Xeno Core

Bella and her Tserri partner, Lowun, struggled to haul the heavy beam into the deep hole in the frozen stone. Two more crewmen wait with vacuum welders to secure the thick girder. This will be the last of the four corner pillars, thick plating already joining together to create a corner centered on the opposite beam.

Once it's in place she slaps Lowun on his red armored shoulder and pumps her other arm up and down. He slaps her back in acknowledgment and they both head to work on the smaller roofing beams.

The enclosed pit is nearly two hundred ubits across and half as deep. Not large enough to hold the Resurgent, but easily able to swallow my entire crew. Landing pads are being flattened nearby by other armored figures, with varying numbers of arms.

Nothing is being put to waste. Nets full of ore bearing rock are tethered to one side awaiting processing. Crewmembers and officers both process stones into piles and reinforce them to form hollow chambers. A constant stream of workers flows between the workface and the supply dump.

At the supply dump Tulson works tirelessly converting the excavated rubble into usable materiel. Wires and circuitry, small components usable in many devices, as well as ingots of raw metal to await future need. The crew is keeping the area quite tidy, despite all the industry. Materials not needed for construction, such as excess gold and carbon crystals not suited to industrial use, are loaded aboard the Resurgent.

Although not exactly what Tollek had asked for, the pair of large devices work as promised. One machine breaks down anything fed into it into separate materials and feeds them to the second machine. When sufficient amounts of material not needed for any current construction orders are accrued, ingots are extruded from a separate opening. Several volatiles are also produced and vented into tanks which Tulson produces as needed. Methane, nitrogen, ammonia, and potable water number among those being stacked neatly by type.

The abundance of available resources is in fact the source of the name Kalibern. According to the legend, which I eventually locate in my files, the hero had needed to collect many powerful treasures. One from each of the great clans of the Selber home world. These had been melted down by smiths under the guidance of the Bestera sisters and used to craft the legendary sword.

Just like the myth, the physical Kalibern had been born through the collisions of several different meteoroids and comets. Nickel, iron, silicates and clay, water ice and carbon compounds among others compose this massive rock. All of the standard types are represented, as well as stranger compounds formed during the repeated impacts.

I watch through the cameras of their armored vacuum suits as we complete our journey back. Bestera Minor is dragging along behind, towed by thousands of ubits of high tensile strength cording. Jim Tollek sits in the war room, watching a display of the same footage.

"Those cameras were an excellent idea, Mos," Jim says with a broad smile. "I didn't like the idea at first, I'll admit it, but this is handy." He reaches down to his comms and selects Bella's channel to issue orders. "Wonderful work on the entrance. We should be naked eye visible to you now, and we've got the ice ball. You ready to stow it, Bella?"

Her camera's field of view sways and centers on a slowly growing point of light. "Yep, I see you. We can take it, but we're not ready to melt it just yet. That'll be next shift's problem."

"Mos Denn, put us at matching velocities with the new base, please," requests Jim as he switches to Terla Parc's comm channel. "Terla, have you made any progress yet?"

"Yes sir, we've made contact. The promised delivery should arrive within two local days. Patron Wendrus is very excited about the schematics and wishes to negotiate for exclusive rights to manufacture the new vacuum armor."

"Just as I expected of you, Terla. Give him anything up to the mark three versions," Jim happily replies to the scientist. A fourth version is currently being designed, with numerous refinements and a noticeable reduction in weight.

Terla is with the diplomatic team Marta's leading, as an engineering consultant. According to their traditions, Marta is not permitted to communicate with her commanding officer during negotiations. They place great value upon letting individuals make their own decisions, trusting that they will act for the good of those they represent.

Not actually onboard the massive cargo carrier that arrived in system, Patron Wendrus is negotiating through an authorized surrogate. The vessel, Niala's Cabin, while technically here on routine trade business, was authorized to trade with other interested parties.

Couldn't have come sooner, as Tulson has been struggling to keep up with the demands of an entire construction crew.

---

The two days of construction culminates in the installation of an industrial airlock leading from the landing zone to the enclosed entrance building. Much work has been done to make it habitable, though the inside is still far from finished.

