Chapter 6
First blind jump took them to Lilith’s word. Three days later, they blind jumped into “The
Missing Pillars of Creation.” Two consecutive jumps took them to a relatively new solar system. Three days later, they jumped into the system itself, near enough a gas giant that they could map and categorize its moons, and note the existence of any other planets if detected. Leaving a beacon was not the same as leaving a Sentinel. This territory was unclaimed. One of the moons had an icy surface, but an interior of liquid water. It fit the parameters for delivering the Moa eggs, would dissolve through the ice and give life a starting chance in the oceans below. They simply placed the egg in the nose of the ship, retreated to behind the airlock, and the ship spit it out. Given the speed of the ship, and push of air as the nose evacuated the atmosphere, the Moa egg buried itself neatly in the ice; the crater filled with water and froze flat.
The most interesting thing they observed was that the atmosphere of the gas giant was comprised of enough helium and oxygen that it was virtually all sky. It was like a jewel, multiple cloud layers, even a layer of water vapor and rain, complete with rainbows. Once, while they were watching, all the clouds had cleared away and they had a straight view to the golden, molten core, rotating like iron shavings in a magnetic storm. A central point of white hot with bands and arms of liquid gold and orange expanding, breaking, and collapsing back. They would not have been able to look into the heart of the gas planet with human eyes. A pillar of liquid ejected upwards, and sparked the formation of clouds that once again concealed the heart.
“I have never lived, till today,” Lilith said.
“This is amazing,” Loxy agreed.
“There are more planets and arrangements of planets than anyone dared imagine,” Jon said. “We are so unimaginative. How could we have ever thought our solar system was the only kind of system?”
“I would so love to walk on these moons,” Lilith said.
“Me, too,” Jon said.
“We should look into getting spacesuits,” Loxy said.
“I would sure like to know why we don’t have one,” Jon said.
“They don’t want to encourage pilots leaving their ships,” Loxy speculated.
They recorded their findings. They witnessed though their ship’s eyes. They played. Jon ate. He was the only one who did, and he was literally eating for two. Lilith didn’t consume food, though interestingly, her taste receptor were more abundant and more refined than human. She could discern the health of her host animal through taste alone, and could make recommendations to diet. She made many recommendations to Jon. He needed less salt, more meats and vegetable, and she wanted to return home and pick preferred fruits and vegetables for him. She would drink fluids, mostly water. She could drink salt water, and filter out the salt. She did produce waste.
On the third day, they silently sat looking at the gas giant, hoping to see its heart one more time before leaving. They were aware they would likely never be back here. In three months, these coordinates would fall off their ‘good jump coordinates’ list, and it would be loss to them, unless they bought them back from the company. The company would likely have sold the place to another corporation, who would set up a colony and or a sentinel, claiming the system for the Republic. This system had enough nearby stars, that it was likely to sale at premium price, with a colony ship moving in no sooner than the coordinates were bought.
“Alright,” Jon said. “Indigo station?” “Yep,” Loxy said.
“Okay,” Lilith said.
Jon pushed it. Two minutes, twelve seconds later, they emerged into Indigo Space. The station was hardly a speck of light to the naked eye, easily lost amongst the stars. The formation behind the station was a nebula, mostly indigo in color, and a reason for the station’s name, was the most prominent feature in the area. There were streaks of red and dark purple in the interstellar clouds that comprised the nebula. It also had a resonance frequency. It hummed. There were religious orders that came to Indigo station to experience the hum. People volunteered to be placed in powerless capsules, nothing but life support, and shot through a portion of the nebula, and picked up when they emerged. Jon’s first impulse was to say people are crazy, regardless of species.
“BSI 426972, this is Indigo Station,” came a pleasant voice. “Welcome back, traveler.” “Um, thank you,” Jon said. “I guess. I am not sure how this next part works. Do I just transmit the data I collected?”
Another channel came live. A female voice came online. “Please, don’t do that. Just follow STC, and they will guide you into the station, I will meet you there.” “And who are you?” Jon asked.
“I am Hali, your handler,” Hali said. “You don’t remember meeting me?” “Hold on,” Jon said. “Can you talk to Space Traffic Control while I talk to Hali.”
“You have to pilot the ship,” Loxy said.
“Is Hali cute?” Lilith asked.
“What?” Jon asked. He heard another ship speaking to STC. He heard another voice in the background confirming Hali was cute, but wasn’t sure if it was in his head, a voice that responding to a memory of her he couldn’t access, or from a radio source. “Okay, whoa, too much chatter. Hali, I guess I will talk to you soon. STC. This is BSI 426972, please advise.”
“Locked onto transponder 772, and accelerate to 200KPS,” STC advised. “Thank you.
Maintain that vector, please.”
“Thank you, STC. Do you have a name?” Jon asked.
