Star Warden 3: CC. Chapter 6

 

Sixty Seconds

Sam awoke in the medical bed with one thought on his mind. A soft hand swiftly answered it for him.

“Are you okay,” Kaguya asked.

“If I'm not. Then that should tell you how the other guy looks.”

She smiled. “If you can still jest then I have no need to worry. Can you move?”

Sam tested his limbs. “Looks like I can.”

“Good. Because I have a gift for you.” She gave him a gift-wrapped box.

He opened up the box and his eyes widened. It was a flight jacket, his flight jacket with a couple of his old military patches.

“I am sorry if some are missing. I had to relay it to the machine via memory.”

“No, baby. It's perfect. But well how? My jacket should be in ashes.”

“I will explain everything on the way. Are you hungry?” His stomach answered that question for him.

Kaguya explained that he was on Celes's starship. A Starseeker Class scout vessel, this one named Blackjack. Celes lost a bet to a friend named Locke and had to accept his naming of her ship.

The Blackjack was located on the far side of Aurora to hide from Daimos's sensors. He got a better view of the moon when he entered the galley. It was nearly the size of Earth itself with two continents connected like North and South America. There was even an island with a nearly ocean size hole in the middle filled with water.

Celes beckoned them to have a seat while white and green humanoid droids served them food. Sam's food was something he hadn't seen in a long time. Eggs, Bacon, and a big order of Pancakes with a bowl of cheese grits. Nothing to show they were of alien design it was as if they came straight from Earth.

He wasted no time chowing down.

After the meal was over they moved to the observation deck but on the port side so they could have a view of the stars. The image was simply a holographic projection instead of an actual window.

“When you told me you were coming back. I didn't think it would be so soon,” Sam said.

“The Council sees you as a top priority. I was to come back as soon as possible and I'm not alone. One of our command ships the Thunder Claw is just outside the system.”

“Then what are we waiting for! Bust out the cavalry!”

“Would if I could. But a frontal assault will not aid you. We lack the numbers to assault this world directly. Daimos's sensor net is also very sensitive and we would not get near Aetherium before a response arrived. There is also another problem.”

“Toy time,” barked Josie.

“Yes, about that. I'm sorry. I made some assumptions on my first visit. That you had certain technologies that are considered standard.”

“No harm done. Just take in the armor and put it through a refit.”

Celes shook her head. “Your armor is far too out of date. Retrofitting it to match galactic standards would be a futile gesture at this point. Never mind installing the Order's hardware or software onboard. It could not run the medical nanotechnology or other features.”

“Wait. Rewind the tape. Medical nanotechnology?” He spoke with the excitability of a young child. “You mean little micro-bots repairing me?”

She nodded then started to rattle off other features. Such as 360-degree vision, energy shielding, camouflage, and augmented support fire systems. A fancy way of saying, controlling drones and other weapon systems remotely. Celes even showed her heads-up display as an example.

It put his armor's systems to shame. Not an ordinary shame. A shame where one had to commit seppuku to restore any honor.

Josie barked. “To say it in a less mean way. Updating your suit would take as much time and effort as making a brand new one.”

“I was not being mean,” Celes objected. “In fact, I am astonished by the bravery you have displayed, Samuel. Fighting in this suit. If against any other forces such as pirates or bandits. I would not be as concerned about sending you back. I insist you stay here until the new suit is complete.”

“How long would that be?”

“A week or two at most.”

That would normally be considered quick but with the ongoing operations in the Unicorn Kingdom. A week was almost a year in comparison.

Celes explained. “Constructing it won't take long. But factor in the need for your own Talisman and the biological tests we need to do.”

“Biological tests?”

“The humans of this galaxy have implants and gene therapy treatments you do not have. I want to check to see if these differences will require us to make specialized versions of the equipment for you or if the standard will work.”

“Well you can take the tests but I need to get back to the surface as soon as possible. Just repair the armor as best you can.”

“I do not think you understand. How grossly overmatched you are in your current state.”

The view of the stars changed into a view of Aetherium's sun. The star was surrounded in all three dimensions by a swarm of metal and plastics. All arranged in the shape of a massive sphere. It was hard to see the yellow sun due to the sheer number of devices surrounding it.

