Chapter 351 351 Never Ending Issues
Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:
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They were almost back to the Moon Base when a distress call came through to Terminus. Not from the Reavers, as they had expected, but through their newly activated emergency beacon. It wasn't a mayday call, so the ship wasn't in immediate danger of death, but a pleasure yacht from the Innu had broken down in the Klem territory while sightseeing the vicious alien insects.
Like Terminus, they lacked the capability to replace their Crystals, and so they lacked both the ability to form a Warp Field and the power to open a portal to go home, relying on their organic power packs as backup power.
[Hold tight. Former Colony Ship Terminus is on the way to effect your retrieval.] Max responded.
"Well, we wanted to know what was over there, and there aren't any closer intelligent species, since the Corvus went the other direction I think, so we have a good reason for a journey," Max told Nico.
"Live science test! I will link in Uncle Lu while I set up the portal generator. Terminus wasn't equipped with one, they took the conventional warp journey here despite the time required, but we can retrofit it without changing the outer hull. It operates much like the gravity field generator, only with a warp field integrated. This is going to be amazing." Nico cheered, already sending messages to Engineering, design, the Admiral, and Uncle Lu about her impromptu plan.
"And how long would it take to get there if this doesn't work?" Max asked, trying to put some realism into her enthusiasm.
"About a week in a Cutter, or a couple of months in Terminus? They're way out there." Nico replied, bringing up the full map on a nearby terminal screen.
"From the looks of it, that is right in the heart of the Klem territory as well, so there will be fully colonized planets, with active Queens and full forces capable of defending against intruders." Max pointed out.
"That's what makes this so much fun. But their yacht is only a hundred meters long, even in a Cutter we could drag it aboard and return, as long as we didn't bring any Mecha." Nico responded, knowing that the Klem had no way to catch the vessels.
"That was a lot of data just for a portal array." Max pointed out as Nico sent out the data she wanted everyone to work on to carry out Max's orders for a rescue attempt.
"Oh, since not everyone can be on the same project, I sent them the data of the organic power packs. If they can properly create them after they get the next generation of medical replicators online, we can start moving to industrial-scale production and converting the ship's power backup systems.
As it is, I suspect that the process to open a portal large enough for Terminus will take upward of fifteen minutes, due to power use constraints, even with our enormous power output. There is a better way, I am certain of it, but the only solid data that I have is for the platforms that they used to get around the ship, and this isn't really the time to be wildly experimenting before we have made the base design function." Nico replied.
She really had made the best of her time with the aliens, while Max had focused on a progression path that might lead to them not needing to fight an endless war for resources and territory.
One of the items that they didn't speak of, but that Max had noticed, was that some of the star systems listed in the museum had a creation date. A recent creation date, not something gradual over billions of years.
Humanity might never reach the point where they were creating entire star systems for their own use, but knowing that it was possible meant that obtaining the resources to do it was also possible, and no matter how powerful the Reavers grew, they would likely never need that much raw material.
It took them over an hour to get Terminus ready to begin the initial testing that would allow them to test their portal theory. Well, perhaps it was more than a theory since they had the same equipment as one that they knew functioned, just a different model and power output.
[Fifth Battalion, Third Battalion, to your cutters. We don't know if there are active Klem on the other side of this portal. We will open it here outside the system to give us room to fight, but it is possible that we will get hostiles the moment that it opens.] Max ordered.
The two Battalions scrambled to their Mecha, which were already staged in the Cutters as a matter of standard practice, and Max waited for their ready call before beginning the experiment.
[Cutters three and five, launch and get in position to intercept possible hostiles.] Max ordered, sending the two sleek vessels into the vacuum of space.
[Ready to begin portal activation on your order.] The Engineering team reported, sending Max a stream of data on their expected power usage and the targeting data to open the portal one thousand kilometers from the last transmission.
[Activate.]
A shimmer of purple light, the same as what the Narsians used to move between worlds lit up the void near Terminus, much smaller than their own Colony Ship. It was right on target, and Max could see the strange, alien design of the vessel, which somehow resembled a hybrid of Terminus and an actual Nautical Yacht.
It was possible that the hundred-meter-long vessel was actually capable of both, given its size and shape, making it a pleasure yacht in the truest sense of the word.
[Terminus? Is that your portal? We will come to you.] The Captain of the yacht hailed them and Max realized that this technique would be far more deadly than expected.
He didn't need to send Terminus places, he could send just the Cutters in an instant, and bring them back, along with any other damaged vessels that they might come across.
The ship was on reserve power, but with only a thousand kilometers to cover, it took them only a few minutes to make their way through the portal and line up to dock with the former Colony Ship turned Cruise Ship and Flagship for the Reavers of Rae 5.
[Welcome to Terminus. Our technology might be lacking, but we have a wide variety of materials available to make repairs, as well as a working knowledge of Crystal based Warp Drives. Our staff will be with you soon, and will escort you to the luxury suites of the Cruise ship, where you can wait while your vessel is repaired if you should wish.] Max informed the Innu aboard the yacht.
Chapter 352 352 First Passengers
Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:
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[Thank you so much. We weren't expecting trouble so far out here, with nobody in portal range. It's a miracle your species heard us at all.] The young Innu female who seemed to be in charge informed Max over a video link.
[You can actually thank the world ship Corvus of the Noctem Fleet for that. They were the ones who only just yesterday provided us with the new radio technology to meet interstellar standards.] Max replied and the Innu in the background cheered.
[Are you guys seriously a cruise ship though? How lucky is that? We expected to have to wait for a freighter to take time out of their route since the resource usage for an interstellar rescue portal was more than our insurance would cover.] The Innu asked with infectious enthusiasm.
[We really are, though that's secondary to us being a Reaver trading vessel. We aren't actively touring right now, but the amenities are staffed. We haven't fixed the temperature control systems at the hangar bay doors though, so you will have to wait a while before you exit.] Max replied seriously.
[All good, all good. Nobody at school will believe we were on a human cruise ship, we will be the most popular kids in the class for an entire semester.] The girl brushed off his concern, and Max heard the Admiral chuckle in the back of the room.
