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lilulicious · 4 months ago

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Coe-Pilot: The Space Between Us

Chapter 2: The Future is Now

THEN:

Slate: UC SYSDEF/AEGIS UNSUB #54387XYEE455

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "Tell me again where you came from?"

Unsub: "I told you already. Five times. What I'm really supposed to tell you, by the book, is my name, rank and serial number. But from what I'm seeing, all bets are off here and no one is coming for me, so there's no point in playing around anymore. I will tell you this: I am a US Army Sergeant assigned to 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta. I was in a chopper with a Ranger detachment, we were going to meet up with another G Squad Delta at Naval Base Kitsap when we.... I don't know... we hit some sort of electrical storm and turbulence. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, like a tunnel of electricity, sound, bright light, almost like... a wormhole but not like what I'd seen in the sci fi movies. And a sound like screaming, I can't even describe it."

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "Uh-huh."

Unsub: "*snort* Yeah, fine. Well, anyway... The helo lost power and we went down into some sort of bog. I thought maybe we'd gotten off course in the confusion and crashed into Lilliwaup Swamp over by Lake Cushman. It wasn't until you all showed up that I realized you weren't the Army or Navy or even the goddamned Coast Guard coming to rescue us. And then I realized there wasn't even an 'us'. It was just me, and part of the wreckage. You still haven't told me if there are more survivors. Are there? Did anyone else come out of that swamp?"

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "I don't have that information and even if I did, it would be classified."

Unsub: "Of course it would, you're a good little spook, aren't you? Well, that's all there is, you know the rest because your people have been here the rest of the way. You've had me locked up in this cozy little holding cell for like... forever it feels like. Judging by the meals and lights out, what, 3 or 4 days? I appreciate 3 hots and a cot as much as the next girl, but isn't there some sort of due process in this place. Who are you people anyways? What is the UC? Are you Americans? What is this place? Can I call an attorney? Don't I have Constitutional rights here?"

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "US Army. So you're implying you're from the United States. As in Earth. The same Earth that has been uninhabitable since 2203."

Unsub: "Uninhab...What the fuck? What are you talking about? What do you mean uninhabitable SINCE 2203? What fucking year are you going to try to tell me it is now? Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "It's 2330".

Unsub: "Fuck you, man. Let me out of here. You're full of shit. I don't want to be hearing this. No way. No. When I left home, it was 2025. 20-fucking-25. So, what, I'm 334 years old now? Am I under arrest or am I free to go or what the fuck happens now? LET. ME. OUT!!"

NOW:

So, it was day 3 working for Argos Extractors on Vectera, but Lilu felt a bit of anticipation. Lin said a special contract was on the menu today, a rare mineral for a collector who would be flying in to pick it up later. And, more encouragingly, Lin thought that she, Lilu, would be perfect to try out something a little more specialized. Lin, being a veteran herself of this Colony War that Lilu knew so little of, had been entrusted with some of Lilu's UC-classified history as a condition of this secret, time-traveling Earthling being placed with Argos, and perhaps she could see not only the potential in her new miner, or "dusty" as they were called as a colloquialism, but knew that if she couldn't keep Lilu engaged, it wouldn't take long for trouble to start brewing. Lilu liked Lin. She was no-nonsense and easy with which to relate. And she appreciated someone who finally seemed to be in her corner. Yeah, yeah, she knew never to really trust anyone she was assigned to by total strangers because who knew their motivations, but she had a good feeling that Lin was not the duplicitous sort.

And so it was, as they travelled down the elevator into the mine, her, Lin, and that wiseacre Heller, she pondered this change in fortune. Or was it a change in attitude? Acquiescence? Look, she had realized several weeks ago there was no going back. Moving forward and making a new life was the only thing to do. Maybe some military operation somewhere could find a use for her eventually, or maybe she could be used for a merc, but she'd have to work her way loose from under the UC's watchful eye. Her "freedom" to work with Argos was conditional upon Lin's custody, as it were, and it was subject to reports back on her progress and whereabouts.

Lilu was clearly no longer considered to be a serious danger to the "Settled Systems" as they were called, but the UC still was either a) not completely sure about her yet or b) the most likely scenario, they thought maybe she could be useful at some later juncture. Apparently, historic US government and military archives, being computerized, had been saved but needed to be decoded. The UC was eventually able to verify not only her story about her mission, but the DNA records that the US military started keeping back in 1991 to identify remains was also able to identify her. The nature of the work she did for the US government and military, however, seemed to make them nervous.

In any event, she wasn't completely free to roam the galaxy. And she wasn't knowledgeable enough about it, other than learning it was not some far flung galaxy far far away, like that famous space movie with the Princess and the Scoundrel, but instead, it was humanity's old friend the Milky Way. Nevertheless, she was no astronomer to try to escape and hide somewhere. Because other than Jemison, and the now dead Earth, Vectera was the only other planet she had been on in her life.

Lilu was instructed by Lin to grab a cutter, and she snapped out of her reverie. Lin said she should mine what minerals she could whilst they waited for Heller and another "dusty" (really, folks thought of the most reductive nicknames for people who did the grunt work that powered the world, Lilu thought) to use the big continuous miner machine to chew through the rock into the chamber that they were after. Lin's scanner and gravity readings suggested the contract rare minerals were located somewhere inside that chamber, so boring a hole into it was priority one. The other dusties were hard at work trying to squeeze what bits of "shine" they could from that mine, but it was clear there wasn't much left and whatever real money was in that operation, or at least in that almost tapped-out vein, was going to be in that special contract.

Suddenly, Lilu's comms buzzed in her spacesuit helmet. Wow, spacesuit helmet. Still hard to wrap her head around the fact that she was on a planet with no breathable atmosphere, that she was wearing a SPACESUIT, and once outside the base habs, one slip up and it might be all over.

Lin's voice crackled through her doomsday musing: "Get up here, we're ready."

As quickly as Lilu could move sheathed in several layers of insulation and what felt like aluminum foil, she worked her way up to where Lin and Heller were standing past the continuous miner machine. The giant, rotating drum covered with great, angry teeth had bored through the rock and broken through to what looked like an endlessly black void. She could see Heller's face through the visor of his face mask. He was looking at the readouts on his scanner and frowning.

"Lin," he said, "something is really fucked up about these readings."

Lin glared at him and then turned to Lilu and said, "Ok, dusty, your turn, it's right through there," and she gestured across a dark land bridge across an even darker and more terrifying chasm that plummeted to unseen depths. The land bridge led to a smaller cave opening that probably housed carnivorous alien creatures that would likely tear Lilu limb from limb. Great, she thought. Just fucking great. Survive a chopper crash to be eaten alive. "If anything goes wrong," continued Lin, but Heller jumped in.

"Just what would go wrong, Lin?" he asked.

"Will you both shut up?!" Lin was annoyed but looked a bit anxious, which did nothing to calm Lilu's nerves. "The buyer is heading here now, just do your damned jobs, please."

Lilu took a deep breath, turned on her flashlight, and started across the bridge to the narrow opening. As she entered the cave, she could see a glowing blue light ahead. It wasn't terribly unlike the one that surrounded the electrical storm and the weird portal that took the chopper that night, but there was a weird, harmonic, musical tone coming from the direction of the glow. That certainly hadn't happened during the chopper crash. And there were rocks floating in the air as if no gravity existed in the cave, but she wasn't floating. This was the strangest thing, ok maybe the second strangest thing, she'd ever seen.

