The Recovery of Dreams

[Emily Gataki]

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Aboard the Odysseus, Emily had found her way to the observation deck, datapad in hand. Not even the glimpses she caught from the windows on her way could really prepare her for what she bore witness to. Earhart. Serene, deadly, yet with an underlying beauty that she could appreciate through the swathes of debris and radiation.

Emily tried to write some notes on what she saw, but found herself failing to capture the true elegance of the pocket of uncharted space that was temporarily where she lived. The pad found its place laid on the floor, while the newest recruit of the Consortium took in what she could. The structures gave her more questions, questions that’s have to wait.

And there within distant view was the Dreamscape. A battered shell of its former glory, but there. Intact. At least, at the moment. Radiation had worn her integrity down, and the collisions of debris had taken its toll, but she was still there, in relatively one piece. A tremor danced up Emily’s spine. This, this moment. This is what she was here for. Returning the Consortium’s long lost pride and joy home. There wasn’t a moment to waste. She tapped a comms panel connecting the observation deck to the bridge:

“Observation to bridge, Emily here. Eyes on her, port side, ten O’clock. Where do you need me to be?”

Every second felt an eternity, but the response came through.

“Understood. I’m on my way.”

---

[Leo]

---

"Liam" almost felt the Dreamscape before he saw her. Having poured much of his life into the ship, it wasn't surprising that her bulkheads, hallways, systems and sub-systems were as much apart of him as his own flesh and blood. There, lurking in the dark cloud hung the Dreamscape. Once the crown jewel of the SLRC fleet, now a derelict lurking in the depths of the debris field that surrounded her.

"Unreal." Leo said aloud. "I never thought I'd see her in person." he quickly went to his terminal, reviewing what the sensors were telling him. Liam knew that the ship would have survived the onslaught of both Alberta and Earhart. After their little adventure into Alberta years ago, he had ensured that she ship would survive most kinds of corrosive material. Though, those preventative measures were no doubt at their breaking point by now. The impact in Beta no doubt did considerable damage as well. While he pondered these things, he didn't hear Rose come up along side him.

"Do you think they can do it?" she asked him.

"They have to." he replied for the first time.

"We may not be Starlight anymore, but we can at least help them recover something from our past. Something that means something."

Liam remained silent, staring out at the viewscreen at the ship that was his life's work, now rotting away in a place no one could fathom. Rose turned to look at him, betrayal in her eyes. "Finally." he thought to himself "I was wondering when we were going to stop pretending and get to the point."

"You should have been here. With them. Guiding them. Leading them. But your own selfish needs came to the forefront yet again. You...you're a right bastard. Just like mother always said. I hate you. I wish you weren't here but outing you to them will only take away from their accomplishments. So you sit back here...you stay back here and you shut the hell up." tears were in her eyes, threatening to drop onto her cheek as she turned and walked away.

"You will always be...my Starlight." he said quietly.

"Superstructure appears mostly in tact." he heard Leo say from the front snapping him out of it. "Moving us into position. Standby for thrust."

Liam grimaced. He had a bad feeling about this.

---

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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.