In total, they had picked up twenty-five Innu college students on an unauthorized vacation in one of their parent's yachts plus five staff members. They had managed to cover the provisioning for the trip, but they hadn't brought any spare parts or other items that weren't already aboard the ship, other than the essential crew members.
In a few minutes when it was safe to approach the vessel, Max went to greet their new arrivals with a small crew from the Cruise Ship area's hospitality team. This would be their first time welcoming guests, and Max wanted to see how their training was going.
"Greetings and welcome to Terminus, the finest Cruise Liner in the Reaver Fleets. My name is Mindy and I will be your hostess for the morning. Feel free to ask me about anything you like, and I will do my very best to see that your every need is fulfilled.
If you would like to pass your luggage to the porters, they will bring it to your rooms for you, and we can begin our tour of the ship's features." The bubbly, bleached blonde hostess welcomed the Innu students without any hint of hesitation, despite never having seen the species before.
"Oh, thank you. Is that a phased matrix holographic projector on your wrist? Do your people always use them, or is it just a fashion trend?" The closest student asked, leaving the Hostess stumped.
"The Innu are big lovers of all things technology. Forgive my staff, it is their very first time welcoming actual guests. I will fetch a technician to accompany you around with the hostess." Max informed the group.
"Oh, Commander Keres! I didn't expect you to come here in person, it is so good to meet you, and thank you for the efforts you put into our rescue so far. The crew tells us that if you have the resources on board, they should be able to get the ship operational again within a week or so. Humans measure the time that way, right?" The Innu asked.
Their thoughts said that their week was also seven days, but their day was only twenty hours long, standardized by the Innu homeworld.
"Our days are twenty-four units long instead of twenty, as the Innu measure, and our weeks are seven days, the same as you are used to, so you might expect a bit of trouble adjusting to the extended hours, but otherwise the measurements are still accurate," Max informed them.
Max called a Tech over from the team that was analyzing the Yacht and had him join Mindy to show the Innu around while he followed behind the main group with the self-assigned leader of the students.
"Are you in a hurry to get to your next port? I think it might be to our advantage if we waited things out here, at least until my mom isn't so upset about borrowing the yacht and breaking down in the middle of nowhere." The girl asked Max.
"You can stay as long as you like really. I know you have things to get back to, but even three or four weeks won't interfere with anything. But what possessed you to be in that region of space in the first place?"
"Well, we heard that there was a fully insectoid culture you see. We had heard of but had never seen an entire planet run by insects. I mean, they're supposed to be kind and cuddly, and in tune with nature, adapting to maintain the perfect balance in their ecosystems.
Those things might look like insectoids, but they are not. How could a genus that needs a stable ecology to thrive turn into those wretched and violent things? They strip planets bare and kill everything that they see. Even the humans seem civilized and gentle in comparison to them.
No offense, I mean, you seem quite nice, but Humans are monsters from fairytales where I come from." She explained.
Max looked through her thoughts and found that humanoid, muscle-over-bone species were the exception in the region of space that the Innu came from, not the norm, and ones more than fifteen centimeters tall were exceedingly rare. Most species were either like Theta, highly amorphous, or more plant-based, requiring very stable environments and being vulnerable to brute force.
The mammalian species like the Innu and the humans were greatly feared for their physical prowess and capacity for violence.
That helped Max understand their welcoming committee a little better when they met the world ship. It wasn't that there weren't other species suited to greet visitors on the ship, it was that nobody else would willingly interact with humans. The rest of the crew were likely to have been utterly terrified of them.
Chapter 353 353 Amenities For All
Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:
+ - Turn on Reset
Max and the student known as Kryll chatted while the group made the short trip from the docks to the cruise ship portion of Terminus, waiting at the back while Mindy and the welcoming crew did their best-prepared presentation at the main bay doors.
"Welcome to the Cruise Ship Terminus. Ahead of you on the right are the passenger cabins you are assigned to, but first, let us show you around.
On this floor, we have two primary methods of travel. The moving sidewalks, and the gravity slides. Those are partially filled with water, and best for visitors who are looking to relax in the pools and not on dry land.
Immediately in front of us, you can see the welcome center, where you can find maps, personal items, ship branded clothing items custom made to order, as well as an assortment of trinkets and keepsakes."
That was all she had time for before the group got distracted, with half going to the shop and half dragging the technician away to examine the data screens on the wall that gave information about the ship.
Like Nico, they could find out all they needed to know with a touch, but the hostess seemed a bit sad that they didn't even let her finish introducing the areas that they could see from the door.
"Looks like we need to shorten the introduction a bit. You did an amazing job. Page everyone and make sure that they are all ready to receive guests, and not as a drill or training exercise." Max informed the hostess, who nodded and scrambled away.
The crew had been stress testing everything lately, so it was all staffed and ready to go, but those weren't actual guests, who she assumed were paying customers, and would give input that would affect jobs, and not just the ship's preparations.
"I should have kept some luggage. I didn't think that humans, a terrestrial species, would have made accommodations for the amphibious in their designs." Kryll sighed.
"Are the Innu amphibious? I didn't know that. But you can get clothing suitable to wear in the water at the welcome kiosk and we can take the slides." Max informed her.
"Why do you call them that anyhow? Such a strange name for a flooded tunnel." Kryll asked, making Max laugh.
"As you know, humans aren't amphibious, but we enjoy playing in the water. The tunnels aren't for walking through, the gravity is rotated inside of them so that you can slide from place to place with no effort at all, carried along by gravity and a flow of water that is constantly purified and cycled." Max informed her.
That was all the encouragement that Kryll needed, and she dragged Max to the welcome desk, looking through the swimsuits and comparing them to her own form. It would have to be a two-piece or one of the low-backed models since the Innu had tails, but there were suits that she could wear already on the racks.
"Humans really don't consider the stomach an erogenous zone, do they? I had heard that from the computer while we waited for rescue, but you all cover your torso, so I thought it was mistaken." She murmured, looking at the suits.
"Human fashion is a very detailed topic, that I'm not an expert in, but no, the belly isn't one of the primary erogenous zones of our species. There are a number over here that cover most of your front, and still have an open enough back for your tail." Max suggested, pointing to the racing-styled suits.