In the middle of the cave was a pillar of rock covered in a crystalline material, and underneath she could make out something silver and forged into some sort of shape. She pulled out her cutter and started carving at the crystallized rock on top of the object, and it popped and sizzled away until the strange, curved item was laid bare. It had some faint etchings on it. It looked as if it could be just pulled free. Lilu reached out her hand to grab it. Lights and music overwhelmed her. It was the last thing she remembered.

When she woke up, she was in the medical bay in the Argos Extractors base, with Lin and Heller looking down at her. Apparently, they found her passed out with this piece of metal clutched in her hand. She was... smiling, inexplicably. She told them that she heard music, saw lights, visions, a man she didn't know but felt like she knew, if she was religious she would have sworn it looked like Jesus, and she laughed. But they stared at her and she realized they probably didn't know who Jesus was in this new society, she certainly never saw any crosses in New Atlantis. Lin sat her up and made sure she was ok, gave her a juice pack. She felt like a school kid being looked after by her mother again. And then Lin got a buzz on the comms that the contract buyer was on their way to Vectera.

"Our Constellation buyer is almost here," she announced. Heller scoffed.

"Constellation? The explorers?! I didn't know they were around anymore."

Lilu had zero idea what Constellation was, but she wanted answers about this... thing... she plucked out of the rock. Maybe this buyer could help tell her what was going on here. There was a tiny but nagging sense... or was it a sort of pull... that either this object or something about the experience was related to how she had gotten to this space and time, but she had no idea what it was yet. The more she could learn, the better. So, she put her helmet back on and followed Lin and Heller outside the mining hab into the sunlight. A ship was landing and Heller was again poking fun at this Constellation group because of the supposed dilapidated state of the vehicle. She didn't know ship from Shinola. Did this bode well?

A man in a red, white, and blue spacesuit emerged from the craft, which she would later learn was named the Frontier, followed by a large, bipedal robot. The man, handsome, older, and Black, had his name on his suit breastplate: Barrett. The robot was Vasco. Lilu knew her history: Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese explorer. Constellation was an explorers group, the humor was not lost on her. Her attention turned back to the conversation that was unfolding around her. Immediately, Barrett had greeted Lin with a warmth that was not returned in kind. There was clearly some unpleasant history between those two. It didn't seem romantic, and Lin really seemed like a straight shooter. Maybe this Barrett fellow bore watching, smooth and good-looking though he may be. It was always that kind of guy, wasn't it?

"The new dusty here found it," said Lin, gesturing toward Lilu, "and no, Barrett, this didn't go smoothly, she passed out, woke up saying a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense."

"Is that so? Wild ride, huh?" said Barrett, now turning his attention to Lilu.

Lilu felt intensely uncomfortable. How would he know about that? What else does this guy know? Could he identify what or who she saw in the vision? Still, best to play things close to the vest for now. "Yeah, you could call it that," she said, tightly.

Barrett laughed. "Sounds fun. Not the best..." But he was cut off as the robot, Vasco, said, "Barrett, there's a ship approaching rapidly from orbit".

"Damn, is it them again? I'd hoped I'd given them the slip," said Barrett.

"Barrett..." said Lin. And then...

"Oh shit, that's pirates! I think it's the Crimson Fleet!" screamed Heller.

Lin yelled at Lilu to grab a gun. Finally, something she absolutely knew how to do. Be a soldier. She ran up to a mining bin that held a semi-automatic pistol called an Eon, and some 7.77mm ballistic ammunition. How in the universe that, 300 years later, ballistics were still a thing was beyond her comprehension and vision for what she thought the future would be like, but she was deliriously grateful for it now. There was no learning curve to master. Chamber a round and shoot until the clip is empty, reload, and go again. She sprinted towards the pirates' ship and crouched behind a metal barrier, waiting for them to tumble out of the ship's hatch.

It didn't take long. The poor miners, most of them were armed with only cutters against pirates who, typical to most outlaws, couldn't shoot for shit, but were still armed with what looked like submachine guns. The miners bore the brunt of it but Lilu breathed steady, sighted in, and started picking off pirates one by one. She could see Lin out of her peripheral vision, doing the same. The woman was a warrior, no doubt about it. Lilu could see some of the miners had obviously been killed, others had been wounded and crawled away to safety, and yet others had run to hide. Who could blame them? They weren't trained soldiers, they weren't paid to fight, and they were hoping for the best from their colleagues who were fighting for them.

A burst of pain and blood exploded out of her left shoulder and she realized one of those goddamned pirates had come up and tried to plant an axe in it. It was a glancing blow but it was still incredibly agonizing. Lilu swung her pistol around and ended the pirate, and shot two more before she realized that was it. It was over. She fumbled in her hip bag for one of the med packs she had been given and injected it into her arm. Well, she thought, I guess the future has some perks, because as she watched, the bleeding in her shoulder slowed and it seemed as if everything was knitting from the inside out. She had thought a hole in her spacesuit would doom her, but apparently not this day. She would later learn that the spacesuits of the age were "self-healing", and the med packs themselves were so powerful that if you popped enough of them fast enough, you could bring yourself back from the brink of death and exsanguination. Medical miracles.

She went back to where she saw Lin and Barrett standing, towards the landing pad where the Frontier was sitting, undamaged and serene. The robot, Vasco, was still there, as well. Barrett praised her.

"Looks like you know how to handle yourself under pressure," he said. "I think you need to come with me to New Atlantis and Constellation. You don't belong here; you are a part of our journey now."

Before Lilu could protest, Lin spoke up. "Oh no, Barrett, no, you cause all this trouble and think you can just walk away?"

Barrett considered this and said, "OK, Lin, how about I make you a deal. I'll send your dusty to New Atlantis in my place, and I'll stay here and help you until you're evacuated. No, no," he continued, seeing Lin was about to shut him down. "If she's been through anything like I was when she touched the Artifact, she needs to get to Constellation. She isn't just some dusty anymore."

Lilu felt her heart skip a beat. Was this her ticket out of here and out from under the UC's custody? Or at least a step towards that eventuality? If so, she'd gladly take it. But she felt a pang of guilt, too. Lin had been really good to her in the brief time she had been there. It felt faithless to just desert her and Heller and what was left of the others like that.

"Fine," said Lin. She turned to Lilu. "Go on, then, dusty. Just take care of yourself out there, it's still a big galaxy that you don't know a lot about."

Lilu swallowed hard. "Are you sure? I mean, what about the mine, won't you need me still?"

Lin said, "Are you kidding? Our job here is over, we have to pack up and evacuate before more pirates come. But..." and here Lin lowered her voice and spoke in an aside to Lilu, "I am going to have to let UC SysDef know where you'll be, it's still in their territory, you understand. They'll probably contact whoever is in charge of Constellation to let them know, too."

Lilu said, a little disappointed but understanding, like soldiers do, about the requirement of doing ones duty: "Of course. I understand. Thanks for everything, Lin. I mean it."

