Chapter 9

Idunn

Hidden Garden space station, 12 hours later

How interesting.

The rest of the crew of the captured ship surrendered when Fenicia strolled in the bridge while being splattered with blood and grey matter from their colonel. Some leftover of the super soldier platoon tried some shenanigans but were put down by Ell Evan. This delightful young woman was wasted on the like of a mercenary outfit; I saw inside her mind what they did to her. I hope that she will stay and accompany my beloved daughter in her adventures.

Now, I am meddling with the computer of the Warsong, looking at the parameters of their mission that brought them to my little abode. Their clients, two Assurians paid the Ares mercenaries 1 billion credits for my head and the destruction of my space station. I felt flattered that they want to pay such an exorbitant price to “put me down” like they said on the message with all my information. It seems they obtained some clue about where I am from the Idrissan university I communicated my researches about terraformation.

How unfortunate.

Fenicia entered my laboratory wearing her normal sportswear consisting of a white T-shirt, black leggings and sport shoes. She placed herself in the viewing room and slept on the sofa there. How weird, why doesn’t she enters and kisses me good morning like any good and proper daughter should? She must not have accepted me yet, but she’s trying. I remember her confession of not wanting to give me problems by disappearing and that she is worried about me. I felt warm and teary eyed just by remembering. My fingers glided on the mechanical keyboard, inserting commands and shutting down the computer. I stood and decided to look at Fenicia, she is still recovering from our ordeal. Her left arm and shoulder are still not in any condition to permit their use and the blow she received to the head made her unbalanced for some time, even if she is good at hiding it. She didn’t want to enter a medical tank; I couldn’t force her when she looked at me like a cornered animal. The medical nanites in her body should suffice to make her like new in another 12 hours. But to be certain I took my medical scanners on my desk.

Entering the viewing room, I took out the drone scanner and activate it.

The little sphere floated away from my hand and I directed it to scan the body of my daughter. Blue light projected from an aperture from the little black sphere. Information about Fenicia’s body filled the screen of my tablet. The nanites are mending her arm and shoulder and have already fixed the light fracture on her skull. I am surprised that she could still move with that kind of wound, that’s Saryans for you. All of them are tough beings. Fenicia is a bit dehydrated and exhausted by the healing process and is in danger of not having sufficient energy to sustain it.

So, I did the only sensible things to do and called a bot to serve cold drinks and food. I choose to sit near her and to wait for the bot to come here.

Fenicia

I woke up bleary eyed with the smell of food in my nose; my growling tummy woke up too. My optical HUD tells me it is six in the morning, oh and I am not seeing double anymore! That’s awesome. I hate it when something or someone hit my head, I may have a dense skull, but it still hurt. It’s been one 13 hours since I killed all those humans; my wounds are getting better too. I righted myself on the sofa, sitting and was surprised by finding Idunn here looking at me with a warm smile on her face. She is wearing a white body fitting suit hugging her petite form, with a lab coat to cover everything.

“Hello, dear.”

“Uh-Hi?” I said unsure.

“I took the liberty to bring you food.” And she presented me a plastic tray with an unknown drink and a mountain of pancakes with syrup.

My traitorous stomach growled even strongly.

“Eat.” Idunn ordered, shoving the tray to me.

“But that’s human food...” I said. “I can’t stomach some of it.”

Idunn looked at me, still smiling and ... insistent. So, I gave in and stab my eating tool into the weird flat brown cake with all that sticky goo on it. The petite Assurian heavily sighed and took the disposable cutlery from me and sliced into the top flat cake, stabbed it and presented it to me.

“Eat.” She said forcefully.

Our eyes and wills dueled for long seconds, and I am ashamed to say that I lost and lowered them. So I opened my mouth slowly and she put the food in it. When it hit my tongue, myriad of savors filled my sense. It made me moan in pleasure and I dexterously snatched the fork in Idunn hand and began to dig in the food.

“Slowly, Fenicia! The food won’t run...”

“viou nievier hiad tio yit fiasht.” I said with my mouth full.

I continued to inhale the food.

“Excuse me, what was that?! Watch your manners young lady!” It sounded harsh but the mirth in Idunn’s eyes showed me that she isn’t serious.

The little woman took the glass of purple like drink and presented it to me; I promptly snatched it of her hand and drank. It’s a sugary and satisfying drink, reminding me of an alcohol I had on the Saint Patrick, the first ship I have been on.

“It’s grape juice.”

I sighed in contentment. “That’s really good! Can I have more please?”

Ell Evan

The degree of trust I was given astounded me; Idunn gave me a suite in the housing quarter. It is sparsely furnished, has three rooms a toilet, a bedroom and a lounge. The blank customizable VR-walls of this suite permit me to personalize it; I opted for a view which simulates a portside viewing window on the garden world lazily spinning on itself. The planet called Qualia look likes earth with its Blue Ocean and a super continent full of forested greenery with mountains and lakes doting it. M class world are prized by every government bodies, even more when they are in a star system this rich. The two asteroid belts, gas giant and metallic rich planet near the white star would be great find for miners and other industries. But it all belonged to Vice Industries, there are hidden defenses all around the system Fenicia told me. Cloaked mines field, arrays of beam banks, particles canons, and cloaked satellites forming a quantum detection grid around the whole system!

Ha, no wonder even stealth tech doesn’t work!

A Holo window appeared in front of me and I yelped in surprise. My heart beat quickened.

Welcome miss Evan,

I am Sandra, the A.I. charged with facilitating your stay on this station.

Do you have any question?

My heart settled, and my brain went into overdrive. Idunn still monitor me it seems even though I am on their side, but I understand the move. Trust is earned.

“Yes, are you the one operating the services in this suite?”

Indeed, miss.

Do you have any further preferences to add to the load out of the room?

I can advise you in the selection of your furniture, wardrobe, weapons and induction to the Vice Industries citizenship.

What?! Citizenship!

Oh by the stars... Emotion burst forth, citizenship had always been one of the goals of super soldiers. I didn’t think Vice Industries handed it so easily.

Director Idunn recommendation was given. She has decided that following your recent service and bravery in saving this station that you are eligible to be a citizen.

I can’t believe it! Everything! Everything I’ve set to do was finally rewarded. On countless human worlds, Ell is not considered human because of the engineered augments given to her at birth. I think that it’s bullshit! I breathe! I laugh, I feel and I think! My fist clenched and unclenched just by thinking of that injustice. Calming myself I walked toward the sofa I roughly sat in its grey embrace.

“Sandra gives me everything on Vice industries, history, economy, number of colonized world and more about centurions!”

One moment please.

Second later, the com Idunn gave me chimed. When she gave me the com while Fenicia slept she said that it is basic equipment that the personnel onboard should have on them at all times. I mean, it’s important that people can get ahold of me and that I can interface with the computers of the station. From the holo projected information on Vice Industries appears; Bio of the owner, history, products, capital is made known. I make the 3D web page scroll down. The corporation Belong to Helena Theresa Vice the sole owner, she is now 205 years old. Originally from Neo Mexico in the Federation sector of the human sphere. She’s a graduate from the University Neo Mexico and Studied Astronomy and Space Vessels Engineering simultaneously. Helena T. Vice is one of those rare humans who are genuine genius who obtained multiple doctorates. Her father and mother, who were bounty hunters at the time, disappeared when they took on a coalition of pirates with other colleagues. Helena became a bounty hunter herself, built her own ship from seven different Junkyard and made the lives of a lot pirates outfits difficult in the human sphere’s rim...