"Everyone, gather up on me. I found something amazing." Kryll yelled, bringing the others running into the swimwear section.
"Why are there water suits? Aren't humans ground mammals?" One of the others asked.
"No, I heard from the Valkia that they like playing in the water the way that a Valkia likes running on land. Does that mean that there is water here to play in?" Another student asked.
"There are change rooms in the corner. Pick something you like and the staff will send the rest of your items to your rooms." Max instructed while the staff came over to help the group with their selections.
"Alright, the closest gravity slide is this way. Everyone put your water shoes on if you're concerned about damage to your feet and follow me." Max called out, gathering the tourists.
The slide was only a dozen meters away, nestled into a small pool surrounded by tropical trees. The Innu looked entranced by the scenery, then ran into the water with a collective sigh.
"How is the temperature? It is set for human comfort, and we don't have the data for the Innu." Max asked.
"Oh this is nice, so warm, just like home, not like the open oceans though, they're always so cold," Kryll informed him.
"Then, our next stop will be the Atoll Area. It is a restaurant and bar area marked with a collection of sandy islands surrounded by water. There is only one branch between here and there, so keep right at the split and I will see you all soon." Max directed as the Innu were already running for the tunnel.
Screams of joy filled the air as they realized what he meant by a gravity slide, and the shift pulled them in as if they were falling toward their target and not crossing down the same floor of the ship.
"You know, I thought the idea was silly, and would only be used by children, but the ship-wide waterslide network looks like it might be one of the most popular features." The Technician that they brought from the hangar laughed as the last of the Innu disappeared.
"You never know what you will find when you meet new species. But I am off to meet them." Max laughed, then stepped into a changing room to swap into trunks and put his clothes into a waterproof bag.
The Innu sent theirs to their rooms, but Max would bring his clothes with him, so he could change back once they were settled in and get back to his duties.
Chapter 354 354 Vacation Destination
Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:
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Max raced down the tunnels after the Innu, who he could hear discussing the technology used to create the gravity slides all the way to their destination.
Despite having technology that was well above what was displayed aboard Terminus, the Innu were having the time of their lives. It seemed that the way humans and Innu thought was a very different process, and they had never considered using basic technology, as they called it, for pure entertainment would be so much fun.
And then they arrived at the more adult of the two sections of the waterpark and were greeted by the smell of freshly baked snacks and servers with drinks for them.
"We should call for more people. It's kind of cool, like an exclusive pass, but I think it would be even better if we had more people." One of the Innu suggested.
"That's a great idea. Another thousand people would make for a great party. But do you really want to send a message home and let your parents find out what happened?" Another questioned the decision.
"Hmm, you have a point. Oh, there is the Commander. Are there more guests around?" One of the Innu in their matching swimsuits asked, and Max began to wonder just how they told each other apart.
They looked so similar that he couldn't tell at a glance and needed to memorize small details until he could pick out a specific one in his memory. They also didn't often refer to each other by name in their thoughts, at least not from the parts that Max could understand.
"There aren't any other guests, but there will be members of the crew coming by later. This is a fairly popular spot. There will also be a holographic movie playing in the theater at the end of this area, and I am told that a lot of people wanted to watch it from the water." Max replied.
The movie was "The Life and Times of the Cygnus Otter" a documentary about a fluffy aquatic mammal that was known for its intelligence and ability to dive to extreme depths. Animal documentaries had always been popular among the Mecha Pilots for some reason, likely as a break from their day-to-day reality.
[Scans are underway of the Yacht that the Innu arrived on. Keep them entertained and we should be finished within twenty-four hours.] Nico informed Max over his communicator.
[Has anyone been notified?] Max asked.
[The crew of the yacht followed protocol and sent a request for parts to their local warranty dealer, since the vessel is nearly new. They will be arriving in a few days.
We could have repaired the damage to the crystals, but since the vessel is under warranty, the owner insisted that the dealership send their own technicians here to effect the repairs.
We will also be expecting more guests to arrive with the repair team. When they opened the link back to their home world, the pending social media messages that the Innu had prepared all posted, and it seems that their visit here on Terminus is going viral in real time.] Nico informed him.
[How viral are we talking about? They're just college students.] Max asked.
[The Gravity Slide has three hundred and seventy million views. I have routed requests for docking to the Admiral, and requests for lodging to the Cruise Staff. So far we are expecting four similar vessels on what they call an "extreme adventure vacation".
Be prepared for them to ask you for footage of the Klem as well, as most of the species don't believe that an insect-based species could be that violent.]
Max sighed and read the message again, wondering what he was going to do about random aliens just showing up for cruises. That wasn't exactly in the plan, but they came with their own vessels, so it really wasn't a big deal to host them and let them leave on their own schedule.
Unlike regular vacationers who needed to be picked up and dropped off at a set location, ones with interstellar yachts could do as they pleased, and only come to see the bits that they were most interested in.
"Oh, my holy bear. Look at that thing. I want one, where can we get one? Are those seriously real?" The screeching voices interrupted Max's thoughts, and he realized that the projectors were testing the setup for the Otter movie.
"They are very real. The movie is about their natural habitat, in another portion of this quadrant of the Galaxy." Max informed them with a smile.
"I can't wait to get home and tell everyone." One of the guys laughed.
"Oh, there is no need for that. Your crew has communications open so that they can talk to the Yacht yard back home, and your social media posts have been going live in real-time." Max informed them, making all the pink-skinned aliens turn very pale.
"Any word on our parents?" One of them asked nervously.
"Nothing yet. The yard is sending a repair crew in the next day or two, and there is some talk of others from your home coming to visit as well. It seems that you aren't the only ones that loved the idea of the gravity slides." Max laughed.
"The crew told us that there are sections that don't just transport too. Is it true that there is a loop? Like a tumbling waterfall?" Someone asked.
"There are loops, drops, one section that has a large jump, dropping you into a deep pool after ten meters of flying through the air. The slides are much more than just transport. You can check the maps on the wall once you finish watching the movies. I know that the Innu are pretty good with technology, so following the map shouldn't be an issue."
