Semia

The End of the Beginning

Before they headed out, Jaxer made them demonstrate their understand of the internal systems, temperature regulation and gravity. Things he considered essential for their survival.

Satisfied with their knowledge, Jaxer pressed a button revealing a staircase leading to the engine room. In front of them was a long corridor lined with the same white walls in Kahma's room. The wallscrossed the width of the ship diagonally leading them towards 'the front' of the ship in a straight line.

Jaxer took a sharp left turn through a door no taller than his frame. The tops of the frame pushed his hair back. Semia stood in awe at the two large turbo boosted engines sitting on the metal floors and the smaller one just to the side.

"There will be no space surfing" Alex and Jaxer said in unison

"Though powerful, even this ship has its limitations. These should only be used at 60% capacity max unless in an emergency"

Weaving through a meteor storm had become her favourite hobby over the course of her time in Paragon Tech. The Sirius Galaxy was plagued with debris that wasn't as much fun to play in. They did as much damage to a ships' protective dome as one ripper could and sometimes travelled as high speeds known to combust ships on impact.

She wasn't going to go crazy, just zoom through the deadliest of storms. It was the only shortcut they had and would skip two of the five planets to their destination.

The engine room had a short slope leading to the lower floor and the trio had to crawl through the tiny space.

They were led to the another room containing gas chambers, water and waste systems and an equilibrium leveller.

"The leveller controls the gravitational system. It can be managed above deck or manually overridden from here"

After an extensive lecture about the engineering and management of the engine room they resurfaced above deck and out of the control room. Jaxer rounded the side of the control hub into another corridor below deck. This time to the cabins.

The area spread out in a wide semi-circle and Semia was starting to see the shape that inspired this ship. The walls were painted the same white colour. On the farthest sides of the walls were two doors. Jaxer led them through the door a little the right of them putting the room on full display.

Both windows in the room stopped midway down. One on top of a king-sized bed to the left of the room. The other was aligned diagonally on the opposite end of the room. Through either of them, she could see the other ships around the walkways.

Not liking the windows, but there's nothing to be done about that now.

Jaxer had replaced the Ustrium with wood for walls on the inside and a supposedly energy efficient entertainment system. A sofa and two plain darkwood coffee tables under the other window was the only other comforting touch in the room.

"For your safety, all furniture had been latched down no other furniture iss allowed on board" He gave Semia a pointed glare.

Semia made a note to battle him on that point later. She needed a dresser and wardrobe

Jaxer walke dthem through the bathroom and the other room. They each had most of what her crew would need but she still made notes.

"The doors have a two way lock system except the ones leading into the bathroom. If one person wanted to enter the room of the other, that one would also have to unlock the door from their side. Privacy" Jaxer explained.

He returned to the room they came from and once again pressed and slid open a section of the Ustrium glass on the floor. It was a cramped space that could only fit three or four people if they crawled.

Jaxer flipped a switch and the floor slid open in four places giving Jaxer's tall figure room to kneel. Seats slid out of the floor. On the walls, a control panel slid out smoothly and lights flicked on overhead. Jaxer sat in one of the chairs and swivelled to face Semia and Alex with a smug grin.

"Impressive, no?" He asked arching a brow.

He drank in their awestruck expressions as their eyes roamed the interiors of what looked like a sub to Alex.

"It's your only sub in the ship. The size of the ship only allows for one sub without screwing up design..." Jaxer said with a seriousness in his voice.

They went through a demonstration of the safety procedure and how to maneouvre the sub to Jaxer's satisfaction

"Once detached, it can only be reattached in a Tech workshop. It is imperative you only use it when neccessary"

"What's her name?" Alex asked still drinking in Sub.

"Cydonian Nova" Jaxer replied with a grave voice even though his eyes seemed to catch fire at the name.

Semia nodded in admiration. It didn't have all the luxuries she had wanted and only one Sub that could not reattach itself meant no exploring but it seemed worth it. Jaxer emerged from the Sub and walked the pair to the empty space by the control hub.

Three Tech Agents waited for them above deck and when they saw Jaxer emerge, they walked up to him. One whispered in his ear and Jaxer nodded once. Without a word, he walked off the ship with the three other Agents.

"You like it" Alex stated.

"What do you think?" She decided to counter his question.

"You're the boss" He replied "Your wish is my command".

Semia walked the expanse of the ship, she tried to imagine what it would look like after she had revamped it. She needed the entire control system renovated to make way for Saij. The Ustrium floors would all be covered. The walls would have to change as well. She wondered what colours she would go for. One week didn't give her enough time to look for another ship that better matched what she wanted and design it.

"I like it" She decided.

Saying it out loud helped her accept her decision. It made it sound more final and real to her. Suddenly the excitement she had been waiting to bubble up from the prospect of leaving the confines of Ecearos erupted in her, tingling her insides. She was ready for it.

Briefly, she wondered if Jaxer's exit was related to the attack. The Titan Command Unit was unnaturally relaxed for a department that dealt with offense. Semia did not believe they did it for her sake. Jaxer. would never. She shrugged it off as Catkins business. Soon enough, she'd be informed.