Phantom Star: Chapter 17

It was not yet time to install my new stuff.

For one, everything was super heavy in atmosphere, and the Crabbit weren’t much help like normal.

That would have to be a later thing. Instead we all had a decision to make.

Well, I had a decision, but I was trying to make others decide it for me. I turned away from where everything was finally stored away in the hold to look at my guests.

“Do we leave now, or spend the rest of the time looking around?” I asked the group and everyone looked to Carter, then to me.

Carter continued looking at me. 

“Well, that’s up to you Captain.” Carter said firmly, and I wanted to curse. Foiled again by responsibility.

“Okay let me rephrase.” I grumbled, because Carter was being a shit on purpose. “We picked up our main goal, and we had some shopping time. Does anyone have anything else they want to pick up before we leave?” I had a few things I wouldn’t mind trying to find, but when everyone just shook their head, I slumped.

Decision time then.

“Okay we’re heading out early. Let's do a double check that everything is secured before lift off, it’ll probably be a bit rocky.” I said because it was worth mentioning. Everyone would be down here in the hold with all of our new stuff.

I didn’t want someone to get smooshed.

“Yes yes!”

“Check check!” My Crabbit chattered, as they started skittering around to the large cargo container and my smaller purchases that were in smaller packaging. They weren’t really doing much other than checking the systems that held cargo in place were working. They couldn’t exactly climb all over things with Gravity holding them down.

They had gotten pretty good at moving around though. Each of them was skittering around on their little rubber ended legs without too much issue.

Why were they walking sideways so much though?

“I’ll double check it.” Collin said suddenly looking not quite confident in the Crabbit.

Probably for the best.

“Then let's close everything up, I’ll recycle the air a few times before we take off.” I offered and everyone looked happy about that.

The smell was still in my head even if I couldn’t actually smell it right now. 

I left the hold climbing up the long ladder to the next floor, and then across the ship to the bridge ladder, climbing that. 

It felt… Right to be back inside. I looked out the view screen and smiled at the evening sunlight slipping into the bridge. It left a warm glow that was unusual in space, but easily familiar to anyone that had laid on a couch under a summer sun.

I shook off the memories of a past life, and a world I likely would never see again and instead sat in my stupid uncomfortable chair and started waking up the Phantom Star.

Systems powered back up, and I could feel the rumble as the plasma thrusters woke up and adjusted themselves to the correct positions. 

“Give me a systems test for atmosphere flight.” I called to Navigation. The Crabbit already in the little chair for them.

“I can do that! It’s just this button! And this one! Hehehe!” It cheered as it followed the task and I watched my Tab as reports were updated. 

Green across the board. Well, green or yellow, but the colors hadn’t changed from the last time. Some things just weren’t finished.

Then I settled back and winced at how the chair just didn’t fit me right. 

“Tell the hold I’m going to close the bay doors.”

“Yesfirmative!” One of the Crabbit called out and I just snorted at the word.

Then I flicked the switch and watched the Tab as the doors closed, and once they were secured, I locked down the oxygen system, and flicked it to do a refresh. Instantly I felt the air in the bridge start blowing around pretty fast. 

“Hold secure! Hold Secure!” The Crabbit called out, and I nodded.

“Then tell everyone to secure themselves. We are readying for liftoff.” I sighed and then commed the Star Port.

This is Phantom Star looking for clearance for liftoff. I called into the traffic controller channel.

The line was quiet for a while and so I waited, but finally I got a response. 

Understood Phantom Star, Flight path will be open for you shortly, sending data upload.

I watched as I got an updated autopilot pathing, and just winced as it looked like it would be twenty minutes before we were clear for liftoff.

“Tell everyone we have twenty minutes. So they can relax.” I told the Crabbit and decided to stretch out myself a bit and go over some more system checks while I wasn’t doing anything.

—--

The liftoff was rough, as the Phantom just didn’t like pulling free of the Gravity without most of its engines but she was strong enough to do it still, and we were soon blazing out past the constant trail of shuttles and cars that flowed around the city and then as we got farther and farther out of atmosphere I felt the flight stabilize as more and more power returned to my girl.

“Ah! I can fly! Weee!” The Crabbit that was on tactical called out as she started circling the bridge.

“Hey! You’re on the job right now. Back to your station.” I reminded her and she yelped and scrambled back to her spot.

“Aww. I wanted to fly too.”

“Yeah me too.” The others said but I ignored their mumbles and instead focused on getting out of the Gravity well and far enough for a jump to Warp.

