Deliberation

Erickson left the room. it was hard for McAllister to read the fellow but he had more fish to fry.

the now weary duke rubbed temple and said, "so crewmen explain yourself again"

the unhappy advisor pipped up, " yes do that. lord knows we would not have forgotten such a large calculation."

"well no sirs" David spoke up " it was in the rushed nature of the thing, you see being that it wasn't interned to be the original braking it went into the updater module for the re-calculations, then we were rushed again and the updating packages, updated on a half an hour basis just wasn't set into motion to complete what needed to be done."

the officer who liked Erickson then spoke up "so you thought impersonating a higher officer would be the best way?"

"well sir time was of the essence and troops are trained not to second guess orders sir."

the duke then responded "Therese another thing, were did you get kernel Bettinger's authorization codes?"

"well sir if you read my file then you would know that I served underneath him for two years. I heard him use it in dire situations before."

the Duke turned to David and asked in moderate frustration, "well boy what do you think we should do?"

McAllister reflected for a moment, then an idea hit him "feed the me to the ship, and most of the crew."

silence went threw out the chamber, the silence unsettling, the unpleasant general spoke up first, "what!?!"

"some thing that Erickson said and we can do it too, if we dehydrate most of the crew use the energy to regenerate the organic hyper drive dancing pods to get to the habitable planet in sector C and finish prepares there with plenty of food and water."

the general that liked Erickson, "and how did you know about that planet?"

"its on your desks along with my record" looking down, the report papers did mention it.

the duke grabbed his mug of sparkling cider and drank. "your suggestion has been noted, for now your confined to your quarters,guards take him away."

after David had left the room, the duke turned to his science officer "yes sir it can be done rather easily converting the safety pods to do that sir and the dancing hyper drive-

the duke "yes I know was developed after we reverse engineered hyper drives for the first time. an organic alternative, but can we build one in time?"

"you see sir, right now the all redundant organic systems are just little buds-" the duke looking impatient. "yes sir easily, especially if all non-essential personnel were used as nectar battery's."

"do it." switching over to his main counsellors, "now tell me everything about this David McAllister and get Erickson. We need a team to go on the planet to make sure its safe."

the science officer "preferably people who are fully hydrated"

Erickson

I stood over the body of the techie who had given me the order to dump the cargo. He was still unconscious and most the rest of the crew was still recovering from being in the pods. My suit had protected me from most of the gravitational forces, they'd already begun experimenting on it again. He began to wake up and I walked to the exit of the room and looked back at him.

"Smart move, you saved the ship," I told him. "But you also caused us to shoot several thousand light years of course with low supplies. You'll be lucky if they don't merge you with the ship." What I said was a reference to effectively killing him and letting the ship absorb his body. "I'm sure I'll see you again, techie."

I wandered off to check the next group of pods and make sure they were being released, boring job but someone had to do it. I had made it through the next three pod stations when I received a call on my private channel.

"Major Erickson," I answered the call as my helmet came up.

"Major," It was the duke. "Come up to the conference room. There's a matter I would like to talk to you about."

"I'm on my way sir." I finished looking at this room and pods and then reported the rooms I'd checked and informed one of the others that he'd need to cover the rest as the duke had requested my presence.

I stepped into the room and that techie was in the room. I smirked and asked, "So are you trying to decide what to do with him for impersonating a superior officer?"

The techie was in the room along with a few security guards and a few colonels. The duke did not look as amused as I did.

"You were at the briefing Erickson," He said. "You know what not being able to reply and tell them we're alive means."

"Correct sir," I answered. "It means we are assumed dead and they will assume that form of space travel is ineffective. Especially when they could send a probe through and detect the debris caused by the ejected equipment."

"This techie is the one that caused us to have this problem in the first place and he should be punished," One of the colonels commented.

"With all due respect sir, you were all safely in your little pods and didn't see what was going on out here. The ship was being torn apart, if he hadn't told me that I needed to eject the cargo because we had too much mass we would have been torn apart as we came out the other side of the black hole, not to mention what would have happened when you genius' turned on the brakes. You nearly killed the girl." I said in reference to the ship. "If it wasn't for the actions of David McAllister we would all be dead right now, you can debate it if you wish but check the damage reports if you still can I think that system blew out too."