"Get out of here, dusty, you don't want to make me say something I might regret," replied Lin, but Lilu could see the warmth in the older woman's eyes. Lin didn't know Lilu that long to put her reputation on the line to vouch for her by letting her off her leash unreported, but Lin was still good people.

"Now that's settled," Barrett said, "Take this, you'll find it extremely useful." He handed Lilu what looked to be a watch, which she strapped to her wrist over her spacesuit. "Look at that, it fits you perfectly. It'll let you into the Lodge, that's Constellation headquarters. And sometimes it even works to tell you the time." He turned towards the robot.

"Vasco, get her to the Lodge, Protocol Indigo. And Vasco! Help the Frontier to stay in one piece!" yelled Barrett as he took off with Lin towards the mining buildings.

Lilu turned and ran towards the Frontier. Looks like she was about to be a starship Captain. At least, with the help of Vasco. But she was going BACK to Jemison, and New Atlantis, the place she'd just gotten out of less than a week ago. But this time, it wasn't to a glorified holding cell meant to look like quarters. It was to a place called the Lodge, to join Constellation. She hoped they had good coffee. No one in the future so far seemed to be able to make any that was acceptable. Lilu took one last look back towards Lin, Barrett, Heller, and the Argos Extractor base. And then she climbed the ladder and passed through the Frontier's hatch.

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Chapter 2 Song:

"I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world,

I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog, and my home.

Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.

But there's really nothing, nothing we can do, love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew."

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NOTE: Apologies that this segment was so long. I wanted to get off Vectera but I wanted to add some more worldbuilding. Rather than break into a third chapter, I opted to make everyone suffer instead (lol?). I'll try to pace these a little better in the future. This is my very first time writing fanfic and I can get wordy. Also, TIL there are two hashtags in use for Sam Coe/Starfield fanfic writers, I will use them here even though I have not gotten to Sam yet. But we're gonna get there hopefully by Chapter 4, no later than Chapter 5. Thanks for your patience if that's what you're hoping to read!

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doe-writes-stuff · 2 years ago

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A/N - More of the cowboy space dad, because honestly there is never enough of this fictional man. <3 This is just some of reader having a moment to just...acclimate after being pulled into everything that is Constellation. Sam's there to provide some much-needed company.

WARNINGS: None, drinking of alcohol. Tiny hints of flirting before relationship?

The ornate tumbler of whiskey burns like nothing else on the way down your throat, but damn it was much needed after the week you’d had. The glass gives a dull clunk as you set it back down on the Lodge’s bar top with a wince and a hissed ‘ahh.’ The first of the night, and likely not the last.

The headquarters of Constellation, for once, is silent. Well, save for the ever-present hum that the three artifacts emanated down below in the library. Even with the door to the library balcony shut, you could still hear and feel its looming, distinct presence at the deepest part of your subconscious. Some part of you is comforted by this, but the other shivers in a muted sort of horror at this ‘connection’ you seem to share with the damned thing.

Sitting on the stool with your elbows propped up on the counter, your head falls into your hands, fingers massaging slowly at your throbbing temples. As you waited for the alcohol to kick in and give your turbulent thoughts some respite, it was unfortunately impossible not to dwell on the very thing you were trying to forget about.

One minute, you’d been stuffed into a too-big mining suit and strapped with a cutter to mine on the little nowhere planet of Vectera. Argos Extractors. A simple contract. An easy paycheck. The perfect place to keep your head down, not make waves, and just…earn a living that wouldn’t draw the ire of the many powers that be. Trade Authority, Ryujin, GalBank, it didn’t matter who. Better to be a nobody and just…coast through your lonely little life and retire someday with enough for a decent ship all your own. That had been the idea, at least.

And then the vision had knocked your breath away, both literally and figuratively. The moment your suit had brushed against the metallic surface, colors and feelings and sounds you’d never imagined had assaulted your brain. There’d been vibration across your skull, what felt like a blindingly white-hot swelter of heat, but accompanied by a chill so icy you thought yourself frozen. All at once, you’d gotten the sensation of the galaxy expanding in size and scope tenfold. But when you’d come to, Heller and Lin standing over you with marked concern, the world had looked exactly the same as before.

You could never quite convince yourself you hadn’t been yanked from one reality, given a glimpse of something incredible beyond words or comprehension, and dropped back where you’d come from with little regard for the consequences to follow.

Maybe that’s exactly what it’d been…in which case, a shiver ran down your spine again.

Whatever it had been exactly, everything had been upturned in that one moment. Pirates and a fire fight; adrenaline had coursed through your body as bullets whizzed past your helmet, all while still reeling and trying to make sense of the vision. Your hands had shaken for hours after the fact.

Then meeting Barrett—a man like no one you’ve ever met before—who’d practically thrown you onto his ship with his robot companion, sent off to bring the artifact that had given you such boggling visions to begin with to the rest of his team back on New Atlantis. As if you’d just waltz into some science club with that hunk of metal with little explanation for why you were there.

And that hadn’t even been the end of it…

Vasco had analytically drawled at you in its robotic voice that you must destroy the pirates that’d been on Barrett’s tail, and so you’d entered their base of operations, weapon in hand and senses surely left somewhere behind on Vectera, and taken them out. Pure luck had you walk out of there alive. Most of that day was coming back a little fuzzy. Hell, maybe it was just your whiskey at this point…

Speaking of, you pour another finger’s worth of the stuff into your glass, marveling at the amber liquid. This one was easier to knock back, throat already having experienced the sting and now anticipating it. Smoky with a hint of honey, according to the salesman. All you could taste was the burn.

At first, you think you just imagine it. The sound of distant footsteps. But the longer they went on, growing more pronounced the closer they came, you realized someone else was up just as late as you were. Odd. You contemplated getting up to leave before you had unexpected and perhaps unwelcome company, but knew it was too late. Whoever it was would hear you making your exit by now, and that little niggle of curiosity was wondering who might be coming your way. Presumably for a drink as well. Half a dozen more steps and your late-night visitor appears in the doorway.

Sam, you think his name was. You’d only just met him and his daughter today, but the brunet cowboy had made an impression. Not many people outside of Akila chose to wear attire that resembled something in those antique western movies. By appearances, you’d expected some stubborn, prideful smart-ass typical of the planet’s residents. Instead, he’d been remarkably humble and charming. Definitely not the worst person that could have stumbled upon you at this late hour.

Surprise registered on his face when he spotted you already occupying a seat at the bar. Obviously he hadn’t been anticipating anyone else being awake. Then, his eyes flickered to the glass and bottle of whiskey you’d clearly already broken open with a little smile. “Long day?”

Your laugh is nothing more than a huff of breath. “Long week.”

He nods, gaze drifting around the room. You see the moment of hesitation, where he stays standing by the entrance, unsure of if he would be welcome to join you. Ah, a gentleman as well. Figuring his company wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, you give your head a jerk to the stool beside you, already reaching for one of the upturned tumblers further down the counter.

He sits with a long sigh, gratefully accepting the glass and nodding when you lift the whiskey in silent question. You eyeball a finger’s worth into the tumbler, but he clears his throat and gives it a tiny jostle.

“Better make it a double.”

A wry, curious smile curls its way onto your face as you look up at him, but you do as he asks. “Long day for you, sounds like.”

“Not really.” He brings the glass to his lips, downing the contents with little more than a wince in response. “Just a…long conversation.”