Then finally as we flew past an orbital station that looked to be a factory station pumping out something or other that needed to be done in zero G, I finally reached far enough out of the gravity well and started up the Warp Controller.

A minute later we got all green and the ship dropped into subspace.

Then there was nothing but flying eldritch lights going past the bridge and we were well on our way.

Instantly I got up and rushed for the hold. Not one more minute!

As I slipped down the hold ladder, holding on to the edge of the ladder and just dropping down quickly I saw that everyone was already up and moving around as well.

“Kat! That’s dangerous!” Carter chided me instantly but then stopped as he realized what he had done, but I just ignored him as I rushed to the very special package.

“New chair!” I cheered out as I reached it, and looked at my Crabbit.

“C’mon. Let’s get this through the ship. I want to install it.”

“Yes yes!” I got a cheer back and the Crabbit clamped onto the package and floated off the ground, and started flying off, but… I moved without thinking about it.

I jumped on.

“Hahaha!” I laughed freely as I surfed the package through the hold. I could feel Gravity lightening on me thanks to the Crabbit so I wasn’t really in any danger, but it was definitely fun.

“Kat! That’s dangerous!” Marie called out. But I just ignored them. My ship, my rules! If I wanted to gravity surf there were no station rules to tell me no!

And then we ran into a problem.

“That’s not gonna work.” I mumbled as the Crabbit had arrived at the ladder exit but the actual opening wasn’t really large enough to fit the chair.

“To the elevator shaft!” I called out and got a cheer as the Crabbit in the lead shifted and started flying back down. There was an elevator that was going to connect the hold, second floor, and Bridge together. 

But it wasn’t anywhere near ready, and that was fine. Because we were in space!

The elevator door opened, without issue since the Crabbit had access and once the doors opened we floated right in, and then up. No elevator, nothing to block our path.

“Weeee!” echoed around the shaft, but it wasn’t me I was just laughing. I guess I wasn’t the only one enjoying the moment of escaping gravity. The Crabbit had seemed pretty bummed when they were landlocked.

Might have to come up with some method to give them wings in gravity. Maybe an upgrade. Or better yet, just an addon that they can take off and put on when needed.

I shook it off as the door opened to the bridge and we floated in, I leapt off and only just managed to keep from tripping onto my face.

“Any record of that happening needs to be deleted.” I told the Crabbit who just kinda looked at me confused. But I shook it off and pointed. “Let’s get the chair set up!”

“Yay!”

We dropped the container and then I worked on opening it up, and when it finally opened I looked at the chair with an interested eye. 

It was of a design called a floating chair, Klint metal the same stuff most ship hulls were made out of, held the floating cushions on strong arms curving up from a central base. Each cushion was two parts. The connector to the arm, and the actual pad. The pad was connected only with some light cushion fabric. But instead the end of each arm was a Gravity panel, meaning each cushion was always fluffed and floating a bit off the metal arm.

Hence why it was a floating chair!

Unbolting my old chair and then kicking it away without a care… Well I would pick it up later. Can’t clutter my bridge after all.

I guided the Crabbit to move the base into place, and we got to work. 

It would take a while to get it properly installed, I had to run new power conduit to the chair to power it, as my old chair had just used a self contained Tab because it had never meant to be a Captains chair.

This one was.

I giggled in delight as it slowly came together.

—--

“Ah! Message for you! Message for you!”

“What?” I asked, looking up blearily from the chair. I was comfy!

“Big sis Marie wants to know if you want dinner!” I blinked and rubbed at my face, noticing I was drooling.

Captains chair too comfy. Please no nerf. I sat up without even a groan as I rubbed my eyes.

“Yeah. I should eat.”

“Roger roger!” She cheered as she turned back to the Comms station.

I tore myself from my new chair only after doing a quick check of navigation. We were still on course, no issues.

And then I climbed down the ladder, and then again into the hold.

“Hello.” I called out and noticed that I was getting a glare from Marie. “What?”

“You could have installed at least some of the food processors. I’d like something more than just protein steaks.” She grumbled at me, and I just blinked a little sleepily. 

“Chair was too comfy.” And I sat down at one of the chairs.

“Leave off Marie. This is still Kat’s ship.” Carter said between bites.

“I know! But still!” She whined but thankfully didn’t say anything more as some food was handed over on a plate and I started eating.

“So you like the new chair?” Carter asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, I fell asleep while testing it… I’ll probably start moving up the rest of the kitchen stuff after this.” I said more to Marie than Carter.

Carter just shrugged, but Marie seemed pleased.

“Great. I want something other than this.” She said and I looked at the meat steak.

