Back on Bessie, oblivious to the coming storm.
“Exie we gotta hide this ship, safely, somewhere.
Maybe a good sized asteroid or something…” I feel this is the only way to go.
Can’t just leave it floating in space, right?
Someone would come along and take it along with my hard earned Crystals.
My Crystals.
Like an old time pirate, I’ve got to bury this thing somewhere.
A cave would work but it will take forever to find one.
More better to make one.
The lasers on Beta(I’ve started calling the ship Beta, as well as its Captain AI) are much stronger than Bessie’s, maybe they can blast out a hole or even a cavern(bigger hole) [No problem, Host.
I was able to scan everything within 8.39 million miles on my way here.
Once I joined with the Host, the scanning range reduced to a few thousand miles, without using external scanners.] “Holy shit!!
That’s over 6 AU!” That’s multiple times better than what was on Bessie, before Exie’s crash sent debris into it, accidentally of course.
Beta has a slightly better scanner range, about 2 million miles, but it’s more for threat identification than resource management.
“How much can you see with your scans?
Can you sense what’s in the asteroids?
That would be HUGE!” I say, getting excited.
If the details are good enough, it could cover about half the inner asteroid belt.
That would save tons of time wandering around, just to see what’s floating by.
[It’s no big deal, Host.
The detailed information can be uploaded to the Navigation Station.
In fact it’s already done.] Exie seems pleased with themself, sensing a little gloating.
At that moment the Nav Screen lit up and started to display the surrounding area.
First it started with my current view, as seen by Bessie, and then it kept getting larger and larger… and larger until it showed over half the asteroid belt, Earth, the sun and something even more.
All of Exie’s previous voyage, all 10,000 years of travel across the galaxy, like a thin ribbon of time, opened up as well.
8 million miles on all sides was recorded for the entire voyage!
My mind Blown!
Such a ridiculous treasure trove!
So, so much to go through, but for now we need a hiding spot.
Still shaking my head in disbelief, we get down to business.
“Great job, Exie!
That is incredible.
We will have years and years hopefully to go through all this but right now we need… something at least 200 meters wide, preferably heading away from here.
We will blast a hole into it and stash Beta while we head to town.” nodding my head as I figure it out at the same time as discussing it with Exie.
Yes, this should work.
Always efficient, Exie is ready to go.
[This is a C type object about 800,000 miles from here, heading away from here, counter clockwise to the Sun.
It’s 239 meters wide, and 10% more dense than surrounding C types, suggesting there are pockets of heavy metals and elements.
Also no signals were detected on approach so it’s likely uninhabited.] “Wait a minute.
You got signal data as well?” that would be amazing for detecting hidden bases, pirate traps, random local miners… basically Amazing.
Especially for someone like me who doesn’t want anyone to figure out my new abilities.
That would be extremely problematic.
No one wants to be used and hunted.
I can only imagine the shady people who would come after me if they knew what I could do.
It would be useful to everyone, and we’re all selfish.
They would work me to within an inch of death for as long as possible and then throw me away when no longer useful.
I feel very certain this path would lead to my doom.
So, I’ve got to operate under the radar until I can properly defend myself.
Which if I’m truly honest with myself, could be never.
The forces of the Federation could overwhelm me with just a fraction of their power.
Even right now a single warship would be enough.
I’m still just a tiny minnow to the Whales and Sharks.
Lets just focus on staying off everyone’s radar and grow.
I need to make money for now and get a private base to practice my new powers and mine in peace.
Also taking out some pirates would be fun.
And profitable, if done right.
So I gotta: make money, make a secret base, build powerful defenses, and grow my power.
All in secret.
Smiling, as I contemplate this.
Yes it will be difficult but it’s really starting to sound like the seed of a plan.
And it sounds fun.
And rewarding, don’t forget the $$.
I’d love to have a fun, simple, comfortable life without others ruining it.
Adventures, and a cool base.
Fun recreations.
Money and power.
I want it all.
And I want it My Way!