“At this hour?” You hadn’t heard anyone else speaking when you crept off to the bar by yourself earlier, but then again, you weren’t exactly sure where Sam’s room was. He gave a slow nod.

“Ex-wife.” There’s some sort of emotion in his tone, but it’s impossible to tell what. He doesn’t give much away with his expression, just stares down into his now-empty glass. “Work takes her all over the systems, so…our talks are often at odd hours.”

“Ah.” You’re not sure how else to respond to that, and decide that a simple acknowledgement of his statement was enough. He doesn’t continue, and you don’t pry. Based on his behavior, the topic of ex-wives was most certainly not a can of worms he was eager to open with you. Hence his trip to the bar. And truthfully, you weren’t in much a mood to listen to that right now.

Figuring more alcohol was the solution to both dilemmas at hand, you pour another round of whiskey in both of your glasses, which Sam doesn’t object to. The glasses are knocked back simultaneously, and thunk only a second apart back onto the counter. That warm, familiar buzz tingles your fingertips and chest. Wonderful.

Hearing your own sigh, Sam suddenly gives a low chuckle under his breath, before turning his head to face you. “So, first week. I take it Constellation’s been a bit more than you bargained for?”

“You have no idea…” The admission is accompanied by a weary shake of your head, which only caused Sam’s grin to widen further. “If you had asked me a month ago what I’d be doing with my life, I’d say something like…wasting away in some dark, dank cave on a planet no one’s heard of. Something boring. Forgettable. Hunting down unexplainable artifacts to unlock the ‘mysteries of the universe,’” you say with air quotations, “was nowhere on the list, believe it or not.”

“Quite a career change.” He posited with amusement, then crossed his arms and leaned on the counter, interest plaguing his expression. “What we do, it…ain’t for the faint of heart, sure. I mean, meeting Barrett is an experience all its own. But come on, do you really miss mining of all things?”

“It’s not that I miss it, exactly. It’s…” You drift off, eye rising to the ceiling as if searching for the right words to explain. Accompanying it is the slightest sensation of spinning, so your hands grips the edge of the counter. “It’s more like…I had already prepared myself for a few decades of boring, inconsequential work. And all this,” you gesture at the Lodge around you, “is nothing at all like that. I’ve…lost my footing, I guess.”

“Yeah, but…” Sam grimaces a little, eyes narrowing as he shakes his head, unable to understand, “…mining?”

You get the impression your career choice—former career choice, you remind yourself—was somehow especially bewildering to the cowboy, and can’t help the grin. “There’s routine. Familiar people, familiar terrain. You wake up each morning, and do the same thing you did the day before, and the same thing you’ll be doing the next day. Mine, lunch, mine some more. If you’re trained, then you work some equipment. Boring. Easy. A guaranteed paycheck for as long as the vein is plentiful. It’s…comforting, in a way, to always know what will happen next. Go in, get the job done, extract. Then, it’s off to the next mine and it starts all over again.”

You think you see the man shiver in his stool beside you, and laugh at the reaction.

“Sorry, but I ain’t seein’ the appeal in anything you just said.” Another laugh from you. Sam seems to be very good at getting you to do that. “You’ve just described a nightmare to me.”

“It’s definitely not for everyone.”

“Honestly, you don’t strike me as the type to want something like that either.” He goes on, and this piques your interest.

“What gives you that impression? We just met today.” You point out, and he concedes the point with a tilt of his hat. “You can hardly know me all that well.”

“Fair enough.” Sam inclines his head in understanding, then reaches over to grab the bottle of whiskey, pouring himself another. He flashes you an easy-going smile as he lifts his glass. “Just thought that…well, maybe I’d like to.”

It’s easy to blame the whiskey when you start questioning his meaning behind that. He just continues looking at you, and it’s somehow difficult to look away.

“Once you find that footing again, I get the feeling you’ll really like it around here. And, uh…between you and me?” After a conspiratorial glance around the empty bar, he leans in a bit closer. “The Lodge, the others…don’t get me wrong, they’re great. But there’s something about being out there, on a ship, among the stars that feels right at home. Never knowin’ what you might find at your next destination, that sense of adventure and freedom.” He shoots you another smile. “Discoverin’ the mysteries of the universe is a bonus on top of it all.”

You find yourself nodding along, mesmerized. Some part of you thought you could listen to him talk for hours. Mining had seemed like the most secured and consistent source of income available to you at the time. But it wasn’t your passion. It wasn’t what you wanted to do. It just…seemed like the correct decision to make at the time. You’d resigned yourself to being stuck deep in the rock for years to come, and now? That distant and foolhardy dream of having a ship all your own to travel across the stars was beating against the box you’d stuffed it in up until now.

Whether it was the alcohol or just Sam himself that kept him talking, you could’t be sure. He leans back a little, with a rueful shake of his head. “I know I’m ramblin’ at this point, but…there’s too much beauty in this universe to just…sit back and let your life go by without seeing it all. You know?”

“Yeah.” And you do. Or, maybe this buzz was making you nostalgic. “I think I know what you mean.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He seems happy with that admission, and you feel pride at having earned his favor somehow. You liked Sam. From what little you knew about him, he was a good person to have around. Not bad company, either. Having had this talk with him just solidified those positive traits you’d initially seen.

Which, speaking of…

“You mentioned having a lead on one of the artifacts earlier, right?”

“Back in the day, Solomon Coe, the founder of Akila City drew up some maps that I think should point us in the right direction. They’re locked up in the GalBank vault there.”

Mulling over that information, and taking a few seconds longer than you’d like to admit to put the family relation part of it together, you finally nod and offer a smile. “Then…what would you say to traveling together?”

“Heh.” Sam’s expression brightens a little at the proposal. “Up for adventure already, huh?”

“I think so.” It seems strange to say after having been overwhelmed by the past week alone, but with a pleasant buzz and someone as charming as Sam to help you into this new life of yours, well…it was easier than you anticipated to shed the anxiety and embrace the anticipation of not knowing what awaited you with Constellation. He could be real convincing.

Then, you give a little laugh. “That’s as long as the hangover isn’t too terrible in the morning, of course.”

“Trust me. We’ll both be feelin’ it tomorrow. This stuff’s no joke.” Sam says, picking up the whiskey bottle and reading the percentage of alcohol. Then setting it down, he pins you with another look that you think peers right into your soul. How the hell did he do that so easy? “To answer your question, I’d love to travel with you. Oh, uh…as long as you’re alright with me bringing Cora along.”

Cora? Right, his daughter. “Isn’t she 12?”

“She goes wherever I go. We’re sort of a package deal. Non-negotiable.” Sam explains with a shrug. He must see hesitation in your expression, uncertain if bringing a child along would be all that wise, so he adds, “She’ll stay on the ship if we’re somewhere safety might be a concern.”

“Under those conditions, then I accept.” You say. If anything, Vasco could lock down the ship and protect her while you were away.

“Great. She’ll be thrilled to hear that.” His smile is wide and infectious. Then, glancing at his empty glass of whiskey, he sighs and sets it downwards on the counter. “Better call it for the night. We’ll be sorry enough as is in the mornin.’”

“Yeah…” You agree, feeling more drunk now than tipsy. A deep, drunk sleep was exactly what you needed now. It was sad to have the conversation come to an end, however.