Well it was basically a hamburger steak if you were being generous with its texture. But we only had a small processor installed right now here in the hold. 

Here in the hold we had brought along a simple processor to turn the manipulated protein into something that at least had texture instead of just goo.

The Phantom Star didn’t have anything in the mess area yet. It hadn’t exactly been a priority.

I just nodded and went back to eating my meal. I'd get the Crabbit to start moving the mess appliances up after dinner, and I’d start installing them. The only issue was as always the power, I hadn’t finished the conduits to the mess area because it hadn’t exactly been a priority.

I’d be laying even more cable in the tight confines under the floors down the hallways again.

I sighed, but just nodded. Work was never done.

—--

“Okay tell me that works?” I asked, and only when I got the happy cheer above did I relax. “Great, pull me out.” I felt my body slide a bit uncomfortably along the flooring pulling me out from under the Protein Resequencer. 

The damn thing had some goofy proprietary connectors and I had to basically finish it while it was already settled into place, as I couldn’t just use an extender cable.

I sat up and was doubly thankful there wasn’t dust or anything in here, because crawling around all this would have been messy otherwise.

“That’s the last of it right?” I asked the Crabbit who ran down their own checklists, as I looked over the array of appliances.

The largest was a large freezer box that had been a real bitch to install, but I now had a walk-in freezer for anything that wouldn’t store well otherwise.

Then next to the door to the freezer, was an array of appliances. The protein resequencer, next to that a grill, although it had an integrated microwave as well, and then a combo appliance I had picked up just in case. 

Basically it was a drink machine. You popped in a cartridge and it took water and gave you something other than just water to drink. 

Very important.

It also could do coffee! Well not coffee-coffee. There were no beans involved. I had a row of cartridges that I was looking forward to trying. 

Coffee!

But as I looked everything over I nodded. It was all secured along the wall, and this room was now almost ready to be a mess hall. 

I turned around and looked over the room, and felt a smile spread across my face. For now it was empty, but soon I’d have a large table right there, with a warm light from above, and the whole place would feel homey and warm.

I still wasn’t sure what kind of crew I’d end up with, but at least it would be a nice place for anyone I was transporting. 

The Phantom Star was going to be my home after all. 

“Whew.” I wiped at my forehead, I could feel some of my hair had gotten loose from the messy bun I tended to throw it into.

I walked over to the coffee station and grabbed my water bottle from my hip and slotted it into place. And pushed a button. I could hear the water start filling it, and so I took a moment to straighten my hair up and throw it back into the bun. A few light stretches to air out my tanktop and retighten the arms of my jumpsuit around my waist.

Great. While this was all installed. I still had more work to do. Grabbing my bottle I secured it on and headed to the next project that needed some work. It was going to be a long trip back to UNK-L after all.

—--

I finally relaxed as the docking clamps locked in, and the Phantom Star was connected to the Station.

That had been a long flight. Mostly because the tensions with the guests had gotten even worse after Marshall's escape attempt on Elinai. He hadn’t been putting up with anything and being super toxic to everyone.

Thankfully I didn’t need to put up with it, so I had just not gone into the hold unless I needed to, and avoided most of it.

“Let everyone know that we’ve docked.” I told the Crabbit on comm duty and it shot me a surprisingly sharp salute before doing just that.

I met Collin climbing out of the hold and nodded. 

“C’mon.” I told him and the others behind him to follow, and I led them back through the ship. Sure we would need to pull the stuff out of the hold later, but that was later.

Right now everyone wanted to get back home. Without too much stumbling everyone made it to the airlock and I popped it open to the cheers of our family that was gathered up waiting.

I smirked and walked out to wrap Mom and Dad into a tight hug. “Welcome back.” Mom whispered into my hair and I felt myself break into a brighter smile at how happy she sounded.

“It’s good to be back.” I said, and soon everyone else was out of the ship and pulled into back slaps or hugs depending.

Finally I pulled away and looked back at the airlock. 

Unfortunately there were still things to take care of.

“Kat?” Dad asked, wondering why I was walking away.

“Sorry, Dad. I still have to oversee the transfer of stuff out of the hold.”

“Let the others take care of it.” He said, not quite a demand, but it was obvious he wanted me to come home.

I just shook my head. “I can’t Dad. It’s my ship.” I said and my words made him blink his eyes so similar to my own softened and his shoulders slumped. 

“Well this old man should help move our supplies out of your hold then. Mind showing your old man where it all is?” He asked, and I blinked, flushing a little mostly in happiness, at just how proud he sounded.