Eventually docking platforms will extend far from the roof, but the simple flattened area is enough for the deluxe model shuttle now parked there.

The pilot is accompanied by a single officer, Supply-Master Dunc Willon. The shuttle is loaded down with crates of components necessary for the base's continued construction. They also bring luxury goods unavailable on Honus.

Bella and Lowun carry the supply crates inside. As they walk, Bella chatters over her suit comms to her partner about her favorite trivee program. The dark furred Tserri doesn't understand any more than I do what the appeal of talking animals fighting reanimated corpses could be, but Bella is adamant that the plot is very compelling.

"You'll love Capey and the gang," she exclaims, unable to contain her excitement. "The second season is the best one, the dialogue gets to you, you know?"

"But why," questions Lowun, "do the different animals live together? Is that normal on your worlds?" His words are translated by his suit, his actual voice muffled and an audio output of the Selber language plays with only a minimal lag. Teah and Terla are still working out a few translation errors, but it functions more than adequately.

"Cause they learn from each other, important stuff like friendship and fair pricing."

"By throwing fire at dead things?"

"Do you want to watch the show or not?"

The four enter the airlock and activate the pressurization cycle. Once atmosphere has been restored the two newcomers remove their flimsy suits, complete with clear bubble helmets. They hang them in lockers mounted next to the door inside. Nozzles extend on flexible tubes above the lockers, ready to refill oxygen tanks as needed.

The light inside is uneven, a result of shortages, with large dim areas separating islands of light. Tulson meets the group inside, a bright smile upon her face.

"Greetings, welcome to the installation. We haven't yet completed the kitchen, but warm beverages are available if you're interested," she offers politely.

They both accept and steaming mugs are brought to them by an eager young crewmember. The Supply-Master inspects Tulson's black and yellow armor while drinking, walking around her as though inspecting a prize racing beast.

"Good stuff, not too sweet," he says as he walks. "You say the Tserri built the prototype? Preposterous, just ridiculous. They're good fighters, great reflexes, yes. But most of them are as bright as any good soldier." He notices the furred figures, heavily armed and in full armor paused around him and belatedly adds, "Myself included."

The tension eases slightly and everyone gets back to work. The obese Supply-Master laughs self-consciously before continuing his inspection.

"Yes, sir," answers Tulson as she hands him a data tablet. "Engineer Teah was also responsible for many of the mark two upgrades. I can introduce you after the Resurgent returns from patrol."

"That's a polite way of saying he's letting the fresh recruits learn how to fly that heap around, I take it?"

I'm not sure I like this person very much. His pilot thinks it's funny, though, and guffaws loudly.

"Don't mind Dunc, he's just jealous. That hauler of his can't push half the speed your bucket can," she says with a grin.

"If you'll follow me further in, I can show you where the command center is being built," Tulson says to our two guests as she turns and walks down a winding ramp. Willon and his pilot follow quickly.

"Mos Denn, can you hear me? We're going to need you to power up the central computer for us," she tells me over direct line from her suit.

"Yes, Engineer Rah, she's already humming."

Unfortunately, I mean that literally. The computer they've hooked up is cobbled together from damaged or outdated components. Mostly it makes noise and has a large central display that I can control remotely.

Before they reach the room, I display the proposed schematics for the finished base on the main screen. Tulson walks in and stands next to the panel.

Benches line the walls of the octagonal chamber. Several smaller screens are suspended from the center and the main display is against the opposite wall from the main entrance. A ladder against the wall on the right side provides access between floors, or will when construction is completed.

"The ladder will lead up to the war room and down to the Patron's suite," Tulson helpfully explains while they look around. "We really appreciate the composite drills, you know. Without them this wouldn't be possible." She smiles at the corpulent officer innocently.

"My son, I don't expect him to be put in charge, but I'd like to have him assigned here. As well as his bodyguard. You can put them both on security or something, right?"

"You'll have to talk to the Ship-Father about that," deflects Tulson. "But let me show you what we've been working on here."