Spaceport - 1st Ch of Obsidian Arrows

We have jumped almost one thousand, seven hundred and fifteen years into our future.

Chapter 1

Obsidian Arrows

Spaceport

Year of our Lord Creatos 1536

High above the New African facility, in a fixed orbit, is the quiver. Its real name is classified. It is the space port in which the Obsidian Arrows are built and the last place many of these humans will be seen alive. The port itself in not large. It only accommodates sixteen births. The Dormitory sections are split into three so that a catastrophic event could not wipe out all the investment put into these crew members. The Administrative offices and classroom run the length of the facility and are compartmentalized as well. It takes a few sevenths to get use to where things are, but once that’s done the confining feelings start to set in. As space stations go, this one is very small. There are no hydroponics or open spaces with the exception of an empty dock. That’s done on purpose because the crews on these ships need to be tested both mentally and physically. If selected, a crew member will spend over a decade on board the small vessels they are building. So, on this little piece of humanity floating in a vast

vacuum, they build their little ships that will be their home, lifeline and shelter from whatever the galaxy throws at them. 

The crew of the Zheng-He is one short right now as Tarinnish has failed his third mental eval. He is having trouble with the idea of becoming intimate with any of the other crew members and that has made him a loner. He wants to go on a mission and is capable of completing his tasks, but he does not want to allow anyone in. He finds strength in being on his own and that people slowly drain him. It was the prospect of leaving all of the worlds behind that drew him to this mission in the first place. But now even that is in jeopardy. His last hope was to connect with Captain Trent of the Hōkūle‘a. It was a new type of exploration vessel. It was designed for a quarter of the crew makeup of other missions and that would give him an opportunity to go solo once they got to the other side. But none of these missions have been assigned yet and he is running out of time. His 60th birth cycle was approaching, and he needed to go now or not at all. 

The crew complement of the Hōkūle‘a was only four. Two men and two women. It would cut the cost of the program in half, without diminishing returns. It would take longer as the crew would need three additional cycles to finish the system surveys and still be able to do geological and mineralogical studies of the system’s planetary bodies. The ship itself was nearly half the size of the Nimitz class explorer, but still had the capacity to carry a full-size gate. 

The biggest problem was, the Hōkūle‘a has a full crew complement. But rumor had it that one of the male members was not comfortable in being on such a small ship. Meaning he didn’t like anyone enough to spend the next ten to fifteen cycles with or near them. This would be his chance. He would see if he could wriggle his way into the slot that someone was already filling. Or maybe be and extra, just in case. Either way it was his only shot, so he got up and left the dorm. He crossed the orbital station and looked for the birth with the Hōkūle‘a. It was all the way to the end; Birth 12A. That was not a good sign in and of itself. For the birth’s real number should be 13. It’s amazing. We have expanded into this section of the Galaxy and in a few millennia, humans would have explored almost 25% of Our Galaxy and we still believe in superstition. No number 13s here. To Tarinnish it didn’t matter if it was 13 or 666. He needed a mission and the smaller the better.

As Tarinnish made his way out to the birth.  He noticed that the gravity started getting lighter. He suspected that the g-plates were out of adjustment, but you could still maneuver okay. Tarinnish slowed his pace so he didn’t over shoot the corner. Weight may have been reduced, but so did friction and your ability to change directions. As he rounded the corner he saw three humans and four AIs moving creates closer to the ship. The ship itself did not look like a space faring vehicle. It barely had a keel and most of the outer shell was missing. This ship wasn’t leave space dock any time soon.

A large piece of the upper keel had been assembled and was suspended by a crane arm over the ship. Tarinnish saw a human on the ship near the front. He was preparing the brackets that would accept the forward part of the upper keel. It would be held in place by six bolts and welds. It would also be the mounting points for the forward shield generator. It took close to an hour before the operation was complete. Tarinnish waited in the shadows so as to sum up each member of the crew. There was a tall black-haired woman with a sharp nose. Her skin was dark, and she was well muscular. She was wearing black, skin tight pants and a matching tank top. It might have even been a one piece. Her tool belt was loose about her waste and She was obviously in charge of organizing materials that would be placed aboard the vessel. She had a headband on and the view screen was on her left eye. She would look at a create and then with her eyes, scan the manifest and identify its contents. At which point she would inform the B-L-six whether to take it to the assembly area or to put it in the staging area where it would be placed aboard the ship. She also gave orders to the AIs as they removed materials from the crates and assembled parts to be hoisted to the ship. Her voice was deep and loud, but still feminine. 

The second female was short and stocky. Her face was round and had a yellowish tint. Her eyes were almond shaped and brown, very brown. She moved about the staging area looking at crates as if looking for a specific one. Then she found it. She told the AI to open it and started removing the contents. She never took her eyes off the crate and what it held. It was her task to assemble whatever was in this box and get it ready for the ship. Tarinnish was stuck by this short woman. She was different. She talked to the B-L-six in clicks and chirps. She was speaking the machine’s language not humans. It responded quickly and precisely to her every command. Tarinnish knew the code as well, but most times his verbal skills did not transmit what his brain was trying to tell the units. Most humans just didn’t bother learning their binary code clicks and just spoke to them. When he did speak to the AI’s in their code the machines response times were faster, and they just acted different. Like they appreciated the effort, even if it wasn’t perfect. 

Tarinnish continued to watch the activity until he noticed that the other male member of the crew was upset about something. He started yelling at the two B-L units that he was working with. “No!” He took and instrument. “You are applying too much torch.” The unit chirped a response. The male crewmen shouted back. “I don’t give a good god damn what the manual says. That’s too tight and we will be stranded on the other side of the galaxy where there are no damn manuals!” He turned to his work then added, “Get the hell out of here. I don’t want to see you back on my ship.”