“Sure. But she’s not done yet! So don’t look at anything!” I demanded and he just laughed as he walked over and pulled me into another hug.

I wasn’t joking though! It was still a mess!

—--

I followed after as the large container was pushed out of the Phantoms hold. 

Dad was already there, in the tug shuttle to grab it, lock it down. The other cargo hands that were helping out grabbed on, just like I did, and soon we were flying away from the Phantom and towards one of the cargo bays for UNK-L.

We floated in through the exterior forcefield, and our weight returned as gravity dragged at us, but everyone was a practiced hand, and had a firm grip on the container and then slowly the tug found a spot and lowered down, only once it touched down entirely did everyone let go and step away.

The tug detached from the container and floated away towards the shuttle landing areas while the cargo movers went to work. Clearing the path, they all threw a signal towards the large window up above where the controls for the entire cargo bay were held, and suddenly the container shifted, lifting off a few inches from the ground and then slowly drifting down a path laid out for it.

Gravity Panels were pretty useful for this sort of thing.

Soon the container would be unloaded by the crew and that would be that.

“C’mon Kat.” Dad said suddenly at my side as he threw an arm around my back. “You did good. You’d have been useful here in the cargo bays, if that rotten woman hadn’t snatched you up.” Dad grumbled and I couldn’t help but snicker. 

“Aunt Sheila is great. And I’m really happy she let me work with her… I’d never have gotten the Phantom Star together if not for her.”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean.” He said, revealing perhaps a bit more than he wanted about his feelings about me having a ship.

So I just leaned into his hug a bit more, despite the fact I was a good bit taller than him.

“Don’t listen to this old man. I love Sheila, even if she is rotten.”

“You just say that because she used to blame you for anything she broke.”

“Like I said, rotten.” He confirmed and we both laughed at the old family history.

—--

“Thank you for your prompt delivery.” Uncle Kyle said to me. It was the next day and I had been called to a meeting. 

“It was no problem.”

“It was a problem, but I hope your first experience off station was at least exciting?”

“It was.” I confirmed smiling at the memories.

“Well that’s good to hear. If you are willing. There are deliveries, both incoming, and outgoing supplies that we used to outsource to whoever we could, in order to run the supplies.” Uncle Kyle said and I realized what he was actually offering.

“I’m not sure I’ll always be free, but… If the station ever needs something.” I began and then tightened my fists. A bit to stop fidgeting. “I hope my home station will know they can always reach out to me first, I might not always be there, or able to help, but I would like to.”

“I’m glad.” Uncle Kyle said with a smile that made me relax. “It’s not often we have anyone leave the station, and… I think only once before did one of our family have a ship they owned, but they rarely came back home once they had all the galaxy opened up for them.”

“The Phantom Star is my home.” I said a little bluntly. “But home isn’t just a place, and my family is still here.”

Uncle Kyle smiled, seemingly pleased as he nodded. “I am pleased to hear that. Right now everything is calm thanks to your most recent supply run. Even the Octavius is no longer in system.”

“I noticed that… Is the Baron gone?” I asked, almost hopeful.

“Not for good. His ship is back to fighting shape, and it seems he’s quite displeased by the attack. It seems he’s looking to hunt pirates for a time to make sure they don’t think about coming into our system again… He left a message for you.”

I nearly flinched at that. “Do I want to know?”

“Nothing so terrible, and just a verbal message. He wanted you to know that if you wanted to earn more creds he would be willing to hire you as a secondary vessel for his fleet while he hunts.”

I stilled at the offer, because it was frankly a pretty good deal. He wasn’t hiring me per kill, but to assist his own ship… I shook my head though.

“I can’t. Things have finally calmed down, and I have a lot of work to do, to finish the Phantom Star. I’m going to fly her over to the Hangar right after this. I won’t be leaving for months, at least.”

“That long?”

“Two additional engines, the wings of the ship, and any additional weapon systems… The only reason I might leave is to go pick up parts that you can’t supply.” I explained rattling off the items on my gloved fingers.

“Hmm. Well the Baron was clear that you had access to the military supply lines. You shouldn’t have too many issues.”

I nodded. Technically I had already ordered some things, but they hadn’t arrived yet. Things were still busy with the war after all.

But the wait wasn’t a problem. Just putting the rest of the ship together was going to be its own massive chore…

And upgrading the Engine room so that the upgraded Diamond Drive doesn’t send off enough of a sensor signal that everyone and anyone knew that I was doing something weird.

More work.

I felt a smile split my lips regardless.

I kinda liked it.