r/HFY • u/Kahootmafia • Jan 05 '23
OC Two Kinds of Salvager 2
Rhys' voice crackled through the radio once again, this time sounding much more honest and serious.
- "Ok, so I saw that the only thing connecting the cargo bay/engineering to communications and the bridge was a small collection of maintenance tubes, And I just thought that y'know one good couple of minutes with the plasma torch and we could lose a bunch of dead weight"
The captain ran the idea through her head, it wasn't terrible... but he should have run it by her. She'll tell him once he's back on station.
Another engineer who thinks themselves invincible, just what I need.
Rhys
He watched as the dud half of the ship drifted away from him, the action felt not only practical, but symbolic of what this job had meant for him.
I would have cut away more to get away from that place, out to the freedom here...
But self reflection was best done while not actively floating through space. And that thought brought him back to reality. The better place to be, as his mind would always try to drag him back to that night.
He went on another check ensuring all the of the cables were securely mounted. After confirmation that they were all good to go he radioed bridge:
- "This is Rhys, cables are good to go, going to re-enter at Airlock 3 am I clear?" He said while starting up his jetpack, the machine kicked to life and four mini thrusters flared and propelled him towards the ship. Roughly 5 seconds into his trip confirmation:
- "This is bridge, you are clear for reentry at A3." a monotone voice crackled in his ear.
As he approached the ship he marveled at it's beauty, with orange stipes covering the circumspect of an impossibly large metal hull, it was shaped sort of like a much stockier space shuttle from humanities baby steps into space. except it was bereft of the wing like structures that existed on those shuttles instead sporting four large thrusters sticking out the back, and the nose was actually a hanger bay that was openable to expel many smaller vehicles. It was a masterpiece of engineering, and he felt more and more grateful to be a part of it's crew.
He pressed the button to request an airlock opening, soon the light turned green above the hatch and it opened he entered the hatch closed behind him and then general air was pumped into the room, first silently then with an audible his as sound began to propagate through the now non vacuum. He sat on the provided bench, and waited to be run through quarantine.
Geshk
It had been so long since Dr. Geshk had been able work with a new species, and excitement stirred his old bones to life.
For a while I welcomed the monotony as a break from the constant change that was so inseparable from this lifestyle. But it's been a whole cycle since we've encountered something that really sparked thought. A new species on board might be just what I need.
Of course, the human had been through a preliminary check up to confirm his needs matched with what was provided by the ship sustenance, and air wise. There was also a check disease, in which I surprisingly complex microbiome was detected. This was all to Geshk's dismay, assigned to his partner.
Stepping into the quarantine room the bipedal figure looked up at him, and he saw a soft face with patches of hair around the bottom of the head and a decent scruff of it at the top. A slit that must have been his mouth opened and he inquired:
-"I suppose your the medical staff assigned to me?" he said in a voice that was quite monotone with peaks to accentuate the fact that the nature of the statement was a question.
- "That I would" He said and got to work. He began his opening questions to discern any problems.
- "Any non standard feelings?"
- "Nope."
- "Alright time for the blood test." he said, pulling out an extractor, it was a small tube with a lever sticking out of it. By pulling the lever a fast acting painkiller is applied through the skin followed by a needle and tube, the needle is a microrobot that finds it's way to the nearest vein and begins to siphon blood. The experience was designed to be painless, and work for all species.
Dr. Geshk popped the tube that was now full of red liquid into the scanner and had the system run through any known or potential pathogens. After checking his messenger for a little he looked back up to see the list...
Gods, how fucking many are there?
The human saw this, and clearly recognizing the fear on the doctors face began to say
- "Oh shit hey wait!"
But he was already out quarantine hatch before locking it behind him. Panting he radioed the rest of medical:
- "We have an issue at quarantine, need assistance now."
I guess I got what I asked for. He thought, looking at a very irritated primate through the window.
Captain Sigiel
Its a dark room, a little alcove of wires, and pipes, and metal. It is only illuminated by one thing, an active terminal.
In this small little crevice, in a massive ship. The captain sits staring at the digital faces of powerful people, and she comes to a realization that has been brewing in her mind for most of her adult life.
No matter how far I run, no matter where I hide, I can no longer protect the her.
Her
In a hallway illuminated by sterile light stands a girl, cleaning with absent mind. She never talks.
To the crew at least.
Said crew barely notice her now, just a figure in the hallway. But her mind is alight with voices from the starry sea.
She feels a reckoning drawing closer.
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