Over the next ten minutes, nearly a hundred crew members with floating toys gathered in the pools to get ready for the movie, earning envious looks from the Innu.
"The toys are over there on the wall to your right, or you can just ask the staff to bring you some," Max whispered, and a few of the girls took off running to get the best toys, returning with a matched pair of inflatable duck pattern inner tubes.
"OTTERS!" the crew cheered as the movie started and Max retreated to let the people who were actually off duty have their fun.
Chapter 355 355 Sideshow
Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:
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Max checked up on the Innu the next morning when he got the first messages about incoming vessels requesting permission to dock with Terminus and found that they had not only survived the night, but had successfully made it down for breakfast, and were engrossed in a very loud and very public discussion of structural design theories with the technicians in charge of the gravity slides.
They found time the night before to take all of the recreational courses of the park, and found that the human notion of "Fun" was somewhat extreme by galactic standards.
For example, the ramps, which were a huge hit with the human crew, had convinced most of the Innu that they were going to die when they hit the water at the bottom.
There was actually a gravity field in place to reduce speed if someone found a way to fly too far or too fast, so it was definitely within the established safety parameters, and even the Innu were highly unlikely to be injured by the experience, but their species was an aquatic one, and not accustomed to being above the ground without a supportive mechanical structure.
Some of them greatly enjoyed it though, and the loops were a huge hit, with everyone enjoying the tumbling spin.
[Commander, we have a vessel here that you are going to want to greet in person. Or at the very least, you should intercept Nico, because she is way too excited to meet them.] Admiral Drake informed him, and Max shook his head.
They had met a lot of aliens already, what could be so exciting about these ones that Nico would freak out?
When Max saw the data for the vessel that was about to arrive, he understood perfectly. They were an invertebrate species, much like an octopus, but with ten tentacles, that piloted robotic exoskeletons as their method of casual travel among the other species.
[I have already arranged their rooms. Suites on the upper levels, since there is nobody else there. The pools will be empty, and the rooms in that region all have hot tubs, it should be perfect for them.] Nico messaged Max, but even without reading her mind, he knew she was most excited about their robotics technology.
He was as well.
From the data that Nico had sent him, taken from the Innu Yacht, the species was pacifist, and their suits carried no weapons, only environmental functions, and were mostly intended to make it safe for them to travel among the large species and in dry environments.
Max met them at the dock, just as a ship glided through the bay's forcefield and was met with a wall of light.
"As it turns out, we had the capability, we just didn't understand the functions of the computer well enough. It's not as good as a modern vessel and requires a very slow approach with engines off, but we can now safely bring vessels into the cruise docks." Nico informed Max as he jogged up.
"It would be nice if someone told me about these things in advance. You know, since I'm the Commander." Max told her.
"It's on the schedule for the weekly briefing. The crew of the Innu Yacht helped get it fixed last night. They have been a huge help while they wait for the spare parts to show up.
"How long for that, by the way?" Max asked.
"Tomorrow at the earliest. Apparently, it's a holiday for their shop, and they weren't willing to send anyone out until they returned to the office tomorrow. Something about it being a non-emergency call now that they have been rescued by a friendly vessel." Nico shrugged, happy for the repairs to take as long as possible.
"Greetings Noble guests of the Illithid Empire. Welcome to Terminus, I do hope you enjoy your stay with us." Nico welcomed the group as they stepped off the vessel, already in swimsuits with towels over their shoulders, while a group of automata in butler costumes carried their luggage.
"I do hope we don't seem presumptuous, showing up without reservations, but the tubes couldn't wait." A robotic voice replied, and Max realized that they were using translation software of some sort to attempt to speak human common.
"We will take you straight to the top floors where your rooms are. I have made a note to reserve the area for more delicate aquatic species, so you will be safe to wander the area as much as you please. The human staff might be inexperienced, but they will pick it up quickly." Nico informed them.
"We have linked all of our nerve endings to our suits, so there is no need to exit them outside of our rooms, but we appreciate your concern. How far is it to the tubes?" The robotic voice asked again.
"We put you in a hangar on the top level. If you follow me thirty meters outside the entrance, we will enter through the side doors and you will be at an entrance to the gravity slides." Max informed them and got a round of robotic cheering in response.
[You're really enjoying this aren't you? New technology everywhere.] Max asked Nico as he led their new guests to their floor.
[Not as much as I hoped. Their security AI is incredible and noticed me right away, so I haven't been able to skim any data from them or their ship. I made out like a bandit with the Innu, though the cruise ship didn't exactly have any secrets in it, other than the interesting way that their Warp Drives work.
? It doesn't even have a portal generator on board. It seems that their small ships use a mothership or dedicated port to open a route for them.] Nico replied.
[Innu Vessel incoming, warp 47. Repeated Hails from the Captain. I believe it is the owner of the yacht in our maintenance bay.] Admiral Drake informed them as they left the new arrivals to their own devices, with the promise that an assortment of human fish dishes would be sent to their rooms for dinner in two hours.
"The man whose kid stole his yacht and broke down in the galactic equivalent of the middle of the slums. I bet he's in a particularly great mood. But that speed is incredible." Nico laughed.
[Put him in the same bay as his yacht and I will meet him there.] Max informed Admiral Drake, and turned back to the outer regions of the ship.
Chapter 356 356 Dads Are Dads
Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:
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[Admiral Drake, get as much data as you can about the Warp Field on that fast-moving ship. The technology should be similar to ours, and I want to know how they're getting the vessel to move at such a ridiculous speed.] Max ordered, heading for the docks to meet the vessel when it arrived.
Each numerical increase in Warp Factor was an exponential increase in speed, meaning that while travel at warp 12 was over two hundred times faster than warp 4, traveling at over warp 40 meant that their new visitor didn't even need to use a portal, he could simply fly here from his home galaxy in a matter of hours.
A few million light years was no deterrent for that level of technology, which made Max wonder exactly what sort of parent the Innu students had upset.
The ship didn't even need to use their technology to regulate its hull temperature, it did that itself as it glided into the bay next to the damaged yacht, and three men emerged from the sleek vessel.