A different colonel, the one who liked me, smirked and nodded, "He's right and we all know it."

"Now if that's all you wanted sir I'd like to go back and keep checking on survivors, if we aren't getting any backup we need to keep everyone alive that we can." I added. He waved for me to leave and I left and continued checking all the different rooms.

Miscalculation or reborn to wrecking-ball

"15 minuets till point of no return, everyone please get to safety positions" the ship mind spouted, and David was just setting the last few things to work "I hope that you algorithms were calculated correctly."
the organic computer, often referred to as the the ship mind great almost amounts or abouts just not all out exacts.

"come on McAllister we got ten minuets! hurry up."

right-right McAllister stammered as he was grabbing the last of his tools when something new popped up on the viewer. and blinked "Space brake directive, hyper space revers jump ready" his eyes when wide.
"Oh, crap I told them not to do it."
"McAllister?"
"I've got to see the Duke."
"Therese no time get into your pod."
"that's just the thing the pods are suicide" McAllister began to rush down the hallway "I've got to stop it!" David yelled in explanation.

the speakers over head "5 minuets till black whole jump, entering gravitational field"
"no,no,no-no-no!" he began to pace but then was slammed against the gelatinous wall, braking two ribs and possibly a concussion. but David had bigger fish to fry.

on the bridge---
gravitational pull intensified 10 fold sir.
the duke smiled in his highly strapped chair, " on the view screen in two minuets I want to do my speech."
yes sir.
deflectors holding sir gravitational compression on all decks breaches on 14, 25 and 17, shield on stand by, and troops safe in there pods, they report." the lieutenant paused then continued "a little sea sick sir." all the senior officers smirked.

"jump into Turbo Space in 3-2-" the rift opened in a brilliant gold an yellow tore in front of there ship the edges of the singularity like a blender of blue light and slurped up the cybernetic ship easily do to the gravitational forces.

in the rift space rippled like it would in a lake distortions were everywhere and at points people weren't quite sure who they were. but the sound of explosions were rampant.

the Duke began his speech, nodding toward his chief engineer to fix what ever was going on. "crew of the reborn, we are embarking on the greatest ship of our time-

back on the lower decks---

McAllister trying to save the ship from the inevitable splat that would occur from going into normal hyperspace(much slower then turbo space) in reverse while still in the singularity of turbo space.

in a dispirit attempt, David slapped his hand on the closest consul, it turned out to be the intercom and McAllester did the only thing he could do. he lied. "troops in section 24-B this is kernel Bettinger(a real Kernel) code 4512 the water supply tanks along with the nectar battery's have been contaminated with a retro virus and are probably rigged to detonate any secant now that we've jumped dimensions."

the major confused on the receiving end "what sir!?"

"eject that cargo Now!-Or we don't even have a chance! open the hatch doors with your helmet if you have to."

David winced in pain as not being protected in a pod he was being crushed into the wall. his superior officer unable to do anything as he looked on from his pod.

McAllister muttered to himself. "why did they they change the braking system last minuet." becoming delusional do to the radiation and stress McAllisters last word of consciousness were

"were to heavy..." he slowly closed his eyes do to his weakness. looking at the crest of the reborn he was lying on, he could only think "I wish I could do something more" it was a picture of a Phoenix.
his blood soon leaked from the back of his skull the blood smeared across angelic picture (do to the gravity). "we've got to loose the weight."

One Part Soldier Plus One Part Celebrity Plus One Part Human Equals?

There I was lying on the beach of a planet much different than my home, but this was like my second home now. My skin breathed with relief, the first time in several years I had not been wearing the bio suit that had changed my life when they had discovered my adeptness and it's binding with me so willingly and seamlessly, unlike most soldiers who the suit had to be coaxed into binding with.