Now with a direction and the beginnings of a nascent plan, the next few steps are clear.
“Exie, that rock sounds perfect.
Let’s all head that way.
Inform Beta please.
You also seem to be getting comfortable with you.
It’s nice to have someone to talk with.
I’ll be in your care.” [I am also glad to have someone to talk with.
10,000 years is a really, really long time.] to be alone.
“Im glad to have you.
Let’s go.” It takes about a day to get there and Exie has me making all sorts of nozzles and capacitors, heat sinks and heat transformers.
Simple things to practice my forming and calling, while draining my mana.
Also they will be used to improve Bessie in various ways.
I just do as I’m told, for the most part.
I trust Exie in these matters, but don’t think I’m getting soft.
Once we arrive at the asteroid is just what I’d hoped for: mainly spherical rock with rubble piles and craters all over.
Stretch marks around the equator speak to its violent creation, as if it was twisted while cooling.
How much force is required to do that?
The spin isn’t too bad, an 8 hour rotation is easily within tolerances.
The idea of blasting a hole while matching the spin seems like it’d waste a lot of fuel, so the rear pole sounds like the place to put it.
The whole asteroid wobbles while spinning so it’s not a perfect south pole but it will do.
“Exie, have Beta start blasting a hole in the South Pole, let’s get this ship stashed so we can go home.
You can use Bessie’s lasers to help but I’m not sure how effective they’ll be.” [On it.
They will cut down the time by 11%, of the estimated 4 hours required.
I will notify you when completed.] With that both ships started firing, blasting the rock and rubble away.
Quite Violent and flashy.
Startled by this torrent of exploding rocks and light, I’m momentarily taken aback.
Then I decide to make a cup of hot water, imagining it’s tea, while I watch the show.
The recent haul of nutripacks had a few new flavors so I bring them over for dinner and a show.
What should I try?
There’s Chicken and Rice flavor, and Ice Cream Cake, and finally one called Creamed Corn..
ugh not trying that one.
Chicken and Rice it is.
The flavor really tastes like chicken rice, but the texture is just slightly better than toothpaste.
Not one to complain, I’m grateful for something besides Beef flavor.
The cheese cake might be really good, though, since the texture seems close to cheesecakes.
With only half the chicken rice eaten, I look at the cheesecake.
Then back at the chicken rice, then back at the cheesecake.
I really want to try this one, but eating two seems really unnecessary.
And too filling, my stomach would burst.
Oh, how about saving half for tomorrow and half today.
That way I can get a half portion of each today and tomorrow… Yes, dinner and dessert and a show!
Winning!
The Cheesecake is everything I had hoped for!
It felt like squeezing cheesecake from a tube.
So good in fact that I ate more like ⅔ of it before I could put it down.
It was just too good.
Creamy smooth velvety sweetness.
Just what the doctor ordered to wash all the beefy monotony away.
So good.
Beta has already blasted out a hole 10 meters deep and 20 meters wide.
That seems to be progressing well.
Bessie blasts the sides to align with the location of Beta’s winglets.
They are only 5 meters long, for carrying weapons or sensors, a remnant of their Warship upbringing.
Now they hold various civilian models, and a few retired military grade ones.
Pirates need better vision than most, for hunting and threat evasion, like a bird of prey’s vision.
They can see a rabbit while gliding a mile in the air.
Maybe we can swap some of those onto Bessie at some point.
Without much to do until they are finished blasting, I continue making capacitors and valves.
By the time Exie alerts me they’re done, I’ve gotten much better with my matter control and mana usage.
Proficiency can’t be bought; it can only be earned.
I’m pretty good with the lighter metals: iron, copper, aluminum, nickel etc, but the heavier ones, the truly valuable ones, I haven’t messed with yet.
Mainly because I haven’t needed to but after this, that’s next on the agenda for the rest of the trip back.
I’ll practice with the Heavies.
With that thought I walk to the bridge and inspect our new hole.
Or money pit.
Or treasure pit.