All of them were Innu by species, but two were exceedingly large, over 2.5 meters tall, while one was wearing what Max understood as the equivalent of a Tuxedo.
"Greetings, I am Commander Keres of the Terminus Trading Company, operators of the vessel Terminus." Max greeted the guest, who was carefully inspecting his yacht for signs of hull damage.
"The High Chancellor thanks you for your hospitality, and your care in preventing his wayward children from causing any more trouble. He would also like to warn you that all recordings of the vessel he arrived in will be automatically expunged by our onboard Artificial Intelligence when we depart.
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We do apologize for the inconvenience, but it is a matter of intergalactic security." The man at the leader's right hand informed Max.
Nico looked somewhat crestfallen, and the wealthy man, identified as High Chancellor smiled at her.
"You are an interesting creature, aren't you? You can't have the secrets of Hyper Warp Technology though. Your galaxy has barely made it to warp ten, it is far from time to allow you free reign of other Galaxies, especially given your propensity for weapons development." The Innu High Chancellor informed Nico.
"But it was such a wonderful idea." Nico sighed, and the man laughed at whatever he had inferred from their interaction.
Max thought back to what Nico had been doing, but he couldn't quite understand what they were talking about until the thought entered the Chancellor's mind. Sending an Artillery Shell toward a planet at high warp and simply letting it impact.
The result would be devastating, and a molten core planet would incur a seismic event on a scale that would totally reorganize its tectonic plates, while a solid cored planet would simply shatter with the energy dispersed by the impact.
"Nico, remove that thought from your mind. Even for our rather violent and backward Galaxy, that is most definitely a war crime." Max instructed her, while both Nico and the High Chancellor laughed.
"I can see why you are so high-stress. Humans and their descendants are strange species. The yacht yard has informed me that they will be here soon with the spare parts, I do hope that we didn't offend your staff by not allowing them to make an emergency repair." The guard at the Chancellor's right hand spoke to Max on his behalf, while the Chancellor himself returned to inspecting the yacht for damages, making mental notes of everything down to small bits of food on the carpet and a handprint on the window.
"Stress is a natural state for us, it helps focus the mind and motivates us to better ourselves, to reduce the stress level," Max informed the guard.
"Interesting. I see the validity of the process and have used similar coding when creating semi-intelligent programs in the past. Tell me, what do humans do when their stress level lowers to the point that their productivity begins to fall?" The guard asked, going directly into nerd mode when the conversation turned to a topic he could relate to, as the Innu that Max had met were all liable to do.
"We are instinctively driven to find another challenge when one is completed, so the stress level never drops too low until our entire backlog of intended lifetime achievements is complete," Max informed him.
"Hmm, so there is a state of planned obsolescence among humans? Retirement I believe the other species call it." The guard asked while Nico and the other two boarded the yacht to do a more thorough inspection.
"Yes. Retirement is standard for our species well before the age of physical inability. Normally we choose new tasks, moving from a physical career to family life, or starting a new career, but some with high levels of achievement are held up as role models and heroes for the species, and spend their time teaching and motivating the next generation." Max told him.
The guard took out a digital notepad and began writing Max's observations in it quickly with an increasingly large smile on his face.
"I am feeding that information to our Nanny bot. I have an infant child that seems to be unmotivated by the existence of technology and I feared that he would become mediocre. Perhaps your methodology of constant goal setting toward a defined outcome will help keep him on track." The guard said with a smile.
"You have an infant, and you are already concerned?" Max asked.
"We can commune with technology from birth. Normally Innu infants spend all their time learning about the technology around them, gathering knowledge that they will use all their life. My child only seemed interested in the parts that directly related to his life in the mundane world. You see, we split our consciousness as we work, into multiple data streams plus our physical interactions with the world.
"Oh, I see. So, he only cares about the physical world, and the multiple streams of data he is capable of are only tools for him to use to that end. Perhaps you would like to have him focus on mechanical engineering? Children who are talented with physical objects, their interaction and design are often sent that way among the humans." Max suggested.
"An Innu inventor? It's not impossible, though we are better known for maintaining and improving what others make." The guard said thoughtfully.
Dealing with aliens was a strange experience, but Max was starting to get the hang of the Innu and their ways.
"The inventory of the Yacht is complete. Tarith Rage has provided us with the information on the Crystal Matrix combinations that the Terminus is capable of producing, and they would be capable of replacing the damaged components, were they not under warranty.
I will add that data into the Innu travel data system so that any other vessels in the vicinity with problems that could be resolved by the facilities in the Rae 5 System or aboard Terminus will know who to contact." The High Chancellor informed Max.
That sounded a lot like they had earned a new customer for the Reavers, one with nearly unlimited resources, and a massive population, even if they were understandably reluctant to come anywhere near this Galaxy.Chapter 357 357 Even When They're The Boss
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With the pleasant part of their conversation out of the way, the Innu official sighed and turned back to his yacht, then looked into the ship, presumably having already accessed the security cameras.
Max checked Nico's thoughts and found that she had shown the man how to navigate the system, and where to find his daughter and her friends so that he could see that they were safe.
The Innu's natural ability and Nico's Innate Talent were very similar in function as far as Max could tell, though their minds worked in very different ways. They simply resonated with all sorts of energy fields and naturally inserted themselves into them in order to communicate with a wide variety of technologies as naturally as breathing.
That included the Nanotechnology of the Kepler Pilots, though the AI did keep the Innu from seeing most of what they were doing, taking the intrusion as a personal challenge at first, since the System wasn't used to random people simply popping into its data flow to see what was going on.
"I should talk with my children. I don't know if you are aware, but your galaxy is marked as off limits, an S Ranked hazard, threatening all forms of life. They should not be here at all, much less in my Yacht. The only vessels that come here are authorized exploration fleets, like Noctem, as well as some government investigators and others who wish to determine if the status of this galaxy is still deserved.
There are species in the northern arms of the Galaxy who have nearly earned their place among the Universe with their peaceful ways, but their technology is so severely lacking that none of the administrators will grant permission to do more than trade basic trinkets with them, and authorize a few planets to be terraformed in uninhabited regions so that they can feel included while they develop.