This planet was the home world of a powerful species and I'd been here for nearly four years working on a peace agreement. I'd gotten several cease fires and with each one I'd been shipped home and given a celebration in my honor. My people treated my like a hero, perhaps I was one, but right now I wish I didn't have that worry hanging on my shoulders. The cease fires I'd been authorized to arrange had only been three months each and so every three months they sent me back and in between I was at war.

Fighting and killing for your countries liberties was one thing, being ordered to attack people who could barely defend themselves was something else entirely.

A hand on my shoulder brought me out of my reverie. I glanced over at her and smiled slightly. They were a slightly empathic race and she could feel my trouble. Her hand was cool to the touch, but that was a species trait. Their body temperature could change from sub zero, on human scales, to boiling for water and they'd still be mostly comfortable. The average temperature was about eighty degrees when they were in a good mood. If they got angry it rose quickly, they could control is somewhat on their own and keep it low or raise it higher if they tried.

The one sitting next to me was the princess of this people, she and I had hit it off rather well. That's the reason I was spending my vacation here instead of on my planet. With the exception of being the only human and dating the princess, I was just another person here. I was a respected individual because, unlike most of the rest of my species, I didn't feel we were completely superior to everyone else, and they knew it.

"Major Erickson?" I heard the question from behind me and knew I was being recalled from my leave early, three weeks early.

"What is it?" I replied.

The princess leaned close and whispered in my ear, "You don't have to go. You are welcome to stay with us as long as you live."

I smiled at her again as the human said, "Major Erickson, by order of Duke Riley Mason you are hereby recalled from your present assignment and being ordered to attend the Reborn on a special mission."

"How long is this one going to take?" I stood up and turned back to the sergeant. "Wait, the Reborn?" I scowled and the sergeant shrank back.

*A few hours later aboard the Reborn*

I burst into the meeting the duke was having with some of the officers. He chuckled, "Good to have you aboard major."

"The feeling is not mutual I assure you," I had donned my armor but my membrane helmet was down. "How did you get the council to approve my being on this mission. This is completely insane, the people need me here, in this galaxy."

"That's no way to talk to the duke," One of the colonels said to me.

"Then court marshal me and send me to prison," I mocked. "Oh that's right you would but I'm too valuable. You would have years ago if I wasn't so useful. I'm still surprised they haven't sent me on any suicide missions before this one. Just like you sent the rest of my brothers."

"Shut up Erickson," I heard from behind me and turned around. "You're on this mission because we need you if this succeeds and it will. We sent a drone through and it disappeared before it was torn to shreds by the gravitational forces."

"Sir," I saluted him and he returned it. "I need..." He cut me off.

"What you need major is to learn to respect your superior officers," He began pacing around me. "I've heard you developed an attitude problem since your rehabilitation and with the knowledge of what happened to your brothers. You also seem to recall who it was that pulled you out of there."

"We should never have gone in there sir," I argued.

"We had intel that suggested a weakness in the enemy defenses at that point and it was wrong," He informed me. "If you'd have bothered going to the debriefing they would have told you all that. Instead you have spent seven years of your life hating the military you serve."

"I apologize for my actions sir but I stand to correct you on one thing," I looked him in the eye. "I have never served the military. I've done things I will never be able to face in the mirror but I never did it for you or for him or even for the ruling military council. I did it for our people."

He slapped me on the shoulder, "Then you learned at great cost what most of us are still searching for. A way to live with your deeds."

He turned to the duke, "Sorry for interrupting and being late sir." He sat down and I sat beside him, "Please continue."

"As I was just saying we have the O- with us because the next generation of them are almost ready to begin active service and while Major Erickson is skilled, experienced, loved and feared by us and our enemies we need an O- on this mission and we don't want to wait a year for them to be ready for this mission..."

The meeting continued and I spent most of the rest of the day thinking about what the colonel had told me in the meeting and then found the information myself and silently cried to myself. Time to start acting like the man I was supposed to be.

another day as an Engineer

Aw the fleshy space station was all a bustle. another day as an Engineer. the Space dock was a little sniffly too do to all the traffic, but it couldn't be helped in just 43 hours man was going to do its next big jump in exploration. Black hole travel.