He peels himself out of the stool, then hangs back to make sure you were steady on your feet. You flash him a grateful smile, but gesture that you’ll be fine making it back to your room. It’s a short walk there, and you turn to your companion. “I’ll see you and Cora in the morning then.”

“Bright and early.” He promises, then chuckles. “Or late. Whichever the whiskey allows.”

Your smile widens. “Goodnight, Sam.”

“You too, Y/N.”

#sam coe #sam coe x reader #g/n reader #scenario #starfield #star field x reader

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giselberts · 1 month ago

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hi meja. answer every single spacefarer question for nima that you haven't already answered. i am obsessed with her

teehee late on this but thank u for the ask!! do the same for kanan now🔫🔫

🕴 - Basic but necessary question, who are they? (name, gender, age, etc…)

she's Nima Al-Fada, 35-ish, grew up in new atlantis as the 3rd kid in a family of 5 (five) daughters (hell on earth). she/her, bisexual but pretends everyone is when you point it out. "oh you like girls? you're bisexual?" "no im straight. but everyone loves girls are you stupid"

🌠- What's their background? (in-game background, backstory that doesn't follow canon… your pick)

oooh as far as in-game traits go, she's got the family trait and terra firma! as for her little lore in my mind palace, she joined ryujin shortly after graduating from college, worked there from age 22 to 32, had a burnout the second she started, got with imogene at age 30 until they broke up two years later, joined argos extractors, and then regular starfieldings things happen :)

⭐ - How good are they in combat? Is it something they've done before joining Constellation? What is their fighting style, their ~technique~?

she's shit at fighting for a while, until sarah and vladimir train her (sarah got into scary military lady mode and vladimir activated her inner competition streak when he gave her a little workout regimen). after that, she's a pro with her little pistol! (but i give her a big gun in screenshots because the damage is higher…)

🌑- Favourite companions? Any friends, partners?

teehee barrett is her favourite :) this meme is them from barrett's POV

she has some sort of kinship with andreja over "cora and sona look up to us only because we look and are scary", she's pals with sam because he's trying to get on her good side in case she lets something slip about something she witnessed him doing when he was a feral young man, and sarah's pals with her in case she drops something about sam. and also because nima's good at paperwork and sarah likes having a pal to take care of constellation paperwork with her.

🌙 - What do they do for fun? Hobbies, passions?

her passion… is looking scary. jkjk BUT she put so much pressure on herself since she was a kid to be real perfect, so now that she's an adult… she doesn't know what her hobbies or passions are. she likes interior design and fashion though!! you pop into her ship and it's like being in a showroom. everything is so clean and neat and cool to look at :)

☀ - What song represents them best? A playlist even, mayhaps?

OOOh three songs. just for you.

my body is not mine (aurora) eksistensen (evigheten) dopamine (bones UK)

🪐- Do they have a favourite place or planet in the universe? Somewhere to call home?

the more she goes through the unity, the more she gets an attachment to the lodge! but when she gets married and settles down, it's the little house she eventually builds somewhere on jemison where she goes to spend her vacations! (though that's really later down the line, like 20ish years later)

☄- Hunter, Emissary, or none?

fuck those bitches!! she sides with both at least once to fuck around and find out, then decides she's better off on her own. i like to think that when she's inside the buried temple, there's at least one universe where they rock-paper-scissors things out instead of fighting.

#meja's ocs #nima #heehee #gilbert

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silent-moons-camp · 1 year ago

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OC Introduction

Tagged by @silurisanguine from the Coemancer Crew - thank you!

Introducing: Kanan McCarthy

Fandom: Starfield

Role: Spacefarer, Captain

Basics

Full Name: Kanan McCarthy

Nicknames: Cowpoke, Kane (really only ever referred to as such by their twin sister)

Pronouns: They/them, not strict on pronouns though.

Sexuality: Pansexual

Occupation and Titles: Freestar Militia Infantry (formerly), Shaw Gang Outlaw (formerly), Argos Extractors Miner (formerly), Smuggler and general criminal (currently), Constellation Member (currently)

Birthday and Age: At the beginning of the game (May 7th, 2330) Kanan is 37. They turn 38 shortly after. They were born on May 27th, 2292 in Akila City.

Physical Description: Kanan stands at exactly six feet tall (about 183 cm). They are physically active and as such have a sort of athletic build.

Clothing Style: Kanan wears masculine leaning clothing and mostly sticks to more "wild west" themed apparel. They are often seen in their signature red poncho and cowboy hat.

Background

As I don't want to spoil things, I'll keep this vague. Kanan was born and raised on Akila in Freestar space. Them and their family lived on the McCarthy Homestead just outside Akila City walls.

Kanan took part in the Colony War at a young age, having gotten caught up in the war propaganda. As such, they lied about their age in order to fight for the Freestar Collective. The Colony War took a huge toll on both Kanan and the McCarthy family as a whole.

Kanan went to college after the war and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering, having majored in engineering and minored in astronomy. They fell into a life of crime afterward, having joined the Shaw Gang for some time and then branching out on their own.

As seen in my fic titled The Man in Red, Kanan joined Argos Extractors about a year before the story of Starfield after encountering an odd bounty hunter in the Red Mile who wanted them alive.

They joined Constellation after encountering the Artifact on Vectera, and their story is currently being written in my fic titled Event Horizon.

Combat and Skills

Preferred fighting style: Kanan prefers mid to close range combat with guns, though they are not against getting very close and engaging in close quarters combat with melee weapons or hand-to-hand.

Favorite Weapon(s): Kanan carries a modified razorback revolver named "Penumbra." Kanan also carries around and prefers shotguns, but also keeps a sniper rifle handy as well as small blades.

Special Skills: Like any wild west gunslinger, Kanan is highly skilled at using pistols. They also use Starborn abilities (although they are not Starborn themself). Kanan is charismatic and knows just the right buttons to push when it comes to enemies, but also which words to choose when trying to de-escalate a situation. As they went to college for engineering, Kanan is well versed in various means of engineering, which includes spaceship building and design, outpost construction, weapon handling and management, and spacesuit technology. They are an excellent pilot as well, capable of coming out on top in even the most dangerous dogfights.

Relationships

Family: Kanan's father is James McCarthy, a former Freestar Ranger and former member of the First Cavalry mech division. Their mother is Charlotte McCarthy, a scientist and astronomer. They had an older brother named Owen who was also apart of the First Cavalry mech division during the Colony War. He was killed in the later years of the Battle of Niira. Lastly, Kanan is a twin; their twin sister is named Senya, a ronin by trade who currently lives with and takes care of their father at the McCarthy Homestead.

Kanan would later consider Constellation as their own "found family."

Love interest: Sarah Morgan. Before Sarah, Kanan rarely ever had any serious relationships out of fear of commitment. Instead, they often wandered from lover to lover and held many "friends with benefits" type relationships. One night stands are not uncommon for Kanan, though their more promiscuous behavior settles down once they end up in a serious relationship with Sarah.

Best Friend(s): Kanan is very close with all the members of Constellation, but finds a close friendship in both Andreja and Matteo.