Given another few millennia, they should be ready, assuming that they can keep improving their technology, while Humans are on a different path. You are advancing technology at an incredible pace but in all the wrong ways.
Your capabilities for war are even greater than your ability to terraform and survive on hostile planets, to the point that you can actually use weapons of war as part of your attempts to terraform the worlds that you arrive at.
Nobody knows what to make of it, so they simply placed your whole galaxy off-limits until they can decide." The Innu explained.
"And how large of a process is that? Would it be hard to convince them that we are worthy once we can get our species settled down and end the wars?" Max asked, making the guards laugh.
"Nothing is simple with the administrators once they have made a decision. You would need unanimous consent from all thirteen thousand and some species involved to totally remove your designation as a hazardous species, though you could much more easily receive dispensation for small groups among the species to be declared safe for civilized interaction.
I believe that the Valkia have already applied for conditional interaction status for Terminus, based on their interactions with you, but that only means that it is safe for people to come to this specific ship, and not just any random human, even though you met the technological threshold to be able to traverse galaxies on your own." The guard who always remained to his boss's left explained.
"Unfortunately, I think things will get much worse before they get better for humanity as a whole." Max sighed.
"That was our assessment as well, but never fear, the alliances won't hold it against you once you have moved past your own age of strife. Look at the Valkia, they killed every other sentient species in their galaxy before they decided that it was time for them to end the cycle of violence and pursue more peaceful pastimes." The Guard on the right agreed.
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That was a relief. The Valkia seemed well respected, and Max was pretty sure that they wouldn't have to kill everything that they met in order to end the wars. The northern part of the Galaxy was already getting close to peaceful, and they had humans among them.
So really, it was just down to politics. End the messy politics and stabilize the galaxy and humanity might have a chance to be seen as properly civilized.
That probably wasn't actually possible even if Max was given ten lifetimes to work with.
"Why don't we lead you to your offspring, and then to a nice soundproof room so that you can have a fine discussion about the technicalities of borrowing a yacht to go to a restricted zone for vacation?" Nico suggested.
The guards burst into involuntary laughter, while the boss looked even more annoyed, but he nodded in agreement.
"I don't suppose that you have a confinement facility here do you?" He muttered as they walked the corridors.
"We do, though it is probably best if you deal with them yourself if you are wishing to charge them for the theft," Max suggested.
"Oh, not like that. It is standard practice with Innu parents. Put the misbehaving child in the corner of a shielded room with the lights off, where they can't see or interact with anything. A time out, for our species." The guard on the left explained.
"Sensory Deprivation is deemed a form of torture by humans, so I'm not sure that we have that sort of a facility, though I suppose we could come up with something similar." Max agreed, thinking of options while they walked.
"I've got an idea. It wouldn't take much to make our Immersive Virtual Reality work with the Innu. We could put them in a simulation that encompassed their whole mind. It would be useful both for punishment and for learning if we ran a simulation on it. We use it to train pilots and other skilled trades among the humans." Nico suggested.
"Yes, eternal homework. That is perfect." The Innu father laughed, looking way more eager than Max expected to implement this punishment.
He had a point though, homework as punishment for going on an unauthorized trip was oddly fitting.
Chapter 358 358 Time Out
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Simple Virtual Reality headsets were available all over the cruise ship area of Terminus and were used for a variety of experiences from simulated bird watching to interactive movies for the guests.
Nico grabbed a headset from the kiosk as they passed with a wave for the staffer who was shocked out of reading a book to pass the time on the mostly empty floor.
Despite the low number of guests, the whole area was staffed, to avoid the feeling of a ghost ship. They were also expecting a number of additional visitors over the next few days, on what the Innu were dubbing an "Extreme Adventure".
To them, this was like watching a movie about the history of the Valkia in real-time. They had been warned of the dangers of Terminus being destroyed, but they decided the risk was minimal to go on a vacation in hostile territory and have a chance to see species that had been deemed too dangerous for interaction up close and personal.
It seemed that despite their peaceful cultures, the universe still had its share of adrenaline junkies and war buffs present.
"Lulabeth." The one dry word from the High Chancellor stopped the entire group of Innu students in their tracks, right at the entrance to one of the gravity slides.
"Father, hello. I didn't expect to see you here. Might I ask what brought you away from council meetings this fine afternoon?" One of the girls asked with great trepidation.
"Let's see. Possibly a daughter who didn't come home after school? Or a missing pleasure yacht that cost five hundred million credits? Or could it be the slew of missing person reports, or possibly the signature of my private portal activating to send someone to a restricted zone?" The High Chancellor asked with no emotion in his voice.
"Oh. Well, as you can see, we've been found." Lulabeth said with a hint of desperate hope.
"I can see that. Of all the harebrained stunts you have pulled, why this one?" The High Chancellor asked.
"There were Insectoids and we wanted to see them. Only they were not only highly aggressive, but they actually destroy the planets that they are on. We didn't expect the new ship to break down, and there is a whole exploration fleet in this Galaxy that could safely send us home before break ended." His daughter informed him, while her friends trembled in fear.
"Oh, so it was a matter of insufficient education on the dangers of an S Ranked threat. How wonderful, as I have just finished modifying this device for exactly that purpose.
The rest of you may enjoy your afternoon. Your families will no doubt have a few choice words for you when you eventually return home. Lulabeth, come with me to your suite." The High Chancellor demanded.
Nico led the pair away while Max remained behind to calm the rest of the group.
"Do you think she will be alright? The High Chancellor is terrifying. We didn't think he would notice at all. At worst, we thought the nanny might be notified and send someone to come look for us, but we can deal with that level of scolding." One of the students asked.
"She is in no danger of physical harm, though I suspect that by the end of the day she will wish she was." Max chuckled, hearing Nico and the High Chancellor's thoughts as they exchanged data messages silently.
"What does that mean? Will she get a time-out?" One of the students asked with a shudder.
"Worse. He modified a virtual reality headset to force her to do homework until she learns her lesson." Max informed them, and all the students made a complicated gesture that their thoughts identified as the schematic of a circuit breaker.
