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Book 1 of Weapons of War
Chapter 5[]
Smallcraft
Niops Star System
Periphery
14th August, 2767
Helena's perspective
Personal log.
Piloting a shuttle versus a Warship is a bit different but thankfully the controls are close enough it was a relatively simple matter to get to grips with the smaller craft.
I can't stop feeling guilty about what I did to Vicky. I try and console myself with the cold logic that as an AI it'd be like being in a dreamless sleep and that in automatic low power mode she can sit out there in space undisturbed for as long as her drones and spare parts last. Which even with the reduced cargo bays of a M5 pattern is still enough that she'll likely outlive me.
So who knows. Maybe someday someone will turn her back on.
As I'm making my way to Niops I find myself feeling anxious about that too.
Dad let me have some cosmetic surgery and use an assumed name so I could have a reasonably normal college education. As far as everyone knew I was just Tracy Smith. Daughter of some media mogul. Fortunately that gave me a way to explain my plain clothes security detail too.
But once that was done? Back to being Helena Cameron. Though he let me keep the new nose. I really liked how that came out.
<<"Shuttle Cargo-779 this is Niops control. Follow vector 007 mark 001 for final approach. You are cleared for pad 7.">>
"Confirmed. Setting vector 007 mark 001. Approaching pad 7." I felt a little more nervous now.
Fortunately there was no adverse weather for me to worry about on Niops VII this day but I still had not flown in atmosphere before.
The autopilot would be good enough to get me most of the way at least.
So I settle back and trust it.
The oranges, yellows, and reds of re-entry put on quite a spectacular show.
The rest was quite dull in comparison. Still I was glad to see sky again. Even if it wasn't the sky of Terra.
Also welcome was the feel of real gravity. Sure the burn in and de-acceleration had given me plenty of time to adjust there was something about feeling the tug of real gravity coming from a direction that wasn't the engines that I found welcome.
It was finally time.
I had read the manual as many times as I could. With the help of the autopilot it wasn't that rough of a landing but I'm pretty sure I left skid marks.
The umbilical bridge extended and connected to the shuttle.
Powering down I made my way to it.
When the hatch opened and I came into the airway I was both reassured and saddened by what I saw waiting for me.
Robert was there, but so were people from security.
I was no fool. I knew they would have questions about how I managed to get out there by myself. Hell they probably already figured out my shuttle had a transponder spoofed to cover up it's real identity as a Royal Blackwatch Regiment shuttle.
"Tracy." Robert said after a moment.
"Robert." I could feel tears forming in my eyes and was doing what I could to fight them back.
"We need to talk." Robert gestured toward the main building.
"I've put you in a terrible spot haven't I, Robert?" Niops gravity was taking some getting used to as I had to adjust my stride.
"Let's just say you've got a lot of explaining to do." Robert answered gruffly.
I couldn't think of anything else to say before they started asking their questions.
The two guards behind me were whispering about something. But I couldn't make out what and I knew it'd be a bad idea to try and remedy that.
But with nothing else to talk about the silence between me and Robert made for an awkwardness that I did not care for.
Mercifully the security office finally brought the awkwardness to an end but I knew a different discomfort would be coming soon.
The guards went into the observation room as I and Robert sat.
"Well Tracy. Quite an interesting situation we have here isn't it? You show up out of the blue with no prior warning and without coming in on our normal supply ships. The timing of it is quite curious too." Robert said after he sat down.
"About that..." I found I didn't even know where to start but I was interrupted.
One of the guards had come in and was holding a portable noteputer.
He tried to hide it, but I saw enough to know what was on the screen.
Me in my dress for the most recent Winter Gala.
Thrice damned tabloid reporters!
I had hoped I would have at least had the chance to come clean myself.
"Well that's certainly interesting." Robert slid the noteputer onto the table.
"I loved that dress. I hope it's still in my closet at home." Stupid messed up hormone output from my head trauma was making me more worried about that dress than myself.
"So Tracy Smith is really Helena Cameron. Well, that certainly explains a lot." Robert scowled.
"Honestly I'm surprised the tabloid reporters didn't spoil that sooner." I finally gathered myself.
"Well, aside from your nose you've changed quite a bit from college. At first I wasn't sure you were even actually Tracy Smith. Seems I was both right and wrong." Robert's scowl grew deeper.
"In my defense I just wanted less baggage than what attending as Helena Cameron would bring with it.", I tried to smile.
It was not effective.
"Please you can't tell anyone I'm here." I plead after a moment of silence.
"You don't have to worry about that too much. Even if it leaked and someone believed it we're so remote no one would likely act on it for years." Robert finally relaxed his face and sighed.
"Thank you." I felt relieved.
It was still less than ideal but I couldn't realistically expect anything better than my current situation.
"Now we need to talk about how you got here." Robert leaned forward.
"Vicky's going to be furious with me." I look at the table.
"Vicky?" Robert raised an eyebrow.
"My ride. SLS-1107034-C E. But I wasn't going to keep calling here that. So I decided to call her Victoria." I sighed.
"A CASPAR? SERIOUSLY?" Robert's shock was understandable.
"Don't worry. She taught me how to run her navigation station so I was able to keep her from going insane.", I winced.
"Uggghhhh...." Robert facepalmed.
I couldn't blame him.