Personality

Positive traits: Passionate, caring, ambitious, loyal

Negative traits: Stubborn, tends to isolate, reckless, greedy

Likes: Nature, animals, astronomy, books, Old Earth relics, exploration

Dislikes: Most governments and politicians, corruption, spacers, high-horse attitudes, cops, Neon

Fears: Being lonely forever, losing their family (both found and blood family), losing those they care about, another war

Guilty Pleasure(s): Smutty novels, Old Earth spaghetti western movies, whiskey

Hobbies: Playing guitar, exploring, reading, collecting Old Earth trinkets and relics, listening to music, cleaning weapons and armor, building spaceships, and somehow managing to herd ashta.

#tag games #oc: kanan mccarthy #starfield #starfield spoilers #stfu cloud

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lunas-journal-sf · 6 months ago

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Entry 0.1: The Starborn

What the hell does that even mean?

I was told I was one. I didn't want to be one. I mean, sure, I get superpowers, but the only other Starborns out there want to kill me.

I guess my life was pretty ordinary. I've got a mom and dad, they're sweet. Probably not what you expected from some netrunner slumming it in Neon, right? It was just where I wanted to be. They didn't try to hold me down, just wanted me to be safe and call every now and then. New Atlantis always seemed so boring and stuffy, Neon had excitement and edge. It's all foolish now, I guess. After what I've seen.

I worked my ass off to pay off a debt I had incurred, and needed fast caps. Mining was probably as far away from my skill set as you could possibly get. Argos Extractors was offering high credits and quick training, so I figured what's the worst that could happen?

I never figured I would call myself a Starborn either, but here we are.

Passenger shuttles to here were one thing, but I gotta say, nothing compared to seeing the stars for myself. My own ship, my first spacewalk, seeing beautiful nebulas... that might be the best thing out of this experience. Kind of insane that Constellation would so readily give me my own ship but, again, that's just what my life is now.

Sorry, it's getting hard to write now. A junker sold me a printer and I dumped some old pictures from some slates. Maybe turn this into a kind of scrapbook? We'll see...

-Luna

#starfield

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ashlynstarfield · 1 year ago

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"Vectera

Last day with Argos Extractors. Picked up a strange metal object and my life changed. Again.

Frontier. First ship I ever flewn."

#starfield #bethesda games #constellation #game photography #photo mode #moleskine #morpholio #roleplay

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ncytiri · 2 years ago

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was bored last night while waiting for the singapore grand prix to start so i decided to hop on starfield to pass the time and made a new blorbo <3

this is tsuki!!!! he was given that name because he was born during a full moon and his parents thought it would give him good luck in life :') also he is bisexual with a lean towards men <3

i guess it both did and didn't because he decided to live his life as a space scoundrel, making money in any way he can (he's a little greedy but he grew up on the streets of neon so he likes to hoard creds to make sure he and his parents never have to worry abt being low on money </3).

tsuki figured with his new career path, he would eventually be able to treat his parents to a beautiful home somewhere off of neon and be able to let them retire in peace (his dad was a worker for xenofresh fisheries and his mom was a waitress at madame sauvage's and grew up hearing how his parents were mistreated by their employers). this leads him to taking a job with argos extractors on vectera, he knew miners received a well paying contract at the risk of losing life and limb but tsuki figured it couldn't be as bad as some of the stuff he's gotta himself wrangled into 😭 so that's where his story starts!!

tsuki is also a bit of an asshole DSDKFJSDJF i wanted to try my hand at choosing mean answers because i ALWAYS chose the nice answers and i figured tsuki would be fun to try that with!!

i'm gonna stick with talking abt hayden more since i'm not done playing her but i figured i would introduce yall to tsuki because i love him and wanted to show yall his beautiful face 🫶

#oc rambling #oc: tsuki #starfield oc #starfield #like idk how i was struck with such inspo last night with how tired i was but here we are! DSFJDDFL #but i hope yall love him as much as i do!!! <3

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hustlemeanokay · 2 years ago

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Noch & Heller . Argos Extractors

"When Lin says "stay still, I wanna take a picture." You stay still and let her take a picture." - Heller, probably.

#starfield #starfield spoilers #maybe?#my oc #noch #noch teyrn #heller #and his pearly whites #my screenshots #the photo mode in this games leaves much to be desired on xbox

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lifeinthestarfield · 2 years ago

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May 7, 2330

So I got this data slate to use as a journal, a step up from the paper notebooks I've been using. Travelling in space though, all of those notebooks are just weight I can't afford. Data slates are lighter for sure...so long as I stay away from EMP weapons!

I've been working as an explorer, a planetary surveyor really, but lost my ship to spacers. That was a tough break because all my credits were on board. And, because it was uncontrolled space, I really have no recourse.

I managed to hitch a ride with some scientists to New Atlantis and, after spending a couple nights curled up in a side passage in the Well, I got a job with Argos Extractors as a miner. First stop a mine on Vectera. Pay is good. Working conditions not so great, but my supervisor is an ace - her name's Lin and she's tough; tough on getting the job done, but also tough on safety. I respect her.

The rest of the crew, on my shift at least, are OK. Heller is a crackup and terrible at poker. He still thinks my winning last night was just dumb luck. 😂

Yesterday's orientation and mining session went fine. Lin seems happy with my progress and I'm eager to start earning the credits so I can purchase a ship and get out roaming again. I'm not make to be plant-bound.

I guess I'd better say who I am, just in case spacers get me and this diary is my only ID. Name's Kasseri Hastur, born in New Atlantis, parent's dead of that plague that hit the Porrima system ten years ago. Like I said, I'm an explorer at heart, and I'll do what it takes to get back out there.

Time to gear up. Lin's taking me deep into the mine. There's a new face they are opening up and it sounds like a lot of credits are in play.

#starfield

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lilulicious · 4 months ago

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Coe-Pilot: The Space Between Us

Chapter 3: Safe Lodging

THEN:

SLATE: UC SYSDEF/AEGIS FORMER UNSUB #54387XYEE455 NOW IDENTIFIED AS SGT 1ST CLASS LILUANA MCLOVIN (AKA "LILU") OF FORMER US ARMY, EARTH, 2025. CLASSIFIED. ** EYES ONLY**

TOPIC: POST-THREAT QUARANTINE COMPLETION AND REASSIGNMENT - INTERACTIVE PROCESS SESSION 2

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: Ok, Liluana…

Lilu: It’s just Lilu. Or Sgt. McLovin. Anything but Liluana.

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: Liluana is a lovely name. Liluana McLovin. I’m not familiar with a lot of historical Earth names, do your first and last names have a meaning?

Lilu: Yeah, my mother was Colombian.

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: And your father?

Lilu: Wasn't.

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: Cute.

Lilu: Well, it means my dad was a big shit in the Company… oh, I’m sorry, I mean the American Central Intelligence Agency… and whilst messing around in Colombia to, you know, destabilize the Colombian government, he found himself a beautiful, brown woman who caught his fancy long enough to bring her back to Manhattan, knock her up, get bored with her, and dump her. That’s what Liluana McLovin really means. So I shortened it to Lilu, to match the length of their relationship. It’s a whole philosophy if you stop and think about it.

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: Huh. OK.

