《Shepherd Moon》Part 5: Dust - Chapter 4
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The Security Officer touched a contact on his desk AI and the holovision file faded. He leaned back in his chair, holding his hand over his mouth. His eyes shifted up to gaze at Maddy opposite him.
'You're a wanted criminal,' he said. His voice was flat, controlled.
'Officially, yes.' Maddy uncrossed her legs and crossed them again the other way. She managed to control her hands that lay in her lap. She met the officer's eyes. 'I hope that's not going to be a problem.'
'It would have been once. The Elite...'
Of course, the Elite would have sent a squad to arrest her if they knew where she was, but she was hardly a priority now. The Elite had far greater problems, and there were surprisingly few of them making application to join the colonists on board the Victoria. The Slowboat was being left alone despite the need to relocate millions of refugees.
Maddy still used the name Linda Jones, but had decided to be honest with the Security Officer. He was a fellow colonist after all. But there were things he didn't need to know, like how the deForêt-Bassyngthwayghtes had helped her elude the authorities and smuggle her on board the Victoria. It would be a shame for the Marquis to be found aiding the escape of a known felon. Fortunately, the Security Officer seemed to see the need for discretion about certain matters.
Behind him was a large window in the side of the Victoria. The Milky Way stretched from one side of the window to the other, looking very much like the river it was supposed to resemble. It was view she was used to, having lived with it most of her life. She might have been back on the Endeavour. In a way she was.
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'You sound like a remarkable woman,' the officer continued. 'Your father was known among the Slowboats as a hero and a brilliant nuclear physicist.'
'He was a man,' she replied.
He nodded and removed his hands from his mouth. He was smiling.
'Well, I've spoken to Captain Villiers. She's new to the job; our previous commander retired last month. She's keen on changes to the ship's infrastructure, wants us to generate new ideas, change the way things are done. It's about time. Anyway, she's happy to welcome you on board.'
Maddy tried not to show the pleasure, kept it business-like, as if there had not really been much doubt in her mind that she'd be accepted on the Victoria.
'Thank you,' she said. 'I hope I can help Captain Villiers out with her changes.'
'We need engineers. I don't know what things were like on the Endeavour, but after two hundred years in space things on this ship are sure breaking down a lot. Perhaps you should have gone back to the Endeavour.'
No, she couldn't do that. Too many still-bleeding wounds, too many old scars that would emerge from the past and hurt again. It was the Victoria or nothing: of the other Slowboats, the Santa Maria had been bombed last year and was still limping from the wound, and the Discovery hadn't been heard of for years.
'We're happy to have you,' he added, as if he realised her choices really were limited. 'We're still ten years from planetfall, and won't begin deceleration for a few years yet. Plenty of things to do to prepare for that, and you've experienced deceleration on the Endeavour, so you'll be handy as a consultant. Let us know what we're in for.'
He smiled again. She returned one, and added lightly, 'It's isn't a pleasant time.'
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He rose and held out his hand. 'Welcome aboard. You can stay here as Maddy Hawthorn or Linda Jones, whichever you like. If the Syndicate comes looking for you, we've never heard of you.'
'Thanks.'
She shook his hand and the interview was over.
***
Like the other Slowboats, the Victoria had an observation deck, where the full glory of the universe could be viewed almost unrestricted. It was a quiet place, where the lights were seldom lit and people gathered for conversation and contemplation. For a while Maddy tried to make sense of the stars, to find some she recognised, but the ship was in a far different place to anywhere else she'd been, and the alignments and patterns of the constellations were shifted beyond identification. So she lay back in a reclining chair and stared upwards through the transparent ceiling. She would paint this scene, and use a lot of colour, because there was a lot of colour out there, more than she'd ever noticed before.
Life was a good thing to have.
THE END
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Netheril’s Glory
The protagonist, Punk, is a cautious, cold-blooded, and ruthless Mage.His goal is always his top priority, over feelings or morality. When unnecessary, he doesn’t like to act like pigs to eat tigers; there are almost no life and death struggles, sometimes risky but steady progress. No strong enemy everywhere, Instead, Punk is always a strong enemy of others.And he has a very keen interest in the secrets and teachings of the Netheril civilization.
