Of Dreams and Nightmares

[Leo]

//For the sake of getting this done before the patch next week, I am expediting the story and reconning it to be several months before hand, including the communications to the IMG and Starfliers that went along with it. The hope was for me to get it into dry dock ahead of the patch, but due to IRL circumstances with those involved in the post and ingame activities, I am speeding it up so that I can get the ship back into use. I doubt many are following along with the story anyway, so this is more so that I can have my ship back yet still explain how it's able to fly despite being nearly destroyed in an "off-camera" circumstances.

---

Leo Morningstar looked out of a bay window from his office. The Dreamscape had a flurry of activity around her. Various lights flashed across her hull as IMG technicians with with a patented form of welding around breakpoints on the superstructure so that the carrier could make the jump to Tau-44 where their shipyards existed. Polymers were being adhered to the hull by various Starlight technicians with the help from some Lividian technicians who had come to assist. Starflier technicians were reviewing the plans for rebuilding the reactor, and the few Ingenuus technicians and researchers that the Consortium still counted among their number were reviewing plans to connect a new core under the planned reactor shielding.

Leo took his eyes off the Dreamscape and looked around the office. It had once belonged to a group of men who were titans in his eyes. Dr. Sailas Montgomery, the father of the Consortium. Dr. Brad Wright, former Ingenuus member and all around a sound leader. Sean Goodman, a wise-cracking skilled engineer--and now Dr. Leo Morningstar. Engineer by trade, Doctor by degree. This office had seen its fair share of discussions. He hoped he measured up to them.

"Taking in the sights?" said a mirthful female voice. Dr. Emery stood at the door with a smile that reminded him of her father.

"Oh, you know. Just remembering the various briefings we had in here." he responded with a sad smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Her smile fell a bit as she recalled the same.

"Sorry. You know how I get."

"I do." she said crossing the distance to the desk where he sat. She leaned over and picked a ball of lint off his jacket. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "He did it to save us all, you know."

He stood slowly, creating distance between himself and Rose. He stood nearer the window, overlooking the busy workers on the massive derelict outside.

"Think they can do it?" he asked, changing the subject. Remembering his mentor dying to save their lives still weighed heavily on him and even Rose, the woman with whom he was falling in love with, could not lift that weight. She sighed in exasperation, clear evidence that he had changed the subject many times before.

"I think they might. Though it's a longshot. She's a tough old bird but...she's been through hell. It's important that you remember you might not be able to succeed...and failing to do so might lose more people."

He winced involuntarily at her words. Like a slap to the face but one that he needed. He turned to glance at her.

"Thanks for being the one to tell me Memento Mori." he said with a hint of mirth. She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning to leave. "Still no chance of you coming back to Starlight? I could use someone as tough as you in our midst."

She turned to him before parting, a hint of sadness behind her eyes. "I'm still not ready yet. Give me time, Leonardo, please."

He nodded with a smile. She returned that with a wink and disappeared into the hallway beyond. He turned to look once more at the Dreamscape.

"Hold together just a little longer you old coot. We're gonna get you patched up and back in action before you know it."

---

You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark.
Roleplay is dead. Long live Powertraders and PvP I guess.

[Leo]

Four Months Ago

The Dreamscape was as ready as she was going to be. Crews had spent weeks repairing, suturing, and doing various shoring up of damaged components for the massive craft to make the journey into Tau-44. Despite arguments from various Starlight staff, Leo insisted that he be on the bridge as the ship made it's voyage to Singapore Shipyards where she would rest in drydock for the foreseeable future until all systems were brought back online. Rose, despite his arguments, stood next to him--ready to make the journey as well.

"Conn." he said, beginning with the checklist.

Each in turn answered with affirmatives. Conn, engineering, and various other important departments reported in. They were as ready as they were going to be.

"Ahead, one tenth impulse. Let's take it slow and not waste the work us and our allies have done over the past few weeks. Steady as she goes. Remember, we have limited shields. Ensure that we're staying out of the path of any major micro meteorite storms."

The Dreamscape lumbered forward. Despite all odds, the old girl did not bemoan the sudden thrust. All of the diligent work of the IMG technicians and their patented skillsets were coming through in spades. It was a slow process as they regularly had to slow to a near stop to maneuver around various asteroids. The thrusters, even after being cleaned out by Starlight and Starflier technicians, were still extremely damaged and corroded. Many of the maneuvers took up to ten minutes to complete.

It took approximately two hours to arrive at the Tau-44 jump hole.

"All ahead, stop." Leo called out. The Conn. repeated his command as the mass of the Dreamscape struggled against the laws of physics and came to a stop just outside of the gravity of the nearby jump anomaly. He turned to Rose who had been monitoring the entire journey. "Last chance to back out. No harm in leaving."

She turned to look at Leo, a hard look in her eyes.

"Leo, I lived on this ship for three years in a desolate place. The Dreamscape kept me alive. She got me home more than once in one piece. I have no intentions of turning my back on her now."

The Consortium had a strange reverence for the Dreamscape that Leo had never understood. It was a ship, a massive carrier that was a symbol of everything that Starlight used to be, sure--but many heralded the ship as some kind of living organism. He couldn't fathom the reasons why. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Begin jump sequence. Take us in." he said with confidence--even still, his voice shook with equal parts anticipation and worry.

---

You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark.
Roleplay is dead. Long live Powertraders and PvP I guess.