Lilu: Oh, I’m sorry, did I make you uncomfortable with that? You should feel uncomfortable, it was a stupid question, "Ask the Earthling what it means in her native tongue"? I’ve been here what, a couple of months? What are you planning on doing with me since you’ve clearly figured out who I am now? I can be useful in your military, or security, or even running a goddamned commissary, but you certainly can’t be planning on leaving me in here forever. It's a nice holding cell and all, but I haven’t done anything wrong except be a passenger in a helicopter that crashed in a swamp.

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: You’re right, but certainly you understand our concerns. If it was just that you were a highly decorated sniper, it would be one thing, but some of the work that we uncovered while you did side jobs for your "Central Intelligence Agency"… Well, there’s just no polite way to put this: you’re a trained killer. Cold blooded and methodical. The hallmarks of sociopathic behavior. Certainly, you see why we might be cautious about turning you loose in New Atlantis, or the UC as a whole.

Lilu: You’re kidding me, right? Those weren’t thrill kills. I was acting on behalf of the U.S. Government, and those were targets that were deemed a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States. Oh, and before you say, "It takes a sociopath to be able to compartmentalize like that", maybe so, but don’t think that work has left me unaffected. The scars I carry go beneath the surface. But… I guess I get why you wouldn’t be sure of me, it’s just with the positive DNA identification and access to my files, I would have thought I’d get a little more... acknowledgement for the decorations I received in the line of duty. At least for the targets I was able to be recognized for taking out.

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: It might surprise you to discover that it’s because of that respect that we are going to move you towards that ultimate goal of integrating you into the Settled Systems, preferably as a permanent resident of the UC where, yes, we might find utility for you and your unique skillset. But we need to start small and see how it goes. We have an entry level position open for you with Argos Extractors as a miner. It’s off-world, it can be potentially dangerous, but you’ll be placed under a former UC military veteran and you’ll be out of here…

Lilu: A miner. Wow. Well, ok then. Sign me up, I’ll take it. Anything. Please. Just get me out of here to breathe some fresh air. When can I start?

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: Next week. But don't count on that fresh air anytime soon once you see where you're going.

——————————————————————————————————-

NOW:

It was a bumpy, bloody, violent path, but at last the Frontier touched down at the New Atlantis Spaceport.

Vasco, the robot, really had this Protocol Indigo stuff down on lock, Lilu had to give credit where it was due. Whoops, it was “Captain” Lilu now. She guessed, just like with maritime ships back on Earth, a starship’s captain was lord/lady of their vessel. She definitely was going to avoid going by Captain McLovin if she could help it. The name was turned into a joke in a raunchy coming-of-age movie in the 2000’s on Earth, and with her rather Rubenesque form, she could already hear the jibes, even in this supposedly modern society. Modern didn’t necessarily mean enlightened. They were still fighting wars, for pity’s sake.

But getting back to her trip away from Vectera, it was not without challenges. Learning how to control the Frontier was not too difficult, lucky thing she had spent a lot of time playing simulator video games back on Earth. It was the space battles that were unexpected. Sure, she played those video games, too, but it was a whole lot different when there was a legitimate chance and relatively high likelihood of actually going out in a ball of flames. No pressure, or anything.

Vasco saw her through, though, instructing her on how and when to use the ship’s laser weapons and then ballistics, later telling her to line a pirate ship, from that dastardly but persistent Crimson Fleet, up in the HUD crosshairs and fire devastating missiles at it until it broke up into flames and sparks. And how to search the wreckage for valuables, resources, and ship repair parts.

Vasco insisted they land at the nearby moon of Kreet, where the Crimson Fleet had taken over a small, deserted, UC outpost. Per Vasco, countless numbers of these outposts existed after the Colony Wars, and he insisted that the pirates at this base would keep hectoring them until they were knocked back. Well, just like fighting them off at Vectera, this was at least something with which Lilu was comfortable and skilled. Tally ho, mofos, I'm coming in shootin', she thought.

Clearing the abandoned station wasn't that hard, but when she confronted the pirate leader at the end, the revelation was a tad troubling. Brogan, his name was, said that the Frontier was rumored to be loaded with treasure that Constellation picked up. Now, these space pirates were more like pirates out of storybooks than the pirates she had encountered off Somali shores back on Earth, genuinely looking to find the loot where "X marks the spot", but the way they spoke of the ship harboring treasure like it was a fabled vessel... just what kind of outfit was she joining in Constellation, anyway?

She somehow convinced this Brogan that there was nothing on board, and she wasn't lying. There was a water pack, some cheddar crackers, a half-eaten sandwich, and that was about it. She'd been left to go it on her own, and the food and supplies she'd stumbled across in the deserted station were the veritable treasure trove compared to the scraps she found on that busted old ship. Brogan let her and Vasco leave. Perhaps he took stock of the truth in her words: she'd killed all his crew that had been inside the station, so maybe leaving with what personnel and pride he had left was the safer play.

Before long, Vasco and Captain Lilu were touching down on the planet Jemison, and the spaceport of New Atlantis. As they landed, Lilu looked at the city with fresh eyes. She realized that this really was a city of the future like she had imagined when she was a kid. It looked a little bit like a futuristic theme park. Sleek, curving, mirror-finished buildings disappeared into the distance, connected by the New Atlantis Transit (NAT). Hi-rises, terraces, trees, waterfalls, it was a multifaceted jewel of blues, greens, earth tones. There were banners and pennants flying merrily in the bright afternoon sun.

Lilu hadn't appreciated her initial descent into New Atlantis when UC SysDef brought her here in the military shuttle after the crash because she thought it was an elaborate enemy psyop and she was overwhelmed, scared out of her mind. And later she hadn't appreciated it when they shipped her off in the darkness of night to Vectera to be a miner because she didn't know if everything would be ok and she was, once again, scared out of her mind. But now as she disembarked from the Frontier and walked out away from the ship to take it all in, it was indescribably beautiful. Because there was breathable fresh air, an open blue sky, and, above all, a taste of freedom. "At last," she sighed.

She saw the New Atlantis Ship Services Technician, who said, to Lilu's dismay, "Hey Vasco! What, no Barrett? Let me guess, Protocol Indigo again?" He looked Lilu appraisingly up and down, in her completely unflattering Argos Extractors jumpsuit. He then introduced himself and indicated he could take care of ship customizations and repairs, and excess items could be sold at the nearby "Trade Authority" kiosk, helpfully on the safe side of the contraband/bounty scanners leading into the city. That there was a tacit arrangement between the city and the Trade Authority, an agency that even Lilu in her Settled Systems infancy knew was shadier than an old Earth Las Vegas pawn shop, was extremely amusing and a little bit comforting. Apparently the future wasn't setting high moral bars she wouldn't have to worry about hurdling.

Vasco led her on to board the NAT near the Spaceport, and soon they were whisked away to the MAST District. MAST stood for "Military, Administrative, and Scientific Triumvirate", and its eponymous centerpiece building loomed like the dorsal fin of an orca. "I'll never see another whale or dolphin," Lilu thought, sadly. "Or a dog, or horse." She felt tears suddenly spring to her eyes. "Keep it together," she chided herself. She had avoided thinking about everything that was long dead and gone, those things and people she would never see again. They'd told her about this whilst in UC custody, the escape from a dying earth and the decision not to clone Earth's animals as invasive and difficult to maintain species... and she contained her shock and sadness at the prospect of a future where some of her favorite creatures no longer existed. Lilu didn't want the UC to use her emotional weakness against her. She still wasn't in a place she was safe enough to let her guard down to grieve the loss of her planet, family, friends, life. Besides, to have any future for humans was apparently better than no future at all, right?

