Chapter 21

I don't think I've ever seen Candy so happy since she first stepped foot on 299. We were down at our permnanate base on Sol 3 doing some routine maintenance but it looked anything but routine. She and Tasha had stripped one of our engines down to its component parts and were looking at them minutely with focus interest.

"Will you look at them," said Erin nodding towards the conspiratorial pair.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Good job we weren't panning on going anywhere."

"Who says you're not going anywhere," said a gruff but familiar voice.

"Commodore," I said spinning around to see my commanding officer. "I didn't know you were here."

"I always like to keep tabs on you lot," he said with a big smile.

"So we are going somewhere?" asked Erin.

"But not in 299," I said nodding to where my engine sat in pieces.

"No, no, that fine," he said. "It looks like it may take some time to put back together again. Didn't I get you new engines a few months ago?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Something to do with the anti matter stream but don't ask me what."

"Never mind," he said trying to tear his eyes away from Tasha's beauty. "I've never seen hair like hers before. Anyway I've got a suitable equipped Solar scout ship lined up for you and one other crew member."

"Just the two of us," I mused.

I would want to take Candy but it looks like she'll be occupied for some time yet.

It was brand new and still smelt of fresh paint.

"This is what I want to show you," said Briggs, pointing to a blank square of floor.

"Yes," I said, seeing nothing.

"It's a teleport," he said with a laugh. "Your lieutenant friend has at last figured it out."

"Oh," I said. "Can you tell me how they did it? You know have a teleport system on such a small ship."

"Oh yes in broad terms," said Briggs. "What makes a man or women identifiable unique so it can be sent long distance. Well our system did it all, broke down the whole body into component pieces, just like your engine back there. But when you think about it, a heart is a heart, a bone is a bone, whose ever it is. The only thing you have to really send is the head and brain."

"Oh I think I see," I said although I really didn't.

"It works like this," sighed Briggs. "We scan you in and feed in your DNA into the system and it will send out a signal to make up your body, heart, lungs, bones, all to a general type based on your inputted parameters, but it will only spend time and valuable computing power on the bit above your neck."

"So the body I receive at the far ends will not in fact be mine?" I said.

"Well yes and no," he said. "It will contain your DNA, be based on your measurements, but it wouldn't in fact be an exact copy of yours."

"Oh," I said.

"Mind you it does bring up a lot of new thoughts medically speaking," he said. "If any of your organs need replacing no need for a transplant anymore, just sent them through this teleport."

"Suppose I don't want a new body," I said.

"Come now commander," sighed Briggs. "Surely you could do with a new liver, what with all your drinking and what about those scars you've got?"

"I like my scars," I said. "Shows character. And I don't want to lose my tattoo either."

"Well as it happens when we can do the initial scan these things can be taken into consideration," he said.

"Good," I said.

"So I can have a slimmer body," whispered Erin. "And all without dieting."

"Yes in theory," agreed Briggs.

"So what's the mission?" I asked.

"Mission, oh yes mission," he said but I could see he was still thinking about Erin slimmer body. "We sent an ambassador out to a new area of space with the intention of setting up a new star base there. Somehow some local faction has kidnapped her."

"Oh," I said.

"We could go in with all guns blazing but I don't think our ambassador would survive," said Briggs.

"So you want me to go and save her," I said.

"Yes," he agreed. "Look we've already programmed in her DNA and once you've found her you can just whisk her away."

"All sound very easy," said Erin.

"How long does it take to transport someone?" I asked.

"Once you've lock on target about fifteen seconds," he said.

"Fifteen seconds can be a long time," I said to no one. "What about this ship?"

"Oh yes, well she's fully shielded but no weapons of any kind," he said. "She'll do about warp 6 I understand."

"Yes, yes, but what about the coffee machine?" I asked.

"Oh yes, coffee," he laughed. "Fully fitted with the standard military food processor and that includes ten types of coffee."

"Just ten," I just stop myself shouting. "Well it could be a whole lot worse."

"Just what are you doing to those engines?" I asked Candy.

"Well Tasha has some thoughts about improvements," she said.

"Improvements!" I replied.

"Yes Captain," said Tasha with a smile that made my pants tight.

"Well Erin and I will be gone a couple of weeks," I said. "And I want it all back together for when we return."

"Yes Captain," they said in unison.

"So how are we going to do this?" asked Erin once we were on our way.

"I've got no idea," I sighed. "How about you?"

"Yeah I may have a few depending on what we find when we get there," she said. "We have a few advantages."

"Yeah like what?" I asked.

"Well that transporter for a start," she said. "They are not going to know anything about that."

"Yeah but it only has a limited range," I pointed out.

"So we have to get in close," she said. "Don't worry, we'll sneak in if we have to."

Fat chance for that, this scout ship wasn't my starlight and they detected us a few hours out.

"We here to see the Federation Ambassador," I said when they challenged us.

They didn't blast us straight away, which was a good sign but instead they shepherded us towards a large orbiting space station.

"You can dock there," said our escort.

The hatch open and three heavily armed men entered.

"We are unarmed," I said loudly just in case they had orders to blast us. "Please look anywhere you want and you'll see there are no weapons."

They took me at my word and searched everywhere.

"You come with me," said the leader. "You I want you to disengage and stand off 1000m."

"It'll be fine," I said reassuringly. "Have scanners down to minimum power and your shields up on max. And if anything bad happens forget about me and take off as fast as you can."

"Yes Captain," said a very sad looking Erin.

I spent an hour talking to the station commander explaining why I was there, not the truth obviously and then after a very serous strip search I was at last allowed to see the ambassador.

"Commander," she said rising to greet me.