“Don’t flirt with STC,” Loxy said.
“I am not flirting,” Jon said. “Maybe a little,” Lilith said.
“You know the dangers of being aroused by just a voice,” Loxy said.
“I know, but she sounds hot…” Jon said.
“You realize, your broadcasting everything?” STC asked. “Seriously?” Jon asked. “Oh, Loxy, don’t hold that button…” “Do you have a passenger?” Hali asked.
“You’re still on?” Jon asked.
“Affirmative,” Hali said.
“Hi, Hali!” Lilith asked. “I am Lilith?”
“Jon, hitchhikers are not allowed on BSI ships,” Hali said.
“Well, then, good thing she’s not a hitchhiker,” Jon said.
“She doesn’t even have a towel,” Loxy said.
Jon laughed. And then bit his tongue. “No one else is going to get that.” “Could we diminish the chatter, please?” STC asked.
“So, STC, do you look as awesome as you sound?” Jon asked.
“How is that not flirting?” Loxy asked.
“If you didn’t get enough, we could increase the frequency,” Lilith said.
“Can I just appreciate the sound of a female voice,” Jon asked.
“No, you’re an auditory person and you escalate,” Loxy said. “That, and you never know, she could be hideous. Like a radio star.”
“You’re still broadcasting everything,” STC announced.
“I am so sorry!” Loxy said. “I did not mean that to be disparaging. I am sure you’re absolutely gorgeous. In your own way. Are you compatible with humans?”
“Jon, you don’t get to pick up hitchhikers. You’re a clone. You work for us,” Hali said.
“So, I have like no rights to who travels with me?” Jon asked.
“If you would like to designate the name of your ship, you can do that,” STC said. “Just by returning, you have earned a name, pilot.”
“Oh, she seems nice,” Lilith said. “Does it really matter what she looks like?”
“No,” Loxy said. “But it would be nice if she doesn’t eat humans.”
“I am not being nice. That is something Jon is entitled to,” STC said. “And I don’t eat humans.”
“But I can’t have guests on my own ship?” Jon asked.
“Not your ship. Not your body,” Hali said.
“Houston, we’re about to have a serious problem,” Jon said.
“You’re still broadcasting everything,” STC informed.
“Anyone out there listening want to buy the coordinates to brand spanking new solar system, unclaimed, untouched, and pristine as the day it was delivered from the pillar of creation with like 10 other stars within spitting distance, so to speak?” “You can’t do that,” Hali said.
“Transmit those pictures there, Loxy,” Jon said.
Loxy started transmitting data. A list of bidders started sending in texts.
“Jon, you are violating BSI code of ethics!” Hali said.
“You have code of ethics? Is kidnapping and making illegal clones ethical?” Jon asked.
“Stop broadcasting on every channel,” Hali said.
“Kidnapping and making clones against a persons will is against the law,” STC confirmed.
“Jon agreed to the contract and the cloning,” Hali said. “No entities were harmed in the procuring of the sample.”
“I don’t remember volunteering,” Jon said. “Do you?” “I do not,” Loxy said.
“I don’t have an opinion in this dispute, but I must warn you, I will be bias in favor of Jon, and not just because he saved my life,” Lilith said. “Or that he is particularly good lover.” “Um, Lilith, why did you say that?” Jon asked Lilith.
“I want the females to know there will be a fight if they try and take you from me,” Lilith said.
“Saying that could actually increase the competition for me,” Jon said.
“That is a risk,” Lilith said.
“Wait wait wait,” Loxy said. She pointed to the screen’s top bidder. “Is two hundred
trillion credits a lot?”
“Actually,” STC said.
“Don’t you dare!” Hali said.
“Oh, so, clones do have rights?” Jon asked.
“The laws regarding clones are a bit ambiguous,” STC said. “Depends a lot on the quality of the clone. Quite a few of them need legal guardians.”
“Hali? Do I sound like I need a legal guardian?” Jon asked.
“That’s not for me to decide,” Hali said.
“So, you’re not my legal guardian?” Jon asked.
“I am you’re agency’s handler,” Hali said.
“You do like being handled,” Loxy said.
“He does,” Lilith agreed.
“You two are just hilarious,” Jon said.
“Well, we have an audience,” Loxy said.
“Why are we still broadcasting everything?” Hali asked.
“Because we’re negotiating,” Jon said.
“There is no negotiating,” Hali said. “You agreed to a contract and I will hold you to the letter of that agreement.”
“Letters can be binding,” Lilith said.
“I want to renegotiate,” Jon said.
“Maybe we should actually know what our contract says before we start renegotiating,” Loxy said.
“This isn’t going to happen,” Hali said.
“So, I should just read this live coordinate out loud,” Jon said, and read the first digit in the sequence.
“Biocorp is willing to renegotiate your contract,” Hali informed him.
