Rendering Assistance
Everyshore region – Chasnaye constellation
Harerget system – Planet V – Moon 1
CreoDron Factory station
27 April YC 127
“You see,” said Delphine Xarasier, “there is a colony in Harerget which experienced an outbreak of Lumivent Sieve and which needs an urgent delivery of antibiotics. We sent them a batch three days ago but it never arrived. Now the colony is in desperate need of the medicine. Can you deliver it to them?”
I hesitated, “Um… Aren’t you an R&D agent?”
“I am. Why?”
“This is actually my question: if you are an R&D agent, why are you handling distribution contracts?”
“Because CreoDron doesn’t have a distribution agent in Harerget. Yet, someone has to pick up the slack.”
“And how will my delivery of the antibiotics help you decipher the datacore?” I asked suspiciously.
“As I said, someone has to do it. I have two options: either I send one of my scientists who can pilot a ship and crack datacores, or I can send you who can pilot a ship.”
The full stop at the end of her last sentence was almost audible.
I sighed, “Alright, I get it. Send the medicine to my Cormorant and the location of the colony to my navigational AI.”
When I arrived to the dock, the medical supplies were already loaded to my cargo hold. I woke up Aura and told her about the mission.
“But I can crack datacores myself,” Aura said indignantly and put her hands on her hips. “Tell them that they can give us the datacore and ferry their cargo themselves.”
“Oh, come on. It’s just a short warp across the system. I am not going to kick up a stink about it. Besides, any delay probably costs someone’s life at that colony.”
Aura gave up and grumbled, “I wish we didn’t give that datacore away when we first found it.”
I shrugged, “We didn’t know how important it was at the time,” and undocked.
Everyshore region – Chasnaye constellation
Harerget system – Mission location
The colony resided in an elegant star base anchored near a gas cloud. I stayed put for a while, observing the surrounds. Nothing moved. After a couple of minutes I carefully started approaching Colonial Supply Depot where I was supposed to drop off the antibiotics. The overview was clear. I dared to turn on the microwarpdrive and gradually increased the speed. In just a few seconds I reached the Depot, transferred the medical supplies into it and immediately started moving away. Nothing happened. Looking suspiciously at the indifferent overview, I called the agent.
“Hey, I put the medicine into the Supply Depot. What’s next?” I asked Delphine when the connection was established.
“Great! Thank you so much, Captain Korff! You may return to the station,” she replied.
I looked at her incredulously, “You mean, that’s it?”
“Yes, that was the mission objective and you achieved it. What else did you expect?”
“I don’t know… pirate ambushes, rogue drone nests, stasis towers…”
“Why?” asked Delphine, nonplussed.
“Because that’s what typically happens to me on a mission. Last time I was asked to deliver a barrel of oil, I was ambushed by a wing of Blood Raiders who thought I was transporting one of their gang members. The agent who gave me that mission called it ‘a complication’.”
Mademoiselle Xarasier pursed her lips disapprovingly, “This simply doesn’t happen on my missions. If I say delivery, it’s delivery, and not some kind of CovOps rough and tumble.”
I chuckled, “That’s because you are not a security agent.”
Delphine frowned, “What?”
Then she suddenly got distracted, put herself on mute and talked to someone on her commlink. When she finished the call with that someone, she started saying something to me with a worried look on her face.
I rolled my eyes, “You are on mute, Ms Xarasier.”
The agent mouthed an expletive and unmuted herself.
“Sorry, Captain, I’ve just received some disturbing news. Please return to the station immediately.”