8 385Returning to No Applause, Only More of the Same
Kreig was summoned to the other world 130 years ago, the last 30 of which were spent in a constant, vengeful war against any army that would attempt to subjugate him. Once he returned, he found out that only 10 years had passed. He was given the title of War of the North but he never even knew about it. After all, nobody could get close enough to tell it to him. But that all changes one day when a portal opens, allowing Kreig and a small band of soldiers to enter one of many portals that leads to Earth. As it turns out these portals have been opening ever since he was summoned, giving the people of Earth abilities that the world he was summoned to only used to have. But now... now, he has returned. Longing for his former life of peace and understanding, he allows authorities to capture him on the spot, only to be faced with deeply personal questions, such as "who are you?" "what have you been doing for the past 10 years?" and "why is your level so high?" -------- ...Have you ever read a story where the main guy who got isekai'd returns to Earth. Say, for example, FFF-class trashhero or the necromancer of Seoul station? Say, what if the authorities actually became aware what kind of monster had returned to Earth? What if they actually tried to use them for something? Kreig's been in the other world for 130 years, has experienced three great wars, and he isn't okay. Mentally speaking, that is. He's been imprisoned, gained and lost comrades, been betrayed... The whole lot. By now, all he wants is to put it all behind him, something the world doesn't seem to want to let him. (Irregular updates, mostly written for fun, no strong planning)
8 295Everyone Dies Alone but not necessarily in space
Djaer is a lonely outsider from a species of interstellar tyrants, who finally has his dream job: a waste transport mission expected to take thousands of years, with nobody to bother him, and a small group of delicious humans to subjugate and ultimately consume. He was just settling in to relax for what felt like the first time in his life, when he finds out W.A.S.T.E. Unincorporated has saddled him with an assistant. It mostly seems like she only exists to annoy him, but it turns out there's more to her than meets the eye. Join an ensemble cast of characters in exploring a universe in which life is nasty, brutish and all-too-long, as they uncover the truth of who really makes the galaxy tick, and try to do something about it.
8 113World Labyrinth
Meet our hero: an average young man with an average life, who ended up dying while working an average job. However, he's a given a chance to see another world at the final crossroads of his old life. The catch... well... he knows there's one. There always is. But, hey, when you're about to die, you take whatever opportunity's provided to you. This is the young man's story in the new world as he learns he can't afford to be average anymore. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've decided to put this note up due to some comments and ratings left for this ORIGINAL FICTION complaining its boring. This story starts slow and it takes time for things to pick up. Also the MC doesn't start off as superman or become superman magically in two chapters. He also is AVERAGE... so it takes time to build up his character. Starting chapter 14 or so things pick up, but this isn't a pure hack and slash and skills level up story like most of the FF on this site. Just giving you a warning, so you don't end up disappointed and end up having to post large paragraphs complaining about the story... I also post on average every TWO OR THREE DAYS, so you'll get more to read.
8 201They came by the dozen (Dropped)
Hey yo. This is gonna be more of a diary entries than a story but hey. This will contain some game aspects, reincarnation and blah blah blah.1st arc: Well isn't this just dandy.This story follows a random guy who just happens to win a poker match against a whole pantheon of gods in an ametuer poker tournament. He won the tournament then went home, afterwards dying by slipping on a banana peel to an open manhole then being eaten by a sewer croc of legends. Ok fine he died by hitting his head too hard on the concrete floor.The random guy just so happens to die on the same day as eleven other random people caused by slipping of a banana peel. Oh yeah they also have beaten the mentioned pantheon of gods one way or another, well an example would be rock paper scissors, an mmo, drinking games and more. In simple terms they're shit at games.What could possibly go wrong.
8 99Teenage Advice
Ok, I am starting this advice book to help teenagers with their problems. Here's what you have to do to get advice:1.) Comment a question 2.) Give your name or what you would like to be addressed by3.) Before sending in a comment or message read over it to make sure there aren't any errors
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