“I was shown something similar by the Enchantress. They collect energy and matter from the sun,” said Kaguya.

“It reminds me of something I read in an old story. Something called a Dyson sphere. But they're usually more solid,” said Sam. “I mean it looks amazing even if it was built by someone who's one circuit short of a board.”

“There is more,” said Celes.

More screens appeared displaying other suns surrounded by these spheres some more solid than the others. There were images of asteroids and dwarf planets covered in sprawling mining complexes. Massive space stations orbited around them as they refined the raw metals into finished products. Rocket ships in numbers beyond counting traveled across the star systems loaded with cargo. Many of them in Aetherium's very own solar system.

In another time this would be Sam's dream come to life. A thriving space industry, orbital stations, and asteroid settlements. Humanity traveling the stars and living on a million worlds many of them artificial. But this was that dream turned dark as all these resources, all this technology, was just another cog in the enemy's military-industrial complex.

For many people, this would be a sign that they were outmatched. Doomed to fail against the incalculable resources of the enemy. But how did Sam Bailey react to it? He did not, for him this changed nothing. Outmatched, outnumbered, and outgunned was the situation since day one of his arrival.

Celes was doing no more than saying he would have his work cut out for him. Something he had accepted long ago.

“Okay. If we're done with the vacation photos,” Sam said. “We should get my armor repaired.”

Celes shook her head in disbelief. “I can do very little for your armor. Your rocket pack can be repaired and the damaged material can be replaced with better metals. But you will still be vastly unequipped. I can not in good conscience send you back with this knowledge.”

“Then live with a guilty one. We don't have time to wait. The Queen just got captured. I don't know why he wants her. But whatever it is we have to move fast. For all, we know she could have knowledge of where one of the rings is. Daimos won't hesitate to take advantage of this information."

Celes sighed. “The lack of time is a problem I know all too well. You will be ready to leave in an hour.”

She kept her word and only sixty minutes passed in between Celes repairing the damaged armor and Josephine collecting the biological samples from Sam. From a cursory glance, nothing changed on the outside of the armor. A keen eye could see that some parts were darker or lighter than the rest of the suit.

The samples were streamed back to the Thunder Claw for testing. It would not take long for them to learn that Sam's biology had nothing that would prevent him from using technology from this galaxy. They would even test it for prolong compatibility and find it would work just as well. Then the process of constructing the armor would go smoothly, the only issue was time.

There was never enough time for Sam. Never enough for rest or preparation. Even when there was time to relax like at Cullen's Hand. The Domain always interfered and it was back into battle again. He never complained about it, for what was the point. The fighting had to be done and he had to do it with the gear he had.

Celes was apologetic feeling like she was throwing him into a Troll's den naked. But Sam brushed it off. There was nothing Celes could do to speed up the time. God willing he would get the advanced tech soon enough and go toe to toe with Daimos. For now, the fight continues as is.

Still, he did not go entirely without. Beneath his armor was a vest of nano mail. It had the feel and strength of the fictional mithril metal. It had more advanced capabilities but those were blocked off until he gained the new armor. But if his plating was pierced he would have a better chance of survival.

Kaguya also gained a gift in the form of a new ray gun that could overwhelm the nervous system of organic targets and electronics. Along with technology embedded into her very clothes. They would give her a more accurate idea of how people were injured so she could focus her magic along with a civilian-level energy barrier around her body. Such barriers were strong enough to protect from even the vacuum of space giving rescue services more time to save lives. Thus were common across many worlds in the galaxy.

“It is done. Little better than your old equipment in my opinion,” Celes said bitterly.

Kaguya floated up to give Celes a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Thank you. Even if you see it only as the least you can do. You have been a great help.”

“May the Powers protect you both.”

“May the Powers protect you as well.”

They returned to Aetherium through the gateway. Celes said a prayer to Kira and Mira. One thanking her for arriving back to Aetherium in time. The other to give them enough time for the Warden's new armor to be completed. 

Chapter 7

Chapter 5