"That is horrific. Only the High Chancellor would do such a cruel thing with a technology that could show us fluffy Otters and bunnies. Have you heard of the Bunnies? Three kilograms, fluffy, long ears?" One of the girls asked.
"They actually have them in the world that I grew up on. They're quite friendly most of the time." Max informed them, and all of the Innu sighed.
"Our world is covered in technology, there are no wild animals left on the surface, only in museums, and most of those are replicated holograms, not the real thing." One of the students informed him.
That explained their fearless love of all things animals. They had never actually interacted with one before, so they didn't fully understand that they could be dangerous, even when they went sightseeing to the Klem worlds.
"We were thinking about bringing some live animals aboard but decided that it was too much of a problem to maintain the balance on the ship when we had so many species of plant from different planets and climates. The risk of accidental poisoning is too high, not to mention the cleaning." Max explained.
"That's probably for the best. Some of the other species are petrified of fluffy creatures. On the Northern edge of the alliance territory, there are galaxies full of small furry creatures that use a form of spatial technology to devour entire worlds down to their cores and then float around in space until they get hungry again." One of the students explained.
Nope, that wasn't horrifying at all.
Nico would probably want one as a pet.
"Well, enjoy your trips through the slides. We are expecting more guests over the next few hours, so these might be the last peaceful moments you will get before the cruise ship is in full operation." Max informed them, then returned to his duties, returning to his office to check the sensor logs for incoming vessels and reservation requests.
From what he could tell, they should have about ten thousand visitors, far from enough to fill the ship, but more than enough to make it feel occupied, and to give the employees the stress test that they had been training for, with an extra twist.
The requests would be coming from species they had never met, so nobody knew what they would want.Chapter 359 359 We Are The Entertainment
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For the next two days, ship after ship came and dropped off tourists aboard Terminus. Most of the vessels didn't stay, serving as more of an interstellar taxi service, ferrying hundreds of people at a time to the ship for a month-long stay that seemed to be the galactic standard for vacations.
Almost all of their reservations ended on the same day, one month from arrival. That could have to do with school schedules though, as their guests were mostly young people from the Innu and the Illithid Empire, but there were some older and younger guests, as well as a few giants and Valkia among the crowds.
The giants' name for themselves translated directly as "People" so everyone else just called them the giants since their homeworld's name was unpronounceable by anyone who couldn't growl and whistle at the same time.
Max was just starting to get used to the constant stream of reports from the ship when an emergency message came through to Terminus, requesting reinforcements to help deal with an attack on a Reaver ship that had cut through the border between Cygnus space and an independent system to the Southeast of both Rae 5 and Kepler territory.
It would be too far for Terminus to travel if they didn't have the portal available, and Max wasn't sure that it could be stabilized for the huge Colony Ship to pass through, so he sent the request through to the Admiral and the design team to see what they could do.
[We can stabilize the Portal to hold for up to fifteen minutes without input. That is sufficient to get Terminus through.] The Admiral confirmed.
[Excellent, I will inform the ship.]
[All hands and Guests, Terminus has received a request for aid and will be traveling to another location within the Southeastern Quadrant of this Galaxy. All arrivals and departures will be put on hold until the situation is under control. I thank you for your understanding.] Max informed the ship over the intercom and watched as their guests went into full party mode.
This was what they were hoping for when they arrived. Not just to see the new galaxy, but to see why it was off limits firsthand, but with the protection of a high-tech force that made them feel safe enough to not run away.
The Reaver ship had been forced to land on a planet and was currently using its defensive forces to hold off an attack by what they had identified as Pirates. They wouldn't last too long, the Pirates weren't idiots, they knew what they could attack and win against, but Max could get there much faster than anyone had anticipated.
[Activate the Portal. Every minute lost is lives lost. All Pilots to your Mecha, Cutters make ready to deploy. All Drone Pilots to your Pods.] Max ordered as Terminus began to power up in preparation to open the portal.
It would take even more power than their Warp Travel did, but they had enough to spare with the updated Drive designs, even if it was a slow process without the living energy storage that they had pilfered the designs for from the Valkia.
The slow activation was actually popular with the guests, who were given a few carefully selected feeds to choose from so they could see what was going on outside the ship. It felt more rustic and real to them than the nearly instant build-up and smooth movement of their top-of-the-line ships from the current generations. A reminder that despite the luxury, the ship they were on was more than ten millennia old.
[Portal Stable. Preparing to Transit.] Admiral Drake informed the ship, as Terminus eased through the shimmering void in space, barely larger than its hull.
On the other side of the portal, there was utter Chaos.
Max had thought that they hadn't sent a follow-up signal since they were under attack, but what he found was that both the Reavers and the Pirates were under attack by the Scourge.
[Keep Terminus well back and send in the Cutters. Keep Fifth Battalion aboard Terminus in case the Scourge notices us. Full attack in 30 seconds.] Max ordered.
The ship's alarms began to blare as the Cutters made ready to depart, and the ship's shields powered up to defend against the probability of a Scourge attack.
[Head to the surface with the troops. The Scourge will cut off long-range communications.] Nico suggested as Max sighed in disappointment that he had duties.
[There's no time for that.] Max pointed out right as a small portal opened in front of him, showing him the roof of Enduring Rage.
[A gift from our Innu Guests. Now get going, I have insane guests to deal with, who all want more data feeds to see the battle from.] Nico informed him, clear annoyance in her voice.
She was certainly better suited to that job than he was since she could send out drones to fulfill their requests. So, Max entered his Mecha, minus one Technician, and powered up the systems right as the First Battalion's Cutter got ready to leave the hangar.
[It's good to see you, Commander, I thought we would be short a Pilot. First Battalion is ready on your Command.] Major Miller informed him, from the cockpit of his Infernus Pattern Fast Attack Crusader, formerly known as the X109 model.
The moment that the Cutters cleared the Moon that Terminus had arrived behind, The Scourge were alerted to their presence, sending a large portion of their forces to intercept the four Cutters, who were already unleashing a furious salvo of fire toward the mechanical species' ships.
This would be somewhere between a horror movie and a train wreck from the Innu point of view, Max was sure. They had such a close affinity with technology that a hostile AI species was anathema to them. But the fact that the Terminus Trading Company was fighting them off with Mecha would make it robot-on-robot violence, at least from the outside perspective.
