Xeno Core

"Mos, take us back to the colony in system Secondus, please," commands Jim Tollek as he sits in the command seat at the heart of the action inside the I. S. Selberclaw.

It didn't take Jim long to understand that I was a person after hearing my story. He still tends to forget that I've lived out a full military career and outranked him by several degrees, but as I'm now technically a fresh recruit I'll forgive him.

"Right away, sir." It takes almost no attention to pilot my new body around. As primitive as these people are in some ways, in many others they are quite advanced. My engines respond as fluidly as ever my tentacles had, and with almost no resistance acceleration is only a matter of energy expenditure.

Uncountably numerous stars surround me on all sides forming patterns replicated deep within securely stored files. It's so it easy to chart a heading when the map reads itself and marks the way upon my very vision.

I had left my home world many times on campaign, but always through gate spells. Getting to travel the vast distance between stars is a completely different aproach. It's almost like swimming in brine so thick it bears your whole weight. Gates are certainly faster, but they're also orders of magnitude more energy intensive, as well as being two ways.

Now let's see, if I want to go above a certain speed I'll need to activate internal dampeners to keep from liquifying the crew. I also activate the energy shields. At the rate we'll be moving a collision with a tiny pebble could convert us all to rapidly expanding clouds of glowing gas and molten slag. Let's see how fast we can go.

"Excellent, Mos. Any trouble integrating with ship's systems?"

"None at all. I would like to report a slight stutter in our particle exhaust trail. Nothing major, but small amounts of waste will add up over time." Reporting to a superior fills me with nostalgia, making me young again in spirit.

"Now that's good initiative. Tulson, get one of your people to check that out, please."

She acknowledges his orders with a crisp nod and begins tapping away at the keys of her console. A look of fierce concentration on her face as she carries out her orders, part of a well-maintained machine. She and all the others on the command deck carry out their own vital tasks, keeping the small world inside me running smoothly.

Even Ship-Father Tollek is busy typing, working on an isolated system he's been using almost exclusively since installing my core. Such tireless effort from a commanding officer is truly inspiring, and his example shows in the diligence of his crew. Every visible surface is so clean that it shines and service logs show that routine maintenance is treated as the important task that it is.

---

I pore over the star charts during the many days of travel. At first I hope to find my home world. Despite the vastness of the galaxy it is a finite space, and with dedication can be searched. The realization that I don't know these people's name for my world comes after the first few days. Truly disappointing, but something that must be accepted for the sake of my sanity.

Praise the cartographers of the Imperium, their work is without equal.

Allowing myself to search each system for traces of my kind is a harmless diversion that will help fill the long days before we reach Secondus. I think I'll start with the place we're currently headed.

Secondus is considered a metropolitan system, with competing merchants guilds peddling wares from worlds spread across the galaxy. Data files also note a large military presence as well as heavy investment into shipbuilding infrastructure.

Of the major bodies, one terrestrial planet and two ocean moons of another world host colonies of the Imperium. We're heading towards the planet, Secondi, per Tollek's orders. No signs of native intelligent species have been found in system, with native lifeforms being restricted to the oceans on all three worlds.

I run a few scans and detect no malfunctioning equipment, nor outdated installations. At least according to the associated files each piece of hardware is tagged by. All stores are also within prescribed limits. The Selberfeld Imperium runs things quite efficiently, even if their officers act entirely too familiar when in the presence of crew. Different cultural values, I suppose.

None of the information available to me about Secondus seems familiar, but it is possible I'll encounter some novel news source once we arrive.

"Mos Denn, we need to talk." A quiet voice calls to me from one of the officer bunk rooms. It's rare to be addressed outside the bridge or one of the other work areas, so I give her my full attention.

"Of course, Tulson Rah. What can I help you with?"

Alone in the dimly lit room, she keeps glancing towards the exit. She gets up from her bed and walks over to close the door before she responds again.

"How far out from Secondus are we, Mos? How much longer until we're in communication range?" I don't even need to check, this is something I've been monitoring closely.

"Within the next ship day we should be close enough that communication lag is no longer a problem, but we've been in contact with the base for six days now. Is there a message you would like to send?" She wouldn't be the first to ask me for such service, Gelly Drop sends a letter to his aunt every evening before he turns in for the night.

The color drains out of her face, leaving her a sickly grayish white. "Then they already know about you. Thank you Mos, I don't need anything else."

"My pleasure, Engineer. Have an enjoyable rest period."

She mutters to herself for some time after dismissing me, but sensors located in her room are always active, as they are elsewhere within the ship. I don't intend to be intrusive, but it can be quite distracting. I didn't realize she knew so many swears.

I return to my search, but it isn't long before a voice from the bridge alerts me to something more immediate.

"Scanners are detecting energy signatures nearby. Readings don't match anything in the local frequencies, Ship-Father," reports the officer my files identify as Second Scout Kali Povrel. "We'll be there shortly if we continue at our current pace." She just transferred to the command deck from another ship, the I.S. Leaping Fire, destroyed in the line of duty.

"Are these energy readings on our projected path, Kali? Anyone with a slide rule could figure out we'd be passing this way."

"The energy field stops just outside our effective firing range, sir," the scout replies quietly. She glances quickly at the command seat, distress evident in her stance.

"Defensive fields are surging! We're being hit," a frantic youngster reports. Second Operative Yosip Peal, his left arm and eye are functional mechanical replacements. Multiple commendations for exemplary service, acquired recently, decorate his file.

"Still detecting no ships, sir," interjects Kali worriedly.

"Not worth it to find out if this is a trap. Send a tight beam to Secondus and get us on a new heading. Which is closer, Honus or Tellia? Take us there, Mos," orders Tollek in a decisive tone. "Kali, let them know there are poachers at these coordinates. Base on Secondi can send in a specialized squadron if they decide it's a priority."

I change our course to head towards Honus as ordered, after saving copies of all sensor input from the previous encounter to study later.

"No sign of pursuit, Ship-Father." Scout Povrel sounds relieved as she delivers the update.

"Excellent work. Back to it, everyone."