“Oh, thank you. I want to meet with you, and a neutral arbitrator, a representative of the party offering two hundred trillion credits, a lawyer versed in clone law, and the STC girl as a witness, and just a moment,” Jon said. “Loxy, who else should we ask for?” “I don’t know,” Loxy said.
“Are there any clones of Alizée?” Jon asked.
“Who is Alizée?” Lilith asked.
“A Jon crush,” Loxy said.
“He has a lot of crushes,” Lilith said.
“OMG, you don’t even know yet,” Loxy said.
“It’s more than a crush. And if they’re cloning her, I am going to rescue her,” Jon said.
“Why would they clone her?” Loxy asked.
“Why would anyone clone me?” Jon asked.
“Excellent point,” Loxy said.
“Oh! If we can still add people to the meeting, I would like to speak to the guy in charge of produce,” Lilith said. “You need better food stores.”
“Okay, and the food guy,” Jon said. “And the clothes guy. I need to update my wardrobe.
And a spacesuit guy would be nice.”
“Why are you still broadcasting everything?” Hali said. Jon frowned trying to puzzle through it.
“That feature must have gotten damaged when I crashed,” Jon said.
“Oh,” Loxy said.
“You don’t suppose?” Lilith asked.
“What have you done?” Hali asked.
“Oh, we may have been broadcasting porn out into the universe,” Jon said. “But, no one probably heard it.”
“The Kelindy Sentinel probably received some,” Loxy said.
“Oh, yeah, but audio only, right?” Jon said.
“We’re seeing everything your AI sees,” STC said.
“You mean Loxy? Oh, that’s interesting,” Jon said. “Wait wait wait. So, we broadcasted our coordinate screen?”
“Coordinates are not decipherable without the aid of the pilot and AI simultaneously,”
STC said. “This lowers the likelihood of pirates hijacking ships and killing the pilots.” “Oh, well that makes sense,” Jon said. “And explains Hali’s willing to renegotiate my terms.”
“Likely. We should probably change the subject now,” Loxy said.
“How about that name?” STC asked.
“Solarchariot?” Jon asked.
“Taken,” STC said.
“Solarchariot1?” Jon asked.
“Taken,” STC said.
“Seriously? Fine. The Enterprise,” Jon said.
“Taken.”
“Enterprise A, B, C or D?” Jon said.
“All taken.”
“Path Finder?” Jon asked.
“Taken.”
“Path Finder as one word or two words or one hyphenated word?” Jon asked.
“All taken.”
“OMG, are all the good names taken? Flying Enterprise,” Jon asked.
“Taken”
“And, you don’t want to name us after the boat that sunk,” Loxy said. “That’s bad luck.” “The Milano,” Jon said.
“Taken.”
“OMG,” Jon said. “I guess I want be calling myself Star-Lord, either.”
“Do you want me to call you Star-Lord?” Lilith asked.
“No,” Loxy said, shaking her head at Lilith. “Don’t encourage him.” “Firefly?” Jon asked.
“Taken,”
“OMG, why is this so hard,” Jon said. “Baccarin?”
“Not taken,”
“That’s a mouth full,” Loxy said.
“Umm,” Jon said.
“Don’t go there,” Loxy said.
“But you set it up,” Jon said.
“How about the Tomei?” Loxy asked.
“Staite?” Jon asked.
“How about we steer away from your TV crushes,” Loxy said. “Oumuamua?”
“Because that’s not a mouthful,” Jon said.
“Not the kind of mouth full you want,” Loxy said.
“How about Onuka?” Lilith asked.
“Onuka?” Jon and Loxy asked.
“Onuka is the feminine of Onuk. You found me at Onuk Bay. Onuk translate first place, a place of disembarking. Onuka also means first place, but is a place of arrival,” Lilith offered.
“Given our individual contexts, this defines all of us very well.”
Jon and Loxy looked at each other. Jon closed his eyes and asked the ship. The ship responded with a pleasant sound that rumbled like purring through the fuselage body.
“Onuka it is,” Jon said. “Please tell me Onuka is available.”
“It is. Please confirm this is you decision, as name changes are expensive,”
“This is our choice,” Loxy assured her.
“BSI-Onuka, welcome home,” STC said. “Please continue on your present trajectory.
Handing you off to ITC for final approach. Good day, Star-Lord.”
“Um, no, that’s not his name,” Loxy said.
“Do you think she heard you?” Lilith asked.
“I think everyone is hearing us,” Jon said.
“We have about twenty more minutes till arrival,” Jon said. “Shall we play?”
“Maybe we should wait till we fix that transmitter,” Lilith asked.
“I could close my eyes,” Loxy said.
“Pfff,” Jon said. “Their off buttons work, right? Anyone who doesn’t want to watch can change the channel.”
“Okay,” Lilith and Loxy agreed.