node. A Subspace relay that lets the station connect to the internet freely. The Phantom Star didn't have one… Yet.

So I could only search requests while at UNK-L or while close enough to connect to another relay point.

"Any luck?" Marie asked me, and I sort of shrugged. We were in the office area mostly so I could use Marie as a double check for any job I took. I had actually been learning under her when I could about money and deals for the station. Mostly looking over her shoulder as she made them, so I could find what was good or bad.

"There's a large transport request, sixteen days, from Constance to Stark Point." I explained and Marie's brow wrinkled as she settled in to look over the Tab.

"Constance I know. Agricultural Hub. Lots of Manipulated Protein is shipped from there." She explained.

"And Stark Point?"

"Never heard of it." I nodded and checked the Net, searching for the planet, and only got a bare bones response on the Kenish Duchy government site.

"Stark Point is a brand new Frontier world. Only one Generation." I said, realizing what the dates on the planet listing meant.

"Oh. Rough and tumble then." Marie added and I nodded. A brand new world. Maybe the terraforming wouldn't even be completed yet. It was far out on the Sector edge. Sixteen days was a long trip for goods. It made sense why no one had taken the job yet. I looked it over, and couldn't help but wince. The job had been up for almost eight months. That's a long time to be without supplies.

"I think I'm going to do it."

"You sure? The pay isn't great." Marie added looking it over, and yeah, the Creds weren't the best, especially for such a long travel period.

"Yeah, but I still want to. It'll give me time to work in subspace, and on top of that, it's nice and easy. No one is going to pirate around a world this young, well not unless it has some super resource or something."

"True, doesn't look like there is anything out there to bother with, but you never know." I hummed mostly because I wasn't that worried about pirates. Even without all my weapons. The Phantom Star would be a lethal threat, especially since she now had all of her engines. I had only gone out once with the new engines attached to give them a test run and the difference had been amazing.

"Well when are you going to accept? It'll be a few days to reach Constance." The Phantom Star was complete. The wings were fully attached, and all the layers had finished. I could comfortably walk through my entire ship without forcefields, to keep the atmosphere in. I hit the button on the Tab and sent a confirmation, I was taking the job as well as an extra two days for a buffer period on my arrival.

"Soon." I decided and Marie blinked at my sudden choice.

"Sudden, but you probably needed the push. I'm gonna miss having you around Kat." She said and suddenly I was smothered in a hug.

"Stay safe okay Little Kat?"

"I will, Big Sis Marie." I added my own cutesy addition. And then she squeezed tighter and I heard a sniffle above my head. It was a bit awkward to be sitting as she hugged me, but I don't think she would let me stand up. I would miss my family, I realized. —--"So soon!?" Mom gasped. I had gone 'home' for dinner which was something I still did often enough, and around the dinner table I told my parents what I had planned.

"I already confirmed it. They'll be expecting me in a few days. It'll be a good first job." I offered and Mom was looking like she wanted to respond but was speechless.

"Kat. Congratulations. But it'll still be your second job." Dad said with a smirk and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"That so doesn't count!" I joked back and he shook his head.

"I'm afraid it does." He counted calmly, but his straight face was cracking.

"You both! What am I going to do with you! Don't joke around! Kat is leaving. I expected to have more time." She said and looked at me, and I just flushed a little.

"I'll come back."

"But you'll be off galavanting around like you are now! I never managed to make you into a proper lady!" She whined, and I felt my mouth drop and then I jerked up.

"You're messing with me!"

"I am." She said with a smile that made me release a noise in my throat in outrage.

"The heavens know that I tried to get you cleaned up, but I've given up on changing my little engineer." She said and I felt my face heat up.

"Mean." I commented, but I didn't mean it.

"Just be careful Kat. You don't know how dangerous it is out there. I lived on an industrial world, but there were dangers there, you've never had to face. Not even when you went to Elinai."

"I know." I said, but realizing that was rather silly to say I added.

"I know that I don't know, I mean. I'll be careful. I'll have the Crabbit, and maybe I'll find some people that I'll take on as crew! I could always use a good pilot, or someone with some trade background. Marie tried to help me, but I'm still not great."

"Be careful about who you welcome on your ship." Dad said instantly, and very seriously.

"You have your Drones, but those aren't a guarantee, and if someone is on your ship they might learn enough to figure out how to take over. Be careful."

"I will. I promise."

"I'll hold you to it, and more importantly. I think it's time." Dad said, looking at Mom, and she hesitated, looking like she didn't want to, but eventually nodded.

"Wait here dear." She said, pointing at me, and rose. Then headed into their bedroom. I heard a little shuffling and then she came out, holding a small tub. Pretty normal sort of plastic transport tub. Meant to keep the insides safe in case of decompression. She set it on the table and popped it open, and then with a deep breath she reached in and pulled out…

"Is that a blaster?" I gasped out, surprised.

"It was mine, back when I lived on Franks Hollow." Mom said and then placed the blaster onto the table in front of me.

"It's still functional. Don't expect much from it, it's just a bit of protection I used to need. But… I wanted you to have it when you left." A blaster was an energy weapon. Not a laser, as that was a bit different. It shot off bolts of contained plasma. A mix between an old slugthrower, like back on earth, and laser weapons. Not as accurate as a laser, but bolts had their own advantages in a fight.

"I didn't know you had a blaster." I finally said because it was the only thing in my mind. My Mom had always been a socialite. Not a fighter.

"There's a lot about my life before you were born I never told you about." She finally said.

"That is all behind me. Take that, and protect yourself." I reached out, and handled the blaster carefully. Old, a bit worn, and it was mostly plastic. If I was being entirely honest it was kind of ugly. The sort of blaster you'd expect to be bought cheaply, for someone absolutely in need of it. But it was functional, and more importantly, I could always work on it a bit.

"Thanks Mom."