The B-L unit chirped and then started to walk away. The Tall lady in black intercepted it and told it to stay. They would need help with loading and sorting out the next shipment of parts for the ship. She used more respect with the unit, and it complied. She shot a look to the male on the ship. He was watching, busy at his task, but watching. Tarinnish was hard pressed to figure out who was the captain. Was it the tall woman or the man on the ship? Surely it wasn’t the short-tempered man. 

Just then a B-L unit came around the corner. It was burdened with two large crates. Tarnish sent out a series of clicks and chirps. The B-L unit slowed to a stop and looked at him. It said in a slow deliberate and very mechanical voice, “Captain Trent is aboard the Hōkūle‘a. His first officer Merisa Clarish is on the loading dock assembling the forward shield emitters. She is the one that speaks fluent B-L code.” There was an emphasis on the “fluent” that was unmistakable. These units may not have a humanoid appearance, but they still posed a degree of human personality. “Excuse me sir. I need to finish my delivery and get back to the materials handling bay. We are very tight on our schedule today.” Which was shorthand for “You humans get downtime, but the machines do not. 

Armed with this information, he looked at this crew in a new light. The captain was devoted to getting his ship built. Tall, dark and organized was low on the totem pole. And little brown eyes was second in command. That made angry man the one to kick off the ship. Interesting. Now all he had to figure out was, who was sleeping with who. That right there, was the most important question of all. If any of these crewmen were actually in a relationship with the other, that could be a deal breaker for him. He just hoped that the two women were not sharing their beds together. That would kill the deal or maybe not. If the other male did not have these proclivities, then he could be alone. Very alone. 

Tarinnish’s answer came quickly. Angry man walked up to the tall dark woman and said something in her ear and started to walk away. Without looking behind her, she reached out and grabbed the man by the butt cheek and gave it a squeeze. He barely responded, but a smile did cross his lips. They had a certain intimacy together. Not that it was serious, he was still angry and that could be for so many reasons. Maybe she was too aggressive, and he wanted to be with the first officer. Maybe he just didn’t like the captain. So, many ifs. Either way, Angry Man walked over to a tool cabinet and selected another tool and returned via a different route that did not bring him too close to Tall and Dark. There was tension here.

After another thirty minutes of observation Tall and Dark had had enough. She turned and addressed Tarinnish, “Are you going to come out of the dark or sulk around a few more hours?”

Tarinnish thought about being a smartass but thought a direct approach would better suit this situation. Angry wasn’t happy on this ship and maybe he just needed a little push in the right direction and boom. His opening would be made. He stood up straight and walked out into the light. All four members of the crew stopped what they were doing to look at him. He walked up to Tall and Dark and then walk right passed. He approached the shorter woman. “I’m Lieutenant Tarinnish of the Zheng.”

The shorter woman didn’t let Tarnish finish, “We know who you are. The real question is, why are you here?” All of the softness Tarinnish had observed in this woman had evaporated. 

Tarinnish new his direct approach was going to fail. He wasn’t going to beg, and he certainly wasn’t going to call out anyone on the crew, so he went the passive aggressive route, “I’m hoping that you would consider taking along another human and leave behind one of the AIs.”

Tall and Dark scoffed.

The first officer shot her a look that said, “Stay out of this.” Tall and Dark got the message and returned to her duties.

Tarinnish looked at Angry Man. He had already returned to his work. And the captain, who was out of earshot, just watched what his first officer was doing. 

“So, you got kicked off your ship and you want a place on ours.” She wasn’t pulling her punches.

“No.” Tarinnish wanted... No needed to be on this ship. He gathered his thoughts. This was not how he wanted to do this. “I need to be on a smaller ship.” He finally said.

“Need?” asked the first officer. “Explain.”

“I’m a loner. I’m good at my job, but other than that.” He paused to make sure that he said it right. “I’m from the Aborhar Five. And I just need to be alone.” 

He looked down and then up at the Captain and spoke very loud, “I’m very good at my job. I would be much better than an AI and I play a mean hand of carnage.”

The first officer spoke to Tarinnish, “You know we have to hot cot on this ship.”

Tarinnish did not understand and his face said so.

“When one person gets out of bed, you will be getting back in it.” She paused, “You don’t get any privacy on this ship.”

Tarnish thought about that for a second then said, “When you get to the other side, we would separate to do the surveys. That would mean that the scout ships have their own arrangements.” He looked at the other two on the dock, “Right?”

The first officer conceded, “Yes. However, they cannot be inhabited during the four and a-half alunar to our departure point and once on the other side it will be at least another two alunars before we separate. That’s almost half a cycle on this little ship… Together.” The short woman glanced up at the ship. “The scout’s main drives are integrated into this ship’s drives. They are too close to the main reactor and you would be dead before the mission started.”

Damn, Tarinnish had missed that detail.

 Seven alunars with five people crammed on a ship meant for four. He’d be in the way and it would be intensely intimate. But then he would be alone. During the surveys he would have an entire scout ship to himself. That would be worth it. 

Then from behind him, Tall and Dark said, “I like the idea of having a choice of sleeping partners.”

 

End of Chapter 1

Go to Chapter 2

If you have enjoyed the final chapter and want to start at the beginning of this book, click the link below. This is an unedited book of the Remnant Series. Book 4

Beginning of Obsidian Arrows

Book 3 is call Graham Heights and starts here: "We Gotta Go"  

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Book 1 is available in paperback or kindle The Grey Abyss

R.A. Legg

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