[Battalions two, three, and four, head to the surface and assist the Reavers. The First Battalion will be heading to the Scourge ship to nullify the threat. The Scourge is known to retreat when their vessel is damaged.] Max ordered, then double-checked the Super Heavy Mecha's systems.
It was time for war again, but this time with an audience, so no questionable tactics which might be called war crimes.Chapter 360 360 Landfall Gone Wrong
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The Cutter with the First Battalion raced toward the planet's surface as the other three Battalions made contact with the Scourge ships.
They didn't dock, that was only to the advantage of the Scourge, but they exited the Cutters and used the Gravity Control and magnetic plating functions of their Mecha to lock themselves to the Cutter's exterior.
A wave of drones raced out from Terminus to keep watch and assist where needed, while a furious barrage of fire smashed into the Scourge mothership, which went into an immediate frenzy at the unexpected level of damage that it was taking.
The Cutters had Orbital Bombardment level weaponry, and the Scourge mothership was ill-equipped to deal with it, having already lost their main shielding, causing them to start taking casualties to their automaton forces before they had even made contact with their newly arrived target.
Aboard Terminus, the passengers were staring in a mixture of awe and horror as Nico relayed the background of the scourge as subtitles at the bottom of the video feeds, as well as an ongoing narration of the battle that she was broadcasting while she piloted the drones taking the footage.
Normally, the scourge did as they had to the other two forces here, they took their targets by surprise, and then made for close combat to recover as many resources as possible from the target vessels before retreating.
That was not how this battle was going through, and the Scourge Mind was not pleased.
[Warning, Unorthodox Attack Detected]
The warning from Max's System wasn't anything he had seen before, and it came at the worst possible moment. They had just made landfall, and the first members of the First Battalion were just stepping off of the Cutter to engage the Scourge who were threatening their Reaver Allies.
The Scourge Lander flashed with blinding white light, and everything went dark. All power was knocked out, not only to the Mecha, but to the Cutter, and to both human forces on the surface. It seemed to be mutual destruction, as the Scourge had also fallen to the ground, disabled by their own attack, and Max was racing to get his Mecha back online.
He didn't even have communications to talk to the rest of his forces.
What he did find was that his Mobile Suit tucked away in his locker, was still operational, unlike everything else. Even the power packs for the backup pistols had been discharged by whatever the Scourge had done.
Max force activated all the other Mobile suits, so at least the other Super Heavy Pilots would realize that they had an option if the fighting wasn't over, and donned the protective armor as he continued to try to get the reactor back online.
It looked like a lost cause for the moment, as the energy matrix of the crystal structures was entirely wiped out, but the Super Heavy Mecha still carried smaller fusion power plants as a backup, originally intended to be a supporting power supply for the shields and emergency supply, if they should start taking large amounts of damage.
That system Max might be able to get back online if he had a bit of time since his Optimization Function was telling him to follow a reboot protocol.
[Commander, the Scourge are starting to move again. Please advise.] Major Miller asked frantically over the radio in his Mobile Suit.
[Let the Technicians start getting everything back online. That's their job. Command Staff, exit your Mecha in the Mobile Suits and keep the Scourge from overrunning the Battalion. Do not go far from your Mecha, just keep the Scourge off the Pilots as long as you can.] Max ordered.
[Force Reboot Initiated: Fusion Plant online in 240 seconds] The secondary power plant of Enduring Rage came to life with a small infusion of power from the Mobile Suit, then broadcast its status to the other Mecha in the area.
Using the power of the transmission was enough to activate the passive transponders in the Heavy Mecha, and begin their own reboot sequence, but the Corvette Class and Line Mecha would have to wait until they could be repaired, or the overheated circuits reset themselves, assuming that was enough to salvage the situation.
Max climbed to the roof of Enduring Rage to get a better signal and received an incoming supply notification from the Drone Pilots.
Nico had noticed their plight and sent them a supply drop. A small collection of Plasma Cannons, and a crate of organic power packs which could be plugged into the power transfer port on the Light Mecha to get them temporarily back online.
They would die again in an hour or less if they used their energy weapons, but that might be just long enough.
[New orders. Get the Light Mecha online while everyone else reboots.] Max ordered as he grabbed a Plasma Cannon from the drone's hold.
The Scourge force was already coming his way, and twenty shots wouldn't last long, but he only needed four minutes. Two hundred and forty seconds and the Mecha would be back online and they would be able to eliminate the scourge threat.
Max charged forward with long strides, running the Mobile Suit on minimal power assistance so that he had more for the Plasma Cannon, and relying on his own immense strength.
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The Cannon flashed twice as he ran, dropping a pair of Scourge Sentinels that were in the lead, sending mechanical tentacles flying in every direction as they exploded, and drawing all of their attention.
If they had emotions, Max would say that they were surprised that they had been shot at, and they were definitely not happy about it.
The Cannon couldn't fire fast enough to keep them off of Max, but three more dropped in the seconds before the Sentinels made it to Max, where they were met with his sword and the armored boot of the Mobile Suit.
"Hey, are humans supposed to be able to do that? The Commander just kicked through the head of a Scourge Sentinel. Our data says that they are a lightweight composite alloy armor." One of the Innu students asked Nico who paused her narration to reply.
"The System, made up of Nanobots comprising a wide network of Artificial Intelligence, rebuilds the bodies of our Pilots, to the System's estimation of optimal performance. At this point in his life, Commander Keres is roughly six times as strong as a standard human and much more durable.
He could easily exert enough force even with an armored boot to damage the Sentinels, though it will cause damage to his suit in return." Nico replied, still broadcasting to the whole ship so that everyone would understand what was going on.
"That energy Sword, my analysis says that it is based on a standard Laser Torch. In effect, he is using an industrial tool to disassemble the Sentinels in the most brutally efficient way possible." One of the Innu observed, making Nico and the staff of the ship laugh.
That was one way to put it. The Scourge Sentinels certainly looked like disassembled scrap when Max was finished with them, and the pile of robotic bodies was growing by the second.