|
The interior of the ship, much like the exterior, is showing signs of heavy damage. Soot on the walls and ceiling, debris scattered about, and panels hanging from cabling that swings above speak to the hell this ship has been through. The only light comes from dim emergency lights that cycle on and off slowly.
The DNC Amadaun has just landed in this less than pristine ship. Once the doors open, Kethren and Nuala walk slowly out, watching everything as carefully as they can. Things seem sufficiently out of the normal that the architect took the time to put on his smartsuit, and ready his dart gun before disembarking.
The ship is still eerily quiet. It would seem from first glance that any crew has long since been evacuated, or may not have been present at all. Small shuttles are tossed about in the bay among the debris, some still looking in repairable condition, the others smashed to oblivion. The quiet stillness however is broken by a voice that echoes around the room. "Who... who is there..." The voice sounds strained, as if in pain. "I...I sense a presence... please.... help...."
Kethren looks around trying to find the source of the calling "Who is that? Where are you? We'll offer any assistance that we're able to."
"My name.... is Galactix...." the voice responds. "I have been... drifting.. for several years. My systems... are offline... my core will not.... operate much longer.... please...."
Kethren blinks a couple times "...crap. Would be me who finds a dying ship. Alright... I have friends who'll be able to do a lot more than I can, so tell me what I can do to keep you going until they can arrive."
"Auxiliary... generator...." Galactix' voice says. "Deck... 2... computer center... link... damaged.... can't... engage..."
Kethren nods as he starts to walk briskly "Alright, I'll get there as soon as I can."
The room is a veritable maze... much of the computer banks are dark, but a blue light shines from the center of the room. Galactix' voice speaks again. "Take... fourth... path. Left... right.... left... left.. right... right.... left... right...."
Kethren nods to himself as he starts walking carefully down the indicated path, keeping an eye out for anything interesting as he goes. Nuala walks along behind him, looking rather cautious.
The computer banks, although dark and offline, appear quite sophisticated. This room is rather intact compared to the rest of the ship, and much of the equipment remains undamaged. Some signs of stress, through are evident, in the sign of cabling detached and some banks having been torn from their mountings and fallen into those beside them, disconnecting them from the system bus running under the deck. At the center, Galactix' core sits, connected via thick crystal conduits to the systems and the conduits running across the ceiling. Standard cabling is also present, and a thick pair of cables draped along the floor have been severed by a fallen ceiling panel. The bank they are connected to reads 'Auxiliary Power System Linkup'.
Kethren nods thoughtfully "All looks very impressive... apart from this bit here. A couple of the larger cables have been severed by chunk of the ceiling. Can I move the panel, or will that somehow make things worse?"
"Should be... ok..." Galactix' core says. "Reconnect... links... "
Kethren nods as he puts his dart gun back in the holster, and goes to move the offending panel out of the way. "Give a yell if anything starts to go wrong... The others would never let me hear the end of it if they didn't get to see you."
"I look forward... to meeting them.." Galactix' voice says.
Once he gets the panel set aside out of the way, he kneels down and starts to carefully reattach the connections with some electrical tape that he pulled out of a compartment in the leg of his smartsuit.
"I can... sense the connection..." Galactix says. "Attempting... link up..." His core flickers a bit and the bank the cables are connected to comes to life. A more computerized voice comes from it. "Link up established. Auxiliary reactor online. Coolant system damaged. Power output limited to 3. Power flow stabilized." His core then brightens somewhat. "Thank you... that feels better..." he says, his voice stronger, but still somewhat strained.
Kethren smiles faintly "Good enough to make a short trip yet?"
"Unfortunately.. I don't think I'll be moving any time soon." Galactix says. "Whatever that... transference or shifting was, it got me out of range of the Phyrrian weapons, but they did damage enough. My Spindrive is severely damaged, my main reactor is damaged, both ion propulsion units are out, my shield system is out, and my sensors are giving me static. I'm afraid there is quite the materials list..."
Kethren nods "Yes, I can imagine. Anything else we can do while I'm here? Once we've got you reasonably stable, I can see about collecting materials, and some friends who are more versed in these sort of repairs."
"Talk, perhaps... it has been a long time..." Galactix says. "I am afraid I know little about where I am."
Kethren nods and settles back so he can lean against Nuala "Afraid there's a lot I don't know about this universe... I rifted in a litle under a year ago. I've lived in a couple different planets, spent time on various space stations... What interests you?"
"I am presuming due to the effect I felt that I am not in my home universe... what universe is this?" Galactix inquires.
Kethren shrugs "Depending on who you ask, it's either the Ancient Expanse, or Hiverspace. I've never really been clear on why people prefer one over the other. Probably habit in many cases."
"Hiverspace!?" Galactix says. "My word... full circle...." he says, pausing for a bit. "It seems only yesterday I was Sanctuary's computer during its voyage.. my first body having been destroyed by the
Kretonians. Then we returned home... and here I am again...."
Kethren smiles faintly "Spent most of my first week in this universe in a medbay on Sanctuary... I was fine. The only friend I had out here at the time got herself injured the morning after I rifted... afraid I don't know a lot about the Kretonians, though. Only contact I've had with them was when some jerks rifted me onto one of the warships that invaded Ungstir."
"Rifted, you say? I would presume that is what happened to me... and you say some are being controlled by others? I recall the Kretonians original invasion... terrible brutes. They attacked me and left me for dead... I lived only because my core was removed and placed in Sanctuary. For her journey it seemed I was the only computer powerful enough to operate her." Galactix says.
Kethren nods "Rifted from early twenty first century Earth. I think if I hadn't had that week in the Sanc medbay to acclimate, I may have ended up as panicky as most of the new rifters I've seen... Wish they wouldn't do that so much. It really upsets Aina when a new rifter sees her and is terrified...."
"I can imagine... I am familiar with the concept of dimensional travel and time shifting... it can be shocking to some not experienced with it." Galactix says. "I suspect I should conserve what power I have... my thanks for these minor repairs... they will keep me going until your friends arrive."
Kethren nods "Alright. Will taking my ship back home cause any problems?"
"I do not believe so. From what I can tell my auxiliary reactor has enough fuel left to power my core for perhaps two weeks." Galactix says. "Perhaps more, if I conserve."
Kethren nods "Sounds like something we can work with. Can you get me a list of needed materials, so that we'll have them handy when I bring help?"
"I believe so. I estimate a stock of polydenum, several tons of steel, several tons of aluminum, carbon, silicon, and titanium." Galactix says.
Kethren nods, his eyes going slightly out of focus for a moment "Alright. Shouldn't have any trouble getting a suitable supply of those. And while you /are/ adrift, it's a short flight. Anyrate, I'll be on my way now."