Out of the underground station, up a ramp and into a gorgeous plaza they crossed, vibrant with humanity in striking clothing, colorful landscaping, and there stood one of the most enormous trees she had ever seen up close. It looked almost like a giant acacia tree one might find on the African savannah back on Earth, with its huge trunk and enormous canopy of branches. Vasco stomped by it, unmoved, but Lilu gaped at it. But no time for lollygagging, the robot was hurrying through the crowd of pedestrians up a set of steps toward a building that could have been built by the great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, it was so strikingly similar in style. Could she hope that somehow, the influences of Old Earth could be found in this new world? Small comfort, but better than none at all.

"You can hold the watch that Barrett gave you up to the door and it should unlock it," said Vasco, indicating the watch on her wrist. She'd forgotten, and hastily held it up to the door. She saw the Constellation symbol on the watch screen turn into a closed lock, then an open lock, and heard a latch snick inside the door mechanism. Lilu gave the door a gentle push and it opened slightly.

"I have messaged ahead to the others and they are waiting for us inside," Vasco announced. Well, ok, then. Time to go inside and meet these new people. Lilu walked through the door into a wood paneled foyer. She could see why it was called the Lodge. There was an almost masculine feel to the room, with the dark wood finishes, the decorative pieces that spoke to exploration by both land, air, sea, and space, the paintings of intrepid explorers from history, even... wait... was that an oil portrait of Buzz Aldrin hanging over the staircase? Wow, she thought, he must be a figure from ancient history to them.

There was another set of double doors ahead of her, and she could hear voices in the room beyond. Taking a deep breath, she pushed on through them, and found herself in a much larger room with towering cathedral ceilings, and an exit to a solarium outside. Towards the end of the room, there was a boardroom style table and chairs, an alcove with a fireplace and lounge seating, and in the center was a pedestal that almost looked like a fire pit without fire, surrounded by polished wood railings, and with two metal objects laying on it like the Artifact she had pulled out of the cave there on Vectera. And, more to the point, there were four people, two men and two women, encircling the structure, arguing. Arguing, that is, until she came into the room. They all stopped then, turned, and stared at her. Oh great, she thought, that's not scary at all.

One of them quickly asserted herself as the leader. A slender, attractive, and intense looking blonde woman in a red leather jacket stepped forward. "Welcome to Constellation, we have a lot to talk about. But why are you here and why is Barrett not with you?"

Oh boy. Weren't they supposed to have been messaged by Vasco? Didn't Lin say she was going to have to tell them about the arrangement with the UC to let Lilu out of custody but there were conditions to her freedom, and all of it was classified? What should she say here? And should she try to get away with more or would it make things worse if she was found out? Play it straight, safest move.

"Barrett stayed behind to help the Argos people out until they could be evacuated; we were attacked by Crimson Fleet. He sent me on with the Artifact in his stead. Vasco helped me learn how to fly the ship." No lies were told here, thought Lilu. There was no need to get into the escapades with the pirates on Kreet.

The blonde woman asked Vasco to verify the information, which was quickly done, but another man, older, wearing a business suit and standing on the left side of the pedestal, broke in, clearly irritated with the whole affair.

"This is more of Barrett's shenanigans, using that cut-rate mining operation of his, and if we hadn't installed the safety locks on that robot, I guarantee you this..." and with that he sneered contemptuously at Lilu... "this hole-dweller would be halfway to Neon by now".

"Walter, don't be rude", the blonde woman said, warningly.

"But she didn't, she's here now with the artifact, isn't she?" said a young man wearing a strange headpiece like a skullcap, standing on the far side of the railing surrounding the pedestal.

"Exactly, Matteo. That is precisely the salient point, let's not lose focus of that, shall we?" replied the blonde woman, and she said to Lilu, "The Artifact, could you place it with the others please?"

Suddenly, Lilu felt loathe to part with the Artifact. It's not that she felt it was hers, but there was a weird pull, or attraction to it. A connection. A magnetism? It was hard to describe, but she sure wasn't going to start trying to explain it to these strangers.

She walked forward toward an opening in the railing. The last of the quartet, a young Black woman, smiled encouragingly at her. She gave a wan smile back. Lilu didn't know what would happen once she dropped off the Artifact, if she would be tossed aside since Barrett's message hadn't come through, if she really would be offered a place in this "Constellation" even if it did sound kind of dodgy. It was still three hots and a cot in a place where she didn't have a place.

Well, there was nothing else for it. She couldn't stall or that would be suspicious. Lilu walked forward, drew the Artifact out of a bag she had slung on her back, laid it upon the pedestal with the others, then stepped back two paces, and watched with the others. The older man, Walter, said, "It looks just like the other two specimens we've collected."

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, the Artifacts began to vibrate slowly. Lilu could almost feel, rather than hear, a light thrumming and the vibrations of harmonic tones. Keeping her head still, she surreptitiously darted her eyes to the others' faces to see if they were reacting as if they heard it, too, but there was no sign of it affecting them at all. "What the fuuu....", she thought. "Is it because I handled it, and it made me pass out? Are they faking it? Or is this typical and that's why they don't react? Do I want to let them know I'm clueless?"

But then suddenly the Artifacts leapt into the air over the pedestal and started doing an orbital dance of energy and light, slowly rotating and gyrating like their own solar system. Lilu stared, open mouthed. She wasn't alone. The Black woman started exclaiming, "That energy that's arcing between them? No manufactured material in the Settled Systems can do that! None of them! This proves that..."

"Easy now," said the blonde woman, "you'll have a heart attack. You may be right but we need more evidence."

"Not to interrupt this grand, scientific moment, but what do we do with our delivery girl here?" asked Walter, gesturing towards Lilu, and the quartet was facing her again. Lilu gulped. This was the moment of truth.

The blonde woman said to her, "So, what do you say? Is exploration a life you're interested in living? One you'd like to lead in this universe of ours? Would you like to be a part of Constellation? I don't think Barret would have sent you just as an errand girl, he must have thought you would fit in here as an explorer."

Lilu felt her heart pounding. Why did the woman say it like that, did she know that Lilu was from Earth, but a different time or maybe universe? Lilu didn't know what any of this meant, but somehow she knew a change of fortune was at hand. Like an old, kitschy sci-fi movie she used to love, lines that said, roughly, something about without change, something sleeps inside us and the sleeper must awaken. She might not be a messiah but she knew she'd felt asleep under the UC's custody. Time to wake up and come alive.

"OK," said Lilu, "Let's do this. What's the next step?"

Lilu had just joined Constellation, and she was going to be handed her first mission, no further questions asked, her background not even a factor? The other shoe was sure to drop at some point because that was just her luck. But for right now, she was on the membership list for this strange club. "Let's see where this road goes," Lilu thought, and she followed the blonde woman, who introduced herself as Sarah Morgan, deeper into the Lodge.

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Chapter 3 Song:

I don't wanna play politics, Sorry miss, this is members only. I could swear I was on the list? Saw your face in the paper with a warning.

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