McAllister sighed inwardly, it had been a long time since humanity had done anything of the sort. his people had been fighting the monsters of this galaxy for over 4 decades and that was even only this quadrant. thank goodness for the find of the archaic races ship that had crash landed into a moon.

though its technology was vary different from the vines and fleshy mechanics David McAllister was used to it opened his mind to the intrigues of the universe and made him wonder how this fancy rock technology even worked.

... though in all reality McAllister knew moderately well. He himself was pulled off a mission (his whole race becoming militaristic do to the galactic neighbours) to be a part of the reverse engineering of the ship, an advantage the humans had been needing for a long time. As prior hyperspace was mearly a dream. Going into deep dehydration was the only way. to get any distance and not die of old age.

"McAllister you got the electro-glands on the list?"

"Yes sir, all loaded on just now sir." showing his superior the check marks on his list.

"good, we'll need thoughts to operate the Archaic's technology. go check and see if the new militia has arrived. I hear that the Duke may have gotten an O- for our ship, the Reborn."

"really?" McAllister said in reply.

"yes now get a move on before you loose your way."

David stammered a "Yes sir!" then starting toward the hanger bay, were the new arrivals would be. flipping around the curious technician asked, "they finally named the old thing?" with a smirk McAllisters Superior ignored him and they both went on to there business as they both had no time to doddle.

now in the elevator McAllister smiled as he looked threw the membrane window. looking at the newly refurbished and integrated metallic/organic ship, "The Reborn, huh, I like it."

the doors squooshed open, again being tired from the abnormal traffic. David then turning the corner could see some of the new cadets now, the duke not wanting to waist many experienced soldiers if the experiment went south.

they were green and viney as there organic suites covered them nearly head to toe. McAllister remembered the contraptions only too well. as it had saved his life on three occasions and regrew his left arm twice. the only thing you had to get used to was the second presence it almost gave when you were inside it.
but now being employed mainly a Tech MacAllister only had a space lung in his dietary track as a safe cheaper measures for thoughs not in constant danger.

now David looked like your average man with brown hair brown eyes with a hint of green in them. he was proudly wearing a leather tunic with trousers underneath. two organic tool kits around his waist a baseball cap and a wrist mounted Organic laser on his right arm.

"Now gents, you coming aboard, let me guide you to your quarters and from there you can get unpacked as quickly as possible."

The Starport

The duke sat down at his desk once again reviewing the crew assignments that had been processed recently with the accept or reject that the ruling council gave to each of them. He frowned when he saw one of them had been rejected. He walked out of his office and off the ship to the chambers the ruling council was meeting. He barged into the meeting, quite unlike his normal self and threw down the name with a photo attached.

He began speaking loudly as he pointed at it, "You said I could have anyone I wanted for this mission, yet you've declined to give me Erickson for the fifth time. Don't tell me I can have anyone if I can't have anyone."

"Erickson is on a high profile mission and can't be spared at the moment," The commanding duke informed the intruder. One of the other dukes in the room cleared his throat. "Yes?"

"That's not technically true right now," The other replied. "I just got word a few minutes ago that he successfully completed his mission in record time and requested a few weeks leave before he starts his next mission."

The man in the center of the room looked desperate, "I need Erickson. I don't care about his leave."

One of the dukes in the far corner of the room was slightly agitated by that statement, "Not only has Erickson not had a single day of leave for five years, but he's done more for this country than most people will ever know. You would ask us to send him off with you on a mission he might never come back from with no better reason than you need him?"

The duke in the middle was annoyed now, "I'm risking everything of mine on this mission as well and one of the stipulations I was given is that I could have anyone I wanted, no questions asked. I don't just need Erickson, I want him."

The ruling council members glanced around at each other for a moment before the commanding duke said, "Very well, you can have Erickson, but you get to deliver the news about his canceled vacation personally."

"Good, I'll pick him up on our way out of the galaxy," The grinned and walked out the door and back to his ship. Having Erickson meant he wouldn't need anyone else specifically. Erickson could, no Erickson would, carry the weight of the entire expedition.